Meet our Head Girls

Head Girl, Kirsten Bailey

Earlier this term, I was fortunate enough to be chosen to represent St Nicholas' School as Head Girl, alongside Millie, who is one of the most hard-working, organized and friendly people that I know. I am genuinely so grateful to be able to be an ambassador for the school in this way and I’m looking forward to having the platform to bring about changes to make the school an even better place. As well as this, the position of Head Girl will also give me the opportunity to be a role model, inspiring the younger pupils to always try their very best and to be kind and caring towards each other, like the Head Girls at both my previous school and here at St Nick's did for me.  

I joined St Nicholas' School in Year 7 after attending large infant and junior schools, so the smaller class sizes definitely took a little bit of getting used to. However, after spending the past four years here, I think it is one of the school’s greatest assets, allowing pupils to have much more direct engagement with the lesson and the teacher, which I believe makes lessons more successful. It also means that teachers understand the individual needs of each student well, so I have always felt able to discuss work openly with any teacher at any point in time and receive advice or explanations where necessary to help me progress. As this is a through school, going all the way from Reception to Year 11, when I first joined in the seniors I was concerned about the friendships that were already formed within the year and disturbing those. I needn’t have worried though, as everyone was so welcoming that in no time I found myself surrounded by supportive and kind friends, and suddenly, I'm heading towards our final year here with an abundance of great memories. 

Some of the things I believe make our time here so valuable and enjoyable are the varying opportunities to try different activities or go to new places and it is those moments that stay with us for a lifetime. A few of my favourite memories from my time at St Nick's are going on residential trips, such as Paris and Iceland, where we got to be emersed in completely different environments in an exciting fusion of learning opportunities. These included getting to practise some French and see world-famous art, in Paris, and seeing geography in action, in the case of Iceland, while making unforgettable memories together. I have also enjoyed many of the extracurricular activities that are on offer here, such as playing cello in the school orchestra from Year 7, and then the chamber orchestra since Year 9, as well as sports such as netball and cricket and even science club, where Millie and I are currently working towards our CREST Silver Award. All of these opportunities have not only enhanced our learning experience and inspired us to dig further into different subjects, but I think all have helped to strengthen resilience, make us challenge ourselves and improve teamwork. 

Though I know my GCSEs will be daunting, thanks to supportive staff, informative and engaging lessons, as well as helpful practice exams (though we definitely felt differently about it at the time), I feel much more prepared, not only for the exams, but for whatever path I go on to take in the future. In the meantime though, I am so excited to see what challenges and opportunities present themselves to Millie and me in the following year, such as planning prom and representing the school at different events and I look forward to working hard together to make our final year at St Nicholas' School the best it can be. 

Head Girl, Millie Youds

Earlier this year, I was elected as 2023-24’s Head Girl alongside one of my best friends, Kirsten Bailey, who is a fantastic leader not to mention an intelligent and kind friend.  It is an honour to be Head Girl and I cannot wait to collaborate with Kirsten in organising various events for the school and my fellow pupils.

A few words about me: I have been at the school since Reception, and I have tried to experience everything the school has to offer; from school trips to Paris or raising money for Cancer research in a 3-legged 5K run!  There is no doubt about it, I have created many wonderful memories with my friends and honestly even after 11 years here, I’m not sure I’m quite ready to leave next year!

For me, St Nick's has been fantastic in providing opportunities and supporting me with my learning – from the two-times table in the infants, to solving multi-step trigonometry questions in Year 10!  Where did the time go?  Going into Year 11 I feel prepared to accept the challenge of GCSEs as I have had lots of exam experience since Year 3 and feel confident in answering all the questions the examiner has to throw at me.  For this, I would like to thank my teachers, as they have guided me (along with my year) and taught me everything I need to know.

As well as academics, I have taken part in many school productions, starring as Potts in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' this year, as well as singing in the choir and playing in the orchestra.  I am also privileged to be a Music Scholar.  I enjoy sports such as football in the winter term and athletics in the summer.  However, I feel that one of the highlights of sports at St Nick's is the annual sports day in the summer term, consisting of various track and field events that each house tries to win.  The atmosphere created by the girls cheering for their teammates, or the proud parents whooping from the side of the track, truly makes sports day a memorable experience for everyone!

Due to extra activities such as careers week, I feel completely equipped for the next stage of my life at college, then university.  I would like to pursue a career in medicine and thank to St Nick's, I know I have been given the life skills to do this.