Shortlist for the TES Awards

Sheffield Girls’ has been recognised as an excellent all-rounder, being nominated for both ‘Senior school of the year’ and the ‘Best use of technology’ award in the prestigious TES awards this year.

The TES (Times Educational Supplement) awards aim to applaud excellence and innovation in independent schools across the UK, with winners gaining a reputation as a first-class organisation and setting an example to others, promoting a continually learning and growing education system. It is an opportunity for schools to network and learn from each other, striving to provide the best for their pupils.

At Sheffield Girls', we focus on parents’ top three priorities when choosing the perfect school for their daughters: the girls achieving their academic potential, developing into well-rounded young women, and being happy. For each of these, the school stands out, resulting in the nomination for ‘Senior school of the year’.

Academically, pupils perform incredibly well due to their amazing teachers who are experts in their field. Every girl can reach their potential and pursue their passions with a rich curriculum of 27 GCSEs and 26 A-Levels available to study. The ‘can-do’ attitude encourages girls to take responsibility for their own learning and promotes academic resilience, leading to outstanding exam results including 52% gaining A*/A at A-Level and 47% gaining A*/8/9 at GCSE.

The aims for the extra-curricular programme are participation for all and competitive excellence. Over 70% of pupils participate in the 32 sport clubs available for all levels of ability, and in 2017-18 the school reached 19 national finals including gymnastics, badminton and trampolining. Enterprise skills and leadership qualities are also encouraged from a young age, and most girls participate in national schemes such as Go4SET, the Engineering Education Scheme and Teen tech.

Technology, and most notably the online learning platform Firefly, is thoroughly integrated into school life. Firefly has been used in the past year to streamline everything from communication with parents and daily administration to trip information and weekly bulletins to keep staff and pupils updated. Refurbished classrooms use touchscreen technology to open up exciting approaches to learning, and every student from Years 1-8 has their own digital device to support them in lessons.

Most importantly, a strong emphasis is placed on the wellbeing and happiness of the girls and staff. Positivity is actively encouraged school-wide, and pupils can talk to any member of the outstanding pastoral team or the school counsellor to help them overcome anything they may be struggling with. The school also holds an annual Wellbeing Week to promote healthy, stress-relieving activities such as art, cooking, exercise and meditation.

Sheffield Girls’ are looking forward to attending the awards night on Thursday 1st February at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, where the winners will be announced.