Habs Girls Headmistress Conversations - Ambition

Headmistress' Conversations

Ambition During our 11+ assessments, prospective parents often ask me, “What makes a Habs girl a Habs girl?” While no two students are the same, the values they embody truly set them apart. At the heart of our interview process are the school’s core values. We look for girls who are ambitious, considerate and kind, globally curious, and resilient as we believe this will enable them to succeed and make a positive contribution to the world around them.

Ambition is essential to empower young people to recognise their potential and pursue it with confidence and determination. We strive to create an environment that inspires them to aim high, learning to take intellectual risks, step outside their comfort zones, and develop the resilience needed to face challenges.

Yet ambition can often be misunderstood as competitive, self-focused or a race to get ahead. For girls, societal expectations can make being “too driven” or “too confident” seem undesirable. At Habs, we challenge this. We teach our students that true ambition is rooted in purpose rather than ego.

We encourage our girls to view ambition as a way of offering their best to the world. It is the desire to make a positive impact, to pursue excellence with integrity, and to develop skills that can benefit others.

Framed this way, ambition becomes an act of service: a commitment to nurturing one’s talents and using them where they can do the greatest good.

One example of this purposeful leadership is a Year 13 student who recently became our Lead Peer Mentor. She stepped forward not for recognition, but to make a meaningful difference, organising assemblies, promoting wellbeing, and increasing engagement with the mentoring programme. Her story illustrates ambition as something really meaningful.

As a girls’ school, we recognise that ambition thrives in an environment where every student is supported to challenge stereotypes and pursue leadership. Our students are encouraged to take initiative, explore bold ideas, and embrace opportunities across

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Headmistress' Conversations academic and co-curricular activities, and leadership roles. By celebrating confidence and achievement in all areas, we help every student develop a strong leadership identity and the vision to imagine ambitious possibilities for their future.

At the heart of ambitious learning lies a powerful question: What motivates us? The most sustainable ambition comes not from external pressure, but from a genuine love of learning; the thrill of exploring a challenging idea, the satisfaction of solving a complex problem, and the joy of discovery. When curiosity drives students, setbacks become stepping stones rather than barriers.

This is ambition at its best: the desire to think deeply, explore boldly, and move forward with purpose.

This intentional approach runs throughout our school. During a recent Elevate Day at Haberdashers’ Hall, delivered with Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, students in Years 10 and 12 explored the intellectual demands of Oxbridge courses. Our Year 12 students took this further - leading assemblies, mentoring younger peers, and running follow-up sessions to support competitive university applications.

We also saw remarkable engagement in our Sixth Form academic research scholarship programme, with twenty Year 11 students submitting detailed research proposals, completing rigorous interviews, and presenting their ideas to staff. Their participation reflects ambition driven by curiosity and the desire to contribute meaningfully to a field of study.

Ambition at Habs extends far beyond the classroom. With more than 160 co-curricular activities each week, students immerse themselves in new interests, develop leadership skills, and embrace challenge. Many discover sports for the first time at Habs and go on to represent county, regional, and even national squads in netball, cricket, athletics, lacrosse, and swimming.

Our students champion causes they care about, take on leading roles across clubs and societies, and build the fabric of our community. In Drama and Music, they meet and exceed ambitious expectations, taking creative risks, trusting one another, and striving for excellence in ensembles and productions. Over the past eight years, thirty Habs students have secured places at the National Youth Theatre - an extraordinary achievement given the thousands who audition each year.

At Habs, we expect our girls to give their best, stretch boundaries, and challenge the status quo. We believe ambition is limitless. When shaped by courage, curiosity, and community, ambition becomes not just a personal goal but a powerful and selfless force for change.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OF THE YEAR 2025

DR HAZEL BAGWORTH-MANN HEADMISTRESS, HABS GIRLS