The Scott Padel Court

We were thrilled to unveil our new padel court at the sports ground, named after one of our former Headmistresses.

At the grand opening of the Scott Padel Court, former Headmistress Mrs Jean Scott cut the ribbon to the new facility, named in her honour.  Pupils joined one of our parents and keen padel enthusiast, Mrs Gentzel, to demonstrate the game before the formal ceremony, where guests enjoyed afternoon tea and having a go on court. Padel is one of the fastest-growing games in the UK and the state-of-the-art court is already proving to be a fabulous addition to our sports complex.

Mrs Jean Scott was Headmistress of South Hampstead High School from 1993 to 2001; during that time, she transformed the school with her energy and vision.  Alongside the expansion of the Junior School and the modernisation of language, ICT and science laboratories, she recognised the need to extend the sporting facilities too. In the 1990s, the site at Lymington Road came up for sale. With her Chair of Governors, Meg Weston-Smith, Jean negotiated the purchase of the grounds and a partnership with the Cumberland Lawn Tennis and Hampstead Cricket Club which has lasted to this day.

Our current Head, Mrs Paul, thanked everyone involved with the development of the court and celebrated the collaboration – between the GDST,  the Cumberland Lawn Tennis Club, and the School – which has made the project possible. As she reflected on Jean’s contribution to the school, Mrs Paul invited everyone to toast another partnership: Jean and the then President of the Tennis Club, Donald Macleod, met over coffee and croissants in the 1990s to negotiate the sale of the grounds; two years later they were married and have been so for over 30 years now. The school choir even sang at their wedding.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and was involved in this happy event, with a very special mention to our padel professionals, Anna and Nathan, who put all of us through our paces on court.

You can read Mrs Paul’s speech here.