NEAL
Rested and recharged from the summer holidays, one of the first major moments in Michaelmas term was welcoming the new shell girls to Neal. Having come from many different prep schools, the girls had to adapt quickly to busy life at Ardingly and did so brilliantly with the help of this year’s newly appointed prefects: Emily Whitton and Lexie Bradshaw as Deputy Head of House Superbia with Flora Wilson, Evie Whitehead, and Charlotte Horwood also adopting prefect roles. All of our prefects took this role in their stride and began the journey of leading the house with confidence and dedication.
Sporting success came thick and fast and Steepo was a standout triumph. Slathered in pink paint and ribbons our runners flew across the course. Liv Byers stormed home in first place for Junior Girls with a remarkable 13:42, and Evie Whitehead in Senior Girls in second, finishing in 14:44, less than a minute behind the fastest runner. With a plethora of very quick runners, we proudly won the Junior Girls Cup and the Junior Girls Endeavour, a true symbol of Neal spirit — banding together, leaving no one behind. With the sofas having been covered in so much pink, sparkly paint that they were deemed irreparable, we refuelled post Steepo on what seemed like an infinite supply of pizza and garlic bread. A truly great way to end the half-term.
As Christmas approached, our focus shifted to our annual appeal for Gateway, a charity dedicated to supporting women in Portslade. This collection involves preparing gift bags, and for many of the recipients, the items they receive from us will be the only gift they get over the festive period. While these bags are filled with small, inexpensive items, it is the impact of these small gestures that truly matters. They are a powerful symbol of compassion, kindness, and community support, the core values that define Neal.
We ended the Michaelmas term with an intense victory against the other girls’ Houses in House Hockey, taking home both the junior girls win and the senior girls win, a wonderful way to end a highly successful term.
Lent began with Shell painting their mugs and putting their handprints in the wall, a long- standing tradition which fully cements the girls as a part of the Neal community. House competitions brought their own excitement with us continuing our winning streak by achieving 1st place in House Netball. Our inter house debating team — Ayla Millward, Lucy Fielding, and Hannah Antony — reached the final once again, proving their consistency and confidence.
Beyond competitions, we found joy in the small but meaningful moments. We transformed the Shell year group rooms into welcoming common areas, encouraging the girls to step out of their studies, socialise, and begin forging the friendships that will carry them through the next four years.
This year saw the third return of our much-loved Tuesday ‘Fun days’. These relaxed afternoons—featuring everything from dodgeball to Christmas bauble decorating have consistently delivered a brilliant mix of friendly competition and unstructured creativity. Most importantly, they give everyone a vital opportunity to switch off, bond across year groups, and simply enjoy being together outside of the usual academic and sporting commitments.
Our achievements in the arts shone brightly this year too. All the girls put an incredible amount of effort into House Song practice despite the early morning (and sometimes outside) rehearsals! Thanks to the effort of the whole lower sixth team we placed fourth overall. A result that I think all of the girls can be proud of. We also celebrated outstanding individual success in Drama and dance, with a brilliant performance from Emily Whitton in Blithe Spirit, Mia Littlefair’s sharp wit in Shermock, and a series of expressive dance shows that showcased the creativity of our performers. Slam Poetry was equally a triumph, with Hannah Antony winning with her edition of Still I Rise and Allegra Apps named runner-up.
The Lent Term ended with our annual Easter Egg Hunt, in which the girls frantically scramble around the house to find their eggs, and our House Dinner interwoven with performances from Ayla Millward, Evanni Mahesan, and Hannah Antony who made the evening even more special.
As trinity term unfolded, we said heartfelt goodbyes to twenty-nine fifth form girls and ten lower sixth girls. Mrs King’s leavers’ speeches are always looked forwards to due to their kind yet oftentimes hilarious nature!
So much of what Neal achieves is down not only to the girls but to our incredible staff. A massive thank you to Yulia, without whom the House would simply not function. She always brings smiles to our faces on Thursday with her delicious banana bread, has saved us from certain poisoning, cleaning the House within an inch of its life (a mighty task after Steepo), and is forever a welcoming face in House.
Thank you to Mr Green and Miss Brown; their enthusiasm simply cannot be beaten (specifically in Tuesday dodgeball or early morning four-person yoga!) Their dedication to the Neal House spirit is truly inspiring, and they never fail to bring laughter with their uplifting and bubbly moods when it is needed, especially in the last weeks of term.
And finally, Mrs King, although we may feel the need to update her on 2026 fashion (hoop earrings and skirt lengths in particular). Her continual love for the House always shines through. She is always understanding and open for a chat to all of the girls. Thank you for your advocacy and support for us all. The House truly wouldn’t run without you.
My time in Neal has been nothing short of remarkable and I know I speak for all of the lower sixth girls when I say that Neal has become our home at Ardingly. We have all made countless memories and had amazing experiences thanks to this House and I’m sure all of the lionesses in future years will too.
From charity to sport, music to drama, laughter to leadership, this year has been a testament to everything that makes Neal House extraordinary. A community that lifts, celebrates, and inspires — together.
Imogen Large, Head of House