By Kate Bevan, Head of Junior School

At our school, the celebration of women and girls is not confined to a single day in March. The beauty of being in an all-girls’ school is that every day is, in essence, International Women’s Day. Our pupils are surrounded by examples of inspiring women—past and present—whose achievements, resilience, and brilliance shape the world around us.

Just last month, during a school anniversary assembly, I shared the remarkable story of the Chick sisters with our pupils. These pioneering women, all former students of our school around the turn of the 20th century, blazed trails in science, public health, and mathematics. Their legacy is a powerful reminder that the pursuit of knowledge and progress is not bound by gender, and their story continues to inspire the young women in our care today.

Similarly, when we recently marked the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we explored the wider impact of Marie Curie—not only her own groundbreaking work but also that of the 45 women who were drawn to work alongside her. We also highlighted the achievements of contemporary figures such as Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Dr Hannah Fry, ensuring that our girls see a rich tapestry of female role models in STEM and beyond.

By looking to the past, our students understand the vital progress that has been made in equalising opportunities for women. Yet we do not wish for them to feel overburdened by the struggles of history or daunted by the inequalities that remain. Instead, we seek to inspire them with success stories, positive role models, and the knowledge that they can shape the future.

Crucially, we also reinforce that there is no single definition of what it means to be a woman. There is no ‘one way’ to forge a successful path. The spectrum of possibilities is vast, and our girls should feel empowered to pursue whichever route they choose with confidence and authenticity. Our role as educators is to equip them with the self-belief, knowledge, and resilience to step forward boldly into their futures, knowing that they stand on the shoulders of those who came before and will, in turn, inspire those who follow.

In our school, International Women’s Day is not an isolated celebration; it is a continuous narrative woven into every lesson, every assembly, and every aspiration we nurture. And that is precisely how it should be.