Notting Hill & Ealing High School has won the Creativity award at the prestigious Tes Independent School Awards 2020. 

By Tes, 7 February 2020

This is a girls’ school that is “not afraid to give pupils a voice of their own” and that takes their learning well beyond the subjects and concepts of the curriculum.

The school, in Ealing, is for girls aged 4-18, and its Da Vinci Programme – aimed at Year 10 pupils – allows teachers to cross disciplines to deliver fascinating and inspiring lessons with creativity at their heart.

Teachers from the maths and art departments come together, for example, to demonstrate how Fibonacci’s sequences and concepts can be applied to famous historical works of art, aiming to question notions such as beauty. Teachers also use the subject of Brexit in history and politics to demonstrate how there is no right answer or quick fix.

Sessions combining public speaking and Classics analyse the murderous actions of famous women in classical literature to show the importance of seeing events in their context and the limitations of applying modernday sentiment. Meanwhile, principles of biology, history and geography merge in the study of advancements in disease control.

Lead judge Simon Larter-Evans said that the winner “has put together an exciting programme that is compelling, coherent and relevant to students’ lives”.

“The emphasis on risk is well conceived, and the programme is detailed, imaginative and, importantly, treats the students with intellectual respect.

“A quick look at the school’s website also demonstrates that this school is not afraid to give its students a clear, unfettered, independent voice of their own,” he added.

An online campaign runs alongside the programme (#doingdavinci).

Winners attended a black-tie event at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, hosted by award-winning comedian Ivo Graham, where more than 400 attendees celebrated all that is outstanding in independent schools across the UK.

A full list of winners can be seen here.