Last Year at SHS

2010/2011

Academic Success

Sixth Form
At A-level, last year’s Year 13 continued the record they set at GCSE by producing the school’s best ever A-level results. An amazing 83% of all their grades were at A* to B and 61% of them were at A*/A. Despite reports in the media about competition for university places being tougher this year, well over 90% of our girls were still successful in achieving places at their first choice university. A record-breaking 11 girls achieved offers from Oxbridge this year. One of the factors which has been instrumental in helping the girls to achieve their university offers is the introduction of additional qualifications which enable them to demonstrate independent study, innovation, presentation and research skills.

This year, 30 girls completed either an Open University undergraduate module related to a subject they were interested in studying at university or the AQA Baccalaureate, where all our girls achieved either a merit or distinction. The AQA Bacc requires them to complete an extended research project as well as 100 hours of voluntary service. This year, in addition, all our Year 12 students are embarking on a leadership qualification which will help them stand out even further when applying to university or for employment.

Year 11
At GCSE, last year’s Year 11 also achieved excellent results with over 90% of all grades at A* to B and two-thirds of all entries at A*/A. Around half of the year group managed to achieve all A*/A grades in their subjects. We always have a number of girls who achieve “early” passes at GCSE or A-level, either because we felt they were ready to sit the exam early or because they are studying a subject in their own time. This year we entered all of Year 10 for English Language GCSE and one group completed their Maths GCSE, all of them achieving outstanding results.

More Major Success

Independent School Award
We have celebrated two major whole school achievements this year – one was the news last November that we had reached the finals of the inaugural Independent School Awards. We were delighted to discover that we were winners of our category “Best Collaboration between an independent and maintained schools”, recognising the extensive links we have with local maintained schools. We beat off strong competition from some very prestigious schools including Eton and Manchester Grammar School. This then qualified us with the other four category winners for judging for the overall Independent School of the Year. We didn’t win the top prize, but were nevertheless very proud to be considered as one of the top five schools in the country. And to add to that, we have again reached the finals of the 2011 Independent School Awards, this time not just in one, but two different categories.

Go4it Awarded – Again!
Our second major achievement this year was to be one of the first schools in the country to be re-awarded Go4it status in July by hti, an organisation which links education and industry. Go4it recognises schools which demonstrate a “can do” ethos, encouraging creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and a positive attitude to risk taking beyond the classroom. Four of our students from our Go4it committee were invited to London to collect the school’s award, on board a Thames river cruise and we were very honoured that Clare Rees-Zimmerman was invited to provide the after dinner entertainment on the violin.

The Go4it assessor who visited the school said that she had rarely seen a school where the Go4it ethos was so evident in everything we do – whether it be the girls setting up their own business, launching a new extra-curricular club, setting their own personal goals or organizing an event to raise money for charity. We encourage in all our girls a “sense of adventure”, a positive attitude to risk taking – which many of our parents might curse us for as their Year 11 daughters take themselves off to the Leeds Festival following their GCSE results, armed with not much more than a tent and wellies, or as they go off inter-railing round Europe after A levels, backpacking in university vacations or go off on gap years all over the world post-university or A-levels. School is where our girls develop the confidence and self-belief to tackle life’s challenges and the important skills and values which we hope will keep them safe and help them to bounce back from any setbacks.

Go4it in Action!
We have seen the Go4it ethos in so many different ways over the past year, in activities which challenge the girls to expand their horizons and develop their talents and interest beyond the curriculum. These are just a few of the many highlights –

We began last school year with a new venture, working with the BBC to host Radio 4’s Any Questions. It was certainly an ambitious undertaking, and required great co-ordination from Miss Thorneloe and her willing team of staff and students. Even the BBC began to panic when Ed Balls still hadn’t arrived with only 5 minutes before he was due to go on air. Fortunately he did make it on stage with about 2 minutes to spare! The evening certainly inspired the Sixth Form and our younger students in their debating and public speaking with our Sixth Form team going on to compete in the national finals of the European Youth Parliament. This was followed by Amaka Uchegbu winning the GDST Chrystal Prize public speaking competition, the first time Sheffield has ever won this title. The Sixth form budding lawyers entered Sheffield Law Society’s inaugural mock trial competition – and at their first attempt won the award for best defence team with the prosecution team runners up.

Science
We entered two teams of budding Year 9 engineers in different competitions. One team competed in a challenge organized by Sheffield University to design a wind turbine and the second team took on a very challenging task which involved re-designing the old gym for an eco-sporting initiative.

Music
Our joint Sixth Form Choir with Birkdale goes from strength to strength and the staff and students from both schools enjoyed a very successful first European tour last Christmas to Cologne. Chamber Choir enjoys an excellent reputation locally and has a busy annual programme of concerts regularly being invited to perform alongside top musicians at fundraising events throughout the county.

Drama
In Drama, the girls are given the opportunity to showcase their acting, singing and directing talents. The Year 6 girls put on an excellent performance of Joseph while the Sixth Form Drama prefects directed the Year 7s and Year 8s in an outstanding performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Our main school production last year, involving girls from Year 7 to Year 13 was a stunning production of The Boyfriend and preparations will soon be underway for this year’s production of Singing in the Rain.

Languages
Another first for us this year was in Languages where all Year 7 girls had the opportunity to take part in a national languages “Spelling Bee” competition. Although this was our first time entering the competition, two girls (Hooriya Rizvi and Klaudia Wyzykiewicz) qualified first for the regional finals and then the finals from a total entry of over 33,000.

Young Enterprise
Entrepreneurship is something we encourage in all our girls and the Sixth Form students have the opportunity each year to set up their own business through the Young Enterprise scheme. This year we had two teams which reached the South Yorkshire finals, both picking up several awards: Nebula, whose product was to sell retractable earphones and Element 17, whose innovative waterproof file cover caught the judges’ eye and won them the title of South Yorkshire Company of the Year, qualifying them for the Yorkshire and Humberside final, where they were narrowly beaten by a team from – Gibraltar!

Residential Visits
Last year’s visits included languages trips to France, Germany and Spain, an ICT and Science visit to New York and Florida, a ski trip to Austria and a combined RS and Creative Writing tour to India.

Duke of Edinburgh Award
Nowhere is the Go4it ethos more evident than in The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme which requires the girls to learn a new skill, complete community service and navigate their way through a camping expedition. The scheme continues to attract very high numbers of girls each year under David Walker’s expert guidance and support. Almost every girl in Year 10 now completes the bronze award, two-thirds of Year 11 continue on to silver level and over a third of the Sixth Form achieve the very demanding gold award.

Charitable Activity
Community service and support for local and global charities continue to play a key role in the life of the school with over 75% of our senior girls being involved in voluntary work and over £17,000 raised once again last year. In addition to our ongoing support for the village school in Jhum Para, Bangladesh, thanks to the initiative of Mr Campbell we are now also supporting students to attend school in Zimbabwe.

Sporting Excellence
Sheffield High School’s reputation for sporting excellence continues to exceed all expectations both at team and individual level. In trampolining the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-19 teams reached the national finals with the Under-15 and Under-19 teams retaining their titles as national champions. Miss Jones and our trampolinists must be congratulated on a tenth consecutive year of reaching national finals. Our Under-13 gymnasts, and Under-14 netball team also reached national finals, along with the Under-16 rounders team and our newly formed equestrian teams who have reached national finals in dressage and showjumping,. At individual level, notable achievements to mention are –

• Lauren and Amy Potter, who continue to represent England in netball at Under-21, Under-19 and Under-17 levels
• Natalia Hackett, who has had an excellent season, becoming national English Schools 3000m champion and recently winning the gold medal in the UK Schools Games

• Natalie Chan-Lam, who returned from injury to collect the gold medal in the badminton singles of the UK schools games

• Thalia Caddy, who is current Under-19 national trampolining champion
• Victoria Johnson, who represents Great Britain in ice hockey
• Olivia Smart in the GB ice dance team and

• Olivia Noble who plays in the England rounders team.

Planning for the Future
Students’ views are a key consideration in our school development plan as we work together to continually improve the school environment and the education we offer. The Teaching and Learning Council makes suggestions for changes to the curriculum while the Kitchen Cabinet discusses school lunches. School Council last year contributed to the planning for all our Olympic-based activities for this year. Year 11 have worked on plans for a new Year 11 Common Room which will be furnished later this term.

Staff Changes
Kath White retired at Easter from her position as School Business Manager after spending all 44 years of her working life at Sheffield High School. We wish her well as she now battles with ill health. Mr Mozley has of course moved into the role of School Business Manager and Mrs Gunson has taken over as Deputy Head. They are both already doing an excellent job in their new roles. We also congratulate our chairman of governors, Pam Liversidge, who will next month be appointed the first female Master Cutler in the almost 400 year-long history of the Hallamshire Company of Cutlers.

Strategic Thinking
Three years ago, when we put together our last Strategic Development Plan, our over-arching goal was for Sheffield High School to be seen as a leading school in everything it does (whether that be in its academic results, in extra-curricular achievement, in meeting the needs of every individual or in the work we do within our local community), while at the same time holding firm to the principles of respect, friendship, tolerance and kindness to others. Our achievements of the past year certainly show that we are well on our way to reaching that goal and as we now begin the process of putting together our next 3-year plan, we can all look forward to building even further on our successes and achievements.

Valerie Dunsford
Headmistress

September 2011