REPTON LAUNCHES WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP FORUM

Repton is pleased to announce the launch of the Repton Women’s Leadership Forum, an exciting initiative aimed at promoting mentorship and professional development within the staff body.

The group provides an opportunity for female Governors and staff to collaborate, share experiences, swap ideas and gain insights from inspirational speakers. It follows the successful launch of the Repton Feminist Society, an initiative set up by pupils to create a safe space to discuss their experiences and talk about the role feminism plays in modern society.

Former Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police, Repton Governor and Old Reptonian Susannah Fish OBE QPM was the first guest speaker at the inaugural Women’s Leadership Forum held on Monday 10 May. Susannah’s career as a police officer saw her work across uniform and detective roles in Nottinghamshire, West Midlands, Metropolitan Police, and culminated in her appointment as Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police.

With a varied portfolio of current roles and a consultancy working with a range of clients on transformational change, leadership and equality, Susannah’s expertise in equality issues is highly sought after. Having recently appeared on BBC4 R4 'Woman's Hour' and BBC News, it was a great opportunity for Repton’s female staff members to hear first-hand about how Susannah progressed through the police in a male-dominated institution and how she rose to the top of ranks overcoming obstacles and challenges.

In the discussion chaired by fellow Repton Governor Kathryn Stone OBE, Susannah recalled her experiences and offered practical advice to the group. On the topic of self-belief, she talked about women owning their choices, instead of perceiving them as sacrifices, and embracing their achievements to let go of feelings of guilt.  She said: "I always made positive choices, if some turned out not be such good decisions, I had the opportunity to reflect and learn from them”.

Speaking specifically about women in the workplace, Susannah emphasised the importance of articulating positive and negative behaviours associated with organisational values, to drive businesses to be proactively inclusive. 

The whole Repton community is active in driving change so that women of all ages are safe and supported. Repton is committed to developing meaningful action in support of equality in all realms of society, with the Women’s Leadership Forum offering a practical outlet for raising discussion and highlighting opportunities for progression and development both professionally and personally.