From the Head of Learning and Teaching

The Power of Story, Imagination, and Wonder

This week, a class of enthusiastic Year 11 girls visited Pre-Kindergarten as part of their introduction to the module Narratives That Shape Our World. The aim was to reconnect with the wonder of encountering fairytales for the first time and to explore the power of storytelling in shaping our lives.

Imagination plays a crucial role in early childhood development, enhancing cognitive, creative, and social skills. Children who engage in imaginative play and storytelling can better articulate their thoughts and emotions. As they grow, imagination helps them visualise and achieve their goals, develop problem-solving abilities, and foster empathy. Stories can even serve as an antidote to loneliness. More than ever, we need young women who can envision new possibilities and contribute fresh ideas to the world.

However, as girls enter adolescence and face the pressures of high school, that childlike sense of wonder often fades. Research on writing instruction in schools indicates that little time is devoted to free writing and poetry composition. Instead, formulaic, highly structured approaches dominate classrooms as teachers prepare students for one-off standardised tests. Ironically, creative thinking is one of the most sought-after soft skills in today’s workforce, as highlighted by the World Economic Forum. Employers value individuals who can think beyond convention and drive innovation—yet our current educational practices often stifle the very creativity we should be nurturing.

As an English teacher, I have frequently heard parents lament that their daughters, once avid readers in primary school, lose their passion for books in high school. This is precisely when they need to keep reading, as the lexical density and complexity of texts across subjects increase significantly in Stage 4. Yet, instead of continued reading and writing growth, many students plateau, which can have lasting effects on their learning. Literacy underpins all academic success.

Does your daughter have a daily reading habit? Encouraging her to put away devices 30 minutes before bed and dive into a good book can do more than improve sleep—it can reignite her imagination and strengthen her creative thinking skills.

– Melissa McMahon
Head of Learning and Teaching

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