18 September 2026 – Issue 3
HEAD’S REVIEW Head’s Introduction
The power of Roedean’s sisterhood and community is a key strength of the School, but our coastal advantage is also rightly worth celebrating. Whether the sea is flat and calm or stormy and rough, there is something magical about its constant presence, and it is great that the girls never take our wonderful location for granted.
Head Houseman Conquers the Great North Run
Charlotte’s a Qualified Rescue Diver
Inspired by Finya’s successful solo Channel crossing in August this year, a new cohort of sea-swimmers took to the water at Sea Lanes yesterday morning. But they are, in fact, following in a long line of Roedean sea-swimmers. As early as 1898, Penelope Lawrence went on the record as a contributor to a parliamentary inquiry to state that ‘every girl should learn to swim’. Supporting her statement, she went on to report that two Roedean girls of ‘exceptional physical vigour and good circulation' swam the distance between the Old Chain Pier and the West pier (1 mile and 50 yards) in 40 and 42 minutes respectively. When the School moved to its current site, it went to great lengths to help girls to swim in the sea. Before the tunnel existed, girls would go to Rottingdean and climb into covered wagons which were then drawn by horses into the sea. From there, the girls would step out into the sea with a rope tied around them to make sure they were not dragged away with the tide. Imagine how delighted the Lawrence sisters would be to know that Roedean girls now swim untethered in the sea, and that seven have successfully swum across the English Channel to France, either as part of a relay or solo! But Roedean’s connection with water today runs deeper. All our Year 7s and 8s learn to sail at Piddinghoe, and next Monday will see some Sixth Formers undertaking a 17-week NPLQ lifeguarding qualification, while others will be starting a 7-week Level 2 Powerboating course! Good luck also to Emmalynn, Faye, Lucy, and Natalie, from Year 12, who are representing Roedean at the Next Gen 27 five-day conference in Naples, run by the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit, alongside students from California, Australia, France, and New Zealand. The aim of the conference is to explore educational opportunities connected to the sea and maritime culture, such as sustainability and innovation, with its theme of ‘bringing the sea even where it does not reach’. We wish you all a restful exeat weekend, and, the next time you look at the sea, remember how ground-breaking the Lawrence sisters were in building our school on the cliffs looking out over the English Channel.
Wednesday Evening Life Drawing
U15A ISNC Netball