A girl's place at Rugby

ANOTHER VIEW

The row over my appointment as head girl of Rugby School has been quite amusing. Although boys at the school have accused the headmaster of political correctness for appointing me, and some so-called rebels protested by boycotting a chapel service commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of the reforming headmaster Thomas Arnold, I have had no personal attacks - all I have had is lots of support and sympathy from friends, teachers and the headmaster, and even letters from the protesters saying: "Don't be upset, we're not attacking you personally."

I sympathise with the protesters who feel that I have not been in the school long enough to be head of school. After all, I have been here only since September, while some of the boys in my year have been here for four years. But the headmaster decided that Huw Brown, the head boy, and I would be the best people to be joint heads of the school, that we would be the best combination to lead the school.

There is not a one-pupil, one-vote system to choose the head of school. Instead, each housemaster or mistress recommends a candidate or two, then the headmaster goes round and gets the opinions of the prefects and staff, and asks the rest of the school to see him with their views. We were interviewed by the headmaster and other members of staff. I think it's a pretty fair system. The pupils certainly get a chance to have their say.

The job involves acting as a link person between the headmaster and the rest of the pupils, and talking to visitors and parents when they come to the school. I hope I am a good communicator. I'd like to think I can bring a friendly approach to the job.

I also think it is a good idea to have a girl as head of school, so that when prospective girl pupils come to look around they can see that girls are equal at Rugby.

The school is not dominated or run by the boys at all - in fact, it is often the other way round. But if a girl sees that there is only a head boy, she may feel intimidated. Rugby isn't a boys' school that allows girls in, it is a co-educational school, which will have 200 girl pupils next year. I hope my appointment can help the girls to feel like a truly valid part of the school.

I joined Rugby from a girls' day school, which I found quite limiting - the facilities were not as good and there were no boys. I feel it is important for me to get used to working and living alongside boys - in the classroom, and on Saturday nights - and for the boys to get used to girls as well.

The writer is head girl of Rugby School.