In The News

St Margaret’s & Women’s Business Centre encouraging girls to be their own boss

KEEN TO PREPARE THE GIRLS OF SCOTLAND WITH THE SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE FOR A FUTURE IN BUSINESS, ST MARGARET’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AND THE WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTRE (WBC) JOINED FORCES FOR A WEBINAR ON TUESDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER WHICH LOOKED TO INSPIRE AND EMPOWER YOUNG SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS TO CONSIDER ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS A CAREER CHOICE.

The 2019 Rose Report, which looked into the disparity between male and female entrepreneurs in the UK, found that only one in five businesses in the UK are run by a woman and that women are less likely to believe they possess entrepreneurial capabilities. This inspired St Margaret’s School for Girls and WBC to work together on nurturing the entrepreneurial mindsets of females from an early age.

The webinar, which was free and open to all young girls across the country, was chaired by Chief Executive of Women Enterprise Scotland, Carolyn Currie, and featured talks from a range of women business leaders. These included WES Ambassador Jeanette Forbes OBE, and Elizabeth Gammie, Head of Aberdeen Business School at Robert Gordon University, who hoped to pass on their wealth of expertise to the next generation of female entrepreneurs.

Anna Tomlinson, Headteacher of St Margaret’s School for Girls, said:

At St Margaret’s we are passionate about challenging our girls and giving them the confidence to believe that they are capable of anything, including starting their own business. Research shows that it is still the case that women and young girls often feel they do not have the same entrepreneurial abilities as their male counterparts and we are keen to change this.

That’s why this event was open not only for the girls of St Margaret’s but for school-age girls all over the country. We were honoured to partner with Women’s Enterprise Scotland and the wonderful female ambassadors, Jeanette and Elizabeth, who are important role models for school girls up and down the country who see a future in business.

Jeanette Forbes, OBE, Chief Executive of PCL Group, said:

It is an exciting time for women in business and I was honoured to be sharing my knowledge and experience with the next generation of female leaders. It’s disappointing to know there are still so many women who suffer from imposter syndrome to get started in the industry and I hope this webinar has helped inspire the next generation of female business leaders.

Carolyn Currie, Chief Executive of Women’s Enterprise Scotland, said:

Research consistently shows that relatable role models are vital for inspiring girls and women to start their own businesses. If we are going to restart our economy after the Covid pandemic and encourage women to realise their economic potential, it is vital that we inspire and encourage more girls and women to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice.

Equestrian success for St Margaret’s School girls

ongratulations go to St Margaret’s horse-riding pupils for their excellent C results at the Howe’s equestrian centre in Fife for the Kilgraston Scottish Schools Equestrian Championships which took place on 6th March 2022. The St Margaret’s Class 3 and 4 dressage teams of Rachael, Marcy, Grace and Hilary came first in both competitions with Hilary placed 1st individual in both. Marcy also competed in the class 7 show jumping and came fourth out of 50 riders.

RESULTS BY CLASS:

Class 3a (Prelim dressage)

Hilary 1st, Marcy 2nd, Grace 5th

Class 3a Team was 1st

Hilary, Marcy, Grace and Rachel

Class 4 Hilary

1st Individual

Class 4 Team was 1st

Hilary and Marcy

Class 7 85cm jumping

Marcy 4th out of 50 riders

St Margaret’s broad extra-curricular programme enables every girl to find something she enjoys and which she would like to continue after she leaves St Margaret’s.

Judy Murray raises a racket

OVER GIRLS’ PARTICIPATION IN SPORT

Scotland’s sporting icon Judy Murray visited St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen on Wednesday 27th October to celebrate Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week 2021, which aims to increase the visibility and participation of women and girls in sport and physical activity.

Judy’s visit was organised as part of the Battle of the Brits in the Community programme in partnership with Brodies LLP to mark Sport Scotland’s Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week.

An alarmingly disproportionate number of teenage girls drop out of physical activity compared to their male counterparts and although numbers have improved over the years, there is still a way to go;

30%

In the 13-15 age group only 30% of girls are meeting the physical activity recommendations, compared to 44%

of boys (source: 2019 Scottish Health Survey).

56%

Teenage girls were also less likely than teenage boys to be taking part in sport (56% of girls compared to 63% of boys)

(source: Sport Scotland). Throughout her morning at St Margaret’s, Judy Murray held three interactive sessions with school pupils, including Higher PE students and sports captains, before heading to a Q&A session with 65 girls from Primary 7 and fifth year.

Discussions focussed around the challenges of coaching, practice, ability, and being mum to Andy and Jamie. Judy responded with a focus on positive attitude, commitment and a memorable quote, “it is a talent to be able to work hard”, in a bid to inspire a legacy of participation and offer the older pupils an insight into women in leadership roles within sport.

Well known for supporting both her sons’ outstanding tennis careers as well as leading a successful sporting career of her own, Judy uses her platform to encourage young people, especially girls, to pick up a sport.

Commenting on her visit, Judy Murray said:

I’m really passionate about getting girls involved in sport. The doors that it can open and the life skills it promotes are endless, so it was wonderful to be able to develop leadership and physical skills with the teenage sports leaders and some of the primary school children. It’s good to see that there’s a vibrant extracurricular programme at St Margaret’s which encourages girls to enjoy being active together through a wide variety of physical activities and sports.

St Margaret’s School For Girls, Scotland’s oldest all-through girls school, champions a ‘sports for all philosophy’ and aims to promote equality when it comes to barriers facing young girls both in sports participation and further afield.

Anna Tomlinson, Head Teacher for St Margaret’s School for Girls, added:

This is a fantastic and timely opportunity for everyone at St Margaret’s and it is my hope that Judy Murray’s visit will inspire our girls to reach for the stars in everything they do. The ongoing pandemic has undoubtedly created a shift in thinking and more than ever we are focused on how we lead healthier and active lifestyles. We have seen a real increase in the number of our girls taking part in sport and activities as extra-curricular activities have re-started, which is so great to see.

Being given the opportunity to take part in sport and being encouraged to do so is vital for so many reasons. Not only are we focused on addressing historical gender inequalities, but taking part in sport can have far-reaching physical and psychological benefits for young people. We believe that the confidence and skills gained from taking part in sport and activities can be hugely beneficial in so many aspects of life.

The opportunity to speak directly with and learn from leading female figures is something that the staff of St Margaret’s are keen to make a regular occurrence. Earlier in the year, they hosted their ‘Inspirational Women’s Webinar Series’ as part of the school’s 175th anniversary, which featured talks from Judy Murray, Mary Contini OBE, Dr Nicola Steedman and Leanne Crichton.

t Margaret’s School for Girls, Scotland’s oldest all-through girls’ school, received special recognition at a civic reception hosted by Aberdeen’s Lord Provost to mark the School’s 175th anniversary.

Lord Provost, Councillor Barney Crockett held the reception on Friday 19 November, which is also St Margaret’s Day, to recognise the school’s 175 year legacy and commitment to providing girls with first class education in Aberdeen.

A total of 90 special guests including Vice Lord Lieutenant Andrew Lawtie, Depute Provost Jennifer Stewart, councillors and former heads and pupils attended the afternoon tea.

Poetry, readings and musical acts were performed by pupils throughout the reception with a speech from the Lord Provost on the institution’s long serving commitment to Aberdeen City.

Councillor Barney Crocket the Lord Provost of Aberdeen commented on the celebrations:

St Margaret’s School for Girls is our country’s oldest all-through girls’ school and it was an honour to host this celebration in recognition of their 175th anniversary. Friday the 19th of November is also the day when the school marks St Margaret’s Day, so to be able to hold the civic reception on such a special day for the school, along with so many inspiring current and former pupils, heads and teachers was fantastic.

Providing first-class education opportunities is just one of the many offerings that Aberdeen has to be proud of. Fostering, supporting, and encouraging the future generation has never been so important and St Margaret’s School for Girls is at the forefront of breaking down the barriers that face so many young women today.

Headteacher of St Margaret’s School for Girls, Anna Tomlinson, said:

On behalf of the entire school I would like to thank the Lord Provost for organising such a wonderful celebration, marking St Margaret’s Day and recognising 175 years of our school providing first class education to the girls of Aberdeen.

I am extremely proud of everything that we have collectively achieved and today’s event is testament to the hard work and dedication shown by pupils and teachers alike. It has been a privilege to be surrounded by so many former pupils today who still feel such an affiliation with our school, and our current girls have enjoyed a wonderful day and have put on some brilliant performances.

In the morning pupils enjoyed a school birthday cake followed by a half-day, a St Margaret’s Day tradition. A number of pupils from across all year groups then attended the afternoon civic reception where each table had representatives from the school alongside special guests.

St Margaret’s work with Aberdeen Independent Schools to help tackle digital poverty

St Margaret’s School for Girls and two other Aberdeen independent schools are playing their part in the fight against digital poverty by working with ICT support provider, Mother Technologies who are leading a project to donate surplus IT equipment to a national charity involved in digital reuse.

Mother Technologies is supporting St Margaret’s School for Girls, International School Aberdeen (ISA), and Albyn School, to take part in the initiative driven by The Edinburgh Remakery, to reuse old electronics in a bid to tackle rising levels of digital poverty in Scotland and social isolation among disadvantaged communities.

The Social Enterprise’s free IT Disposal Service for Businesses was officially established in 2020 in response to the growing need for convenient and secure IT disposal avenues. The project offers businesses and individuals the means to pass on a host of unwanted electronics such as smart phones, laptops, PCs and tablets, in an environmentally friendly way which prevents these items from going to waste.

The schools’ initiative is a joint enterprise with Aberdeen-headquartered IT specialists Mother Technologies, which is the ICT support service company for all three independent schools. Between Aberdeen’s three independent schools, more than 280 pieces of IT equipment have been donated to The Edinburgh Remakery over the last month to repair, refurbish and offer back to the community.

Miss Anna Tomlinson, Head of School, said:

St Margaret’s School is thrilled to be taking part in such a fantastic initiative to help provide a better and fairer education to children, whilst setting an example of sustainable practice.

At St Margaret’s we are strong believers that every child should have access to the correct educational tools in order to maximise their potential and broaden their minds. We hope that other schools, places of work and individuals are able to donate where they can and help support the young minds of the future.

The Edinburgh Remakery uses government-approved software that securely wipes any data from donated equipment to ensure it is all non-retrievable and allows items to be easily reused.

Elaine Brown, CEO of The Edinburgh Remakery:

Our free IT Disposal Service and IT donation drop-off points continue to grow and offer a much needed secure and sustainable way for old electronics to be passed on and reused.

We are hugely grateful to St Margaret’s School for Girls, International School Aberdeen, and Albyn School, who have each donated a range of surplus IT equipment to us, for supporting our mission to end digital poverty in Scotland while keeping old and unused electronics out of landfill.

We thank them for lending their loyal and generous support to us, and hope this is the start of many more educational bodies taking action to support their communities and embed sustainable practices within their institutions in this way.

For more information visit www.edinburghremakery.org.uk

From 500 to 3

FEMALE FARMER SHORTLISTED FOR BBC COUNTRYFILE’S PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

St Margaret’s School for Girls is celebrating the accomplishment of former pupil, Nicola Wordie, who is a finalist for the BBC Countryfile’s Young Farmer of The Year Award 2021. The annual competition, which is a part of the BBC Young Food and Farming Awards, recognises the best of young countryside champions aged between 16-24, from farming and naturalists to eco warriors all across the UK.

Out of the 500 entries across the country, Nicola Wordie has been selected as one of three finalists with the chance of being awarded Young Countryside Champion. Should Nicola win, some of the BBC Countryfile team, Matt Baker, Ellie Harrison, Adam Henson, Tom Heap or John Craven will head back up to the North East and film a second episode documenting her days spent on the farm. Growing up on a farm, Nicola found herself well versed in the farming lifestyle from an early age and would come home from St Margaret’s School for Girls on weekends and holidays to help her family. However, after encouragement from her parents to travel and gain new experiences, it was then that Nicola realised her heart was set on working on the 1,350 acre family farm.

The 23 year old was nominated by her older sister after receiving great comments regarding her Instagram account which she uses to openly educate people about the reality of working on a farm. However, it is not just her passion for spreading awareness of farming to her social following that secured her place in the final, but her commitment to working on her farm from a young age.

Finalist and former St Margaret’s pupil, Nicola Wordie, said:

I have loved farming from an early age, however, more recently, it has become important to me that I spread awareness of the reality of working on a farm, the highs and the lows. It’s amazing to know that what I am doing is being recognised.

Throughout my time at St Margaret’s I felt constant encouragement to pursue my career in farming, but former Geography teacher, Mrs Crisp in particular, went above and beyond to support me and my decision to study Agriculture at college (SRUC).

Head Teacher at St Margaret’s School for Girls, Miss Anna Tomlinson, said:

I was thrilled to learn that Nicola has excelled in her chosen field and received recognition for her hard work. Nicola is setting an example not only to the girls at St Margaret’s, but also for young women across the country who wish to pursue a career in Agriculture.

International Day

OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE

o mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science on Friday 11th February, St Margaret’s T

held a special assembly featuring an online interview with former pupil and particle physicist, Professor

Sinead Farrington from the The University of

Edinburgh. Interviewed by Emma Murray in

IV Senior, Professor Farrington generously shared information about her studies and career in physics, before moving on to talk about underlying values and her wider interests, ending with a reflection on the St Margaret’s school motto!

Professor Farrington attended St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen before studying physics at the University of Edinburgh. She remained in Scotland for her doctoral research, moving to the University of Glasgow. Her research was on a measurement of the lifetime of the strange B meson as part of the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) collaboration. Professor Farrington is interested in B physics, Higgs physics, tau physics, and long-lived particles. She is a Professor of Physics at the University of Edinburgh. In December 2020 Professor Farrington was named the physical sciences and engineering laureate for the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom 2021.