Our Head Girl, Rose, on Female Leadership at Queen Mary’s
Making A Difference Through Pupil Leadership: An Interview with Our Head Girl, Rose
1. What Is Your Name?
My name is Rose.
2. What Is Your Leadership Role at Queen Mary’s School?
I am Head Girl and Dance Captain for the 2025-26 academic year.
3. How Do You Make a Difference?
My role as Head Girl allows for me to search constantly for opportunities to improve the
welfare of my fellow peers and their attitudes and experience of the school environment. I try
to promote community throughout by encouraging connections across year groups to
develop respect and positive communications between the younger and older years. By also
being chair of the school council, I am able to update myself on the current status of school
life from every year groups perspective and from there it enables me to attend to pressing
matters which will aid the experience of those in school.
“I wanted to be a leader who is kind, supportive and a good listener; who brings the school community together by being approachable. I try to talk to everyone and find out any challenges they are having or just check in on how their day is going.”
4. Why Did You Choose to Be a Pupil Leader?
Being a Head Girl appealed to me because I have been in the shoes of the lower years and
getting used to school life is difficult when coming into a new setting. I wanted to create a
smooth transition for those new girls who may be struggling to adapt to QMS. I wanted to be
a leader who is kind, supportive and a good listener; who brings the school community
together by being approachable. I try to talk to everyone and find out any challenges they are
having or just check in on how their day is going. Being a role model but also a sisterly figure
is essential; finding that balance is extremely important to be able to communicate with
every individual and for them to feel seen and heard. That is what I would love to accomplish
in both roles I have selected by the time I have left school. I want to make a positive
difference to the girl’s all round experience of school life. I wanted to bring the older and
younger years together as community is extremely important to me and my leadership is
about providing a safe and comfortable space for new girls to thrive and develop their
confidence.
5. What Have You Enjoyed Most About Being a Pupil Leader?
I absolutely adore getting to know the school community and feelings as if I can drive for
change and inspire confidence in the younger ones. I hope that when I leave school I have
left a legacy of kindness, friendliness and leading from the middle, the heart of the
community. I will miss the ‘good mornings’ every Friday on the steps as this is one of my
favourite things to do around the school.
“All girls are welcome to share thoughts and ideas. I believe that by encouraging others to speak up it improves the experience for everyone and demonstrates the traits of being a good leader.”
6. How Do You Get Involved As a Committee Leader?
In regards to the school and charity council, I chair and vice chair these establishments to
the best of my ability alongside my deputy, Ava. I thoroughly enjoy listening to new ideas
and proposals which will enhance the pupils’ experience at school. Pupil voice is incredibly
important here at Queen Marys and I think we pride ourselves on the range of opportunities
to step up to leadership whether that be in the classroom or co-curricular. I also organised
the buddy scheme for Year 7 and 11 who love spending time together as part of our weekly
schedule. This encourages friendship growth and a safe space to share any news of
importance. For me as a Year 7 this would have made my first few weeks that bit easier and now I have to say I think some of our Year 7s would agree that this has made the transition that much smoother due to their friendly Big Sister.
7. What Are the Highlights of the Role?
Being a friendly face around school, being able to communicate with younger years and also
inspire community throughout are just a few highlights which make my day. I hope that
will help to inspire someone who possibly is lacking in confidence to let their brilliance shine
through and seize all the amazing opportunities here at QMS.
“Inclusion is something we must all allow into our lives to help shape our beliefs and sense of self when journeying into the next chapter. QMS has taught me the core values of community, kindness, respect and most importantly speaking up for what is right.“
8. What Projects Have You Been Involved In as Pupil Leaders?
Queen Mary’s as a school, a community and a family has inspired and helped me to strive for
excellence and grow in confidence. I have begun to add certain ideas to school life that will
nurture the years to come. The ‘Big Sister’ scheme brings the years closer together whilst
giving a responsibility to Year 11s to engage with the lower school. Essentially, Year 11s are
given a Year 7 to look after and help with navigating senior school life (such as prep, lessons,
friendships etc). We ideally meet every 1-2 weeks for a sit down and chat about how they are
settling in. This idea establishes a lifelong bond with the lower school whilst providing a safe
and nurturing environment for Year 7 students to slowly grow into senior school life.
9. How Can You Inspire Inclusion?
By progressing this Big Sister scheme and my influence in the councils I chair, I hope that all
girls feel they can use their voice for good if a change is needed. All girls are welcome to share
thoughts and ideas. I believe that by encouraging others to speak up it improves the
experience for everyone and demonstrates the traits of being a good leader. Inclusion is
something we must all allow into our lives to help shape our beliefs and sense of self when
journeying into the next chapter. QMS has taught me the core values of community,
kindness, respect and most importantly speaking up for what is right. I try to inspire
inclusion by bring together girls of all ages and encouraging them to share ideas about a
variety of things, especially advice from a Y11 to a Y7 about starting in senior school.
Female Leadership at Queen Mary’s School
At Queen Mary’s School, female leadership is not simply encouraged – it is lived, modelled, and celebrated every day. From the earliest years, girls are empowered to find their voice, to lead with integrity, and to act with compassion and confidence. Whether guiding their peers in the classroom, on the sports field, through creative performance, or in service initiatives, our pupils learn that leadership is as much about empathy and collaboration as it is about ambition and achievement. In an environment where girls are consistently inspired by strong female role models, whether that is staff, alumnae, or one another, they grow into articulate, resilient young women ready to shape the world with purpose and poise.
Our commitment to female leadership and inspiring the next generation of women is brought to life through a range of dedicated leadership initiatives. Our HER VOICE: Leadership for Girls event is a dynamic one-day programme comprising five engaging workshops, each designed to inspire a lifetime of confident and authentic leadership. At QMS, International Women’s Day is marked with inspiring activities and thought-provoking talks centred on female empowerment, developing a strong and assured voice, and challenging gender stereotypes, particularly in relation to future career pathways. Our popular Twilight Talks series further enriches this culture of aspiration, welcoming accomplished women who have forged successful careers in hard-to-reach and traditionally male-dominated fields, offering pupils invaluable insight, encouragement, and ambition without limits. This is all in addition to the many opportunities to lead daily through roles within our school community including Council and Committee members and Charity, Choir, Sport, Performing Arts, Academic, and House Captains.
Find Out More About Our All Girls’ Leadership Programme
- Find out more about how leading girls’ schools achieve confident, well-rounded girls:
