Welcome from the Head of Secondary School

It is a privilege to lead Walford’s Secondary School, a community where our girls are seen, known and valued. Each girl is encouraged to discover what they are capable of and supported to become young people who are ready to make a positive contribution to the world around them.

The Secondary School years are amazingly formative. They are years of growth and discovery, of increasing independence and, inevitably, of challenge. At Walford, we want every girl to feel that she is truly known, not simply for the results she achieves, but for who she is, what matters to her, where her strengths lie, and where she may need encouragement or support.

Our role is to walk alongside each girl throughout these important years: providing the care, opportunities and challenge she needs to grow in confidence, develop a strong sense of self and find her own pathway forward.

Known and supported

Wellbeing sits at the heart of a Walford education because we know that girls learn best when they feel safe, connected and that they belong.

Strong relationships underpin this. Our teachers and pastoral care staff take the time to know each girl. Through these relationships, we can notice when she is thriving, recognise when things may not be quite right, celebrate her successes, and provide support through the inevitable challenges of adolescence.

Importantly, we also want our girls to develop the skills to understand and advocate for themselves. Across their Secondary School years, they learn to navigate relationships, manage challenges, make thoughtful choices and develop the confidence to seek support when they need it. In partnership with families, we work to ensure every girl feels seen, heard and valued as she develops an increasingly strong sense of who she is.

Her pathway, her potential

Being known at Walford also means recognising that there is no single definition of success.

Every girl brings different strengths, interests and aspirations to her learning. Our role is to know her well enough to help her discover these, challenge herself and make choices that allow her to pursue the pathway that is right for her.

Our girls are encouraged to be curious, ambitious and open to possibility. With the guidance of teachers who understand both their learning and their aspirations, they can explore their interests, extend their strengths, and access the support they need when learning becomes challenging.

Academic excellence at Walford is therefore deeply personal. It is not about every girl following the same path or reaching the same destination. It is about every girl being encouraged and supported to achieve her best, in her way, and to leave Walford confident in her ability to continue learning, growing and adapting throughout her life.

Beyond ourselves

Ultimately, education is about much more than academic achievement. We want our girls to leave Walford as capable, principled and well-rounded young women, but also as kind and thoughtful global citizens.

Throughout Secondary School, our girls are encouraged to look beyond themselves. Through service, leadership, collaboration and involvement in the wider life of the School and community, they come to understand that their strengths and opportunities can be used in the service of others.

We want them to listen well, show empathy, act with courage, and recognise their responsibility to contribute to the communities of which they are part. We want them to be willing to participate, to lead when leadership is needed, and to stand alongside others when that matters more.

If our girls leave Walford knowing who they are, confident in what they can do, and understanding that who they are matters just as much as what they achieve, then we have prepared them well for their futures.

Ms Alice Speirs
Head of Secondary School