Leadership Likes: Mrs Webb

During lockdown 1, two of our (then) Year 11 students contacted me to offer to run a weekly drop-in session via google meet for younger students. These tremendous young people were concerned that some of our Key Stage 3 students would be finding lockdown challenging and wanted to offer a peer listening service to support them. Every week, I observed with my camera and microphone off as they chatted animatedly with their younger peers to help them through a difficult time, offering friendly advice but mostly just passing an easy half an hour chatting about Netflix, snacks and potential lockdown activities.

As I started co-ordinating the Autumn co-curricular programme, I reached out to our L6 students with the opportunity for them to lead a club or activity they felt passionately about and would like to share with the school community. Three students stepped up to offer Learn to Sign, Public Speaking and Girl Up! Education and Advocacy, demonstrating a wonderful range of skills and knowledge that they were willing to impart to their peers.

Watching these young people grow in confidence as they lead others from the front of a classroom (and now via google meet!), inspiring and teaching, sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge, is one of the true privileges of working at Croydon High School.

Our students often show the resilience and leadership we want them to take into the world as they leave us; just this month, one of our current Year 11 students, not fazed by the uncertainty she is facing as we wait for confirmation from Ofqual of how GCSE assessments will look this year, has volunteered to deliver an assembly to the school on the subject of her choice to be a vegan.

I have been liaising with our Heads of House this week as we embark on the interview process for next year’s House Captains. Reading their applications has been an absolute joy – hearing their plans and ambitions and conveying to us so eloquently how they see themselves leading their Houses to future victories.

To hear that Sarena and Alisha will be our Head Girls for the upcoming year shows that their dedication, determination, drive and affability have led them to the lead roles that they so richly deserve. I’m sure you will join us in offering them our heartiest congratulations, along with our deputy Head Girls, Ivana and Abinaya, who we know will represent our school community most ably and effectively.

Mrs Emma Webb

Assistant Head

(co-curricular)