Head's Blog: It is not about winning; it is about not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it.

“It is not about winning; it is about not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it. It is not about how many times you fall down, it is about how many times you stand up and are brave.”

These were the words that inspired me this week, spoken by Lady Gaga during her Oscar acceptance speech. The sentiment resonates with my thoughts today, as parents across the country find out whether their children have achieved their first place choice of school. Hopefully many families will be delighted with the route they have forged for the next step in their child’s educational journey, but for those who have encountered a bump in the road, a lesson in coping with disappointment may prove a valuable opportunity. As parents, we all want to protect our offspring from the pain of failure, but setbacks can actually benefit a child’s development, helping foster characteristics that will facilitate success; building resilience and encouraging creative thinking and collaboration.

Proudly a non-selective school, Westonbirt supports a holistic approach to education with small class sizes, a rich learning environment and an expectation that each student fulfills their potential. Individuality is celebrated and students develop a level of confidence, which is neither arrogant nor taken for granted. Success is applauded and development nourished but students are encouraged to be reflective and to understand that failure can prove an excellent stepping stone to success.

So whatever result reaches your inbox on allocation day, take heed that sometimes things are not meant to go to plan. That often we become who we are through times of challenge and that there is always another option, a new door to be opened, or in Lady Gaga’s case, another star to be born.