25 January 2019 - Issue 3
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Head’s Introduction
Taking the goats for a walk
In a week when the School has marked Holocaust Memorial Day, it is a source of strength to be part of a diverse community. It is this which helps to build tolerance, grow understanding, and break down barriers. I am grateful to everyone who shared very personal stories of their families’ experiences in Chapel, and to Ananya and Alma, who played and sang with such conviction and depth of understanding.
The Deepdene little farmers group took the goats out for a walk during their weekly visit on Wednesday afternoon – the little farmers found it hilarious that they were taken to the farm and
There have been a number of new initiatives this week, and I am delighted to hear about some of our Year 8s taking part in a national competition to find the next generation of female code-breakers. Despite there being celebrated British women code-breakers in the last century, the field of cyber security is dominated by men, and the National Cyber Security Centre at GCHQ is trying to do more to attract girls into the field. Higher up the School, this week, we have launched a Sixth Form leadership development programme in partnership with RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and we are confident that the skills developed will complement strong academic results, in order to place girls in a strong position when applying for university or careers. Elsewhere in the School, the Roedean Academy has continued to show its impact on every student again this week, and the students are now halfway through the programme. In sport, there are an increasing number of netball fixtures to look forward to, and in the arts, I want to congratulate all our LAMDA girls who have achieved outstanding results across the school. Congratulations also, to Mary in Year 13 who gave today’s fascinating Academic Lecture on Russian Futurism. I will be introducing five fantastic YA novelists to over 200 local pupils at tonight’s Southern Schools’ Book Award event, which is hosted at Roedean each year. We look forward to finding out the winner. I wish you all the best for next week.
the goats were being taken to school. Thanks to the year 12 CAP group for hosting and to the farm prefects for lending a hand with the animals. JRO
Leadership Workshop with RADA At Roedean, we know that, whilst having excellent grades is important, developing your leadership capabilities and knowing how to present yourself with confidence is vital in helping you to secure, maintain, and be promoted in a job in the future.
and the Young Vic, in movies and on TV, including playing the lead in Channel 4’s improvised comedy series The Work Experience. She put the girls through their paces in an engaging and interactive session that was hugely enjoyable and informative.
To this end, students from Year 11 and Year 12 today took part in a workshop with Kate Walker Miles from RADA Business, in which they explored how to develop their communication skills, have a commanding presence, and the confidence to present themselves with credibility in front of different audiences and in different environments. Kate, who trained at RADA and has a degree in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University, is herself an experienced actor, appearing at the RSC
The Year 12 will be able to put these ideas into practice later this term, when they will start the process of Prefect selection and move into those leadership roles in school, but the students also picked up tips that they can bring to university and job interviews in the future. We are keen to explore how we will work with RADA Business further to develop an exciting leadership programme for Sixth Form students. Watch this space! GH