E-weekly Issue 310 - 19 September 2025

Welcome

This week, we’re pleased to share a video from our incredible World Challenge trip to Sri Lanka over the summer.

Our Year 11 & 12 girls embarked on a 16-day expedition, taking on everything from helping to repair a local village school near Kandy to trekking deep into the Knuckles Mountain Range and camping under the stars for two nights.

We’re already counting down to Summer 2027, when the girls will head to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands — ready for more adventure, resilience-building, and unforgettable memories.

In the News This Week...

Year 7 Enjoy Teambuilding Afternoon

On Saturday 6^th September, the Year 7 girls attended their teambuilding afternoon. This afternoon provided them with an opportunity to socialise with their new peers and test their wits against some fiendish puzzles. There was some intense competition and the Haribo prizes didn't last long! Roll on a fantastic first year at Mayfield. Many thanks to Mr Colquhoun, Mrs Parrett and Miss Petty for accompanying the girls.

Mr Daniel Smith, Head of Lower School

OCs Visit to Share Oxbridge Insights

We were delighted that OCs Chloe Lee and Breanna Asante (2025), who are about start their degrees in Geography at Jesus College, Oxford and English Literature at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, took time out to come into school and share the success of their journey from application to results day with this year's aspiring Oxbridge applicants. Our Year 13 gained excellent first-hand advice on personal statements, interview technique and maximising success in A Level Examinations.  We wish Chloe and Breanna every success as they begin the next stage of their educational journey.

Mrs Elizabeth Aherne, Head of Sixth Form

Sports News

Hockey Season in Full Swing
Last weekend, with an uncertain weather forecast, four teams played against Sutton Valence. The 1^st won 2-1, the 2^nds won 4-0, the U15s won 5-1 and the U14s lost 8-0. You will be able to see some of the match reports on SOCS; there was some very encouraging play and development on display.

After a disappointing loss to Sutton Valence, the U14s travelled to Dulwich Cranbrook, which proved to be a very tight game. The defence worked liked trojans in the first half but kept the ball out, and then with a few positional changes the game opened up and Mayfield were able to use the space better and started to make some purposeful attacks and the game became more 'end to end'. Ana (Year 9) had to make a couple of significant saves towards the end to keep the score at 0-0, and we look forward to a rematch at home.

On Wednesday 17^th September, we had some mixed results against Marlborough House Vinehall. The U13As lost 4-0, despite having had a more optimistic and even start. The U13Bs lost 3-1, the Cs lost 1-0 and the Ds were 2-1 winners. An excellent starting point, lots to focus on and lots was learned.

On Thursday, the U15s carried on their winning start, in a really close and well matched game against Burgess Hill U16s. As the game progressed, the confidence with which the girls played and the movement off the ball increased significantly. The deadlock was broken by Flo (Year 10) just before the 40 minute mark and with the game becoming more open, the defence kept the ball out. 

Other Sports News
Congratulations to Maggie in Year 12 for her first selection and first game for the Holcombe Talent Academy.

Good luck to our indoor ski racers, who will be performing at Chatham on Sunday.

Year 12 Enjoy Oxbridge Evening in Tonbridge

For the second consecutive year, we took eight Year 12s to Tonbridge School on Monday for a special Oxbridge evening. The EM Forster Theatre was buzzing with excitement as pupils from local schools were asking their questions to a panel of Cambridge Director of Admissions, Senior Tutor and Old Tonbridgians. The guest speakers gave us a lot of useful tips, for example 'What we look for?' and 'What makes a competitive application to Sciences at Oxford and Cambridge? The girls took a lot from it! It was an excellent opportunity for the girls who may be contemplating an application to Oxford or Cambridge.

"I found this information evening to be really interesting and insightful, particularly because it demystified the path into Oxbridge and gave us a great understanding of student life there. It was incredibly useful to hear from current and ex graduates and to learn and hear about their experiences, particularly the fact that at a Cambridge English degree, students should read around 40 books per term independently!" - Alice

"It was an informative and eye-opening experience which has left me with a new perspective on the Oxbridge application process, as well as loads of new ideas. I found out lots of in-depth information that I wasn’t aware of before and getting to hear first-hand from current students was very inspiring!" - Jasmine

Dr Marie-Sophie Reijers, Oxbridge Coordinator

Year 9 Boarders Relax with Saturday Yoga

The Year 9 boarders from St Gabriel's house took part in a fun afternoon on Saturday, learning some new yoga poses and having a go at practising some partner poses too. It was great fun seeing the girls taking part and most importantly having fun. We also had a few volunteers leading the group and demonstrating the new yoga poses they have learnt! They all deserved some well-earned relaxation afterwards!

Ms Corinne Richard, Teacher of French & Yoga

Keeping Up with the Scholars

Mayfield Scholars are not known for sitting on their laurels and are positively sprinting into this new academic year. Scholars’ Society launched with a discussion about superstitions stimulated by Isabella’s Summer Challenge video project about a Victorian shoe found buried in her family’s kitchen wall. It developed into an exploration of the role of superstition in the political philosophies of Hobbes and Spinoza and issues of freedom of thought with follow up suggestions for deeper dives.

Oxbridge Discussion Group also launched with a session led by Head of Science, Mrs Lewis. Mabel and her team of Year 13 scholars led a full Scholars’ Huddle this week challenging younger scholars to find out more about each other’s scholarship areas through a mega quiz, welcoming our new scholars at the same time. Sixth Form scholars have been on a trip to Tonbridge to find out more about Oxbridge applications and were visited this week by 2025 OCs Chloe and Breanna, who are about to take up their places to read Geography at Oxford and English at Cambridge.

Looking ahead, next Thursday, psychologist Sarah Huntley is visiting School to talk to all scholars about ‘Powerful Productivity’ and on the 29^th of September, we are looking forward to welcoming scholars and their parents to the Scholars’ Information Evening. Please don’t forget to sign up!

Mrs Kasia Kilvington, Director of Scholars

Michaelmas Fair 2025 - Next Saturday!

Mayfield Village Bonfire Celebration - Important Information

This weekend will see the annual Mayfield bonfire celebrations in the village.

Please note that the high street will be closed to all traffic from 18:00-23:30 on Saturday, and there will be no parking available in the school grounds for staff or students, with or without their families. 

This will only be available for use by bonfire societies with parking permits and there will be security guards posted on the school gates turning away anyone without a permit. This is to ensure the safety of all boarders, staff and families that live on site.

Careers Fair - Wednesday 1^st October

Chaplaincy News

Summer Taizé Trip Review - Alice, Year 12
At the start of the summer holidays, myself and five other girls with Ronan and Mrs. McGovern (Gmom) took the trip to Taizé. Across the week, we prayed three times a day and did ten minutes of silence as well as singing Taizé chants, offering us a chance to fully process the end of our GCSE chapter and through quiet reflection, prepare ourselves for the next chapter of our lives.

We spent time each day in groups with young people from across the world studying the Bible, bonding, and having thoughtful discussions. Each evening, we went into the Oyak, where they sold ice creams and there was a chance to get to know everyone better and a chance to have some great fun. We were taught many dances and songs from Sweden, the Netherlands and more and made some great friends. My highlight of the trip, was being able to spend lots of time as a group, playing games and chatting on the bus and during our free time, as well as coming together and supporting each other whilst having lots of deep and at times challenging discussions. Thank you so much to Ronan and Mrs. McGovern for an amazing trip, full of laughs, prayer, and memories that we are all incredibly grateful for. 

Library News

New books have arrived for the lower school library. They include requests from students, so pop along and have a look on the ‘new’ shelves.

For those who enjoy graphic novels, there are two more Hilda titles; The Hatmakers, an adventure story of magical milliners; another instalment of Percy Jackson for the lovers of Greek mythology; Augmented, a tale of the near future where teens are ‘enhanced’ for survival; issue led stories and more.

From 29^th September until 3^rd October you can enter the Poetry Trail Challenge celebrating National Poetry Day on 2^nd October.

Around school will be first lines of 16 well-known poems, your task will be to  fill in the poem title and the location of the first line on your entry form. Once completed, please post your entry forms in the boxes located in either library.

Entry forms are available from either library or can be found on the Library 2025-26 Teams page.

Prizes will be on offer for the most correct answers. Names will be drawn from a hat in the case of a draw. Good luck!

 National Poetry Day - Forward Arts Foundation

If you enjoy a literary festival, try the Hastings Book Festival this weekend...

Hastings Book Festival Programme 2025 | Hastings Book Fest

Ms Jan Blagden, Librarian

From the School Shop

Welcome back and an especially warm welcome on joining the Mayfield Family to our new girls.

The school shop is generally open Monday to Friday, 07:30am to 3:00pm year-round. I will email you in advance if the shop will be shut during a normal week.

Lost Property
Please see below lots of shoes that remain unclaimed. Most were left in July – please can you look at the pictures and see if any are yours; they can be collected from the school shop. These photographs have been sent to all the girls and the shoes were displayed in the courtyard on the first week of term. Items not collected by Friday 26^th September will be disposed of.

Photo of the Week

Photo of the Week today features the entrance of the chapel, looking back towards chapel lawn and the beautiful greenery that greets you as you make your way outside.

If you wish to submit a picture for any future 'Photo of the Week' stories, please send your selected image to jtompsett@mayfieldgirls.org.