Nicola Nicoll welcomes you to Heatherton Girls School

The girls genuinely know and endorse the School’s values to aim high with integrity, to be adventurous and to serve others.

Nicola Nicoll

Headteacher of Heatherton

Heatherton is a forward-thinking, innovative school with a very special close family feel that is renowned in the Buckinghamshire area. We are in the enviable position of being a prep school within the Berkhamsted Schools Group, so we are able to retain our nurturing ethos while still benefiting from all the facilities, resources and teaching expertise that comes from being part of this outstanding and historic family of Schools.  Heatherton was founded over 100 years ago and is an IAPS with a kite mark for excellence and an admirable record for success.

Of course, what makes any school special is its pupils.  Working with the Heatherton pupils has been a delight and inspiration; they are clearly so happy, excited, confident and love their School.  The girls genuinely know and endorse the School’s values to aim high with integrity, to be adventurous and to serve others.  These values are close to my heart as I passionately believe in the ability of education to change and shape lives.  As we know, the world is rapidly evolving, and it is essential that an outstanding education enables good grades and qualifications whilst equally supporting the development of soft skills, emotional intelligence and character.  Heatherton School offers a safe and supportive environment for pupils to learn from both successes and challenges and prides itself on a promise never to leave anyone behind.  With small class sizes, having a teacher and TA in every classroom, a team of dedicated, caring and passionate staff, broad opportunities in extra-curricular activities, each child is treated individually empowering them to thrive.

“My desire is that every pupil leaves Heatherton educationally enthused and motivated, confident, polite, curious, resilient, outward-looking and entirely ready to take on the next steps of her educational journey.”

Choosing a school can be a little like house-hunting; you check the facts on paper to see if it could theoretically be the right place, but you don’t know that until you visit in person.  Only then do you have a real sense of what it is really like and whether your child could be happy there.  The minute I walked into Heatherton School, I knew it was the place for me – I felt the warm, friendly, family-like, buzzing atmosphere – and I hope you will too. I warmly welcome you to come to see for yourself.

Mrs, Nicola Nicoll, BSc (Hons), MEd
Headteacher of Heatherton

Nicola’s Biography

Nicola Nicoll joined Berkhamsted Schools Group as the Headteacher of Heatherton in September 2020. Nicola has worked in Independent Primary or Prep Schools for over 20 years. She started as a science teacher at Thomas’ Preparatory School in Clapham, after completing her BSc in Biomedical Sciences and Post-Graduate Certificate in Education from Liverpool University.  Nicola then became Head of Science and Head of Middle School at Westminster Under School in London and then the Deputy Head at Badminton Junior School in Bristol. Nicola attained her Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Buckingham. She is married to George and together they both enjoy travelling whenever possible to continually learn and have fun exploring.  Nicola also enjoys reading, art and sculpture, and taking part in outdoor activities with family and friends. 

Nicola’s Podcast – why is Science important?

Listen to Nicola discuss the importance of Science at Heatherton

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Pupils achieve highly and exceed expectations across all areas, well above their commensurate ages.

Forward thinking and outward looking enough not to be a bubble, but there’s a lovely innocence about this small girls’ school nonetheless.

Teachers’ insistence on high expectations ensures that pupils strive from, and achieve, high standards in their learning and gain skills that enable them to make positive transitions within their school and to their senior schools.

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