14th Aug 2025
As we approach our centenary year at Belmont House School, we wanted to look back, and reconnect with former pupils, near and far. Here we have seven thoughtful questions that we ask our alumni focusing on their lives, successes, and the school’s influence.
Name: Kirsty Kilmurry-Arthur
Time period as a pupil at Belmont House: 2001 – 2007
Current Occupation: Head of Communications & Strategic Development, Cllr and Former Mayor of St Ives
How did your time at Belmont House School shape your career path?
I was so lucky to have been given so much freedom and flexibility to study what I was passionate about, especially Music, Drama, and English – that it led to a University placement for Music Performance, then directing, and consequently saw me having the confidence to take on public facing leadership positions.
Can you share a key moment or memory from your time at Belmont that had a lasting impact on you?
We did some very memorable shows at Belmont, but the memory of Mrs Ellen coming on stage at the end of my very last performance in Kiss Me Kate is still an emotional memory!
What skills or lessons learned at Belmont have been most valuable in your professional life?
I joined Belmont right at the time where girls were first introduced to the school – so that was an immediate life lesson in how to communicate and navigate other people and strange environments! I now have a career in communications so I think that definitely helped.
In what ways did Belmont House School’s community or culture contribute to your personal growth?
One thing that I will be forever grateful for is the ability to be myself! In larger schools it’s easy for the school system to miss talents or personal strengths of so many students – but at Belmont I was always encourage to follow my dreams and felt safe there to find who I was.
Can you describe how Belmont’s teachers or extracurricular activities helped shape your future ambitions?
It will be no surprise to anyone I went to school with that Mrs Ellen shaped my life entirely! She taught music and gave me opportunities that would never have been possible had she not been such a dedicated and caring teacher. We kept in touch even when I left school and I miss her dearly.
What advice would you give to current Belmont students who want to follow a similar path to yours?
Just absolutely believe in yourself 100%. If you want to get somewhere, or want to achieve something then you should know that the school is behind you – there’s nothing you can’t do if you believe.
Looking back, how do you feel Belmont House School prepared you for the challenges and opportunities you’ve faced in life?
Belmont prepared me to face opportunity head on – to not ever be afraid or feel diminished for being female. Knowing so many women who never felt like they had that confidence until adulthood, I can definitely say that Belmont let us feel equal.
Our thanks to Kirsty for sharing their experiences – would you like to feature as part of our Alumni of Belmont House School? Please feel free to get in touch with Richard Doak via email: RDoak@belmontschool.co.uk
