Women and Leadership: Interview with Dr Cotton

 by Daisy Watson-Rumbold

Since the principle of co-education was approved for PGS in 1976, the school has been experiencing a gradual and positive integration of gender equality. To celebrate this, I had the fantastic opportunity to interview the Head, Dr Cotton, about her role as the first female Head in the Portsmouth Grammar School's history. I wanted to talk to her about her experience and the future she sees at PGS and beyond. 

How has your experience as the first female Head of PGS been?

Joining PGS has been such a joy, such a pleasure, and such a privilege. It's an incredibly warm and friendly community that made me feel immediately welcomed. That's such a special thing. There is a lot of interaction between people, Junior School and Senior School, older students and younger students. Above all, I have noticed what a caring community this truly is. It's wonderful to work with a huge team of people who are all dedicated to our young people and want the best for them. That ethos of support is a foundation for everything the school does. 

Following on from that, a standard question asked to female leaders across the world: what barriers have you faced throughout your career?

While acknowledging the barriers that exist for so many - whether in applying for roles, in underestimating their own potential, or in having their strengths recognised - I've always thought in terms of the opportunities I've been given and been grateful for those. I can name countless times I've been trusted to complete or achieve something; it's those things that stand out to me. There are most definitely barriers there, and I feel extremely fortunate to have worked in environments where there have been many female role models. Also, culturally a lot of the organisations I've existed within have been very supportive of nurturing young talent, gender non-specific. 

There are a lot of brilliant women in education, and I am fortunate to have worked in contexts where there have been a lot of female educational leaders. During my time in education, the number of female heads has increased enormously, which is fantastic. In my very first job, outside education, there were two directors, one was male and the other was female. I know how lucky I am to have been able to look up to female and male figures who have been brilliant at their jobs whilst being encouraging of development. They focused on ways to best support people to develop in and of themselves, to grow as professionals and individuals. I've felt empowered by those around me to work towards my next steps. 

Who inspired you to pursue this career, and why?

My entrance into education was completely by chance. I was volunteering at a local primary school during my DPhil, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to go on to do. At the same time, I was tutoring undergraduates. I was teaching in two completely different contexts and I really loved it. The interaction and the sense of making some positive contribution stood out to me. It was that experience that inspired me to find my first teaching role. I'm inspired by young people every day and I see it as such a privilege to work with people about to set out on their next adventure. It's an amazing job. 

Another big influence on me was my parents - both Medics. There was a lot of conversation about purpose, commitment and service from a young age. Those were strong motivators in our family, and that encouraged me as I progressed. Education is a deeply vocational career, and I love that. Everyone is here to do a good job, to impact something positively, there's a strong sense of purpose. We all want to help young people to achieve the best possible future for themselves. I feel very lucky in that. 

Honestly, there are so many people that have inspired me. There is no one person because I can think of so many people I have met and been in admiration of throughout my career. One of the great joys of my job is that I get to meet people - in the city, our alumni, parents and so on - and every day I think "Wow, these are incredible people." It always strikes me the number of people around us doing amazing work with brilliant ideas. I believe we can and should learn from everyone we meet. 

So, would you say education is at the centre of the catalyst for change?

Absolutely, it is something I feel really strongly about. We need to and should be working closely with our young people to effect positive change. Learning from each other is vital to that, for us to learn from you: what are the important things? what do you need? And for you to learn how best to make change utilising your strengths. We can achieve so much more by working collaboratively. That is what is so amazing about PGS pupils. They are so committed to that ethos; they really want to go out and get things done. It's strong amongst the staff as well. It's one thing that makes this such a special community. 

One of my first OP events was drinks in London. I remember talking to a young OP who was describing to me what he found special about PGS. He said it encouraged him to take opportunities but most importantly it enabled him to make opportunities. He'd made his way in theatre - not the easiest career to make your way in - and he'd really worked for it and found his way. I thought that what he said was simply incredible. Being able to go out into the world and create opportunities for yourself is at the heart of what we want for our pupils and how we can best empower colleagues to progress in their careers. 

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Firstly, work out what matters to you. There are so many ways of making a positive impact. The key thing is finding what makes you tick, what makes you happy and go for that. Don't feel you have to conform with what everyone else is doing. Have confidence in what you bring and how you can have the impact you want in the area you want. 

But, second, don't worry if you don't have a strong sense of what your purpose is yet. I think that comes to people at different stages; some people know what they want to be and do at a really young age, and that's amazing. I admire those people. But not everyone is like that; I certainly wasn't. There's no need to decide just yet; there is plenty of time to make space and explore. When I was at university, something someone said is that "nothing you do is wasted" and that's always stuck with me. You may not always see the purpose or value of what you're doing, but as long as you approach it with the appropriate commitment and do your best, it will serve some positive purpose for the future. Careers these days are less linear. There's so much more opportunity to move around and do different things. So many skills are transferrable and your path will emerge. 

Third, in terms of empowerment. Look for opportunities to get involved, to have an impact, there are always ways you can achieve positive things. Everyone can do it - you don't need a role or a structured position necessarily. We can all aspire to get involved in a positive way, and I think that's something that, again, is so brilliant about PGS. When people have an idea, they want to make a run of it. They speak to people, and they make it happen. If you care about something, go for it, and we'll help you with it. 

Do you have any ideas for encouraging more women to go into leadership roles - especially in education?  

There are so many facets to trying to increase representation in different areas. It's a complex issue, and there are technical elements such as flexible working and we've spoken about the non-linearity of careers. That is really important, often but not only, for women. Have that confidence that you can do things in a non-linear way. 

In terms of encouraging people and empowering people, there is a strength that comes with having a different perspective. That is not to diminish the barriers that exist; I acknowledge them wholeheartedly, but to have confidence that by being a woman in a career with less female representation, one is bringing a difference of approach that will strengthen that area. 

We can achieve so much by recognising each other's strengths and contributions and lifting each other up. By working purposefully together, and supporting each other, we can achieve so much more, and that benefits everyone. I see such amazing young people every day and what we want is for each one of them to believe in themselves and to go out into the world beyond school ready to pursue their own individual pathway, with courage and conviction. That is what we are here for.