Can you remember the teacher that inspired you? Such was the question I posed to prospective parents at our Take a Look event last week and at our October Open Day. I remember mine. His name was Christopher Dixon, and he introduced me to ideas that transformed the way I thought about the world around me. He guided me through the labyrinth of classical literature and introduced me to the lyrical beauty of Greek and Latin poetry, the dense modernism of Geoffrey Hill and the jaunty rhythms of the Liverpool poets. His enthusiasm was catching, but it wasn’t just a question of encyclopaedic knowledge, it was his extraordinary encouragement too – the absolute certainty he had that I held within me so much more than I thought.
It is reflecting on that experience that I had with Mr Dixon that helped me to recognise the central belief that I have and hold to this day: that one of the most important contributions that any staff member or adult in a child’s life can make is for that child to know that the adult believes in them, that they will find a way through and is on their side whatever happens.
I summed this up for prospective parents as ‘a push with a hug’. Of course, it’s important to have challenge, to feel that you have climbed whatever new peak appears in front of you, but it is also crucial to know that the grit, resilience and tenacity that you have within you will help you succeed and conquer the next challenge.
Girls are different from boys; their self belief is intrinsically connected to their learning and their connections to their peers and role models around them. When I listen to students who are about to leave Oxford High School for whatever future beckons them beyond the gates, they always express incredible gratitude to their teachers and the staff who helped them believe in themselves and empowered them to reach and grasp their ambitious goals.
This newsletter is full of the achievements of so many of our students and the challenges that they have set themselves at all kinds of levels. It isn’t about the level of achievement, although of course we salute the ambition and the hard work that goes into any significant goal. It’s about daring to dream, aiming high and seeking to grasp the stars, supported by caring, kind people who are on and by your side.
This joy in the power of a girls’ only education is particularly pertinent this week as the Girls Day School Trust released their white paper, ‘Designing the future of Girls’ education’, which reminds us of the importance of providing educational experiences without limits for young women – timely indeed as Oxford High looks forward to celebrating our 150th birthday next year. I hope you enjoy reading it and our latest news.
Ad Lucem,
Mrs Gardiner Legge