Wealden Times | WT257 | October 2023 | Interiors & Bathrooms Supplement inside

Meet theHead
We really enjoyed catching up with Louise Chamberlain,
headteacher at Walthamstow Hall, Sevenoaks
With a lifelong interest in medical microbiology
and its impact on societies, coupled with
a great passion for education, Louise
Chamberlain is well-placed to navigate her
school through these post-pandemic times.
What attracted you to Wally Hall?
The first time I visited the school I fell in love
with it. The warmth and the buzz of it drew
me in and the quality of the relationships
between the staff and the pupils really stood
out. There’s a genuine sense of wanting to
understand the pupil as they are and where their
individual light might shine. They are given a
really broad range of experiences in and out of
the classroom allowing them the opportunity
to discover what they might be good at or
find interesting. They aren’t put in a box early
on. It’s important that children are able to
explore new interests and strengths as they get
older. I noticed that the pupils are confident
and articulate but they have no arrogance and
there’s no set way to be a ‘Wally student’.
I really like the fact that this is one of the
oldest girls’ schools in the country. There’s
a balance between being a custodian of an
educational heritage while at the same time
navigating towards the future. Looking at
the history of the school it has never been
a stereotypical girls’ school, it’s always been
about helping the pupils find out who
they are rather than being told ‘this is what
you must do’. It’s a fabulous school.
Who inspired you to study science?
My parents both have science backgrounds
and I went to an all girls’ school where the
headteacher was incredibly positive about
STEM. I was very fortunate that the adults
around me weren’t just answering my questions
but they also encouraged me to ask more. I’m
incredibly interested in medical microbiology
and particularly how it intertwines with
history and influences societies.
What are you most excited about?
At our Junior site we’ve just expanded the
nursery and pre-school, which is very exciting.
We have small boys joining our nursery and
preschool, which is wonderful. The team
here have lots of experience of working with
boys and girls and in the nursery you have
great indoor and outdoor facilities. We have
a lovely forest school area where pupils have
lots of fun. During a recent visit I had leaves
and a lovely slug put on me by the children!
This is a flourishing school, where the
staff support pupils to fulfil their potential
and go onto not only university but also
hugely competitive apprenticeships. We
had a group who in addition to building a
greenpower racing car went on to take it to
Goodwood to race it! I want as many people
as possible to know what a super place this is
and I’m excited about spreading the word.
What do you see as the greatest challenges?
I think they are the same for everyone. Across
the country we have a cohort of young people
who struggle with resilience – there’s a lot of
evidence that young people find it difficult to
make even small mistakes. I’ve done a lot of
reading about how even very young children
don’t feel they can have a go at something in
case they don’t succeed. That is a great challenge
in education at the minute and we need to let
children see that making little errors is part
of learning, it’s an opportunity for growth.
I love our school’s logo, which is a ship. If you
set sail on a ship you know sometimes it will be
stormy. You keep sailing on and there are loads
of other people on board – we aren’t alone.
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How do you relax outside work?
I do a lot of reading, I tend to have several
books on the go. At the moment I’m
working my way through Pathogenesis by
Jonathan Kennedy, The Square of Sevens
by Laura Shepherd-Robinson and The
Venetian Venture by Suzette A. Hill. I also
have Herring’s Medical Law and Ethics and
I’ve just got the latest Mason and Mcall
Smith’s Law and Medical Ethics because I’m
going to run a bio ethics club for the sixth
form here. It’s something I’ve always found
interesting and I’m very excited about.
I’ve also just finished an undergraduate
diploma with Cambridge University in
archaeology, focusing on death in the ancient
world, it’s been a great reminder of what it’s like
to be the one needing to meet essay deadlines.
And I have a big extended family, so there’s
always something exciting going on somewhere.
I also really enjoy political satire, so like to tune
into Dead Ringers and other Radio 4 comedies.
What book would you recommend to parents?
I highly recommend Every Teenager Needs a
Parrot by Alicia Drummond and also Failosophy
by Elizabeth Day. It’s very helpful for assisting
with resilience – being ready to learn from
mistakes, rather than being too afraid to try.
Where are your favourite places to visit?
I like walking and we’re extremely lucky to
have Knole Park on our doorstep. I was
recommended the independent bookshop
in Sevenoaks and since my first visit I
never leave with just one book! I also love
Italian food so I’m looking forward to more
visits to Marco, also here in Sevenoaks.
Find out more about Walthamstow
Hall at walthamstow-hall.co.uk
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