Mrs Cruse (Head of Years 7 and 8)

As you walk through the Senior School entrance, you will notice beautiful displays of influential women of past and present.  

Before girls joined the Senior School Year 7, they were set the task of thinking about what they are passionate about and who has inspired them to follow their dreams or interests. The girls were asked to think about whether they were interested in science and technology, sport, art and design or the Humanities. From this, they were given some names of inspirational women so they could do some independent research. 

The girls have produced some really incredible pieces of work, which will challenge the students to think about what they want to be and why and show them that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.

Aleena Azam (Year 7), reflected: “I enjoyed the project over the summer very much as it encouraged me to be resilient, strong and bold. I chose Harriet Tubman because I find her inspiring and also because she was linked to the current Black Lives Matter movement.

“I enjoyed learning about her childhood, adulthood and interesting facts about her. I found out that when she was 7 years old, she was hired as a nursemaid and was ordered to take care of a baby, during this period she was beaten by her masters, which emotionally scarred her for life.”

Zaynab Choudhury (Year 7), said: “I wrote about Eglantyne Jebb, the woman who founded Save the Children in 1919, because she helped save the lives of so many children beyond war-torn Europe. Her vision continues today and helps millions of children across the globe.”

Bana Shadid said: “I enjoyed researching the American Mathematician, Katherine Johnson. She was very clever and wasn’t known for her talent until she was quite old. I thought it was amazing how she didn’t let segregation, discrimination and racism bring her down, she kept on going. I aspire to be like her one day.”