Meet the Head; Burgess Hill Girls
Appointed in June 2025, Heather Cavanagh is on a mission to champion the benefits of an all-girls education. With more than fourteen years’ experience in the sector, she has seen first-hand how girls flourish when they are given the space, encouragement, and opportunity to lead.
“The results speak for themselves,” says Heather. “At Burgess Hill Girls, we see every day the confidence, ambition and academic excellence that come from an environment designed to empower.”
Heather’s vision builds on the school’s proud tradition of outstanding results at GCSE and A Level, but she is equally passionate about the personal growth that happens alongside academic success. In her words, “Confidence here is built not through competition, but through community. Our girl’s step into science labs, sports fields, debating chambers, and leadership roles without hesitation because this is a place where their voices are heard, and their ambitions are encouraged.”
She shares a story of a pupil who arrived shy and hesitant to speak up in class. “Within months, she was leading the debate team, exploring robotics, and captaining her House. By the time she left Sixth Form, she was not just academically prepared, but articulate, ambitious, and ready to shape her own future. That transformation is the power of girls-only education.”
Heather is equally keen to emphasise that Burgess Hill Girls is a forward-thinking community. “Independent education is changing, moving away from operating in isolation and tradition for tradition’s sake, towards collaboration, inclusion, and innovation. Within this shifting landscape, the distinctiveness of girls-only education shines even brighter.”
Part of this innovation is the school’s bold new Digital School Strategy, ensuring every girl develops the skills and confidence to thrive in a technology-driven world. “Digital fluency isn’t optional,” Heather explains. “It’s an essential life skill and we’re equipping our students to lead in it.”
Her message to parents is clear: “When you choose Burgess Hill Girls, you expand your daughter’s choices. You give her the freedom to grow into a young woman who believes she can do anything she sets her mind to. You haven’t limited her future you’ve opened it.”
If this sounds like the place for your daughter, a visit to the school is a must. The school is open every Friday morning during term time to welcome prospective families. All you need to do is complete an enquiry form on their website and a personal visit will be arranged.
Burgess Hill Girls is inviting applications for September 2026 with a closing registration deadline of the 5th December 2025 for the Prep & Senior School.
For Sixth Form applications the closing registration deadline of the14th November 2025. Scholarships and Bursaries available.