On Friday 23rd November, Headmistress Lucy Elphinstone joined broadcaster Shelagh Fogarty on LBC to discuss the importance of fostering courage and resilience in girls to prepare them for the challenges of life and work.

Drawing attention to the growing pressures and expectations faced by young women today, Mrs Elphinstone questioned why these issues are more prevalent in girls than in boys. She proposed that girls in particular are constantly praised for being 'good', 'neat' and 'tidy' and are therefore conditioned to want to please and to be compliant, which accentuates their fear of making mistakes and failing to meet expectations.

Mrs Elphinstone continued, ''It is commonplace that a boy looks at a job brief and says 'I can do three of those five things, I'm going to apply', whereas a girl looks at the same job brief and says ‘I can do four out of those five things, I will go on a course and then I can apply’ and the boy will be in there before her." 

Mrs Elphinstone described the ways in which the curriculum and nurturing environment at Francis Holland School, Sloane Square encourages self-belief and resilience, particularly in areas such as sport, enterprise, trips and exchanges. She stressed the importance of 'doing it scared': equipping pupils with practical strategies to alleviate any pressures they may encounter in the future.  

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION.