Girls' Schools - new president to champion entrepreneurship

Encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit in girls is one of the issues that will define 2012 for Louise Robinson, the new president at the Girls’ Schools Association.

Mrs Robinson will launch a countrywide business competition for girls with the support of former Apprentice finalist Claire Young.

“It’s vital that girls learn to be entrepreneurial in whatever they take on in life. It’s not just about business, though that’s important in its own right and we must give girls the self-belief they need to pursue successful careers and challenge the stereotypes and glass ceilings that still exist. Entrepreneurship is also about striving to achieve your best, whether it’s in exams, your career or life in general.

“Single sex schools are good at instilling early confidence in girls and I’d like to see us form more partnerships with industry, with role models and with other girls in other schools to translate that confidence into action so that the next generation of women can make an even greater contribution, whatever path they choose.”

Head of Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School in Crosby, near Liverpool, Louise Robinson takes over her new role from Dr Helen Wright, head of St Mary’s Calne, on January 1.

Louise is also keen to explore how technology is transforming the way we live and work, and to consider how that will – and must – impact on the classroom.

Louise – a mathematics and computer science graduate – has been head of Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School since 2006, leading it through two successful inspections. A 4-18 girls’ school with a brother school one mile away, the School is well known locally for its academic strengths and wide variety of extra-curricular provision.

Mrs Robinson’s first appointment was as teacher in charge of computing at Bolton School Girls’ Division. She was then deputy head at Manchester High School for Girls followed by principal of Howell’s School, Denbigh, an all-girls’ boarding school.

Louise has organised two ‘Opening Doors’ conferences for GSA sixth form students looking to enter the world of business, industry or finance, and is an expert contributor to the GSA’s popular advice and information website www.MyDaughter.co.uk

She sits on the GSA continuing professional development and education committees and is involved in the cross-association leadership group which brings together members of the different independent schools’ professional associations to work on leadership provision within the sector.
Louise is from Manchester and married to a head of an 11-16 state school. She has one grown-up son.

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