HER VOICE: Leadership for Girls Workshop at Queen Mary’s School in Yorkshire

9 October 2025

Yorkshire Independent All Girls School Hosts Inaugural HER VOICE Conference for Year 5 Girls

Queen Mary’s was proud to host the HER VOICE conference on 24 September – a one-day enriching event created to open doors to early leadership and personal development for Year 5 girls across the region.

Designed specifically for 10-year-old girls, HER VOICE is held at a key stage in their educational journey, where self-discovery, confidence, and curiosity begin to take centre stage. This inspiring experience brought together professionals, teachers, and former pupils — all leaders in their fields — to guide and empower young girls through five dynamic, expert-led workshops.

This year’s line-up included voices from a wide range of industries, including Sally Smith, Commercial Manager of Muddy Stilettos, Vanessa Ruck, adventure rider and motivational speaker known as The Girl On A Bike, and several Queen Mary’s alumnae: Ionica Adriana, actress, Tania Still, artist, and Rebecca Wilkinson, Forbes Top 30 Under 30 entrepreneur, 5th-generation farmer, and podcast host.

HER VOICE opened by encouraging every young leader in the audience to embrace their strengths and seize opportunities with confidence.

The Programme for the Her Voice: Girls Leadership Event

The day unfolded with a variety of sessions designed to help the girls better understand themselves and the world around them. Activities included:

A workshop on identifying and understanding personal strengths
- A session focused on resilience and navigating change
- Improvisation techniques to explore expression and the power of using her voice
- Reflective exercises to imagine what their ‘best day’ looks like
- A creative workshop to visualise and bring those best days to life
- A lively dance and celebration ceremony to end the day on a joyful high

Throughout the day, girls explored themes such as communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and self-belief — top future-facing skills vital for success.

We were thrilled to see the confidence of participants grow as the day progressed. When asked what they had learned, the top responses included:

“More about myself!”
“To believe in myself and show courage”
“How to help myself and others”

Head, Fe Beadnell, brought the event to a close by celebrating each and every participant, encouraging them to carry forward the confidence, courage and self-belief they had discovered during the day. She spoke about the importance of recognising your value, staying true to who you are, and embracing every opportunity that comes your way.

The resilience, enthusiasm and positivity shown by the girls throughout HER VOICE was truly inspiring. We hope this event – and others to come – will continue to spark ambition, nurture confidence, and empower girls to lead with purpose and strength.

Feedback on Our Girls’ Leadership Workshop Day

“Our Year 5 girls had the opportunity to visit Queen Mary’s for a special day trip, which they thoroughly enjoyed. It was a fantastic experience that allowed them to build confidence, make new friendships, and take part in exciting activities outside the classroom.”

– Mrs Emma Ryan, Headteacher of Boroughbridge Primary School