At our Speaker meeting on 13th June we were treated to a very good talk by Matthew Bennett, Headmaster of Clifton High School.
Matthew spoke with enthusiasm about the school, its pupils and staff and laid out the challenges facing all schools after the pandemic.
His talk was most interesting, as he took several pieces from Eleanor Addison Phillips’ book written in 1920 when she was Headmistress of Clifton High and compared them to issues happening today. It was extraordinary to hear how many considerations and challenges then are the same in the present day.
It was at the time when Eleanor Addison Phillips was Headmistress there in 1920 that she became the founder and first President of Soroptimist International of Bristol, initially named Bristol Venture Club, at the suggestion of Bristol Rotary Club.
Soroptimist Bristol, Clifton High School and Rotary joined together to install a blue plaque at the entrance to Clifton High to commemorate Eleanor Addison Phillips, an extraordinary woman and visionary.