Monday marks the beginning of the annual conference of the Girls’ Schools Association, and therefore marks the nearing of the end of my year as President of the GSA. It has been an astonishingly stimulating year, and I shall reflect further on it as the year actually reaches its end, but before this, we have a very interesting three days of talks and meetings ahead of us, in the city of Bristol. The Heads of around 200 girls’ schools in the UK will be attending, with some international visitors and other supporters of the GSA; it is always a great opportunity to take time away from school in order to become refreshed and re-focused, and it is an opportunity too to draw courage from others and to feel part of a wider movement dedicated to the education of girls and young women.
This year, the theme of our conference is ‘Making a World of Difference’. More than ever these past 11 months, as I have been drawn into the work of the Girls’ Schools Association, engaging in the national educational debate and issues surrounding education such as parenting, the work-life balance debate and working mothers, I have been struck by what a small world it is in which we live. The nature of technology and its speed means we are more able than ever before to communicate quickly and effectively but it has also been brought home to me just how many of the same issues and concerns seem to be at the heart of societies around the world.
We will welcome to Bristol many speakers, who are leaders in their chosen field, who will inspire us, challenge us and speak to us about many of the practical issues facing the independent schools’ sector. Nick Gibb, Minister of State for Schools, is speaking on Tuesday, and we are joined on Monday by Jean Gross, the Government’s Communications Champion, along with Claire Perry MP, the writer and journalist Tanith Carey, the award-winning film-maker Kate Blewett, and many others. Ralph Lucas from the Good Schools Guide and Annabel Heseltine from First Eleven are speaking on Wednesday, as are successful businesswomen from everywoman, and Marie Staunton, the CEO of Plan UK. The programme is bursting with fascinating speakers and interesting events, including a service at St Mary Redcliffe and a reception on board ss Great Britain, and I am looking forward to three days which will leave us all refreshed and reinvigorated before we return to our schools on Wednesday and head towards the last section of this long and busy Autumn Term.
It has been a real privilege to serve the GSA as President this year. I feel more than ever before that we are all stronger as schools from being part of such a powerful network, celebrating girls’ schools, which provides us with cohesion and unity while respecting the rights of each individual school to be different and unique. I shall enjoy marking this during this coming week.
