Women in the Workplace, 9th June 2017

On Friday 9th June, we held our second, very successful, Women in the Workplace event. This time it was arranged for the younger girls and with a greater focus on career options and choices.

'Women in the Workplace 2 - Careers' was held in the in the Theatre, which was packed with all of the girls in Year 7 (U3) to Year 9 (U4) and their tutors. The Headmaster, Mr Oliver Blond, opened the event with a welcome speech highlighting gender equality and the opportunities and choices open to the girls in the future. He then introduced the panel: Current parents Mike McLaughlin (leadership trainer), Amanda Clarke (Doctor), Valerie Kaye, (Gallery Manager), Derek Spicer (Pilot) and Leo Spall (Journalist); OR Katy Bourne (No. 3, 1975-81), Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner; and Anna Dunn of Dean Wilson Solicitors, representing Law. They were also joined by three of our Year 12 Girls who were able to talk about what they are hoping to study after leaving Roedean.

The panellists discussed their careers and how gender equality challenges had (and had not) affected them during the course of their working lives before answering a few initial questions from the girls. There was then a break to relax and have some fun with a team quiz, presented by the Headmaster. This included a late, surprise, bonus question about the news of OR Layla Moran (No. 4, 1995-2000) winning a seat in parliament the night before. Prizes were awarded to the top scoring teams in each of the three year groups. Top places were hotly contested with most teams scoring more than 20 out of 23.

Following the quiz and with their thoughts now fully engaged on the subject there was a lively question and answer session with so many hands in the air to ask questions we ran out of time to get around them all! The afternoon was rounded off by a tea in the Dance Studio for the panel and U4 Girls. This gave the girls a chance to talk with the panel members individually and to ask some of the questions we didn’t have time for in the Theatre. It was an enjoyable, informative and extremely useful afternoon.