Since departing Somerville House in 2011, I have had the opportunity to lead other Australian and international school communities as a principal, all the while cultivating and clarifying what I value in an all girls’ education. Research conducted over many years unequivocably shows that girls perform better academically, emotionally and socially in an all-girls’ learning environment. As society makes modest progressive steps towards gender equality, Somerville House continues to equip our students to be independent learners and creative thinkers, resilient and confident change makers, and leaders of the community in a broad cross-section of career fields.
I am keenly aware of the importance and value of a strong faith-based learning environment where students feel safe to explore and grow their own Christian faith, or to explore faith for the first time. In practice, for Somerville House, this manifests as a strong emphasis on inclusion, character building, Christian worship and community service that all sit, with equal importance, alongside scholarly endeavour. In combination they empower girls to be architects of their futures.
The strategic pillars of Somerville House are clear. The ability for our students to learn creatively, think globally, act purposefully and engage meaningfully underpin everything we do. So too do the School’s values of courage, compassion, inclusion, integrity, gratitude and respect. While we take lessons from the rich history and traditions of Somerville House, we acknowledge that we are preparing our students to thrive in an ever-evolving world where global issues have local impacts. As such, our students need to be clear on their guiding values and become comfortable with managing change in a world where borders and spheres of influence become blurred.
I look forward to guiding the School throughout 2026 and to meeting and interacting with many members of the wider school community. It is through this strong partnership that together we lay the foundations for our girls to thrive.
Dr Deborah Priest
Principal
