MEET THE HEAD

In January, we welcomed our new Headmistress, Mrs Sarah Clark. The Canons Life team couldn’t wait to arrange an interview to find out more about her and what plans she has for the future.

Interviewed by Laila Arain (Year 13)

Meet the Head – Interview with our new Headmistress, Sarah Clark

Q:

What attracted you most to the School?

A: The tremendous reputation. I had heard about NLCS and I was also aware of the history of the School, being passionately involved in girls’ education. It was the first independent girls’ day school with a great philosophy: tolerance, social and religious inclusion, and an absolute commitment to academic excellence. These are all qualities which have been important to me throughout my career.

Q:

What were your first impressions of the School and the students?

A: It is very fast moving- and I love that! I was also impressed by the extracurriculars and the holistic nature of the education offered as well as the Senior Societies because I thought it was so exciting to have such a wide range of interesting speakers coming in. I loved the staff too, I met such wonderful, tremendous, and committed teachers with a passion for the subjects that they taught, which is so inspiring.

Q:

What advice would you give the students?

A: Keep a balance in your life as much as possible. Academics are very important but if you are not happy in yourself then your academics can be impacted. So, it is important to have a hobby whatever it may be. It can be academic or nonacademic, but it should be outside school work. I remember meeting the Big Six and asking them, “What do you do to relax?”. I think self-care is so important; we all work so hard and it is a busy and industrious atmosphere. A lot is expected of the girls and quite rightly, however it is just as important to realise when you are stressed out and to find an activity which will alleviate the stress.

Q:

What kind of student were you at school?

I found some of my reports A: recently as I was clearing out my house. What was interesting was that my teachers had absolutely understood me. I was very enthusiastic and put effort into everything I did, but usually I was described to have acted on “impulsive intuition” than on “mature

thought”. I really loved being taught and being at school. I threw myself into school life and ultimately became Head Girl, but I really found my passion and steadiness in the Sixth Form. I didn’t get brilliant GCSE’s, but I feel that it made me a better teacher and Headmistress, as I changed and took control of my life. Also, I went throughout my whole school life not knowing that I was dyslexic, which explains my tendency to be disorganised. I only realised at 22, while I was doing my teacher training. But, it has made me extremely committed to being positive about dyslexia and special educational needs.

Q:

As a student, what extra-curricular activities did you participate in?

I loved debating, and I also enjoyed playing netball. I loved hanging out with my friends, and we took it upon ourselves to redecorate the whole common room, I managed to persuade my Headmistress to give me some money to install a new carpet. I also enjoyed writing, and my friends and I put on a performance of Dick Whittington which I had written. We raised a lot of money for the RSPCA. I liked singing and drama and was in a number of productions while I was at school. One of them, The Magic Flute, involved having to learn to sing opera too!

A:

Q:

What are you most looking forward to about Founder’s Day?

A: Although I am interested in innovation and what is going to happen in the future, I love tradition because I believe that we all need to be rooted in something. I am really looking forward to all of Founders’ Day especially the daffodil procession and singing “Where’ere you walk”. My speech this year is about the founding principles behind the School and how past students have exemplified them. I hope it will be inspiring to everyone who attends the ceremony.

Q:

How do you see the School growing in your future years as Headmistress?

A: NLCS will always fundamentally be an academic school, and we will always be sending girls off to the best universities in the world. What we also must do, however, is broaden ourselves a little and understand that some girls may not want to follow a traditional course of study in the future. The world of work is continuing to evolve, and we need to embrace all those new opportunities. For example, I am really interested in the new professional apprenticeships and degrees that are starting to become available. I am also interested in seeing how we can bring new partnerships with businesses and universities into the school. It would be about keeping all the things which are great about NLCS, but also about presenting all the opportunities which come our way because of our increasingly challenging and technological world.