Forever LEH: what does it mean to be an LEH alumnae?

LEH first opened its doors in 1710, thanks to the generosity and foresight of one remarkable woman, Lady Eleanor Holles. For over three hundred years, we have been producing remarkable women who, in turn, go on to do remarkable things. Today, our mission remains the same.

At LEH we encourage pupils to become informed, bold, resourceful, and ethical global citizens. People who are valued for the qualities and immeasurable richness they bring to our community. When they leave us, they’ll join a worldwide network of accomplished women who are shaping and changing the world. These young women will become part of a fabric of relationships that will benefit them personally and professionally for the rest her life.

The LEH alumnae network, known as Holles Connect, is one of LEH’s greatest assets. It spans generations, industries, and continents, and it continues to grow with every cohort of leavers who carry the school’s values out into the world. Whether a former pupil left LEH five years ago or fifty, the connection to this community endures.

Who are our LEH alumnae?

LEH alumnae go on to achieve exceptional things across every field imaginable. From medicine, law, and academia to the arts, sport, business, and public life, former LEH pupils are making their mark in every corner of society. The school has a long history of producing women who lead with intelligence, integrity, and courage, and that tradition continues with every year group that passes through our doors.

LEH’s motto, Hope favours the bold, is not just a phrase. It is a way of thinking that former pupils carry with them throughout their careers and lives. You can explore more about the school’s history and the women who have shaped it on our history page.

 

How does the LEH Alumnae network support former pupils?

The Holles Connect alumnae network exists to keep former LEH pupils connected to each other and to the school, long after they have left Hampton. It provides opportunities to network professionally, to mentor current sixth formers and younger pupils, to attend events, and to stay in touch with a community that shaped who they are.

The success of each LEH woman should be an inspiration to another. Raising each other up and channelling the power of collaboration is how we’ll change the equation and challenge the ‘old boys’ club’. We encourage all our brilliant alumnae to volunteer to share their career expertise or university experience with our current Sixth Form pupils and former students by signing up to act as mentors through the LEH Elevate Programme.

Alumnae play an active role throughout all school life at LEH. Alongside mentoring, they return to speak at events and contribute to the Be Bold! Lecture series that inspires current pupils. This ongoing exchange between past and present pupils is one of the things that makes the LEH community genuinely distinctive.

For current Sixth Form pupils, the alumnae network is a direct bridge to the world beyond school. Our Sixth Form pages have more information about the support available as pupils prepare to leave LEH and take their next steps.

How can former LEH pupils get involved?

Whether you left LEH last summer or decades ago, the Holles Connect community welcomes you back. There are lots ways to get involved, from attending reunions and events to mentoring current pupils, contributing to the careers programme, or simply staying in touch and sharing your news. You can find out more about our news and events now.

Former pupils who are willing to speak to current students about their career journeys, offer work experience, or contribute to events are particularly valued. Hearing from real LEH alumnae about what life after school looks like, honestly and generously shared, is one of the most powerful things the network can offer to the girls currently making their way through the school.

To find out more about Holles Connect and how to join the alumnae community, please contact us , we’d be very happy to invite you back for a tour.

JOIN HOLLES CONNECT

Smiling woman in a floral dress stands beside a wall display of red quote panels and black-and-white portraits.

Where can an LEH education take you?

We believe that education is about far more than academic achievement. It’s about nurturing curiosity, creativity, resilience and the confidence to embrace new opportunities, qualities that empower our students to shape their own futures.

Our alumnae have gone on to build inspiring careers across an extraordinary range of fields, from the creative industries and architecture to medicine, engineering, science, business, sport and entrepreneurship. Their journeys are as diverse as their ambitions, but they all share the confidence to think independently, challenge convention and pursue their passions.

Through our Fearless Futures series, we celebrate the stories of LEH alumnae who have forged their own paths and are making a difference in their chosen fields. Whether following a traditional route or carving out an unexpected career, they demonstrate that there is no single definition of success, and no limit to where an LEH education can take you. Their stories are a reminder that the skills developed at LEH: creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and courage, stay with you long after you leave the classroom.

Because bold futures start with the confidence to imagine what is possible. Click below to read their stories

Fearless Futures

Magazine cover: a woman smiling wearing a carved animal mask on the right, with bold red typography block on the left.

Read our new Holles Connect magazine!

We are delighted to share the latest edition of Holles Connect, a celebration of the people, stories and connections that continue to shape the LEH community across generations.

Read Here

Support wherever life takes you

Attending LEH gives students so much more than a top-class education. Their time here instils a sense of confidence, strength and resilience that stays with them long after they leave. We are every bit as proud of our alumnae and what they go on to achieve as we are of our pupils while they attend school. We continue to support and champion them always.  Here some of our alumnae explain what LEH means to them and how it has continued to inspire them.

@HollesConnect

Got a big idea? 💡 Be bold!

The Be Bold Grant is open to former LEH pupils of any age who want to try something new or take on a project that gives back. 🌍

✨ Up to £1,000 available
✨ Full backing of the Holles Connect community
✨ Your project featured in print, online and on our socials

Applications close Friday 23rd October! ⏰

Find out more at the link in bio, and read the October Holles Connect newsletter, out now.

Hope Favours the Bold. 💙

#BeBoldGrant #LEHAlumnae #HollesConnect
Meet Sofia Bontempi (Class of 2022) and Iris Library! 🌸👁️

Sofia has created a creative magazine and community celebrating new ideas and the people working across the creative industries, the space she wishes she’d had when she was starting out.

Student, emerging creative or just someone who loves discovering new ideas? There’s a place for you at Iris. ✨

Read Sofia’s story in the October Holles Connect newsletter, out now. Link in bio!

Go and follow @theirislibrary 💫

#LEHAlumnae #HollesConnect
Old school, new stories! 🎒✨

Our alumnae have been back at LEH sharing their adventures with the next generation:

📚 Maddy Nutt (2016) on languages and gravel races in South America
🪡 Priya Velusami (1997) on sari keyring making and her company, Pri Pri
🎭 Emily Phillips (2021) on theatre directing
✍️ Amie Brian (2022) on writing and her shortlisted novel, Bitter on the Tongue

Each visit brings the LEH story full circle and reminds our students that the future is full of possibility. 💙

Read more in the October Holles Connect newsletter, out now. Link in bio!

PS: Priya is offering LEH alumnae 10% off at Pri Pri with the code LEH10! 🎁

#LEHAlumnae #HollesConnect
Celebrating the life of Angela Darke (née Abbot), Class of 1953.

Angela passed away peacefully on 6 December 2025, aged 90. From scholarship girl to scientist, teacher, dressmaker, wife, mother and grandmother, she embraced every chapter of her life with quiet determination, deep faith and warmth.

Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

Read Angela’s story in the October Holles Connect newsletter, out now. Link in bio.

#LEHAlumnae #HollesConnect
🥁 Keep Music Live 🥁

Alice Angliss, Class of 2011, plays drums in West End musicals, and in September she took the stage at TUC Congress to speak up for live music.

Her message for your next trip to the theatre: don’t just clap for the band, tell the person next to you how great they sounded! 🎶

So proud of you, Alice! 👏

Read her story in the October Holles Connect newsletter, out now. Link in bio! 🔗#

#hollesconnect #lehalumnae

Holles Connect

You can access your Holles Connect account here:

Holles Connect Magazine

Click on the covers to read Holles Connect, our Alumnae magazine, which features profiles of our remarkable alumnae amongst other news and features.