On Thursday 30th September we welcomed the Duke of Westminster to open our inspirational new Sixth Form Centre, the Old School House. This remarkable building offers the perfect environment for the transition from school to university, in keeping with the FHS vision of providing a transformational Sixth Form education that promotes creativity, innovation and enterprise.
The Old School House is a stunning 909m2 neo-gothic building which has undergone a £3.5 million renovation and increased the current school footprint by 15%. Joining directly to the School’s existing buildings, but with its own dedicated entrance on Ebury Street, it offers the opportunity for our Sixth Form girls to collaborate with entrepreneurs in our community and network with those committed to changing the mindset of the next generation. The Old School House started off as a boys’ school back in 1847, but was tragically bombed in World War Two, and so it seems very apt that this incredible building has now reverted to its original purpose of educating young people in their formative years.
The Duke of Westminster, the Lord Mayor and Mayoress of Westminster and of course our generous benefactors were invited to celebrate the official opening of this unique building. The evening began with a wonderful performance by our Years 10 and 11 String Quartet while our guests were given tours of the Old School House by current Sixth Formers. Headmistress Mrs Elphinstone then addressed our guests, commenting “We are proud of our long-held relationship with Grosvenor and honoured that the Duke of Westminster is following his father who graciously opened two major developments in Francis Holland’s recent history. We are also deeply indebted to the generosity of parents and friends who gave freely of their time, talent and treasure to enable this unique project to shine a light in the midst of the pandemic of 2021.”
This was followed by a speech by the Duke of Westminster in which he also praised the longstanding relationship between Francis Holland and Grosvenor Estates and highlighted the similarities in ethos between them. At FHS, one of our most intrinsic values is to enable and empower our girls to be the difference in society, which echoes Grosvenor’s focus on pioneering sustainable property development and environmental leadership.
The Duke of Westminster marked this very special occasion in the School’s history by unveiling the commemorative plaque which will now be proudly displayed in the Old School House for posterity.
