Newsletter Brighton & Hove High School GDSt
Issue 23 March 2015
Dear Parents and Girls, The latest PISA Report from the OECD, The ABC of Gender Equality in Education: Aptitude, Behaviour, Confidence suggests that the barriers against women’s full participation in the work force are not necessarily written into law. They can be as seemingly innocuous as parents’ expectations for their daughter’s future or students’ beliefs in their own abilities. According to the study many countries have been successful in closing gender gaps in learning outcomes. But even when boys and girls are equally proficient in mathematics and science, their attitudes towards learning and aspirations for their future are markedly different – and that has a significant impact on their decision to pursue further education and on their choice of career. The Report tries to determine why, in the 64 countries and economies covered, 15-year-old boys are more likely than girls, on average, to be overall low achievers, and why high-performing 15-year-old girls underachieve in mathematics, science and problem solving compared to high-achieving boys. As the evidence in the report makes clear, gender disparities in school performance stem from students’ attitudes towards learning and their behaviour in school, from how they choose to spend their leisure time, and from the confidence they have – or do not have – in their own abilities as students. I wrote last week that I firmly believed in single-sex schools because girls and boys have very different learning needs and the PISA report bears this out. We have a very specific job to do with regards to developing confidence if we are to see changes in the career aspirations of high-performing girls and girls-only schools are uniquely placed to do it. I’ve seen three brilliant examples at BHHS this week. On Tuesday we had the House Play competition. These are written, produced and directed by Sixth Formers and involve a wide range of girls from every year group in the school. The results were funny, irreverent and entertaining but more importantly the plays provide golden opportunities for girls to be confident, risk-taking and self-challenging. Then, yesterday afternoon, I was proud to attend the Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank where fifty of our Junior School girls gave a fantastic performance in the Finals of the GDST Young Choir of the Year Competition. Again, what a wonderful opportunity to develop girls’ confidence, performing to a huge audience in such a prestigious venue (and well done Daisy on a fabulously confident solo – not many 10 year olds will perform with such poise!). Finally, this week we announced our new Sixth Form Leadership team. The competition for places was extremely high – we had 14 girls perform outstandingly at hustings where they sought the votes of the whole school. It was yet another chance for girls to test and challenge themselves; to take the risk of campaigning publicly before all the students and teachers in the school; to build their own self-confidence and be role models for younger girls at the same time. And so, I’m delighted to announce that the following girls have been elected to the Sixth Form leadership team for 2015 -2016: Head Girl: Mary Kelada | Deputy Head Girl: Christine Hartfield | Marketing Officer: Amelia Hughes Guild Officer: Natasha Aleppo | GDST Student Council Rep: Heather Briddock Congratulations to them and to all the girls who have performed so splendidly– and confidently – this term. Have a good Easter break.
dates
Jennifer Smith
Sat 28th Springboard Festival & evening concert; Tues 31st French Exchange returns from St Lo; Sun 12 April Brighton Marathon; Tues 14th FIRST DAY OF TERM; Upcoming events: Weds 15th Y7 visit Magna Carta exhibition at British Library; Y8 Boughrood Parents’ Evening, 6pm; YE practice presentations; Thurs 16th Whole School Photograph; Fri 17th School Council Election; Sat 18th-Sun 19th DoE practice expedition Fri 24th Y12 Biologists Field Work at Juniper Hall; ; Fri 24th PA Quiz Night (new date) th
2014-15 Issue 23: 1