Emilia joined Cobham Hall in September 2019 as a timid Year 7 student. She was excited about starting her new school, but she felt very apprehensive, and because of her shyness, she was worried she might not make friends very easily. Throughout Emilia’s primary education, we were always told that she was a capable student but that she lacked confidence in herself and needed to participate more in class discussions.
As soon as Emilia started at Cobham, everything changed for the better. She was made to feel very welcome by the older girls at the school and they encouraged her to become part of the Cobham Hall “family”. Emilia enjoyed all class lessons right from the start and immediately became a more focused and self-motivated student, participating much more in class than previously. Since the beginning, she has come out of school each day in a happy mood, wanting to share with us information about what she has been up to and what she has learnt.
One of the main things that we, as parents, have observed is the way in which the teaching staff seem to have a skill for noticing the girls’ qualities and strong points. They nurture and support them so that they reach their full potential in these areas, as well as encouraging them to try out new activities that they might not have considered doing. Emilia’s journey so far at Cobham Hall certainly reflects all this.
Emilia has always had an inner passion for music and drama. In the past, she did not have the confidence to show this. However, we noticed very early on how she was starting to believe in herself and a perfect example of this was when she put herself forward for a principal role in the forthcoming school musical production and was given the lead role. Emilia has also launched herself enthusiastically into various co-curricular clubs, including trampolining, the school orchestra, choir and chamber choir. She has also enjoyed participating in the various inter-house sporting events. She is becoming a very well-rounded person.
Emilia’s school reports so far have shown how well she is progressing in all academic subjects, especially those she is particularly passionate about, namely music, drama, English and foreign languages. Emilia has made some very strong friendships which we believe will be lasting ones. She now has a serene confidence about her that she did not have before and a noticeable determination in everything she does. We are extremely happy with Cobham Hall and know that it is the right school for our daughter. We look forward to seeing her develop and progress further as she moves up through the school.