IN THE COMPANY OF: Sylvia Brett, Principal and CEO at independent boarding and day school Harrogate Ladies’ College

Name: Sylvia Brett

Job title: Principal and CEO

Company address: Clarence Drive, Harrogate HG1 2QG

Website address: www.hlc.org.uk

Company founded: 1893

Number of staff: 200

In a nutshell, what does your company do and how did it start?

Harrogate Ladies’ College was established in 1893 to provide girls with an education that would, for the first time, enable them to access a university education.

We’ve been educating inspirational women ever since and today as well as Harrogate Ladies’ College, our family of schools also includes Highfield Prep School and Highfield Pre-School for boys and girls aged two to 11 years.

The organisation employs over 200 people from the local community and we educate over 600 pupils.

What is your role in the business?

As Principal and CEO, I wear many hats, including being responsible for overseeing finances, HR, management of a 20-acre site, and of course the provision of a high quality education to the 600 pupils in our care.

Importantly, as the leader of the organisation it’s also my role to inspire staff, pupils and parents.

If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?

As a child I was fascinated by Space, in fact I still am and if I hadn’t gone into teaching I would have loved to have worked in that field.

I wasn’t particularly encouraged at school to follow my passion for Space and I think that’s one of the things that drives me today to encourage pupils to follow their passions, particularly girls, who can sometimes still find themselves encouraged down more traditional female career paths.

What motivates you?

The children, absolutely.

I’m passionate about the ability of education to transform lives and particularly about inspiring the next generation of women to be brave and be bold in their career choices.

There’s still a shocking lack of female CEOs, scientists and engineers and as the leader of a girls school I want to play my part in helping to change that.

Last year we launched a new programme called WiSE @ HLC (Women in Science and Engineering at Harrogate Ladies’ College) for example to encourage more girls to consider Science subjects and explore careers in scientific fields.

What is the one thing you wish you had known when you started out in business?

That you don’t have to be perfect and no one is – even those who seem to have all the answers.

It is vital to remember that we learn most from our mistakes and as long as we are brave enough to admit them and ask for help our businesses will flourish.

What excites you about business?

Creativity and being part of a growing community where all the diverse parts contribute to an extraordinary outcome which is never boring.

What is your pet hate in business?

The idea that women still aren’t reaching those really top jobs as CEOs and the number of men running big businesses still outweigh the number of women.

That’s why I’m so passionate about empowering girls – I know I have a responsibility to inspire the next generation of women.

I was really honoured to receive a Northern Power Women Award in recognition of my work in this field and proud of the fact that 75 per cent of my management team are women because of the positive message it sends to the pupils.

What advice would you give people just starting out in their careers?

Be authentic and be true to yourself – there is no point in trying to be someone that you’re not, people simply see through this.

If you’re aiming to lead, inspire and motivate others it has to be genuine.

I talk to the pupils a lot about the importance of being themselves and it’s at the heart of our motto of “I Am Me” and I genuinely believe that whatever career path people follow, being authentic is key.

For me, that means not being afraid to show my sense of humour and have fun, like jumping into the new swimming pool fully dressed.

Who in business do you admire most and why?

Women who have broken through the glass ceiling and who have refused to let their gender or discrimination get in the way of their vision and sense of purpose.

Women who are authentic and who seek to empower those around them

We have loads of incredible alumni who have done just that and I’m totally in awe of them.

What moments of your career stand out so far?

This year marks my tenth anniversary as the Principal and CEO of Harrogate Ladies’ College and that’s something that I’m really proud of.

We’ve made huge progress as a school in the last ten years and we have some exciting developments ahead of us as an organisation.

One of the things that stands out for me was the opening of our dedicated Wellness Centre in 2018.

It forms part of our wider Wellness Strategy to support the physical, mental and social wellbeing of pupils and staff.

Did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your business? If so how did you adapt during such a tough time?

I think every organisation was effected in some way or another by Covid and we had to adapt pretty much everything we do.

We were well prepared though with a Covid response team in place weeks before lockdown and we were actually ready to go with online learning from the first day that schools closed.

It was a real challenge though – I could never have imagined that we’d set up our own Covid testing centre in school, but we did it.

We found solutions to all sorts of problems and challenges that simply didn’t exist before and I’m really proud of how the organisation adapted.

It was a challenging time for everyone in the school community including staff, pupils and parents, but when I look back now it was also incredible to see everyone coming together to support each other and to play their part.

I suppose ultimately, it’s when we’re really tested that we see the true strength of an organisation which for us is our people.

Is your business community experiencing any challenges at the moment?

Like everyone in business we are navigating the current economic landscape.

We’re working hard to manage costs and also to maximise income from other sources such as our external lettings programme for example.

We have to be nimble and take our work as an educational charity very seriously.

What sets your business apart from the competition?

At the heart of our organisation is a core belief in kindness, self-belief and resilience.

As Principal, my job is to get outstanding academic results from our girls whilst creating an environment of nurture, safety and broad participation in everything – sport, drama, music and many others.

The size of Harrogate Ladies’ College allows me and the staff to get to know each child, not just their name, but who they really are.

Then we can create opportunities which challenge every single girl to flourish and be free to say ‘I AM ME’.

Have you got a five-year plan for the company?

Absolutely – we were founded 130 years ago by pioneers who wanted to give girls an education that for the first time, would equip them for university.

Although we have historic roots, we’re continually evolving, innovating and developing and the five year plan is key to this.

We have some very exciting projects in the pipeline.

Why is it good to business in Harrogate?

Harrogate is part of who we are – it’s part of our DNA.

It’s a beautiful town with a wonderful sense of community and a place where businesses look after each other.

The local economy is strong and there’s a great ‘can do’ attitude.

It’s a town with a lot of energy – exactly what a school needs.

Do you own a business and would like to get involved?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]