Welcome to the next academic year! It has been wonderful to welcome our girls back to school and to meet our new families who have joined Bromley High School. I hope you have enjoyed a restorative summer break and are feeling refreshed and energised, ready to work with us to support your daughters.

I particularly enjoy the fresh sense of promise that a new term brings and am looking forward to working alongside you and the entire Bromley High community as we continue to champion our pupils.

During the summer break, I spent some time reflecting on the past year: our achievements, both inside and outside the classroom, the transformative work we’ve done to prepare our girls for their next steps, and the inspiring outreach and charity work we’ve undertaken.

My first assembly with the girls this year focused on the theme of ‘grit’. I presented the summer improvements that have taken place across our school estate, including the opening of two brand new science laboratories, the refurbishment of our ceramics room, and the redecoration of our classrooms. I also shared the outcomes for our Year 11 and 13 students from August, and we are extremely proud of their achievements. It was truly exciting to see university offers pouring in on A level results day. Our success in STEM fields, from medicine to dentistry, has been outstanding. We have a strong presence in engineering, including aeronautical, civil, and mechanical disciplines. Additionally, we have many girls specializing in biochemistry, biomedical sciences, chemistry, and mathematics. We’re proud to say that we’re bucking the downward trend in languages, with six of our girls gaining admission to prestigious universities. We also have a strong presence at Cambridge, and some of our girls have earned scholarships to Ivy League universities in the United States, as well as studying abroad at universities like Nicosia. These achievements are truly remarkable, and we will follow these girls with curiosity and pride.

I also referenced the Women’s World Cup that took place over the summer. The Lionesses became the first England football team since 1966 to reach a senior final on the world stage. Although we didn’t secure the final victory, they made history, and this team of winners has more to achieve. Analyzing the match stats against Australia, it’s clear that the Lionesses controlled much of the game. Even when goals were scored against them, they showed resilience, fighting defensively, making crucial blocks, tackles, and headers.

The underlying message here is that nothing happens without grit. Do people succeed by chance or just because they have talent? No, they succeed through hard work, commitment, and showing up every day. “Fides et Opera,” our school’s motto, established by our Victorian founders 141 years ago, emphasises the belief that much can be achieved through hard work and consistent effort. This mission still guides our school’s culture today.

The book ‘Grit’ by Angela Duckworth offers some fantastic quotes:

“Enthusiasm is common; endurance is rare.”
“As much as talent counts, effort counts twice as much.”
“I learned a lesson I’d never forget: When you have setbacks and failures, you can’t overreact to them.”
“I won’t just have a job; I’ll have a calling.”
“Yes, but the main thing is that greatness is doable. Greatness is many, many individual feats, and each of them is doable.”

Angela Duckworth, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, examines what contributes to success in her book. Duckworth identifies four key components:

  • Passion for what you do – So, for our Year 9, 11 and 13 pupils, it’s crucial to choose subjects you love at GCSE, A level and university, and ultimately, a career you’re passionate about
  • A sense of purpose – Valuing what you do and believing in its significance. Our staff at Bromley High genuinely care about doing a great job for the girls
  • Hope – The belief that, in the end, your efforts will pay off. When someone tells you “You Can Do it” or “You have Got this,” listen to them. We tend to focus on negative feedback, but take time to appreciate positive feedback
  • Perseverance – Linked to our value of courage, it involves staying focused on your goals, avoiding distractions or boredom, and bouncing back from setbacks.

So, grit equals a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal. For those interested, you can search for Angela Duckworth’s grit scale test online. It includes statements that may or may not apply to you, with no right or wrong answers. Taking the test honestly will provide you with a score reflecting your self-perceived levels of passion and perseverance.

Our Autumn Term promises to be another busy time filled with opportunities and experiences for the girls. Thank you, as always, for your continued support, and I look forward to seeing you at our numerous events over the next term.

Mrs Emily Codling, Headmistress