Muddy Stilettos


<p>The Girls’ Schools Association supports thousands of head teachers and pupils across a diverse range of girls&#8217; schools across the UK, from day and boarding schools, private and state, junior to senior. Since the GSA’s inception in&nbsp;1874&nbsp;female education&nbsp;has&nbsp;changed out of all recognition of course, so is there more to do – and how do we get there? Muddy gets the&nbsp;lowdown from Alex Hutchinson,&nbsp;the new&nbsp;President of the GSA.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-38.png" alt="GSA president Alex Hutchinson" class="wp-image-98782" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-38.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-38-600x400.png 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-38-1000x667.png 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alex-you-ve-just-taken-over-as-president-of-the-girls-schools-association-in-its-150-th-year-do-you-even-have-a-job-to-do-in-2024">Alex, you’ve just taken over as President of the Girls’ Schools Association in its 150<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;year. Do you even have a job to do in 2024?&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>



<p>For me the premise and purpose of girls&#8217; schools is just as important as it’s always been. Put it this way; in 2023 the number of female CEOs finally overtook the number of male CEOs called John! So there’s a long way to go in terms of the scale of change, and we have an important job in providing an environment in girls&#8217;&nbsp;schools&nbsp;where there’s no glass ceiling and it’s a space where girls can&nbsp;be&nbsp;themselves –&nbsp;introvert or extrovert, environmentalist or entrepreneur.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1707" height="2560" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-5-scaled.jpg" alt="GSA girl playing cricket" class="wp-image-98844" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-5-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-5-400x600.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-5-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-5-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-5-1365x2048.jpg 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-for-girls-to-fight-for-parity-though-isn-t-the-best-way-to-put-them-in-a-co-ed-environment">For girls to fight for parity though, isn’t the best way to put them in a co-ed environment?</h4>



<p>The real world is where all sexes mix, but the benefit of a&nbsp;girls&#8217;&nbsp;school at this early stage in life is that the teaching and support are actively designed to benefit girls. Our research shows that pupils at an all-girls school outperform girls in co-ed settings; pupils at an all-girls school are more likely to choose Physics and Maths A Level; and our girls are likely to continue playing sport for longer in their school career than those in a co-ed environment. At GSA schools, girls are expected to be school leaders, lead the orchestra, to captain the hockey team. An&nbsp;all-girls&nbsp;school gives that empowerment, that platform,&nbsp;the confidence that nothing is inaccessible&nbsp;and it also gives them the chance to learn from and be inspired by other female role models.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1092" height="1092" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mishal-Husain.jpg" alt="Author and Broadcaster Mishal Husain" class="wp-image-98848" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mishal-Husain.jpg 1092w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mishal-Husain-600x600.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mishal-Husain-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mishal-Husain-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mishal-Husain-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1092px) 100vw, 1092px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Author and broadcaster Mishal Husain</figcaption></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ok-let-s-talk-role-models-who-are-yours">OK let’s talk role models. Who are yours?!</h4>



<p>I really admire journalist&nbsp;Mishal Husain – she’s very poised and clear-minded, her talent&nbsp;has taken her to the top.&nbsp;I’d also choose any Olympian as a role model – I had proper post-Olympic blues when this summer’s games were over!&nbsp;Emma&nbsp;Finucane was incredible, to win three medals at just 21 years old.&nbsp;I love that Olympians have an aspiration and joy in what they do, and&nbsp;understand the commitment, challenge and hard work needed to succeed.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-4.jpg" alt="GSA girls looking at flowers and bugs" class="wp-image-98843" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-4.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-4-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-4-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-challenges-do-girls-schools-still-face-nbsp">What challenges do girls’ schools still face?&nbsp;</h4>



<p>I’ve been a head teacher for nine years now, and I’d say that one of the biggest challenges we face is overriding the lazy stereotypes people have about single sex education. Quite often at my school JAGS, we’re visited by parents who are being shown around really to discount it because they&#8217;ve already decided they want a co-educational environment for their daughters. What happens when they see the reality is that they’re blown away&nbsp;–&nbsp;the sound of laughter, the realisation that a&nbsp;girls&#8217; school&nbsp;does not equal a hot house, the vibrant energy of the place.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="1707" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-6-scaled.jpg" alt="GSA girls in science lab" class="wp-image-98845" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-6-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-6-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-6-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GSA-6-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-they-presume-girls-schools-will-be-joyless-hot-houses-nbsp">So they presume girls&#8217; schools will be joyless hot houses?&nbsp;</h4>



<p>Yes exactly. But there’s been a lot of work across all schools over recent years about balance and learning for learning’s sake, not to pass exams. Perfectionism is exhausting. At my school the girls are bright and busy, but I often tell them I’d rather they spend an hour on the hockey pitch or doing a club they love (we actually have a ‘Do Nothing Club’ at my school) than an hour improving an essay that is already 19 out of 20.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The other stereotype I come up against a lot is this notion that girls will leave for university unable to talk to the opposite sex. Boys’ and girls’ schools interact in a whole raft of ways, from shared curriculum-based learning, and arts and sports programmes to social events. The idea that girls will leave school unable to speak to boys is simply not the case – if anything it’s more likely that the boys may not be able to get a word edgeways!</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-maybe-it-won-t-take-another-150-years-of-gsa-for-equal-male-female-ceo-numbers-after-all-nbsp">So maybe it won’t take another 150 years of GSA for equal male/female CEO numbers after all?&nbsp;</h4>



<p>I’m giving us a decade to reach CEO parity. No more hanging out with the ‘Johns’ by 2035!&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>Alex Hutchinson is President of the&nbsp;<a href="https://gsa.uk.com/">Girls’ Schools Association</a>&nbsp;and the Head of&nbsp;<a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alex-hutchinson-a46419123">James Allen&#8217;s Girls&#8217; School</a>.</em></p>


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