George Eliot is often credited with coining the term “meliorism”, defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as, “encapsulating the belief that the world can be improved through human effort and positive actions.”
The term comes from the Latin word melior, meaning “better” and is a hopeful belief that the world can improve if people choose to make it better.
At a time when the world may feel unsettling, I find it empowering to reflect that we all have the power to make positive change. To take ownership of our decisions and know that we can make an impact, we can all contribute to building a community that we are proud to be a part of.
I see positive actions and thoughtful decisions every single day at The Abbey. A personal favourite from the start of this term was observing several disorientated Upper IIIs have the courage to ask a group of Lower Vs directions during lunch. Sensing the younger students’ fearfulness that they were going to be late for a meeting, the Lower Vs did not just tell them where to go – but said that they would take them. I felt so proud of our community in that moment. Our new students feeling at ease to seek help from older students, reciprocated by those students choosing to not only inform but actively help. That is a world that I choose to be a part of.
You never need to look far to see staff, students and the wider Abbey community making deliberate decisions to be kind and, together, choose to make this school the special place that it is. Sixth formers have taken it upon themselves to arrange informal chats with groups of Year 7s to check on how they are settling in, Junior School staff sit among their students at lunch enjoying their company, in achievement assemblies there’s such sincerity in the cheers of support for one another, the examples are endless.
Our new Chaplain, Dr Cuthbertson, is passionate about every day acts of kindness. While we were chatting, he shared how he believes that an act such as holding a door open, “Demonstrates who a person is, as opposed to what a person does.” Dr Cuthbertson has explained, “kindness is more than just actions. Kindness is an orientation toward the world and other people; it involves knowing that other people matter, that we depend on each other, and that our world is a better place when we build each other up.” I couldn’t agree more.
In his new role, Dr Cuthbertson is going to be launching a character challenge which will encourage students to work with him to set their own goals to become even better and more virtuous versions of themselves. What a fantastic opportunity for students to explore and understand even more deeply about the force for good that they can be in the world.
When the Mayor of Reading visited the Junior School to welcome in the new school council members, she spoke passionately to them about the importance of building their “social capital”. As well as reinforcing the importance of academic work, she discussed the huge value of volunteering and giving back. Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles was inspiring, talking about the value of understanding the world around you and helping to create the change you want to see within it. It was inspiring to see our new young leaders soak up, from a voice of such experience, that they have the power to make positive change and the huge importance of it.
Our students fill me with hope for the future. Knowing that they are leaving this school with the confidence, skills and empathy to make choices that will make a positive impact. The Abbey gives students the opportunity to grow and develop into women that are ready to shape the world and their own futures.
I think that George Eliot would be heartened and proud to know that her belief in people to make the world better through positive choices and actions lives on in our thriving all girls school. Here she would be celebrated as Mary Ann Evans and not have to take a pen name.
Eliot said herself, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” It is within us all to make positive change and act with kindness. We have the power within us as individuals, to make active choices to build the community we want to be, the people we want to be, to help shape how we want the world to be.
In times when negative actions can feel out of our control, remember that there are always positive, kind, inspiring people and actions happening all around us – especially here at The Abbey… Choose to put your spotlight on them, choose to be part of them.
Julia Wootton, Head of Engagement and Development