Norwich High School: A dynamic, innovative education for enterprising girls Senior School prospectus
GDST schools Where girls can When a girl joins a Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) school, like Norwich High School, she becomes part of an exclusive community dedicated to empowering young women with the four Cs of a GDST education – courage, confidence, composure and commitment – ready for whatever future she chooses. A community that encompasses not just our own school but also our 25 sister schools and academies across England and Wales. A community where girls can join nearly 70,000 women in the GDST Alumnae Network, who provide a range of resources and social and professional contacts to help every girl as she makes her way in the world. The Girls’ Day School Trust is the UK’s largest group of independent girls’ schools, a national leader in girls’ education. GDST schools and academies share an ethos and a proud heritage of girls-only education and are members of a unique network. Our students outperform their peers in public exams, but we strongly believe there’s so much more to a truly broad and balanced education than just stellar exam results. At our schools, girls can compete and collaborate with their peers in other GDST schools, taking part in Trust-wide events, rallies, performances and activities ranging from art, sport, music and creative writing through to foreign languages, debating, enterprise and digital technology, and even a nationwide bake-off. Choosing a GDST school offers the peace of mind that comes from knowing your daughter’s school is part of an organisation with an unparalleled track record of achievement and stability. A charitable organisation, based on enduring values and with over 140 years’ expertise in girls’ education, that always strives to put the needs and wellbeing of our girls first, and a place “where girls can”.
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Contents
Contents
Congratulations to our girls who achieved an outstanding 97% A* to C grades in their GCSEs
GDST Schools – Page 2 Welcome – Page 5 Eaton Grove – Page 7 Pastoral care – Page 8
GCSE Results 2016
Facilities – Page 9 Curriculum – Page 10 Co-curriculum – Page 14 Community – Page 20 Joining Eaton Grove – Page 22 Scholarships and Bursaries – Page 23
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Welcome
Norwich High School: pioneering girls’ education since 1875 4
Welcome
“ Among the most articulate, courteous, thoughtful and quietly assured girls we have met anywhere.” The Good Schools Guide 2016
Welcome At Norwich High School, we believe passionately in putting girls first. We give girls the very best opportunities to find their strengths, explore the whole breadth of subject options, and tailor all that we do around their needs.
Step into Norwich High School and you will be blown away by the quality of the creativity you see, from the art and productions in the Junior School to our stunning A Level Exhibitions and performances. Sport thrives here, as you would expect in a school awarded Norwich Sports School of the Year last year, and girls excel in a whole range of disciplines, from hockey, netball and swimming to rowing.
In and outside our classrooms, there are no barriers of expectations and modifications of behaviour that can arise in a co-educational environment. Our girls are just as keen to pursue Computing, Engineering, and the Sciences, as they are the Arts and Humanities. Innovation is built into our DNA, as we were the very first girls’ school to be founded outside London, and we continue to seek innovation in all that we do.
What I believe really makes Norwich High School special is the exceptionally strong sense of community which lasts long after girls have left the school, and the warm relaxed relationships between girls themselves, and between staff and girls. We are proud of our heritage in the city, and take seriously our responsibilities in the community with our service and charities programmes.
We aim to develop girls who are confident in their own voice. Our hallmark Inspiring Females programme brings bold, innovative and creative women from all fields into the school to inspire and mentor our girls, enabling them to imagine and plan their next steps into their futures.
We have been described by the Daily Telegraph as ‘a hidden gem’, but there is nothing bashful, exclusive, or retiring about us! I warmly encourage you to enter our beautiful site and see what we are about. I look forward to welcoming you on your visit to Norwich High School.
Fostering intellectual curiosity is at the heart of our excellent academic education, but we believe that education is about more than exam results. Our extra-curricular offer is broad and strong, and gives girls essential skills as well as greater self-knowledge.
Mrs Kirsty von Malaisé Headmistress
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Eaton Grove
We believe in putting girls first Girls in girls-only schools benefit from the fact that everything is designed and developed to meet their educational and pastoral needs, so that they can be the very best they can be, whilst here at school and beyond.
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Eaton Grove
Eaton Grove We are proud of our girls, our community, our heritage and our school. Eaton Grove, the home to our senior girls, celebrates all that is truly special about an education at Norwich High School for Girls. A beautiful regency building, surrounded by 14 acres of expansive woodland, green space and many original features such as our Crinkle-Crankle wall, there is always something to inspire or excite every girl within our community. Since we moved to this important landmark over 80 years ago, Norwich High School has continued to flourish as the finest all-girls school in Norfolk. Regular improvement and refurbishment programmes ensure that all areas and facilities deliver an enhanced and enjoyable experience, while meeting all of our girls’ educational and pastoral needs. Our classrooms have all been developed into dynamic educational spaces, designed to facilitate best educational practice. State-of-the-art science and language laboratories, adaptable performance and music spaces, several high-tech computer suites, bespoke classrooms, as well as spacious workshops for art, textiles and DT, guarantee that our students can shine in every subject.
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Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care Everyone in our school community shares a responsibility for developing a caring and nurturing environment to help every girl achieve their full potential. Our outstanding pastoral support programme is led by our Deputy Head (Pastoral), Section Heads, Tutors, and our School Nurse and Counsellor, and is strongly reinforced by girls who volunteer their time in mentoring and support roles. A formal PSHE programme is delivered through weekly lessons, regular assemblies, and subject-specific talks. It is also embedded within the overall culture of the school as part of a well-planned system of advice and guidance. Areas covered within our PSHE programme include cyber-bullying, e-safety, voting, human rights, relationships and study skills.
" I’ve been here since reception and the school has just got better and better. You’re allowed to develop in your own way – there’s no limit to what you can do!"
The pastoral system not only supports the academic achievement of each girl, but actively promotes happy, well-balanced, aspirational students who are willing to explore their full potential. All girls are educated to show compassion and learn how to develop an inner resilience when faced with adversity. During periods of illness, the school’s pastoral system often acts as a safety net, supported by an excellent safeguarding system to look after their health, welfare and safety. Most importantly, the pastoral care system promotes a nurturing environment where each individual girl is allowed to be who she wants to be without any negative pressures.
A current Senior School girl
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Facilities
Facilities Our expansive site gives each girl the space to grow, explore and develop a healthy approach to their life. Sports provision is extensive and comprehensive, winning us the accolade of Norwich Sports School of the Year in 2015. Sporting facilities include a 25m indoor heated swimming pool, an astro-turf pitch, tennis courts, a dedicated sports hall and a fitness suite. Excellent facilities are provided for independent study. Our library has just undergone an amazing transformation and is now a vibrant and modern space, offering an outstanding selection of carefully selected books in addition to lots of comfortable and cosy quiet learning spaces. Our computer network is shared by all departments, including four modern ICT suites and a computerised language lab. Performance and music is extremely well catered for with a state-of-the-art theatre space, a picturesque outdoor theatre and a dedicated Music School building for all rehearsals and music lessons. Our modern lecture theatre and boardroom give our girls several opportunities to have a voice – whether as part of a debating society or shaping an upcoming plan or initiative, within a school steering group. Within the grounds, there are several outdoor features for girls to enjoy, including a Zen garden for reflection and meditation, and lush woodland for exploration.
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Curriculum
We believe in pioneering education Since its foundation over a century ago, Norwich High School has been committed to pioneering girls’ education. We look for innovation in all that we do.
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Curriculum
A bespoke curriculum Norwich High School offers the chance to study a wide range of academic subjects, giving every girl the opportunity to find disciplines which they are passionate about. Throughout the Senior School we are able to tailor programmes of study to each individual, ensuring that every girl has a free choice of subjects to study. In preparation for taking GCSEs, girls follow a balanced educational programme which avoids narrow and early specialisation. All girls take English, English Literature, a Modern Language, Mathematics and Science to GCSE level, together with three or four further subjects selected from a varied range, including Ancient Greek and Latin, Classical Civilisation, Computing, German, French, Spanish, History, Geography, Religious Studies, Art, Design Technology, Drama, Music, Physical Education and Textiles. Our teaching makes the best use of technology to facilitate learning; each girl is given an iPad for daily use in the classroom and has an accompanying school email account and dedicated intranet to ensure they have constant access to relevant learning resources and information. Girls are challenged, motivated and inspired by the enthusiasm and academic rigour shown by their subject teachers.
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Curriculum
Why girls only? Norwich High School remains true to its founding principles – we offer girls excellence in education, experience and opportunity – and we have always been keen to embrace fun and allow girls to flourish. Copious research has signposted that girls do better in a single-sex environment. Here are some of the reasons why: •G irls happiness, development and success are at the core of everything that happens in a girls-only school. •P astoral programmes are tailor made for girls and anticipate their particular needs. •G irls are able and encouraged to excel in every subject area, every activity and every performance. • In a girls-only school, all the positions of leadership and responsibility are held by girls. •G irls will take more intellectual risks in an all girl environment. •G irls and boys mature academically and emotionally at different stages and teaching them separately allows effective differentiation. •S ingle-sex schools consistently achieve the best results. •G reater levels of confidence in both sexes are apparent when they are taught separately. •G irls and boys have fewer anxieties over peer pressure in single-sex environments. • Girls from single-sex schools have more positive attitudes to non-stereotypical careers. • A greater percentage of students from girls’ schools go on to higher education •G irls develop confidence in their own abilities as individuals and do not define themselves by gender.
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Curriculum
The Senior School is a stimulating academic environment, providing a stunning breadth and depth of education which encourages each student to excel. Feedback from our last ISI inspection
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Co-curriculum
We believe that education is about more than exams Fostering intellectual curiosity within an academic education is at the heart of all we do but we believe that the best education also includes outstanding sport, music, art, drama, and a full range of extra-curricular activities. 14
Co-curriculum
Co-curriculum Norwich High School girls are renowned for their boundless energy and enthusiasm in all they undertake. In support of this, we offer an extensive series of activities, programmes and experiences which bring the fundamentals of our curriculum to life. Our brand new Enrichment Programme is an integral part of an education at Norwich High School. Societies, lunchtime clubs and an Activities Programme for older girls, as well as a wealth of co-curricular trips offered throughout the year allow girls to unlock their potential and develop in confidence and resilience. This programme will help to equip them with the skills and values required to meet the future challenges of a changing society. There really is an exciting range of opportunities for fun, adventure and challenge, all brought to life by our committed and enthusiastic teachers. Students have the opportunity to work thematically on cross-curricular topics. We have a connected curriculum week where each year group will be a part of some focussed, but fun projects. Carefully structured for each age group, these have included our Bramley Lakes trip for our Upper 3 girls and a Model UN Day for our Lower 5s. We launched our pioneering Inspiring Females programme during this week, with a three-day conference for our Upper 4 and Lower 5 girls. The following four pages share a bit more detail about this unique and engaging programme. 15
Co-curriculum
Sports
Music
Sport is an integral part of school life and gives all girls the opportunity to take part in a range of sports both recreationally and competitively.
We are very proud of our wonderful musical heritage at Norwich High School, and continue to provide several platforms for each girl to express themselves musically.
Physical Education lessons take place during morning lessons and can include activities such as swimming, trampolining, gymnastics, dance, badminton, football and athletics. Games lessons take place during afternoon lessons, with team sports such as hockey, netball and rounders covered each term.
Girls can join several different music groups including Junior, Intermediate and Senior orchestras, string quartets, a wind ensemble, and clarinet group, as well as several choirs, including our outstanding Chamber Choir. Visiting music teachers provide an extensive range of one-to-one lessons including harp, singing, piano, flute, guitar and woodwind.
A diverse range of sports clubs are offered around the school day, allowing girls to either expand upon the skills they have learnt in their lessons or take part in additional activities such as rowing, volleyball, fencing, kung-fu, sports leadership and much more.
We arrange a variety of musical performances throughout the year including the Inter-Company Music Festival, intimate soirĂŠes, our superb Choral Concert and special assemblies. This year, our girls will be performing a selection of instrumental and vocal pieces for the Hostry Festival at Norwich Cathedral. Our performers have also travelled as far as Austria, Prague and Italy for our impressive music tours.
A comprehensive training and fixture programme is organised for all of our sports teams. We enter area, county, regional and national tournaments, along with GDST sports rallies which incorporate all of our partner schools across the country. We are very proud of all our girls' sporting achievements and enjoy celebrating their personal, club, county and national successes across a wide range of sports.
The GDST organises a Young Musician and Young Vocalist of the Year Competition annually, which we attend at one of our 25 partner schools.
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Co-curriculum
Drama and Dance
DofE Award
We believe every girl should have the opportunity to explore the power of performing arts.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award enables all girls to have amazing adventures. It is a rewarding journey where each girl grows in confidence and becomes more independent.
Over the course of the school year, the Drama department produces a variety of performances including a popular musical, a series of Greek plays, a performance for the Shakespeare Schools Festival and a Dance, Music and Drama Showcase. Girls can get involved by performing, directing, producing, choreographing and hosting – developing transferable skills which are invaluable across all areas and in their lives beyond school.
The Bronze and Silver Award comprises four sections: Volunteering, Physical, Skill and an Expedition, which all have to be undertaken for a particular length of time depending on the award level. For the Gold Award there is an additional Residential section which could involve going to help ‘spring clean’ a Youth Hostel, complete a Spanish language course abroad or join a sailing adventure on the North-West coast of Scotland.
As well as several dance and drama clubs which take place during the week, girls from Lower 5 to Lower 6 can take Dance GCSE as an extra-curricular activity, allowing enthused girls to work towards another qualification.
Bronze and Silver training and walking expeditions involve travelling to North Norfolk (Bronze) and The Peak District (Silver), while Gold Expeditions can take girls to the Brecon Beacons and The Lake District. Support and guidance is provided for the girls as they travel on their individual DofE journeys.
Students, parents, local schools and the community are invited to take part in our annual Winter Arts Festival which showcases our best Drama and Dance performances, as well as outstanding Art, Textiles, DT and Music. Our girls are wonderfully talented and it is a pleasure to see them perform.
A significant number of girls complete all three levels of award whilst still at our school which is truly impressive. We have even created our own Platinum Award for girls who achieve this accolade.
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Co-curriculum
Inspiring Females
Societies
At the end of June 2016, we held the first of our forthcoming Inspiring Females events – a three-day conference in which a diverse panel of over 30 inspirational women volunteered their time to speak to, mentor, work with and ultimately inspire over 190 girls between the ages of 13 and 15.
A key part of the Enrichment offer is our new Societies Programme which offers diverse, challenging and engaging content to all of our Senior School girls. Every department provides a Society which will explore ideas and issues not normally covered within the stricter confines of the curriculum; as such, they will offer both breadth and depth, helping all girls develop a rich understanding of subjects beyond the classroom. Current Societies cover subjects such as Astrophysics, Mandarin and European Film Studies.
This ambitious programme included keynote presentations, networking opportunities, panel sessions with Q&As, workshops, activities, wellbeing sessions and a whole day focussed on creating a Social Enterprise. Subjects such as ‘Working in a male dominated workforce’, ‘What it takes to come up with a winning idea’ and ‘How to be happy’ were discussed.
Lunchtime and after school clubs
Feedback from everyone who attended has been exceptionally positive. Girls commented on how it had made them think about their future in a more positive light, how they could pursue their ambitions, with some commenting that they now felt more confident about themselves and that they could have a voice.
We have a wide range of lunchtime Clubs run by teachers and Sixth Form girls which operate every day of the week. From Chess Club to Debating, there really is something of interest for everyone.
We will be sharing more news about how this pioneering programme will develop soon. Find out more at inspiringfemales.org.uk
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Co-curriculum
Activities
Trips – home & abroad
We are very pleased to offer an exciting and varied Activities Programme to our Upper 5 and Lower 6 girls.
There is a whole host of exciting school trips available which offer excellent enrichment opportunities for all girls.
Each term they will pursue a different activity taken from three categories: service, active and creative. This will give them the opportunity to work within the wider community, helping others as well as learning new skills. Examples of current activities include:
Some of these are for whole year groups, such as the Upper 4 Whitwell Bushcraft camp each September or the Lower 4 French trip to Normandy; others are for smaller groups and will take you further afield. We have girls going as far as Iceland (Geography), Lake Garda (Music tour) and Madagascar (Operation Wallacea, Sciences) this year, to name just a few. Last year we prepared a highly rewarding trip to our partner school in Ghana.
•W orking at a local care home to become recognised as a ‘Norfolk Dementia Friend’. • Working with youngsters on Art and Textile projects in local Special schools. •C ompleting a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course. • Volunteering for Norfolk Conservation, working on Mousehold Heath and other open areas around Norwich. •R owing for fitness. •Y oga and Pilates for fitness and well-being. •B oot camp fitness. •S kiing at the dry ski slope in Whitlingham. •T rampolining at High Altitude for fitness.
Long haul destinations however, are not a pre-requisite for challenge and new experiences; the residential visits within the UK, such as fieldwork in Wales and the Peak District or locally in Norfolk too, can stimulate a keen interest in subjects and develop skills not possible in the classroom. The rich variety of these trips is an important part of a Norwich High School education; we are delighted to be able to prepare such a diverse programme each year.
It is wonderful to see our girls embrace these opportunities throughout the year.
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Community
We believe in our community Norwich High School was created by the radical and enterprising people of Norwich. We remain committed to that community and to its values, and to the unique community that is the Norwich High School family.
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Community
Alumnae
Our community
At Norwich High School, we continue to celebrate all of our outstanding girls even after they have left our school.
We are honoured to have so many parents who involve themselves fully in the life of the school. At Norwich High School, we foster strong relationships between students, parents and teachers based upon mutual respect and consideration for others.
Just a few of our celebrated alumnae include: • Pat Barr, Anne Weale and Stella Tillyard (authors) • Raffaella Barker (author and journalist) • Jane Hissey (children’s artist and author) • Jane Manning and Elizabeth Watts (sopranos) • Jenny Lane (BBC presenter) • Ann Tyrell (dress designer) • Dr Jennifer Moyle (scientist) • Diana Burrell (composer) • Hannah Waterman (actress) • Emma Pooley (Olympic cyclist) • Victoria Williamson (GB cyclist) • The Hon Alice Walpole (Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Mali, Niger & Burkina Faso, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
There are many ways to become involved, from supporting your daughter at our various productions to joining the parent-teacher body known as the Norwich High School Association (or NHSA). There are also numerous opportunities to come together to socialise, to enjoy the girls’ performances and to meet with your daughter’s teachers. School events include dedicated At Homes evenings in the Autumn Term, Prize-giving, performances and concerts, a fashion show, coffee mornings, receptions, the Winter Arts Festival, the Carol Service, Valedictory Garden Party and much more.
Our alumnae contribute significantly to the lives of our girls in many ways and we love hearing from them. We are very fortunate to be able to welcome back many of our Alumnae to talk to our girls about their lives and experiences since leaving school. The school also has access to The GDST Alumnae Network, the largest organisation of its kind in the country. Established in 1994, it has over 70,000 members involved in a wide range of activities all over the world, and offers members support with networking, mentoring, work experience, university options, internships and more.
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Joining us
Joining Eaton Grove Our main entry points for the Senior School are at ages 11+, 13+ and 14+, although we are very happy to accommodate girls at other ages. The best way to find out more about joining our vibrant school is to attend one of our Open Events or to bring your daughter to a Taster Session. These will give you the opportunity to see how exceptional our school is and for your daughter to meet new friends, while experiencing our lively school environment. On application to the school, girls will need to sit Entrance Assessments, set for each age group in English, Maths and Reasoning. We also aim to interview all girls in pairs so that we can talk to them about their interests and the school. To find out more about visiting the school or the application process, please contact our Registrar by calling 01603 453 265 or emailing admissions@nor.gdst.net
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Joining us
Scholarships and Bursaries Scholarships
Bursaries
How to apply
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further her education.
A bursary is the award of a substantial or full amount to pay for a student’s education.
Enquiries for bursaries and scholarships should be made during the Autumn Term.
Academic, sport and music scholarships are available at Norwich High School and are awarded on merit. 11+ and 13+ academic scholarships are awarded on the basis of performance of a transfer/entrance examination. Music scholarships may require an audition, while Sports scholarships require a practical test.
Our bursaries take into account academic merit, are means-tested according to parental income and are reassessed annually.
An application form and further information will then be sent to you. 11+ and 13+ scholarship applications must be submitted by 31st December of the year prior to entry. Bursary applications must be submitted by 31st October, with a view to girls taking part in an entrance procedure, including interview, during the Autumn Term prior to the date of entry.
They are not means-tested and all candidates are considered for an academic scholarship.
Most bursaries for full fees will be awarded to girls from families with a total income of less than ÂŁ35,000 and with no capital assets other than their home. Bursaries for less than full fees will be awarded on a graded scale, according to parental income. It is highly unlikely that a bursary would be awarded to a family whose annual income is greater than ÂŁ85,000.
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To find out more about applying for a scholarship or bursary, please contact our Registrar by calling 01603 453 265 or emailing admissions@nor.gdst.net
Norwich High School for Girls aged 3 to 18 Part of the
Norwich High School for Girls 95 Newmarket Road Norwich, Norfolk NR2 2HU United Kingdom t: +44 (0)1603 453 265 e: admin@nor.gdst.net www.norwichhigh.gdst.net Follow us on:
Senior School Prospectus