During the recent Olympic Games, watching the Women’s Quadruple Sculls race was exciting. An event where Great Britain had never won a medal and the prospect that we would, high. If you watched the event, you would know that it was only in the last few metres that team GB gained control and the boat nudged forward with a photo finish that made you hold your breath.
Afterwards, during the team Interviews, it was clear the confidence and the unity that they had in the team plan. This had been key to their success. The team knew the effort and training had been completed and they had reached the ‘flow’ stage. They were focussed on the process, knowing each component would indeed make the boat go faster. They demonstrated all our school values – Courage, Truth and Joy.
Each member of the crew also had a story to tell, one which showed resilience and one which was inspirational. Somehow, you feel that an Olympian breezes through life, their talent shining bright, but quite often it is the contrary. They have had to dig deep, overcome a bump in the road in their lives and demonstrate grit and determination. We all worry about how events may impact loved ones but, perhaps, this is when tenacity, resilience develops and whether it is through the small stuff or the big stuff, we all learn, with the support of Team SHS, how to cope.
The Olympic Games and Paralympics are a joy for a headteacher looking for an inspirational assembly. This event was the perfect way to start the new term, an assembly which would captivate us all…. the race almost felt ‘live’ as the girls spontaneously cheered along the video clip.
In sport, it is the mindset, along with the sporting skill, which is required. For our Olympians, they have coaches for both. Strategies we use with our Prep girls, positive self-talk, growth mindset and a worry filter must be part of these Olympians’ tool kit, just like a SHS Prep pupil. So, with the Paralympics still in full swing at the start of term, we launched our Prep theme for the year, now almost a tradition. Previous themes include ‘Be You’, ‘Breathe the Wild Air’, ‘Then and Now’. This year, GEM – Going the Extra Mile to achieve a Personal Best, what we want for each and every girl to achieve in the Prep School a PB in reading, maths, art etc. It is about the best that you can be, and we are there to cheer and coach them along.
In order to achieve this, we have reviewed our pedagogy, discussed our pastoral, tracked progress and focused on incremental changes which we believe will make the boat go faster. (Ben Hunt-Davis, another Olympian’s strategy.) Over the next year, we will share with you the progress of these initiatives. Each one has been carefully planned for and you can read how they are already creating an impact, after all, our Prep School, our whole School is full of students and staff who G.E.M.
