Whole School Prospectus
‘Aspire not to have more, but to be more’ We are a high-achieving, academic and dynamic school which fosters the well-being of each individual within an exciting, challenging and supportive environment. We recognise commitment, hard work and success, setting ourselves the highest academic challenges to develop our talents to the full. We are proud of our school and its Christian values, yet respect the beliefs of others in our community. We believe in social justice for all and feel a sense of responsibility for those less fortunate, for whom we provide support both locally and globally through our fundraising and community service.
Welcome
AL D ERLEY ED GE SC HOOL F OR G IRLS
Thank you for considering Alderley Edge School for Girls for your daughter. We are proud of our school and all that we achieve, working closely with the girls to achieve their maximum potential. We are large enough to be able to offer an exciting and stimulating curriculum, yet small enough to care. Above all we see each girl as an individual, responding to her particular needs and aspirations.
Mrs Susan Goff Headmistress
Our girls feel safe and secure within the school community; they have a sense of being known, understood and appreciated and this ensures that they enter school each morning with enthusiasm and confidence. As our girls grow and develop, from Nursery at the age of two, through to Sixth Form at the age of 18, they know that each day will bring challenges, variety, fulfilment and also fun. They leave us as confident, articulate and mature young women, ready to build on firm educational foundations and to make a worthwhile contribution to society.
PROSPE C T U S
I would like to invite you to learn more about us by coming in to see us in action. I am confident that once you have visited us you will appreciate what makes our school such a special place.
00 + 01
Contents All the benefits of an all-girls’ school
10
Achieving their academic potential
12
A true sense of community
14
Making the right choice
16
What makes us different?
18
Fees, scholarships and bursaries
20
Transport links
20
Early Years Our Early Years department is for girls aged two, three and four. Girls can join us in the Nursery from the age of two and then continue into our Pre-School. At the age of five, girls will join the Reception class in our Junior School. We help the girls start on their educational journey and they rapidly build up confidence, independence and an inquiring mind. They are quick to settle into the bright, spacious and stimulating Early Years area and make positive progress, thanks to the dedication and inspiration of their teachers and teaching assistants.
Junior School In our Junior School girls build on their skills and thrive in the bright and happy learning environment. They use modern resources in the classroom and enjoy a huge array of enrichment opportunities and activities. They benefit from specialist teaching and prepare successfully for life in the Senior School.
Senior School In the Senior School we work closely with the girls and their parents through the teenage years. We ensure that the girls emerge as confident and impressive young women, with excellent academic results, ready to fulfil their potential along their chosen path.
Sixth Form In the Sixth Form we offer a balanced environment of responsibility and freedom. The girls work hard for their vital A Level studies and are motivated to achieve their academic potential. Small classes and individual support enables them to succeed in their chosen area.
All the benefits of an all-girls’ school Within the nurturing environment of an all-girls’ school, pupils are happy being themselves and celebrating their achievements, which explains why so many leading national figures – politicians, doctors, lawyers, athletes, scientists and businesswomen – spent their educational years in all-girls’ schools.
As an all-girls’ school we can achieve great things, not just academically but also on the extra curricular and personal front. Your daughter will be encouraged to explore a huge variety of subjects and activities, safe in the knowledge that she will be supported and helped at every step by our inspirational, experienced and caring staff. She will grow in confidence and acquire social skills, gaining selfrespect and a respect for others. She will be equipped with everything needed to make a success of her future, whatever path she may choose. The positive relationships our girls have with their teachers ensure that they have a sense of their own individuality within the school and feel they are known, appreciated and understood. It is what girls’ schools do differently that makes such a major difference to their positive educational and social development. Counter mass media influences Freeing girls from the pressure to conform to certain patterns of behaviour provides them with a framework to judge the image of girls and young women in today’s media. Girls are free to grow up at their own pace and to be themselves – and to be proud of that.
The school provides an excellent range of educational opportunities suited to the interests, aptitudes and needs of all pupils. Independent Schools Inspectorate Report
Natasha Former Sixth Form Student
Recognise the qualities of girls and how they learn Girls’ schools are experts in recognising the qualities of girls and have an understanding of how they learn. This knowledge is built up over years of experience and has led to girls’ schools adopting specific girlcentred learning strategies, such as teaching in collaborative and cooperative ways.
AL D ERLEY ED GE SC HOOL F OR G IRLS
Support a can-do philosophy Girls are more likely to take subjects that are traditionally less popular because subjects do not acquire a masculine or feminine connotation. There is no subject area or activity in which girls do not excel. This undoubtedly leads to a very evident can-do philosophy which pervades all stages of the school.
This school has changed me so much as a person; I have learned so much both in and out of the classroom and I will never forget everything that all the staff have done for me. I have made some incredible friends and coming to this school is the best decision I have ever made.
10 + 11 PROSPE C T U S
Provide leadership opportunities Girls’ schools are institutions where many leadership positions are held by females and where they can find strong role models amongst the staff, supported by the ethos and philosophy of the school. Celebrate the female perspective Girls’ schools celebrate the female perspective. They are places where girls are accustomed to being heard and being valued for who they are, irrespective of their appearance or what they wear. The girls’ school environment affirms and encourages young women to be confident individuals, leaders and agents of social change.
Achieving their academic potential We make sure that your daughter is happy, confident and fulfilled at school. This has a direct link to her achieving her academic potential as well as ensuring that she enjoys and performs well in sport, music and other extra curricular activities.
All girls are encouraged to fulfil their academic potential at the very highest level and staff work tirelessly to motivate, challenge and support the girls in their care. A positive, ‘can do’ mentality prevails and high levels of discipline and expectations regarding behaviour result in success at all stages. The Gifted and Talented programme runs throughout the school and provides extension work for the girls who have been identified as having the potential to benefit from the programme. The Learning Enhancement Co-ordinator works with girls throughout the school who need extra help. Whether your daughter is Gifted and Talented or whether she needs a little extra support, she will receive the right level of attention. This is made possible due to small class sizes and individually focused teaching and learning. By closely monitoring every pupil’s performance we also ensure that each individual is making positive and appropriate progress.
Whatever your daughter needs, there is close liaison with parents to ensure that they are fully involved at all stages. The nature of the school and the small class sizes also ensure that every girl is given the care, nurture and also the challenges that she deserves.
Girls’ attainment, in relation to their abilities in national tests at the age of eleven, is high in English and Mathematics with results far above the national average for all primary schools. Independent Schools Inspectorate Report
AL D ERLEY ED GE SC HOOL F OR G IRLS
Independent Schools Inspectorate Report
PROSPE C T U S
Girls have outstanding attitudes towards work and study, throughout the school they settle quickly and eagerly to lessons. Girls show excellent levels of concentration, they apply themselves diligently and relish the joy of learning. Girls' behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent.
12 + 13
All staff, teaching and non-teaching, contribute to the excellent care, support and guidance of all girls. The school is a cheerful and harmonious community in which each individual is valued. Independent Schools Inspectorate Report
A true sense of community To create a genuine school community we ensure that each girl develops a strong sense of personal worth and a clear understanding of what is right and wrong alongside a consideration for others. This is actively adopting and supporting the younger girls in the school.
We see ourselves as a school community in which each individual has a part to play and is expected to do so regardless of her age or status. We are supportive and caring with great emphasis placed on family values, acceptance and encouragement.
We also place great store on the wider community and all girls, from Nursery to Sixth Form, participate in a variety of fundraising schemes. They are able to support charities of their choice, as well as going out into the community to visit the elderly and to participate in other village events. In addition to local support, the girls also raise funds for national and international charities.
14 + 15 PROSPE C T U S
Older students are encouraged to work with younger pupils in many areas of school and our girls enjoy belonging to a positive, nurturing and aspirational community. Our school is firmly rooted in the Christian tradition and as such we place great emphasis on courtesy, respect, commitment, high standards and hard work.
AL D ERLEY ED GE SC HOOL F OR G IRLS
further supported by our policy of Senior girls
My daughter attended AESG from Nursery through to Sixth Form. She has emerged a confident, polite young woman who achieved wonderful results. This is down to the excellent relationship the girls and the staff have and the impressive standard of teaching that is offered. The pastoral care is superb and due to the size of the school, each girl is treated as an individual. The girls work in a happy atmosphere and because of this they achieve their best. Mrs Dean Parent
Making the right choice At every educational level there is a key choice to be made which will have a significant impact on your daughter’s academic and social development. That is why we provide an opportunity at age two, three, five, eleven and sixteen to join the school and enjoy the benefits of a balanced, academic and well-rounded education.
AL D ERLEY ED GE SC HOOL F OR G IRLS
It is vital that you choose the school which will be right for your daughter, where she will feel supported, encouraged and excited about her learning. Our nurturing community and excellent pastoral care will ensure that she quickly settles in and feels comfortable in her new environment.
16 + 17
The core values of self respect and respect for others underpin every aspect of school life, both in and out of the classroom. We provide an excellent education whilst developing social responsibility and an understanding of others. We have an open door policy for parents to come and visit us and we encourage prospective parents to see us in action and to judge for themselves.
PROSPE C T U S
A stimulating and rich curriculum, supported by modern technology, will ensure that she is introduced to many new subjects and areas of learning. The close home-school links are the basis of an excellent partnership, which supports the girls throughout their years at school.
I realise now how fortunate I am that almost 16 years ago my parents chose to send me to AESG, I really hope the next years in my life are as happy as those I have had at AESG. Hannah Former Sixth Form Student
Our Ethos
What makes us different? We are keen to help the girls to grow in the fullest sense and to develop into articulate, highly qualified and impressive young women who leave us at 18 to go on to university. We welcome girls from a variety of backgrounds and all girls enjoy the school community.
Our People The staff at the school lead by example and work tirelessly to ensure that, at all stages, the girls are challenged and motivated. The girls feel supported and known and have excellent relationships with their teachers, with whom they feel a real affinity.
As an Ecumenical school, we have five chaplains who deliver assemblies on a weekly basis in both the Junior and Senior School. We are an accepting community where each girl is valued as God’s creation and helped to feel good about herself. We are keen to develop empathy, social skills and confidence in all our pupils. The society they will enter is a difficult and demanding one and we need to ensure that they will be equipped with all the necessary skills, attributes and qualifications to make their aspirations a reality.
Our Communication
AL D ERLEY ED GE SC HOOL F OR G IRLS
We pride ourselves on keeping you informed – not just via newsletters and reports but also by inviting you in to school and sending you regular updates about your daughter’s progress. Weekly newsletters are distributed every Friday to both Juniors and Seniors and the website is kept up to date with all that is happening in school. Staff are approachable and very willing to hear from you, either by phone or email and we operate an open door policy for parents. We work individually with you as parents and value the close relationship that we build both with you and with your daughter.
18 + 19
When girls join us, we recognise that they all have individual talents, strengths and skills – we work hard to develop these and help the girls to achieve more. We welcome girls at all stages and they are quick to settle into school life and to make new friends. All girls feel secure, known and supported, whatever their age when they join us.
PROSPE C T U S
Our Approach
Admissions Overview
AL D ERLEY ED GE SC HOOL F OR G IRLS
20 + 21
Fees
Application Procedure
Early Years – Nursery The current fees for those joining Nursery (2 year olds) full time are £2,138 per term. This is the fee payable each term for your daughter to attend 08.00am – 4.00pm Monday to Friday.
If you would like to visit the School, please contact Julie Bedigan, School Registrar to book an appointment. There are no formal assessments for entry into Nursery or Reception classes but places are allocated on a first come first served basis. We also operate a waiting list if you wish to put your name down early.
Early Years – Pre-School The current fees for those joining Pre-School (3 and 4 year olds) full time are £1,806 per term. This is the fee payable each term for your daughter to attend 8.00am – 3.30pm Monday to Friday. A variety of attendance options are available to suit your individual requirements. Junior School Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 £2,172 per term
PROSP E C TU S
Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 £2,609 per term Senior School Years 7 – 11 £3,278 per term Sixth Form Years 12 – 13 £3,278 per term Please note: The fees listed are for academic year 2013–2014, and are subject to an annual review. Additional Children Should you have subsequent children joining the school and your first child is paying full fees, you will receive a sibling discount 10% - Second Child 20% - Third Child 50% - Fourth Child
If you would like to apply for a place, please complete the enclosed application form and return it to us at your earliest convenience. An admission fee of £75.00 is payable at this time.
Scholarships and Bursaries
Early Bird Club and After School Care The school offers an Early Bird Club and an after school Funtime Club. The Early Bird Club runs daily between 8.00am and 8.25am where the girls will be registered, offered toast, milk or water and escorted to their class room for the start of school. This club is free of charge and open to those girls in Reception and throughout the Junior School. The AESG Funtime Club is open from 3.30pm until 5.45pm for full sessions. Children can also attend part sessions from 3.30pm – 4.30pm. There is an additional charge for Funtime Club. For further information about Funtime Club, please view www.aesg.co.uk.
Scholarships are offered in Year 3 (Junior School) and at 11+, 13+ and 16+ (Senior School and Sixth Form) A small number of Bursaries are awarded annually and are subject to review during the summer term for the following academic year. Each application will be considered on an individual basis. Further details and application forms can be obtained from the School Bursar, Pauline McGill.
Before School and Homework Club (Senior School) Senior School pupils can enter school from 8.00am. After School, we run a supervised Homework Club which is provided free of charge and is available from 3.45pm – 5.45pm Monday to Friday.
Transport Links
Open Days 2013 – 2014
Situated on the A34 Bypass in Alderley Edge, we are easily accessible by car, train and bus. The location of Alderley Edge Railway station, directly opposite the school, also helps to open up access for our girls with regular direct trains to Manchester and Crewe. We work with several private hire companies and the minibus and coach routes bring students to and from school from a wide area. The stops en route are flexible and we try our utmost to accommodate girls joining the school and to find options which will work for all.
Thursday 26 September Sixth Form Information Evening 6.00pm – 8.45pm Thursday 10 October Senior School and Sixth Form Open Evening 7.00pm – 8.30pm Saturday 12 October Whole School Open Day (Early Years through to Sixth Form) 10.00am – 12.30pm Thursday 5 December Year 6 Taster Day* For those girls sitting the 11+ Entrance Examination in January 2014 Friday 10 January 2014 11+ Entrance Examination* Saturday 15 March 2014 Junior School Open Day 10.00am – 12.30pm *Advanced booking is required In addition, we offer working day tours and Taster Days at your convenience.
Alderley Edge School for Girls, Wilmslow Road, Cheshire, SK9 7QE T. 01625 583028 F. 01625 590271 E. schoolmail@aesg.co.uk www.aesg.co.uk Registered Company No. 2659703 Registered Charity No.1006726