Our incoming Senior Prefect team made sure that the school acknowledged this year's International Women's Day.
As a form group, 12DLH have taken on the challenge to each walk, swim, cycle, or run 100 miles in March either as part of CAS for our IB Diploma, or in an effort to just stay active.
For years, students in Year 12 from Bexley Grammar have participated in the prestigious Young Enterprise competition. Young Enterprise is a charity that’s determined to give young people the opportunity to develop life skills such as teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving to give us the knowledge & confidence we will need to have a chance in the changing world of work.
Over the last few years, we’ve noticed how stress and anxiety are affecting an increasing number of people in our school. We’ve noticed how more and more students are suffering in silence. How many people struggle with these feelings but often hesitate to seek help due to societal stigma and the distorted perception that it would be a sign of weakness.
We wanted to create something that could offer comfort. That could be a starting point for those struggling to take control of their mental well-being. Something that could take the weight of anxiety off your shoulders. Something that would be the first step in the journey of mastering mental well-being, that would let you enjoy the fullest that life has to offer.
And that’s how we came up with Heavy Hugs.
We saw how weighted blankets were becoming increasingly popular in helping people with anxiety or ADHD sleep more easily and wondered if we could apply the same concept to teddy bears. Whether we could make a weighted teddy bear that would provide comfort in a more personal way.
But for heavy hugs, it’s not simply a stuffed animal — it’s a warm friend that’s always there for you, no matter the time or situation. It’s a friend that will be there without you having to ask for it.
Research confirmed our idea through studies on the effects of deep pressure stimulation: the weight provides a calming effect, simulating a mother holding a child, activating the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. In situations of panic or high stress, pressure stimulation helps slow the heart rate, steady breathing, and ease symptoms of anxiety.
For parents, we can only aspire that our weighted Teddy Bear can be a tool for you to help comfort your children during the hard moments and offer a way for you to say that ‘Everything is going to be okay,’ even without words.
Even though our journey has only just begun, we have already learnt so much more than we expected. From brainstorming ideas to designing and testing prototypes, every step has been a learning experience.
We’re very grateful for the opportunity to learn and to make a difference and we’re determined to give it all we’ve got.
So, for us, this isn’t just about selling a product—it’s about creating a movement.
Anxiety and stress shouldn’t be obstacles to enjoying life, especially for children.
By supporting Heavy Hugs, you’re not just buying a teddy bear; you’re joining us in our mission to make a difference.
We invite you to take that step with us.
Share our message, tell a friend, or come visit us at Old Spitalfields Market on the 25th February from 9:15am - 3:30pm. If you’re interested in learning more about our bears or placing an order, contact us via our social media links below (website coming soon). Together, we can help children — and adults — find a little more comfort in their lives. Let’s make this world a more huggable place, one bear at a time.
Keep up with us on:
Young Enterprise Team, 2025
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The Balkan And Eastern European Society (B.E.E.S) is proud to announce our entrance into the BGS community!
We aim to raise awareness about our traditions, sharing our culture with the school community. It has been amazing to see how many students have interacted with our Balkan and Eastern European cultures, and learnt more about our countries! We are a team of dedicated Ambassadors, Creative Directors, including a Social Media Director, Finance Manager, President and Vice President, from a wide range of countries, such as Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Russia, Moldova, Serbia, Croatia, etc.
I’d just like to say a big thank you to Victoria Karasimova for organising and forming the society and Ms Zotova for being our teacher representative!
As well as this, we aim to fundraise for many Balkan and Eastern European charities with our events. This includes our Bake Sale on the 25th of November. It will be a special opportunity to try our homemade Balkan and Eastern European desserts. We can’t wait to share this part of our culture with you. Make sure to look out for the posters and posts on our Social Media pages! @bees.bgs
On the 14th October, we hosted a traditional dance session and learnt Bulgarian and Albanian dances. It was so great to see many people taking part in this and stepping out of their comfort zones. It was such a fun experience and a successful first B.E.E.S event! See the pictures below of this event.
We hope to see you at the B.E.E.S Bake Sale, where all our proceeds are going to charity! For any further questions or ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out at @bees.bgs on Instagram or email bees.bgs@gmail.com!
Deya Dimitrova, Social Media Manager (B.E.E.S)
Having the opportunity to attend Alexandra Quan’s talk about Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway was very inspiring. Since this course was something I had not previously heard of before, this was new information to me and was incredibly useful! We were enlightened about all the possible societies, trips (to Cyprus, Tenerife, etc.) and events associated with this university course, as well as university life in general. I have to say a massive thank you to Alexandra for her talk and all of her information today!! Especially since I am also doing Biology as one of my Higher Level subjects, seeing how Alexandra went to uni for this subject was something that definitely personally resonated with me.
Deya Dimitrova, Year 12
The Senior Science Society were blessed to have the privilege of hosting Alexandra Quan from Royal Holloway University of London. She gave us a deep insight into her course, Earth Sciences, and illustrated the university life we will be experiencing soon! Alexandra, being a former BGS student, deeply connected with us as she told us about her journey into Earth Sciences, starting with Biology in her first year. Alexandra also highlighted how important the practical laboratory work on her course is, emphasising how it complements theoretical knowledge and prepares students for future research opportunities in large companies, such as BP or even Thames Water. The talk was incredibly inspiring and gave us a preview of what’s to come if we followed her steps!
The entire Senior Science Society would like to thank her for taking the time out of her schedule to talk to us. Thank you, Alexandra!
Jesse Oshogwe, Year 12
Last week, BGS Year 12 Senior Society attended King’s College’s annual Daniell Lecture. These are delivered by internationally renowned scientists and cover a topic of current interest or excitement in memory of Professor Daniell.
First we heard from a PhD student who is exploring cutting edge nano medicine. I was particularly inspired by her masters project focussing on simultaneously diagnosing and treating diseases. We also heard from Professor Rebecca Goss, who was the first female professor of organic Chemistry at St Andrews in Scotland. It was amazing to see such an ambitious and successful woman in that position. She demonstrated to us how we can start building molecules sustainably, exploring areas of chemistry and biology.
The Senior Science Society is a group of aspiring scientists in Year 12 who all come and meet every week. It is such a great opportunity to collaborate and fully embrace our subject. We took the initiative and booked tickets for this lecture and all attended together. It is so nice to work with like-minded students and I look forward to our meetings every week.
Last week I had the opportunity to run a debate on the ethics behind stem cell research. I really enjoyed seeing everyone get stuck into the topic and discuss what science looks like outside the theory within our curriculum. I am really looking forward to seeing what else we will do within our society in the future…
Matilda Jackson, Year 12
This week, I presented “Real-Life Ethical Issues In Neurology” at Senior Science Society!
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Bexley Grammar School looks forward to welcoming prospective students to its Open Evening on Tuesday 12th November.
