Friday Headlines

21 May 2021

She’s the Labour MP for Yardley and an inspirational, sometimes provocative, role model who fights for what she believes in and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Jess has very kindly agreed to be the next keynote speaker in our EHS Talks series to talk about women rights, their voices and about what students can do to affect and bring about positive change. 

Open to all local senior schools, the talk will take place at EHS and be streamed live to an audience of students from all over the city on 25 June 2021 between 12:00 and 13:00. Due to sensitivities around some of the subject matter likely to be discussed, the talk is only open to students in Years 11 and upwards. Jess will be interviewed at EHS by a panel of EHS pupils and the audience will then be encouraged to send in their questions. The best ones will be selected and put to Jess as part of a live Q&A at the end of her talk. 

As well as her role as MP for Yardley, Jess is also currently the Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding. Raised and educated in Birmingham (she attended King Edwards’ VI Camp Hill School for Girls and later, the University of Birmingham) she is well known for her honesty, sincerity and support of women’s rights and domestic abuse issues. Each year, she reads out a list of names of women killed by their partners or ex-partners to highlight domestic abuse and she regularly campaigns on issues relating to online and sexual abuse. She’s even headed for the small screen with her book ‘Everywoman, One Woman’s Truth About Speaking the Truth’ soon to be adapted into a TV series. 

EHS Talks take place each half term and are aimed at broadening horizons and introducing EHS students to a wide and varied range of ideas, issues, possible career options and experiences. Former EHS Talks have included Greenpeace activists, artists, medical and political leaders, as well as household names like journalist, Kate Adie and explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes. We are also thrilled that with platforms like Zoom and Teams now the norm, it has become easier than ever to open these opportunities up and engage with students at other schools within the wider community.  

We think it will make for a very lively debate and hope that as many of you will get involved as possible. To register and get the link to join the EHS Talk, please contact Mr Smith – smithp@edgbastonhigh.co.uk