As I write this post, there is a real sense of excitement and anticipation in the air at school. On Wednesday, all the girls return after the summer break, and we will be greeting a fantastic cohort of new girls, as well as welcoming back girls who are continuing on their journey of education and growth at St Mary’s Calne.
A new year always brings into focus the purpose of education and the central reason for our existence as a school: to ensure that each and every girl becomes the very best person she is meant to be, in every respect, and that by so doing she is enabled to help make the world a better place. The freshness of the start of the academic year gives a renewed impetus to these goals, reminding us of the incredible importance of the task that we have in school to inspire and develop in the girls strong aspirations for their futures.
The main purpose of this blog is not to reflect on school life – the school website, weekly E-Lily newsletters and regular communications from a myriad of people at school (including me) do this admirably, and there is no need to replicate these here. Rather, these posts are intended to reflect on issues connected with the education of girls but at times tangential to them – issues of gender, of the pressures our young people face, of parenting, of careers and further study. However, the start of term is such a milestone in each year, a time imbued with so many powerful emotions, a time of real beginning and renewal, that I cannot let it pass without comment.
Wednesday marks the start of something incredibly special, whether it is the very start of a girl’s time at St Mary’s Calne or the continuation of her years in this outstanding place. A full, satisfying, stretching term and year awaits; so many opportunities, and so much potential to be explored and developed. This generation is our future and the hope for the world.
It is my privilege to lead them at such a great school.
