Girls school heads to consider future initiatives at special conference with expert contributors

• Girls’ schools – making a tangible difference?
• Is your daughter safe online?
• Latest research – do girls communicate differently from boys?
• Education reform – latest from the minister for schools.
• Sexualisation – can you protect your daughter from growing up too soon?
• How music helps us learn.
• Dyslexia – a personal perspective.
• Real action to encourage more women in business.
• Getting girls out of poverty and into education.

The heads of over 200 independent girls’ schools across the UK and abroad are meeting in Bristol next week [Bristol Marriott City Centre Hotel, 21-23 November inclusive] to consider current and future initiatives with guest contributors including the Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb MP.

The 2011 Girls’ Schools Association Annual Conference will take as its theme ‘Making a World of Difference’. President Dr Helen Wright has invited, among others, the chief executive of the charity Plan UK, Marie Staunton, to bring an international perspective to the proceedings with a presentation about the charity’s Because I am a Girl campaign, which aims to give girls in the world’s poorest countries access to a quality education.

The Girls’ Schools Association represents the UK’s independent girls’ schools and has a number of international associate members. Their 2011 president, Dr Helen Wright, also head of St Mary’s Calne, in Wiltshire, says:
“As well as providing an education for girls, girls’ schools are a tremendous force for good and positive change in the world. I’m so pleased to be presiding over this particular conference as we’re not only supporting Plan UK’s drive to give more girls around the globe a better education, we’re also benefiting from some highly knowledgeable, cutting edge guest speakers. I’m particularly pleased to welcome Nick Gibb, Minister of State for Schools.”

Sheila Cooper, executive director of the GSA, says:
“Girls’ school heads are passionate about education in its truest sense. Our members want to inspire girls to be the best they can be, to feel secure in themselves and their abilities and to have the tools to make choices with confidence. This conference is all about equipping our school leaders with the latest expert thinking and experience to enable them to deliver the most contemporary education possible to their girls.”

NOTE TO EDITOR: SELECTED SPEAKERS, QUOTES & INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

MONDAY 21 NOVEMBER

President’s Address

Dr Helen Wright, president of the Girls’ Schools Association
Dr Wright will talk about how girls’ schools continue to make a difference in a variety of ways. Academic achievement of girls in independent girls’ schools exceeds that of girls in co-ed independent schools [see Editor’s Note: Background]; GSA schools and their pupils are involved in a wide variety of partnerships with other schools, with businesses and other organisations; they educate girls about the contemporary world and its global challenges some of which Dr Wright has experienced first-hand in a recent visit to Bangladesh. This year the conference is supporting Plan UK’s Because I am a Girl campaign to get more girls across the world to experience a good quality education.
Dr Helen Wright is available for interview at the conference. A copy of her speech will be released on Monday 21 November. Call Rachel Kerr on 0781 681 6180 or Liz Ivens on 07584 121 388.

The Power of Television

Kate Blewett, independent film producer / director
Kate Blewett is currently working on two films. One investigates the scandal of child sex abuse in online pornography, and the other looks at the orphanage system in the Ukraine. After speaking to all delegates on the power of television , she will take part in a panel discussion about internet safety (see below).
Kate Blewett is available for interview at or in advance of the conference – call Rachel Kerr on 0781 681 6180 or Liz Ivens on 07584 121 388.

Internet Security Discussion Panel: Online and in Danger?

The panel will consider how child sex abuse offenders operate and discuss solutions to reducing and blocking how they get access to child sex abuse photos.
Claire Perry MP
Claire Perry is a Conservative member of parliament for the Devizes constituency. She has led a campaign to make access to internet porn an “Opt-In” option. The campaign calls for UK-based Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide anti-porn filters at network level in order to protect children more effectively. As a result of Claire’s inquiry and campaign, on October 11th, four leading ISPs announced that they would work together to make it easier to protect children from porn on the Internet. This “Active Choice” approach allows subscribers to choose to restrict the web content that their computers receive.
Claire has stated: “One third of today’s 10 year olds have been exposed to online pornography and eighty-three per cent of people think easy access to internet porn is damaging to children. We don’t want censorship but we do want Britain’s Internet Service providers to give their customers a choice. The only way to fully protect our children is to introduce an Opt-In system but in the meantime, the announcement of October 11th is a good first step.”
Kate Blewett, independent film producer / director
Kate Blewett is currently working on a film about the scandal of child sex abuse in online pornography. She is researching the ways in which online sex offenders become ‘normalised’ in their online activity and how this leads to an escalation of abuse.
Tanith Carey, parenting author and award winning journalist
Tanith Carey’s latest book Where Has My Little Girl Gone? How to protect your daughter from growing up too soon is the first hands-on guide for parents on how to handle the challenges of early sexualisation.
NB Tanith will also lead a separate break-out session on Schools and Sexualisation – How teachers can make a difference.
Andy Baker, deputy chief executive, Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (‘CEOP’)
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre is the UK’s national law enforcement agency committed to tackling the sexual abuse of children. CEOP tracks and brings offenders to account either directly or in partnership with national and international police, as well as charities and other organisations around the world.
It has specialist teams to identify victims of child sexual abuse and locate offenders, find out more about their behaviour, and develop the skills of police officers tackling this type of crime.
CEOP’s Thinkuknow programme for children, parents, teachers and practitioners, uses a range of interactive and engaging materials, to raise awareness of the risks in the online world and how children and young people can protect themselves.
See www.ceop.police.uk and www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Andy Baker was awarded a Queen’s Police Medal for services to policing in 2005.
He says: “The online environment has some fantastic opportunities for children and young people, from education and exploring interests to creativity and socialising. But with the opportunities there are real risks and dangers from people who will try to exploit the technology available, the freedom and anonymity it offers, to target children.
“Parents and teachers, as well as children themselves need to be aware of these risks and dangers so we can empower young people with the knowledge and awareness to protect themselves and report suspicious behaviour.
“From industry to parents, internet safety needs to be top of the agenda. We all need to take responsibility and ensure children are aware of these dangers and how to protect themselves online.”

To interview any member of the panel call Rachel Kerr on 0781 681 6180.

Championing Communication

Jean Gross, the Government’s communication champion for children
Jean Gross will share research findings on the differences between girls’ and boys’ attitudes to communication as well as exploring the fascinating way in which girls use language to both include and exclude one another.
“Research shows that girls are less confident than boys when it comes to speaking in front of classmates, saying no to friends, talking to new people, explaining their point of view and asking for clarification when they don’t understand something,” says Jean Gross, Government communication champion for children.
Jean Gross is available to interview at the conference or in advance. Call Rachel Kerr on 0781 681 6180 or Laura Smith LSmith@thecommunicationtrust.org.uk

Schools and Sexualisation – How teachers can make a difference (break-out session)

Tanith Carey, parenting author and award winning journalist
Tanith Carey’s latest book Where Has My Little Girl Gone? How to protect your daughter from growing up too soon is the first hands-on guide for parents on how to handle the challenges of early sexualisation. (See also – above – her participation in the discussion panel on internet safety.)
Tanith Carey is available for interview. Contact Rachel Kerr 0781 681 6180.

Body Image: the role of the school (break-out session)

Nicky Hutchinson and Chris Calland, behavioural specialists
Nicky Hutchinson and Chris Calland are teachers who work for the Behaviour Improvement team in Bristol. Also independent education consultations, they have co-authored the book Body Image in the Primary School. They began looking seriously at ways of approaching the body image problem after an Ofsted survey of 150,000 children in 2008 found that by the age of 10 a third of girls and 22 per cent of boys cited their bodies as their main source of worry. www.notjustbehaviour.co.uk
Nicky Hutchinson is available for interview. Contact Rachel Kerr 0781 681 6180.

TUESDAY 22 NOVEMBER

Minister of State for Schools

Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools
The Minister will discuss the achievements of GSA schools and the Government’s overall programme for education reform, including the role of the independent sector.

The Power of Music

Ralph Allwood, conductor of the orchestra at St Paul’s Girls’ School
Ralph Allwood – former director of music at Eton College for 26 years – now pursues freelance activities which include positions as conductor of the orchestra of St Paul’s Girls’ School, Director of Music at Hampstead Parish Church and the founding of Inner Voices, a choir for young people from ten Inner London state schools. He will talk about how and why music changes minds and spirits, comforting the sad and igniting the joyful.
NB Ralph will also run a break-out session on the topic of A Choral Contribution.
He says: “Music aids learning. And the distillation of the essence of music is singing. The gap between a pupil on fire with the desire to learn and one who creeps like a snail unwillingly to school is one we constantly try to bridge and yet music can do it.”
www.ralphallwood.com
Ralph Allwood is available to interview at and in advance of the conference. Call Rachel Kerr 0781 681 6180 or ring Ralph direct on 07976 836632.

WEDNESDAY 23 NOVEMBER

My Family & Other Dyslexics

Annabel Heseltine, journalist, columnist, broadcaster and editor of First Eleven
All four of Annabel Heseltine’s children are dyslexic. They face a challenge shared by both their uncle, her brother and their famous grandfather, Michael Heseltine. Annabel will talk about what personal experience has taught her about the condition, about her initial resistance to the prescriptions following diagnosis, and gives insight from her years of personal study into the subject.
She says: “Schools have come on in leaps and bounds in how they diagnose and address dyslexia. Nevertheless, there are still improvements that can be made. I’d like everyone to see dyslexia as a challenge that can be overcome and to understand that people with dyslexia are as bright as, and have as much – and sometimes more – to offer than a non-dyslexic because they are born with different, and sometimes superb skills in other areas. Annabel Heseltine is available for interview at and prior to the conference. Call Rachel Kerr 0781 681 6180.

How Education Has Helped Me Get Where I am Today

Everywoman’s Modern Muse Panel
Karen Gill, co-founder of www.everywoman.co.uk and www.modernmuse.co.uk
Modern Muse is engaging the next generation of female business leaders and entrepreneurs by showcasing women of today in all walks of business life. The goal is to reach out to one million young women and girls, to inspire them to look at business careers and entrepreneurship as a way to achieve their dreams. Karen Gill and fellow panellists will consider the impact of education in helping them achieve their career success to date and how today’s schoolgirls might learn from their experience.
Karen Gill says:
“There are inspirational women from diverse backgrounds all over Britain following a wonderfully diverse range of careers and yet women are still underrepresented in the board room. We need to get more role models like this in front of young girls to inspire them and show them what they can achieve. Working with schools and teachers within the Girls’ Schools Associations is one of the many ways we’re reaching out to young girls throughout the UK.”
Abi Carter, director of Forensic Resources Ltd
Melanie Eusebe, management consultant at Ernst & Young
Sophie Hill, partner at BDO
Liz Jackson, managing director of Great Guns Marketing
Karen Gill is available for interview at and prior to the conference. Call Rachel Kerr 0781 681 6180 or ring Karen direct on 020 7981 2574.

Because I am A Girl

Marie Staunton, chief executive of Plan UK
Marie Staunton has over 30 years’ experience in the development, commercial and human rights sectors. She is currently chief executive of the international children’s development charity, Plan UK, and Interact Worldwide which specialises in sexual and reproductive health and rights. Marie will talk about Plan UK’s Because I am a Girl campaign to help more girls around the world to access an education. The Girls’ Schools Association is supporting the Because I am A Girl campaign.
Marie Staunton says:
“Attending a GSA school is a great opportunity for any girl. But at least 75 million girls around the world don’t go to school at all. We’re pleased the GSA has adopted our campaign to help get more girls into schools. As they already know, investing in a girl’s education is vital – it helps her to know she has rights, to learn how to exercise them when she needs to, and to achieve her potential. It’s also central to unlocking the cycle of poverty. We’re here to inspire staff and girls at GSA schools to help us give other girls a life-changing opportunity.”
Marie Staunton is available for interview on Wednesday 23 November until 11:45am.
Call: Plan UK press officer Andy Shipley 0203317 0233, Marie Staunton’s executive assistant Kristen Morgan 0203 217 0206, Because I Am a Girl campaign manager Naomi Williams 0203 217 0297.

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