Yesterday afternoon, as the sun shone, and the Year 9s headed off on their camping expedition, ready to enjoy the crisp Autumn air, I headed into the darkness of the Drama studio to sit in front of a camera and under bright artificial light, ready to be bombarded by questions. Why? You may well ask.
I was there to film with a company called ‘In the Room’, who use software that combines AI, voice recognition and 3D video to create interactive conversations. In between shouts from the Prep netball fixture going on outside and bells to mark the beginning and end of lessons, I recorded answers to over 60 questions about the school, covering all aspects of school life.
Despite my initial discomfort, it turned out to be a wonderful afternoon, partly thanks to the company of Brigid Wells, Head from 1978 to 1988 who we had invited to be part of this experience, and partly because we were there to celebrate what it means to be part of the community of Brighton Girls – my favourite topic.
In assemblies and parent talks over the last ten days, we have welcomed new families to the school and shared our values, our aims, and ambitions for the year ahead. In my welcome back assembly last Thursday, I invited everyone to reflect on the shared responsibility, and the accompanying joy, that comes with being “a leaf on a tree”. Remembering that we are part of something bigger than ourselves boosts our individual feelings of contentment; being outward looking and mindful of others is what makes the community of Brighton Girls thrive.
On Thursday night, at the first PTFA meeting of the year, we celebrated the team effort that resulted in a record-breaking year of fundraising; in assembly on Monday, students will start the process of deciding which Guild charities to support over the coming year; and, as I listened to Brigid Wells talk about her memories of the school in the 70s and 80s, I reflected on how much has changed in the years since she was Head – and how much as stayed the same.
When Brigid Wells arrived at Brighton & Hove High in 1978, there was a “jelly copier” in the staffroom, there were no computers, and there were minimal opportunities for creativity in lessons. Her vision had been to make the school “more open to the world”; in this, as in many aspects of her tenure, she made a huge impact. By the time she left, 11 years later, students were enjoying woodwork and jewellery-making, a football coach from the Albion had been drafted in, trips to Boughrood (our Field Centre in the Wye Valley) were more frequent, and 20 Spectrum computers had been acquired.
Yet, amongst all this change, there is a constant: when asked about the students at this school, then and now, Brigid identified a common thread: a sense of “get up and go”; a “determination to follow their own path”; “strong individuals”, by the time they leave the school, with a “sense of where they belong in the world”.
When you see Sarah (Year 8) and Jen (Year 11) in action in their ‘In the Room’ interviews, I’m sure you will agree.
