Page 114 - Herioter 2021

Lesley

Franklin:

Girlboss

It is early on a Monday morning when we arrive
outside Mrs Franklin’s office. The omnipotent
Faye Mather, a legend in her own time, shows us
into the room, the scheduling of this interview
being just one of many tasks she undertakes on
a daily basis as Mrs Franklin’s Personal Assistant.
We settle in amongst her various belongings, the
infamous pink chair standing out in the décor – an
addition that many members of staff insisted on
posing with for selfies when it first arrived.
Mrs Franklin appears characteristically
delighted to see us, and ready to share stories learned from the experience together, learning to comparison of approaches to contend with – a
of her adventures over the many years since she see other people’s perspective and understanding torrent of ‘why aren’t we doing that?’ and
has been at the school. After recounting tales of that everyone’s situation was very different. ‘maybe we should try what… is doing?’. For Mrs
her travelling around the world, and her journey Of course, the longer the pandemic went Franklin, it was all about finding a balance, as she
through the school as a class teacher, then from on and the longer we went without knowing told us, stating a well-worn truth that we often
Junior School Depute to head of the Junior School what was coming next, the harder it became forget: ‘You can’t please everyone.’
in 2013, finally taking over from Cameron Wyllie to find motivation. Mrs Franklin admirably The second lockdown was not without its
as Principal in 2018, we delve into the most maintained her calm and collected approach, challenges, although by this point the school was
important question of 2020: What was it like but admits of one day when everything simply far more prepared in terms of technology. There
being Principal during a national lockdown? felt too overwhelming. As things began to return was an undeniable sense that, with the shorter
Mrs Franklin recalls that the original lockdown to normality, every update from the Scottish days and cold weather and general bleakness
began on her birthday (March 23) and is a date Government came to the school at the same that comes with January, spirits were low, as was
that will be forever ingrained in her memory. The time it came to the rest of the population. motivation. And so, when the return to campus
school was not prepared – but, of course, ‘how First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would make her finally came, orchestrated by the brilliant Return
could you be?’. We can all remember that feeling Tuesday two o’clock announcement and by four to Campus group, Mrs Franklin was happier than
of stress, both pupils and teachers, having to learn o’clock, Mrs Franklin’s email inbox would be full anyone to return to the smiling faces of pupils in
how to do everything from scratch. A continuous to bursting with questions and concerns, all of the playground and hallways.
stream of questions and an expectation that which demanded answers that the school simply So, of course, with all this pandemic chat, we
the school, namely Mrs Franklin, would have the did not have – nobody did. There was a mix of have to wonder if this is the reason Mrs Franklin
answers. She credits the amazing school staff ‘gung-ho’ parents who didn’t understand why all has chosen to leave? After all, it’s a tough time
for how they dealt with the understandably extra-curricular activities weren’t starting again to be Principal. She tells us that for her, and
heightened emotions from all members of the immediately, she rememberes, and others who for many, the pandemic has been a time for
school community, and she enjoyed the aspects were absolutely terrified to send their children reflection, to really consider what she wants from
of normality that came from working with key back to school, even with restrictions. Of course, her life. She feels fortunate and considers this
worker children once a week. She feels that with every school in the city was handling things time to think and re-evaluate things a luxury, as
time, everyone, parents and pupils alike, has differently and so there was also a constant she knows so many others have had to spend the
pandemic just trying to survive. So, in answer to
the former question: no, Covid-19 didn’t prompt
Lesley Franklin to depart from Lauriston Place, but
it did give her time to consider what comes next.
The most difficult part of the whole experience
for her, she says, has been missing out on all the
joyful moments of normal school life: concerts
and shows, assemblies (not on Teams!), and even
reunions with FPs (a part of the job that Mrs
Franklin particularly enjoys). Again she lauds the
school community – parents, pupils, staff – for
how brilliant they have been.
As we sit here writing this, we realise we have
written more than eight hundred words on how
the school has dealt with lockdown – a topic we
think everyone has had just about enough of.
Whilst the successful running of the school amidst
an unprecedented global crisis is an astonishing
achievement in itself, there is more to Lesley
Franklin. So, we dig deeper.
We want to know which two members of staff
Mrs Franklin would take with her on a desert

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