On Tuesday morning, in their regular Enrichment session, the Year 11s were lucky enough to hear a talk from the legendary peace campaigner, Dr Scilla Elworthy.

Dr Elworthy, aged 78, must be one of the wisest people on the planet. She has devoted her life to conflict-resolving between and within nations, and has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. She has worked with Nelson Mandela and many other world leaders. She shared some of that extraordinary breadth of experience with us in a talk which included riveting anecdotes and life lessons galore: she gave us tips and exercises for thinking calmly under pressure, for deep listening and public speaking – and on the crucial difference between empathy (passive) and compassion (active). It was the most relaxed performance: no notes, no PowerPoint – just a mighty presence of a woman with wisdom to share.

The girls were gripped and asked exceptionally thoughtful questions – in all, just a beautiful start to a Tuesday!

Mr Macdonald-Brown