Our Head Girl (Rosie T), Head Boy (Rob L), Deputy Head Girl (Katie J) and Deputy Head Boy (Oliver R) were put through their paces over the weekend of 29th September- 1st October by leaders from all walks of life at an “Apprentice”-style leadership event, designed to help this new generation of change-makers prepare for the challenges ahead. Team GB Olympic hockey gold medal winner and former team captain Kate Richardson-Walsh was among those on hand to inspire students who were taking part in the annual Girls’ Day School Trust Young Leaders’ Conference 2017, which aims to give students experience of real-life situations.
Along with other leadership role models, including Chartered Management Institute (CMI) CEO Ann Francke, Kate spoke with students and offered her top tips on leading successful teams. British Army officers then led a series of team-building exercises before students were split into groups and given under 36 hours to create a digital fundraising and awareness campaign for one of four charities: Hope & Homes for Children; mothers2mothers; Room to Read and Rwandan Youth Information Community Organisation (RYICO). In previous years, ideas proposed by students have inspired award-winning charity initiatives.
Now in its seventh year, the GDST Young Leaders’ Conference, which takes place at The Royal High School Bath GDST, aims to help students develop tangible life and leadership skills, including teamwork, communication, negotiation, problem solving and financial management that will benefit them when they embark on their chosen careers.