Norwich School Blog

IWD22: Miss Elle Tivey, First Female Head of School

We are continuing to celebrate women across our community who have been a part of helping to #BreakTheBias by being some of Norwich School's 'firsts'. Today, we caught up with current teacher and former pupil, Miss Elle Tivey, who was the first female Head of School in 2011.

"I am currently the Assistant Director of Sport, Teacher of PE & Games and Acting Head of House (Brooke). I am also a former pupil, and I joined Norwich School for the Sixth Form in 2010 from Broadland High School. I knew that I wanted to make the most of my time here, so I got involved in as much as possible and made some amazing friends across various areas of school life.

I was privileged to become Norwich School's first female Head of School for my final year, and to this day I am extremely proud of this achievement. My Upper Sixth year was a very busy one as a result, and at times it was tricky to balance everything going on at school with academic studies. But it was a real honour to represent the school in this way, especially as a female, surrounded predominantly by males. I felt very well supported by both staff and fellow pupils, and it has been super to see the school appoint further females as Head of School (amongst other leadership roles) since my time at school.

I graduated as a Physiotherapist in 2016 and went on to complete a MSc in Sports Medicine. I worked in sport for a few years, firstly in Northern Ireland with the Irish FA and in a sports clinic, and then moved back to Norwich to work with Norwich City Football Club Academy. I worked my way quickly through the ranks and before long was Acting Lead Academy Physio, but when an opportunity came up at Norwich School I couldn't let it pass! I had always thought about an eventual move into teaching, and I am so grateful to Norwich School for giving me the chance to do so. Since then, I have taken on the roles of Assistant Director of Sport and Acting Head of Brooke House. The pastoral work is what I feel most passionately about; I love developing positive relationships with both pupils and staff.

I have been lucky enough to have been surrounded by many fantastic female role models growing up, but from a sporting perspective, for me, Mikaela Schiffrin is such a superb female athlete. She is an American alpine skier, winning numerous Olympic and world cup medals. As a keen skier myself, I have always followed her progress and was lucky enough to spend a day with her on the slopes in Colorado when I spent some time with the US Ski Team Medical staff as a Physiotherapist. To see the effort she puts in on a daily basis; on the mountain, in the gym, doing her recovery/physio sessions etc, is incredible. She has given her life to the sport, and to be the best. Recently she competed in the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, and she had some of the worst runs of her career. However, facing much criticism online, she spoke out saying "The pinnacle of the last four years of work is over now and it did not really go that well for me; However, you can fail and not be a failure. You can lose and actually be a loser because you lost, but still also be a winner." I think this is a great message not only for women but for all; a message that suggests we all have great value no matter our achievements. The medals and successes are amazing, but she doesn't let that define her. Not many people will win Olympic golds, but everyone can try their best and be passionate about their achievements

International Women's Day is important as it is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women across the world and within our community. We want to be part of a world-wide movement helping to progress the rights of women and girls. We should all have the opportunity to fulfil our potential.

I am proud of my achievements and the experiences I have had over the past 10 years and feel very privileged to have had these opportunities. However they wouldn't have occurred without hard work, taking risks and putting myself out there! Now, I am really proud of the positive working relationships I have with those in our school community and get a great sense of pride seeing my pupils thrive doing the things that they enjoy at school.

When I came to Norwich School as a pupil it was the first year our school was fully co-ed, and us girls were very outnumbered! When I worked in sport, particularly football as a physio, I was one of just a handful of women working in that environment. But, be yourself, and work hard, and you can achieve as much as anyone else! Seek opportunities to do the things you enjoy, and do everything you can to make the most of your time at Norwich School."