G Looking back
Reflections … or “ch...ch...ch ... changes” … by Patricia Lancaster
Arriving at St George’s in the late eighties was an exciting time for me, both professionally and personally. I had been living and working in Bath, so knew very little about St George’s School for Girls but, at the outset, I knew I had landed on my feet. In my first few months in school, I was struck by the open and liberal ethos of the school. Sixth formers wore their own clothes and bohemian style mixed happily with the Sloane velvet hairbands of the time. I found the students to be curious and spirited, but also extremely friendly and open. The curriculum has always offered ‘the best of British’ and I have seen the full cycle of examination courses within the English department: GCSE and A Level, Highers and Standard Grades, then back to GCSE then Intermediate 2, National 5 and back to GCSE. Hats off to staff, students, and parents for persevering in their effort to keep up with such
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changes. Personalised learning became a watch word and I know no other school that has offered such a flexible tailor-made set of courses to students. The extra-curricular dimension of the school has always been outstanding: it is rich and wide ranging. Amnesty International, Debating Club, and the student newspaper, Independent Women, are just a few examples, but the girls often came up with their own clubs and societies: croquet was a popular for a while, as was quidditch! My involvement with extra-curricular made my first year at the school so much more enjoyable and I know that it helps to forge trust and respect between students and staff. Drama and Music productions have always been central to the life of the school, particularly in the autumn term. In the early days, this was due partly to the fact that both departments were housed in the main Upper School building so that the corridors were filled with orchestral ‘joi de vivre’ and frenzied rehearsals echoed through the Crush Hall. Once the Robertson Music Centre and the St George’s Centre were built, Music and Drama had their own purposebuilt facilities, which offered students so much more. Like PE and Art, such lively and specialised departments offer girls the chance to become totally immersed in their sixth form courses. The global dimension of the school was very real to me early on in my time at school. I was lucky enough to take part in the St George’s Germantown Friends School exchange programme. GFS is a Quaker school in Philadelphia and is the longest running exchange in school, going back fifty years. In 1988 it was the only exchange open to students and staff. The five-week exchange opened my eyes to a more informal and diverse school community and its dynamic ethos made a professional and lasting impression on me. The manner in which the international exchange programme has evolved over the years reflects the school’s aim to expand student horizons, giving them a global perspective. Students in Lower School, Upper 4, Upper 5 and 6th Form have had the opportunity to
