“In June 2024 I had the exciting opportunity to attend and present at the ICGS Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The port and town of Baltimore was established in the early 1700s as a centre for the tobacco trade in Chesapeake Bay, previously being key hunting land for the Susquehannock people. It has a rich history of indigenous use, colonial rule, revolution and innovation. One noteworthy moment includes the failed British bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1812, after which Francis Scott Key wrote a poem that would become “The Star Spangled Banner”, which was eventually designated as the American national anthem in 1931. The Baltimore Railroad is also the nation’s oldest railway and it was on this line that I boarded the Amtrak to explore the iconic linked city of Washington. It is hard to escape the fact that Baltimore residents worship their sports teams and I was lucky enough to catch the Baltimore Orioles in magnificent form, as well as buying some Ravens team merchandise for my teenage son. Other highlights of the city included a visit to the covid-famous John Hopkins University and soaking up the atmosphere of the astonishingly beautiful Peabody Library.
Mrs Rebecca Musson, Lead Teacher for RSHE and GARC Fellow 2022-2024, reflects on her trip to Baltimore to champion the work of the GDST, share her action research and engage with girls educators from all around the world.
As well as enjoying the city and its surroundings I spent four inspiring days at the conference on the shores of Lake Montebello. Over 800 delegates from over 40 countries were there to discuss, debate, champion and share the work we do as global girls educators. Just within my small action research group I collaborated with teachers from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and the USA. Professional highlights included some inspirational keynote speakers such as Annie Jean-Baptiste. Baptiste is a business disrupting tech executive and the author of ‘Building for Everyone’, the first book about building inclusive products across the intersections of 12 dimensions of diversity. She is currently the Director of Product Inclusion and Equity at Google, responsible for considering issues around the experience of women and girls as they interface with tech. I also gained much from the smaller breakout and ‘Insight’ sessions, one of which was led by Norwich High’s Headteacher, Alison Sefton, on the international Headways Leadership Programme.
However, my personal highlight has to have been presenting my action research to a global audience and sharing the brilliant work we do in Norwich with a room full of engaged and interested professionals. I felt so proud to be able to champion the work of our school, and that of the GDST, and it was a real privilege to share the work and voices from my Year 10 class with such a receptive and appreciative audience. I received some very positive feedback and I have been invited more with British colleagues in Wimbledon in November.
For those of you keen to know more about the GARC teacher programme and our action research please head to the ICGS website to view our videos, read our research papers and engage with the amazing resources available.
As a potted summary, my final project title was ‘Made by Girls’: A study in Collaborative Student-Led Curriculum in Personal Development at Key Stage 4.
My key findings included:
- When collaboration skills are taught discreetly, student understanding and knowledge of the skill improved and the ability of the students to work together was enhanced.
- Through working on collaboration, girls were better able to identify, celebrate and utilise their own, and each other’s, strengths and abilities.
- Student-led curriculum design for personal development education is a powerful, authentic and engaging way to deliver this subject in senior schools.
I look forward to embedding and building on the research at Norwich High as we continue to evolve our provision for PSHE/RSE education and I feel very privileged to share my research more widely with the GDST community in another new role for September 2024 as Trust Consultant Teacher for PSHE/RSE (Secondary).”
“Being a GARC Fellow and attending two amazing international conferences has not only taught me how to be a confident action researcher but I have gained international colleagues and friends to extend my professional network and help me to share the ground breaking work we do as the GDST and celebrate the world class education received by our girls.”