Christmas at Airlie

10 December 2025 - Airlie

We had a fantastic start to the second half of the Autumn Term, kicking things off with our annual Bonfire Night celebration. It was wonderful to see some of our Airlie parents join us for the best night in the School calendar, and we really hope you all enjoyed. Our charity stall on this evening was a huge success which featured an array of activities: a bottle raffle, guess the name of our house mascot, guess the number of sweets in the jar, and even Wycombe Abbey Battleships! A huge thank you to Elaine for coordinating the stall, and to the girls for supporting the running of it throughout the night. With thanks to their enthusiasm, we raised an incredible £433 for the School Charities.

Another highlight of the evening was the Guy parade, featuring the magnificent Gruffalo created by our LIV girls. Their entry was nothing short of phenomenal, showcasing every ounce of hard work and creativity poured into the weeks leading up to the event. We were thrilled to secure second place, narrowly missing out on the top spot to Cloister. However, Airlie still claimed victory in another way, with Sofia winning the Bonfire Night photo competition thanks to her colourful snap of the fireworks.

The weekend before Short Leave brought another House challenge: the Christmas Cookie Competition! Our Airlie star bakers, Yolanda, Sara, and Chiara, worked tirelessly to perfect the dough, while Roxy mastered a complex icing recipe. Every biscuit was decorated with a careful hand and now we eagerly await the results. This truly marked the start of the festive season in Airlie!

It was an absolute pleasure to welcome so many of you to our House Dinner on Sunday 23 November. Thank you for embracing the glitter and gold theme with such enthusiasm, especially our LVI, whose incredible effort for their final dinner truly shone! A special thank you to Mrs Garcia for organising such a wonderful evening. I’m sure you’ll agree that our talented musicians, Dorcas, Wendy, Emily, Georgie E, and Izzy L treated us to beautiful performances, while Elise and Georgie kept everyone entertained with a fantastic quiz. We can’t wait to welcome you back next year for another memorable celebration!

For our UIV girls, this half term has been a showcase of dedication and creativity as they worked tirelessly on their House Dance, choreographed by the talented Iselda. Countless hours in the Drawing Room perfecting spins and kicks truly paid off—their performance to ‘Beat It’ was fantastic! We are so proud of their courage to step up and perform in front of the whole School. It took teamwork, patience, and a willingness to step outside their comfort zone, and they should feel incredibly proud of themselves.

On the subject of dance, congratulations also go to Iselda and Michelle for achieving first and second place respectively in the School’s choreography competition. We can’t wait to see their winning pieces performed at Highlights next year. Avyanna has also been excelling in competition and has won the Top Girl trophy at the UK Chess Challenge. She does a fantastic job balancing her academic commitments with her love of chess and has dedication all the Airlie girls are in awe of.

We have had an outstanding half term in music. Airlie were announced as the winners of WACMF, the Wycombe Abbey Competitive Music Festival! This year’s competition saw a record number of participants, so securing this title is a fantastic achievement and brings us one step closer to winning the overall House Music Competition. Our talented musicians also performed in the recent House Ensemble, featuring a modern rendition of ‘Girls Like You’ by Maroon 5.

Our Mons have been busy contributing to a wide range of charity initiatives and events within our School community. They have been supporting the Butterfly House Hospice, a charity close to Wycombe Abbey’s heart. Izzy L created a stunning piece of artwork inspired by feedback from hospice patients, which she proudly presented in person alongside Mrs Scott. We are so proud of them for going above and beyond.

Elaine and Helen have also launched a popular Bubble Tea stand in Courtyard, selling to girls during break times to raise funds for charity. During Reading Week, Helen hosted a cosy evening in the Drawing Room with hot chocolates, jazz music, and plenty of reading—a perfect way to unwind after a busy week.

As the countdown to Christmas began, our LIV girls embraced tradition by decorating the House Christmas tree, with our youngest member, Dorcas, proudly placing the star on top! Airlie has felt truly magical over these last few weeks of term, with decorations brightening every corner and excitement building for Secret Santa, Dorm Feasts, Carol Services, and the joyful whirlwind of end-of-term festivities.

Finally, a special shout-out to our UV girls for their incredible effort during mocks. They’ve earned a well-deserved break, and we hope all our girls enjoy some rest and relaxation over the holidays. It’s been a fun-filled, slightly manic, but truly rewarding half term. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back in the New Year for more adventures in Airlie!