Viva Brighton Issue #85 March 2020

ADVERTORIAL
Rosie McColl
Head of Brighton Girls
“A GDST girl is confident and fearless,
nothing will hold her back”
Tell us about your new role. I am the
new Head at Brighton Girls, one of the
founding schools of the Girls’ Day School
Trust (GDST).
Where did you grow up and go to
school? Otley, West Yorkshire, so Brighton
feels familiar – I’m used to friendly people
and lovely views. Both my parents were
teachers; I went to the local state school
and then I was lucky enough to get an assisted
place at an independent school. I went
on to read English Language and Literature
at Lincoln College, Oxford.
How did your own education affect
your ethos? Being lucky enough to have an
independent education changed my life.
I really value the ethos, the freedom to
teach and learn beyond the test, the
academic stretch, the excellent care and
extra-curricular opportunities. My education
gave me confidence. I want to offer that
chance to other girls.
Tell us about Brighton Girls. We are an
all-through school in the heart of the city of
Brighton. Our innovative teaching, reimagined
classroom spaces, and keen sense of
social responsibility make this a place where
girls can learn without limits.
Do you have any notable alumnae?
Yes, many, including Suzy Menkes, Editor of
Vogue International; Karen Pickering, Olympic
swimmer; screenwriter Olivia Waring
and Lib Dem peer, Baroness Northover.
What’s your vision for the school?
I want to throw open the doors of Brighton
Girls, welcome the city in and fuse the classroom
and community. This is such an amazing,
diverse, dynamic city. It is a tech hub,
full of independent business owners, media
people, creative types, people who make
things happen. I want to harness that creative
energy and channel it into Brighton Girls.
What does Brighton offer as a learning
environment? We have a new Design
Hub that will allow girls to benefit from a
design-thinking approach to teaching that
encourages them to be active participants
in what they are learning. We are setting
up partnerships with creative businesses
in Brighton to become a truly innovative
centre of 21st century learning.
What is the GDST? The Girls’ Day
School Trust is the UK’s leading family of independent
girls’ schools. At a GDST school
academic excellence is a given but we also
develop character beyond the curriculum.
We champion girls’ education; a GDST girl
is confident and fearless, nothing will hold
her back.
Do you have a favourite place in
Brighton? Absolutely. Our new family tradition
is Friday evening fish and chips from
Wolfies of Hove.
To find out more, attend one of our Open
Days on Friday 6th and Thursday 19th March.
BRIGHTONGIRLS.GDST.NET