Inspiring Queens As Head of Lower School, it gives me great pleasure to re fl ect on another year of life at Queen’s. WELCOME
Throughout the world, we are in a ti me of signi fi cant change not only poli ti cally, geographically and environmentally, but educa ti onally too, and schools everywhere are having to consider the best way to prepare children for an unknown future. The 2023 World Economic Forum has highlighted the following as the fi ve top work skills: cogni ti ve skills, namely analy ti cal and crea ti ve thinking, self ‐ e ffi cacy in the form of fl exibility and agility, mo ti va ti on and self ‐ awareness, and fi nally curiosity and life ‐ long learning. For me, this is reassuring news because, at Queen’s, everything we do focuses on a rich curriculum which priori ti ses skills, both cogni ti ve and personal. Back in 1897, ‘Have Mynde’ was adopted as the mo tt o for Queen’s, and we con ti nue to encourage our pupils to use their own minds, giving them the habit of re fl ec ti on, and the power of considera ti on. A holis ti c approach remains at the core of our philosophy, and together with a rich tapestry of experien ti al opportuni ti es, our pupils have exposure to learning within and beyond the classroom, which ul ti mately nurtures the green shoots of skills for life. Our co ‐ curricular provision con ti nues to be fi rst rate and, with day trips, residen ti als, Beach School, Forest Days and clubs, our children’s educa ti on extends so much further than the classroom. This year, we have considered how to travel more sustainably, and day trips to Liverpool have been successfully undertaken by making use of Bache Train Sta ti on just down the road. Our youngest charges have loved the adventure of train travel, and this has added to their lifeworld of experience. Added to this, our proximity to the centre of Chester has facilitated visits to the Cathedral, Storyhouse, small independent shops and supermarkets, fostering independence, responsibility and real ‐ life experiences for all our pupils. Our connec ti on to the community remains the cornerstone of our life in Chester. This year, we have strengthened our connec ti ons with St Thomas of Canterbury Church; the warm in ti macy of this space providing a comfor ti ng backdrop for our Harvest and Da ff odil Services. In addi ti on, our children have visited Upton Dene Nursing Home, and the joy of music has enabled our pupils to form meaningful rela ti onships with the residents, learning the importance of compassion and respect. Music, art, drama and sport provide holis ti c crea ti ve and physical experiences. Our inaugural Summer Serenade provided our instrumentalists, choirs and soloists with a pla tf orm to showcase their talents. This year, the children submi tt ed work to the Na ti onal Gallery ‘Take One Picture’ compe titi on ‐ a wonderful piece of felt ‐ work based on Henri Rosseau’s ‘Surprise’. Our performances of ‘A King is Born’, ‘Wiz Wham AlaKazam’, and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ provided every child with the opportunity to perform con fi dently. Finally, back in 1897 Queen’s girls played cricket, and, it therefore, shouldn’t
be surprising that alongside football, netball, hockey, swimming, tennis and athle ti cs our girls will once again enjoy cricket as part of a plethora of spor ti ng opportuni ti es. In today’s world, a quality educa ti on extends beyond the classroom walls. At Queen’s, we strive to provide an educa ti on enriched by diverse experiences, preparing our pupils for whatever the future may hold.
Miss Iona Carmody Head of Lower School
"We con ti nue to encourage our pupils to use their own minds, giving them the habit of re fl ec ti on, and the power of considera ti on."
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