Eleanor Beatrice Wyatt, the founder of Heathfield, established the school 120 years ago to allow the girls to ‘see the sky.’ She meant it literally, but I take it to be a metaphor to allow the girls to reach their greatest potential in whatever sphere that is – whether academic, artistic, sporting, musical or dramatic. Heathfield enables girls to excel and empowers them as self-confident, resilient, articulate young women because we understand that in order to succeed young women need to be happy and confident first. From that, everything else follows.
Academically, Heathfield aims to engender an intellectual curiosity combined with self-discipline; it is this combination which leads our young women to succeed in so many areas. However, we are not led purely by our academic outcomes; our girls go to the best universities, the best Art colleges and Drama schools as well as to the world of work. Our girls, staff and parents work hard together to ensure that each individual girl’s dream is fulfilled. We know, value and respect every girl; that is what we stand for.
The boarding ethos of a holistic education is absolutely at the heart of what Heathfield stands for. I was a boarder and my children were boarders and I’m a passionate believer in the independence of spirit, the lifelong friendships and the dedication to service to the community which our girls embody for the rest of their lives as a result of living in a Christian boarding community.
Although Eleanor Beatrice Wyatt spoke over a century ago every single member of staff in our school is committed to continuing her vision of helping every girl to ‘see the sky’. How wonderful too that the team of Inspectors who visited Heathfield in February 2018 felt that our ‘pupils grow into young people who make a difference to the world and live their lives boldly’.
I would urge you to come and meet our young women and feel the magic of Heathfield for yourself.
Mrs Marina Gardiner Legge
Headmistress
