Championing Girls’ Education
There are many reasons why now feels like an important moment to champion the importance of girls’ education, not least the incredible potential I see in our students at South Hampstead every day.
Girls’ schools are likely to feel a disproportionate impact from the changing approach to independent education in our country; these are schools which are dedicated to the importance of championing confidence, self-belief and empowerment in young women. As discussed at the recent Girls’ Schools Association annual conference, one of the key reasons why this is such a sadness is that there is a risk that our society mistakes progress for parity. Yes, progress has been made with equality and equity for women, and that is to be celebrated; but that does not mean that we can afford to be complacent. One of our students gave an incredible speech at our end-of-year South Hampstead Wrapped event last summer, about the way in which recent technological developments, in particular images of women generated by AI, have contributed to the reinforcement of stereotypes which women sought to escape generations ago – a great example of our girls using their voice to challenge and to question. The strength of her argument impressed our audience so much that she was invited to speak to Microsoft employees about the themes she expressed with such poise and conviction – read more here. Girls’ schools are very important spaces for nurturing the voices of the future and we take the role we play in that extremely seriously indeed.
The impact of girls’ schools was also illustrated in the recent Sunday Times Parent Power publication; of course, league tables can be a somewhat blunt instrument when it comes to evaluating schools, but it was interesting to note that South Hampstead was one of 11 girls’ schools in the Sunday Times’ list of the UK’s top 20 independent schools. Given that the vast majority of schools in the independent sector are co-educational, there is clearly a lot to be said for sitting your GCSE and A Level examinations in an all-girls’ environment. At South Hampstead, we also continue to demand better for the next generations; we seek to equip our girls with the skills to excel, thrive and pursue their dreams without fear of ceilings being imposed on their achievements. We are dedicated to raising opportunities for girls and advocating for the importance of an intellectually demanding, holistic education for them.
Girls’ schools are very important spaces for nurturing the voices of the future and we take the role we play in that extremely seriously indeed.
The Girls’ Day School Trust recently launched a new report, Designing the Future of Girls’ Education, as part of their latest research into the way in which learning environments can be tailored to provide highly innovative education for young women. The report is a powerful testimony to the work we do here, and more broadly in the GDST, to close gender gaps in areas such as STEM, sports participation and leadership roles. At South Hampstead, our girls are free from the burden of gender stereotypes and that freedom means that we can follow in the footsteps of the courageous women who founded the first GDST schools over 150 years ago. We intentionally craft the education we offer to enable our students to embrace lives characterised by learning, leadership and a profound sense of purpose. At South Hampstead we will celebrate our 150th anniversary in 2026/27, when our current pupils in Years 10 and 11 will be our Sixth Formers. Planning for these celebrations is underway and we will be liaising with you about these ideas when our proposals have been formulated. I am also delighted to let you know that South Hampstead will be hosting the annual UK conference for the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools next November with 200 delegates from around the world – another incredible opportunity for us to play a pivotal role in the dialogue about the hallmarks of outstanding education for young women.
When it comes to opportunities for girls and shaping our pupils’ futures, South Hampstead continues to be a beacon of light, joy and determination in the story of girls’ education – a constant in the context of political flux and a constant for your daughters. Young people need the adults around them to demonstrate optimism and a powerful sense that we believe in them. This hopefulness is at the very heart of a South Hampstead education and I am grateful to all my colleagues and our parents for their support. With my warmest wishes for the festive season and a happy new year.