Get involved

There are many ways you can get involved in the life of the school and current students love to hear and learn from the experience of alumnae. If you would be interested in coming to the school to talk about your career, or helping out with careers talks then we would love to hear from you.

Please email Lucinda Webb l.webb@por.gdst.net or telephone 023 92 701617

Madeleine Michell

Independent School Portsmouth, Alumnae with students in fashion workshop

Portsmouth High School girls in Year 9 and 10 were delighted to have the opportunity to take part in a Sustainable Fashion Workshop led by alumna, Madeleine Michell who left the school in 2014 and is currently in her final year in textile design at Leeds University.

The girls were given the opportunity to work with Madeleine and gain an insight into how the fashion industry works. Madeleine completed her industrial placement with top fashion/textile designer Mary Katrantzou and is looking at how garment production can be streamlined to cut waste in both materials and time, yet still allow for individuality in the end pieces.

Dr Abi Parnell

We were delighted to welcome back Dr Abi Parnell (Class of 1998) who returned to school in April 2016 to talk to the girls about a career in psychology. She inspired and enthused the Sixth Form A level students with her knowledge of the career progression both within the NHS and in private practice. Currently she is working with children, adolescents and their families who may be experiencing behavioural or emotional problems.

Holly Giles

In September, Year 5 girls had an exciting visit from Portsmouth High School alumna Holly Giles (Class of 2014). Holly is just about to go into her second year at Cambridge, reading Natural Sciences, but before she returned, she came into talk to the girls about careers in science.

Holly showed the girls a presentation on famous women in science and urged the girls to follow in their footsteps.

‘There are so many different careers you can do,’ she said. ‘From medical science to chemical engineering and even astronomy. You can make a difference.’

The girls had a chance to use the microscope that Holly uses at Cambridge, try on the hard hat she was given after her visit to Cern last summer and experiment with a stethoscope. When asked when her love of science started, she replied:

‘I was about your age and loved my science lessons and the practical experiments. But don’t forget maths. That is really important.’ she said. ‘I started asking myself questions, like, why is grass green? and soon realised that science is the way to explain the world. My ultimate aim is to go into the field of genetics. It seems to be coming clear that if we want to cure cancer, for instance, it is all about understanding the genes. I want to help find that genetic cure.’

Here is Holly’s blog on her visit https://myscielog.wordpress.com/2015/09/24/my-just-one-action-for-women-in-science-just1action4wis/

Lucy Foley

We were thrilled to welcome back Lucy Foley (Class of 2004) in January 2015 to talk to us about the writing and launch of her debut novel ‘The Book of Lost and Found’

‘A classic sweeping love story . . . moving and engrossing’ Katherine Webb

After Portsmouth High School, Lucy Foley studied English Literature at Durham and UCL universities. She then worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry – during which time she also wrote The Book of Lost and Found. Lucy now writes full-time, and is busy travelling (for research, naturally!) and working on her next novel.

Mitu Khandaker

Mitu Khandaker (Class of 2002) returned to PHS in January 2014 to talk to the girls.

Mitu, 29, left Portsmouth High School in 2002 and is currently the Director of her one-woman games development company, The Tiniest Shark Ltd. She is also a part-time PhD researcher in Creative Technologies at the University of Portsmouth. Last year, Mitu was amongst the inaugural selection of BAFTA Breakthrough Brits in film, TV, and games for 2013. This was a new initiative from BAFTA to celebrate and support the UK’s future talent. The group of 17 was selected by a jury of industry experts