On Friday we celebrated ‘Move to Ealing Day’ at NHEHS, which has become a bit of a tradition in recent years. It’s a day when we commemorate the school’s move from Notting Hill to its current Ealing home on Cleveland Road. At our special assembly we heard all about the legendary Chick family who were involved with the school for over a hundred years from 1886-1906 and who had sent seven daughters to the school. The Chicks were keen on poetry, drama, music and women’s suffrage so we heard wonderful performances on the piano and harp, scenes from a Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet, a poetry recital and a re-enactment about the right to vote from some of our senior school girls. We ended, of course, with a rousing rendition of the Notting Hill School song! Afterwards, Year 13 students were invited to enjoy afternoon tea with staff in the atrium. Meanwhile Junior School were enjoying the annual ‘Candle Swim’ where girls swam across the pool trying to reach the other side without their lit candle going out! Even the Junior School teachers had their own race!

The school in Norland Square, Notting Hill, opened on 16th September 1873 with 10 pupils – only one of whom had been to school before. Following the move to Ealing, the school re-opened at its new premises (formerly Girton House School) on 20th January 1931 with 237 pupils.

You can read more about Move to Ealing Day, as well other wonderful moments in our history, images and alumnae memories in our special school book, 150 Years in Memories. This book was written to celebrate the school’s 150th anniversary and attempts to capture the spirit of NHEHS, something special which is known and understood by our alumnae.

Read about bomb shelters, the Boar’s Head, bunnies, boys, break time, the beastly Bs, boarders and the Big Build…

To order your copy of the book, please click on the link here.