Reflecting on the Girls on Board programme, I can’t help but wonder why I didn’t implement it sooner. It could have potentially saved countless pastoral hours up to this point. While there’s undoubtedly some work ahead in educating certain parents about Girls on Board, I am confident that it’s an achievable task. I’m pleased to report that many of my pastoral staff have completed the online training course and are now fully equipped to implement the programme. Undoubtedly, there will be questions, and I’ll have my PA coordinate with you regarding the branding of our website. I intend to revise the pastoral section of our school website to ensure it adequately acknowledges and incorporates this programme. Additionally, I aim to align our policies with the Girls on Board approach going forward. Thank you for devising such an excellent pastoral programme Andrew.

My thoughts towards the course are incredibly optimistic. Working with girls who fall out a lot and who experience a great deal of relationship turbulence is always a very tricky situation to navigate. I have often found myself trying to fix the problem, only for them to return to my office a few weeks later with more friendship issues. Adding the extra pressure of parental involvement into this takes what can be a relatively minor issue into a much more difficult one to solve. I am fully on board with trying to support girls navigate their friendship issues and hopeful that if we get this right as a school, parents will see a benefit of girls who are much more resilient to relationship issues which will continue throughout their time in school and later life. I would like to thank you for a well-thought-out and well-resourced course.

As both a teacher and a parent of a 12-year-old girl, the most significant lesson I’ve learned is the importance of empowering girls to navigate and handle their own friendships. It’s equally crucial to encourage parents to adopt the same approach. Acknowledging that girls may avoid trouble by bending the truth at home is a stark reality. We’ve encountered numerous instances where girls appear fine at school but reveal sadness at home, prompting us to delve deeper into these complexities. I appreciate the insight into the various types of girls and parents, understanding that while these categories are helpful for guidance, they shouldn’t lead to stereotyping. I’m eager for a gentle introduction to these concepts at school, fostering support from our community of students, parents, and staff.

The course has been extremely enlightening and has highlighted that as educators we can get caught up in trying to solve relationship issues between our pupils rather than giving them the tools to resolve issues for themselves in a non-judgemental approach. How much time can be wasted in trying to get the truth of a matter when the issues are too nuanced and fluid to get the true picture. I am excited to see how our girls and boys will adopt the ‘Girls on Board’ approach. This approach also fits in well with our school ethos but having a consistent framework to follow for pupils/teachers and parents will help the whole community

A good training package that allows the reader time to consider and read about things they have been introduced to and new ideas. It has highlighted the importance of friendship and how “every girl needs at least one friend”. This simple yet profound insight is a really important one and I believe that Girls on Board will play a significant role in helping us navigate the complexities of friendship among our children. I am really looking forward to seeing the impact this training will have on our school community and implementing it in our school. As a Headteacher I found the information on lying really interesting. Acknowledging that girls may avoid trouble by bending the truth at home is very true and well explained here. Look forward to starting it.

I have found the whole course really thought-provoking and it has made me consider the way that we deal with issues currently. I can already see how leading the large initial sessions, alongside, the interventions, may add a layer of awareness and empathy which should enable the students to be aware of their role in relationships at school, and in life after school. As someone who works in the pastoral team, it is insightful to consider that less time could be spent on investigation as this could free up more time to proactive strategies. As there are several members of staff from my school completing this CPD, I am hopeful that we can introduce several new strategies.

We have witnessed remarkable success through the Girls On Board scheme implemented at our school. This empowering program has fostered a supportive and inclusive environment, allowing our female students to develop confidence, resilience, and strong interpersonal skills. By providing a platform for open dialogue and mentorship, Girls on Board has effectively nurtured positive relationships and empowered our girls to navigate social challenges with courage and grace. We have seen firsthand the transformative impact it has had on our student’s well-being and academic performance, making it an invaluable asset to our school community

The Girls on Board approach at WGS, with its scenario-based learning, has positively impacted our girls’ knowledge and understanding of empathy and friendship dynamics. Complementing our character education programme and pastoral curriculum, it offers a flexible approach, empowering the girls with tools for navigating friendships.

Girls on Board has had a tremendous impact since we introduced it at the Mount 4 years ago. The insights into how girls experience friendships and school are powerful and clearly communicated to staff and parents. Most importantly the approach is easy to adopt and leads to happier, more confident girls.

At OLSJ we find the use of Girls on Board has enabled our pupils to find solutions, using conversation, to reconcile what otherwise could be a very time-consuming and escalating situation for both staff and pupils. It allows the onus to be placed with the girls, using open and safe discussion to take place, to find a solution or empathy for those involved. This initiative has been in place for several years with a great outcome!

This is such a simple approach when you think about it, having such an impact on the girls.  I feel such a sense of relief…it is so depressing at times when you have the same children experiencing the same problems over and over and us adults being ineffective at helping them – even though we believe we are doing the right thing.  It feels like I have been stuck in a vicious circle and finally you have shown me a different way, that I really believe will change these girl’s lives for the better.  Thank you!

Year 3 to Year 13

Our adoption of the Girls on Board programme to empower our pupils to tackle friendship problems with adult support, rather than interference, has been ground breaking.

‘I am so excited about taking the initiative further at my school. I think the way it puts the onus back on the students to take responsibility for their actions/behaviours and make them really think about what they are doing, is amazing. It is going to make them more resilient as women going forward and shape them in a way which enables them to deal with such situations.’

I introduced Girls on Board to staff yesterday and we had an overwhelmingly positive response. I had been apprehensive about what they may think but many people emailed afterwards saying what a positive approach it is and that they think it’s a great idea.

“One of the immediate effects of the first Girls on Board session was that staff realised that they could and should back off from the girls, saving time and energy, but also knowing that they were actually doing the right thing.”

“You have inspired me to take a fresh approach, and a step back from trying to unpick the minutiae of Snapchat messages and so on. Putting the onus on the girls themselves to consider their role in the dynamic of a falling-out absolutely resonates with me.”

“It is a good understanding of how girls work but it is of more use to the adults than the girls because the girls already know this.”

‘I think Girls on Board is effective especially because it makes us realise we are all going through the same situation.’

“Although Girls on Board cannot stop arguments completely, it has definitely helped reduce them and helped us to understand how our relationships work.”

‘We had feedback from a Year 6 mother whose daughter had told her that it was the most useful talk about friendships that she had ever had.’