Mrs Solti’s Farewell

At the end of term, we bid a fond farewell to Mrs Solti, Head of the Junior School since 2013. Last night, parents and staff gathered in the playground to say goodbye.

Over the past six years, Mrs Solti has built an outstanding platform at the Junior School and leaves a considerable legacy: an innovative learning environment that lays the foundations for the girls’ future lives. As well as creating an inspiring integrated curriculum, establishing a House system, and bolstering the hardship fund for those in financial need, Mrs Solti will perhaps be best remembered for so powerfully instilling curiosity and resilience in the girls, encouraging them to adopt a growth mindset and to ‘stretch their elastic bands.’

Parents frequently comment on the warm and happy environment she has created – a place that enables girls to work collaboratively, to communicate effectively, and to take risks. According to the Good Schools Guide, girls here: “blossom under her enlightened regime.” 

Mrs Solti attended the Junior School as a pupil herself. During her tenure as Head, she has enjoyed helping every girl to grow, discover her interests, and develop her independence.  “Primary pedagogy has always been my absolute passion. The girls here are amazing. I love the fact they like to boss me around. I’ve been lucky to work with such gifted and intelligent staff and wonderful families. It takes a village to raise a child, and I’m very proud to have been a part of this village.”

At her send off last night, parents and staff paid tribute to her time here, with a special ‘celebration assembly’. Headmistress, Mrs Bingham, and Junior School Deputy Head, Miss Szemerenyi, presented her with certificates of achievement as well as her own iconic South Hampstead penguin, while the PTA thanked her with a beautiful painting of the school, created by a parent.

Mrs Solti is relocating to Yorkshire to take up a new position at The Grammar School at Leeds.  Ms Caroline Spencer has been appointed as the next Head of South Hampstead Junior School from September 2019. She joins us from Francis Holland School, Sloane Square, where she has been Head of the Junior School since December 2014.  With a particular interest in pedagogy and curriculum development, she looks forward to continuing Mrs Solti’s legacy and embarking on an exciting new chapter of the Junior School’s development.