Perfectionism is toxic soil…

staff and pupils to lead with heart and compassion, to enact virtues and to embrace vulnerability. When we say ‘no’ to our children, as educators or parents, we implicitly teach them boundaries and consent, to allow them to have the confidence to say ‘no’ in future years, be it in personal or professional contexts. The same is true of leaders recognising their own mistakes, and even changing the course of their narratives publicly. How powerful to hear a colleague declare ‘I don’t know’ in a meeting; it can only happen if the Senior Leadership Team enables this level of transparency and cultivates a collegiate school culture.

It is easy to fall prey to the busyness of school leadership, with piling responsibilities and deadlines to juggle. Inevitably, this becomes an ingrained image of leadership: everywhere but unavailable. What model are we giving our children and young people if they learn that leaders should be heroes? Perfectionism is a toxic soil.

The best examples of female empowerment in schools come from our children. Before they become teenagers, little girls enjoy being little girls. Before the world tells them that they are powerless, they are empowered. They believe in themselves and in each

I am sad when I hear stories of women not supporting other women. As a girls’ school, we aim to educate our pupils to be allies for one another.

When I started as a head, I thought about how I wanted to interact with the girls. Should I run dropins, or special meetings at scheduled times throughout the week? Attend School Council? I have found that the best way to give girls the courage to speak up is to open the door – no glass ceiling, no door to push. Still today, many of my interactions with girls (and indeed with staff) are often unscheduled – diaries can be real obstacles to overcome, and these impromptu meetings are often the most authentic. An open door is an unspoken invitation. It enables equal access to the school leadership and what it represents: its vision, its strategy, as well as the roadmap and the compass. I model a behaviour I hope our girls will enact in the future: they will open their door and listen to others, they will say yes, and sometimes they will say no - and always, it is my wish, with heart and kindness. ●