Spotlight 2023-2024

2023/24 ANNUAL OF ACHIEVEMENT AND ADVENTURE

Welcome

to the 2023/24 edition of Spotlight

It is hard to believe another year has passed and I am introducing our 2024 edition of Spotlight, our annual publication through which we celebrate the adventures and incredible achievements of our whole school community.

In another remarkable, but somewhat damp and drizzly year, rain certainly hasn’t stopped play at Sheffield Girls’, where we have been busy working our way through an ambitious calendar of activities. With so many opportunities for our students to explore, challenge, learn and grow, they’ve ventured across Europe, from Pompeii to Iceland, and across the UK, from Brighton to Scarborough, developing their knowledge and skills, making friends and having lots of fun along the way.

This year we have watched our Girls of Steel programme of character education really take shape, with our younger pupils and older students developing their portfolios of skills and experiences which will support them as they move on and take their place in an ever changing world. At the end of the year we were able to reflect on and celebrate some of this work in our annual ‘Celebration of the School Year’ event at the Octagon Centre.

After the incredible accolades and academic successes of last year, we were again absolutely ecstatic to receive another national title, when in the Autumn Term we were named UK Prep School of the Year at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2023. This recognition reflects the tireless efforts of our teachers and staff in the Infant and Junior School and, of course, the pupils themselves, and is testament to the dedication and focus of every member of the team.

As always, we have been delighted to welcome a large group of new students to Sheffield Girls’ this year. We have benefitted from the new

perspectives, passions and priorities which they have brought with them, whether they have joined us at the start of their school journey in reception, for the last couple of crucial years of their secondary education in our Sixth Form, or anywhere in between. It has been a delight to watch pupils, old and new, build new bonds and friendships and support each other through the various trials of daily life at school, and I have taken particular joy in watching some of our older students mentor younger pupils in both our own Junior School and in our partner schools across the city.

As our 150th anniversary approaches in 2028, this year saw some new additions to our events calendar including our first ‘Steely 7 Saturday’ held in June. The sun was shining – well kind of – for this fantastic occasion for our whole school community during which we enjoyed games, a BBQ, a Steely Teddy Bear Hunt and our Steely 7 Challenge, giving parents, pupils, staff and alumnae the chance to come together and celebrate, whilst raising vital funds for our 150 Bursary Fund Appeal.

Steely 7 was also an opportunity for us to officially mark the retirement of our Head of Infant and Juniors, Christepher Hald, who retired this summer. Chris shares more of his reflections on his time at Sheffield Girls’, as well as his plans for retirement, in the pages to follow.

I write this year with mixed emotions after making the difficult decision to leave Sheffield Girls’ this coming Christmas. After more than a decade at the school, first as Deputy Head and later as Head, I am incredibly proud of

what we have achieved together as a community. Despite the challenges of the last few years, we have celebrated exceptional academic results, have been ranked the Top Independent Secondary School in the North, and been named Prep School of the Year just this year. We’ve seen individual and team successes across a huge number of academic, super-curricular and co-curricular pursuits, and I am confident there are many more to come. But it is working with our students that brings me the greatest rewards and I feel incredibly privileged to have watched the girls flourish during my time here.

Last year, I talked about the incredible strength and resilience of our pupils and the hope it gives me for the future. This year our COTSY event celebrated more of the little moments, the ‘magic in the everyday’ and I think it’s those moments, the holding open of a door, the kindly smile between peers, and shouts of encouragement from the crowd, that I will hold most dear to my heart as I move on to my next adventure.

So with a heavy heart, I invite you for the last time as Head at Sheffield Girls’, to sit back, enjoy a cuppa and explore more of these little moments of magic we have shared throughout the year. Happy reading, Nina Gunson, Head

Achievements and Highlights

Above

“All staff at Sheffield Girls’ work hard to ensure that careers support is firmly embedded in everything that we do so that our students not only dream big but go on to fulfil those dreams in the real world of work.”

Sarah Metcalfe-Murgatroyd, Head of Careers

Careers Mark Platinum

This spring we were absolutely delighted to receive the nationally recognised Career Mark Platinum Award.

This award is an external recognition of the consistent, high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance provided at the school. We are one of very few schools in the region to achieve this highest careers distinction. The Career Mark Assessor commented that:

“Learners demonstrate high levels of self-awareness and appropriate understanding of the world of work and a range of different career paths. They apply sound judgement to making decisions for themselves and show high levels of aspiration and autonomy in planning their futures”.

Our programme of support was recognised for being:

“thoughtfully designed to allow for effective career learning and with an excellent level of engagement with a range of employers and alumni.”

Head of Careers, Sarah MetcalfeMurgatroyd said:

“Our aim is to prepare students to be managers of their own careers in a fast changing world and be ready to embark on ‘squiggly career’ journeys in a way that no generation before them has ever seen.”

: Head of Careers, Sarah MetcalfeMurgatroyd celebrates our Platinum Award with Head, Nina Gunson

We’re the UK’s Prep School of the Year

After celebrating being named Top Independent Secondary School in the North last year we were celebrating again in autumn after being named as the Top Independent Prep School in the UK at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards.

The Independent Schools of the Year Awards, hosted by Independent School Parent Magazine, aim to recognise excellence and outstanding achievement in all areas of education, and through their 23 award categories they seek to shine a light on new initiatives and those schools who are delivering unique and invaluable programmes and partnerships to benefit their pupils and wider communities.

At Sheffield Girls’ Infant and Juniors we have been recognised for our exemplary character education, which is interwoven into the delivery of our unique Fusion Curriculum, which aims to develop and strengthen six core competencies: Creativity, Independence, Morals & Ethics, Confidence, Appreciation and Curious Cognition. With our younger pupils also working towards their School Values Awards, which focus on positivity, courage and kindness, the result at the end of Year 6 is a group of enthusiastic and resilient ‘Girls of Steel’, ready to move on to their secondary education and take their place in an ever changing world.

Reflecting on this incredible achievement, Head Christepher Hald said:

“Our Girls of Steel character education programme provides opportunities for creativity,

risk-taking, teamwork, leadership, competition and social entrepreneurship – everything that will be required of the leaders of tomorrow! Every pupil is valued and allowed to develop as an individual; their Sheffield Girls’ experience is much more than just going to school –rather, it is the journey to self. I’m delighted to see their efforts, and those of our wonderful staff, recognised in this way.”

The awards were hosted by Dr Helen Wright, Chair of the independent panel of judges who selected the winners from more than 700 nominations. Guests and leading figures from across the sector enjoyed the celebrations of this the fifth year of the awards.

“Sheffield Girls’ is in a league of its own, and this is down to the level of education which is delivered by brilliant teachers who always go the extra mile.”

Year 6 parents

“It’s critical we celebrate excellence and share it widely so we can ensure that the fantastic work happening in education is properly recognised.”

Jon Severs, Editor of Tes Magazine

Sheffield Girls’ shortlisted for Tes Awards for Best Use of Technology

In May this year the School was shortlisted in the national Tes Schools Awards 2024 in the ‘Best Use of Technology’ category, in recognition of our broad integration of technology across all areas of the school, as well as our community partnership robotics CPD scheme.

Our pupils are digital citizens of the future, and we integrate the teaching of technology from reception class all the way into Year 13 with the passion our pupils feel for technology, reflected in our successful GCSE and A Level Computer Science courses and the achievements of our students in a wide range of regional and national technology competitions such as Bebras Computing Challenge, First Lego League, CyberFirst UK, Science Olympiads, Industrial Cadets, and the Crest Awards.

This year, with the adoption of LEGO Spike kits and with support from HSBC, our Junior School robotics programme has grown in size and scope with partner schools across the city taking part in our student project showcase events, World Education Robotics competitions and staff CPD workshops.

Head of Junior School, Chris Hald said:

“We have been established as a regional hub of excellence for Junior robotics for some time now and more recently have rolled out our partnership programme to even more primary schools in the city, delivering pupil events, lessons and staff CPD to share our expertise as widely as possible. It’s a privilege to be able to work collaboratively in this way within our community of schools in Sheffield and it’s wonderful to see pupils from a range of year groups come together and bond through a shared love of technology.”

The Tes Schools Awards, dubbed the ‘Oscars of education’ is a prestigious awards programme which celebrates the best of education across the UK.

The shortlist for this year was compiled by a panel of expert judges, who reviewed nominations from hundreds of schools across 21 categories.

We joined two other nominated schools from the GDST at a gala awards night in London, which was a wonderful opportunity to see exciting developments in a range of schools showcased across 21 categories.

Above: Senior students take part in robotics activities at Sheffield Hallam University.

Celebration of the School Year (COTSY) 2024

This year’s ceremony at the Octagon Centre focused on the ‘Magic in the Every Day’ as we came together to reflect on and celebrate the achievements, both big and small of our pupils over the last 12 months.

COTSY has become a firm favourite in the calendar for pupils, staff and parents alike as our Head Girl teams, Heads of Department and student performers work so hard to plan and deliver a full day of action and entertainment for our audience of hundreds. Our governors, alumnae and community partners were in attendance again this year as the girls took to the stage and shared their magic.

Our infants and juniors were first up during the morning session, with musical performances, speeches and extracts, demonstrating the huge range of activities and topics covered throughout the year. There were some special moments and a few tears shed as the girls marked

the retirement of their beloved Headteacher Mr Hald. This was topped off as the Juniors were presented with their Girls of Steel badges.

In the afternoon we were delighted by our senior performers and more than a little sparkle was added by some of our senior staff. It was a fantastic opportunity to share some major achievements but to also pause and shed light on some of the day-to-day heroics and kindnesses which make our school such a special place to be.

We were joined by alumnae Megan and Georgia Salamat who have reached a number of personal and professional highs since leaving school including the launch of their healthy eating

business, The Acai Girls. They shared some inspiring words with our current seniors and reflected on their own experiences and the rules they now live by. The memorable grand finale saw staff explore their magical side and slip on their dancing shoes, proving to our students we still have a few moves to show them!

Left: Megan and Georgia Salamat share some words of wisdom. Below: Head Nina Gunson addresses COTSY audience. Far below: Business and Enterprise students share their successes.

Move over ‘School of Rock’… we’re the ‘School of Tech’!

In June this year we were delighted to be accredited as a Google Reference School, making us a regional leader in technology education. Reference Schools are recognised by Google for their outstanding use of technology to drive positive learning outcomes. So what makes our approach to the integration of technology at Sheffield Girls’ so special?

We embrace technology in all year groups

Our extensive use of Google Workspace, including more than 700 Chromebooks for our students and 120 Chromebook Plus devices for our teaching staff, ensures that digital technology is embedded across the curriculum from the earliest year groups.

We collaborate and communicate

This approach to embedding technology goes further, as we collaborate with other schools locally and the wider GDST. We believe passionately in putting girls first and by harnessing the power of Google Meet, we can deliver courses to students at GDST schools in other parts of the country including Latin and Geology, as well as share best practice through webinars and events hosted online between staff. The technology allows us to be agile in the way we communicate and deliver events and activities online to pupils and parents throughout the year. The Sheffield Girls’ Tech Hub is run by our staff and students supporting schools around the city to further embed technology. The hub operates as a forum to share best practice and further everyone’s learning.

We create and innovate

The digital creativity of our students and staff is evident in the learning of our youngest students through to staff who have worked here for more than 25 years. WeVideo helps our students to create exciting, informative and powerful videos in their studies, as well as using Google Docs on their Chromebooks. In the Senior School, using our Premium Canva licence, students share content, insert animation, generate AI artwork and use traditional design concepts to generate professional content.

We learn as we go

In 2024 we started training our students in the effective use of AI in Computing lessons. Utilising AI within web tools such as Canva, Wisdolia or Teachable Machine are just some of the tools that we have been exploring.

Our staff are Google Certified educators

25% of our staff are Level 1 or Level 2 Google Certified Educators across all curriculum areas. We also have one Google Certified Trainer and two members of staff are preparing for the Professional ChromeOS Admin qualification.

Reflecting on our recent Google accreditation, our Head of e-Learning, Stephen Wiles said:

“Employing a 1:1 Chromebook policy across the school has enabled us to shift conversations away from technology and tools, towards effective 21st century teaching and learning approaches and it is great to see this level of commitment recognised by Google themselves.”

As a Google Reference school we look forward to hosting more events for the wider schools community in the future.

Right: Head of e-Learning, Stephen Wiles, collects Google STEM Excellence Award for Sheffield Girls’ at Google Head Office.

Steely 7 Saturday

We were incredibly excited to see the sun shining for our inaugural Steely 7 Saturday on 15th June.

This whole school event provided an opportunity for friends of the school, new and old, to join together for an afternoon of activities and challenges in support of our Bursary Fund Appeal. Current pupils, parents, staff, alumnae and friends came together to enjoy a BBQ, outdoor games, and some pupil performances, whilst the more competitive amongst us took part in the ‘Steely 7 Challenge’ around Endcliffe Park and our younger pupils completed an on-site teddy bear hunt.

The Steely 7 Challenge – a 4km circular route beginning and ending at Sheffield Girls’, incorporated seven local interest checkpoints for our runners and walkers to tick off along the way and allowed guests to work up an appetite and thirst for the rest of the afternoon.

The event was also a fabulous opportunity for our pupils to share their appreciation, and perform, for our Head of Infant and Juniors, Mr Hald prior to his retirement in summer.

Money raised on the day for the Bursary Fund will support greater life-changing bursary provision at Sheffield Girls’ in future years and into perpetuity.

World Educational Robotics Primary Hub Regional Final

In November our Junior School transformed into a hub of technological innovation as it played host to the World Educational Robotics (WER) Primary Hub Competition. The event brought together young minds from across the city, with thirteen teams representing six different schools competing for the coveted title of WER Regional Champions.

The challenge set before these budding robotics experts was no small feat: they were tasked with researching AI, preparing a team presentation and planning and debugging their showcase robots. The competition tested the pupils’ technical skills, programming knowledge and their ability to work as a team, communicate effectively, and solve problems collaboratively.

Mrs Williams and Mrs Pooley, our Junior School robotics specialists, welcomed distinguished guest judges from various industries, as well as students and academics from the University of Sheffield, HSBC, and Oxford University.

Mrs Williams, Science Lead at Sheffield Girls’ Juniors said:

“This event was an exciting culmination of our long term partnership project with schools across the city who are equally passionate about the power and importance of robotics to the next generation of computer engineers and programmers. It’s a privilege, as the UK hub for Junior World Education Robotics, to be able to welcome so many pupils to Sheffield Girls’ for this collaborative competition and watch the ingenuity and initiative on display as our

groups of students tackle each challenge. Not only is this a fantastic opportunity to develop enhanced skills in Junior robotics, it’s also a wonderful chance to meet new people who share your interests and make new friends.”

The event would not have been possible without the support of the judges and teachers from each partner school, and the enthusiastic participation of parents, families, and students. We were delighted to work with teams from Arbourthorne Community, Nether Green, St Marie’s, Ecclesall Primary, St Joseph’s and Marlcliffe Primary Schools. Their collective spirit contributed to a thoroughly entertaining and exciting day.

This was just one of a number of events and competitions across the year showcasing our specialist robotics programme. We were delighted to host a specialist junior robotics open day on a Saturday morning in spring and our Senior LEGO Club pupils were invited to compete in a national LEGO League Robotics competition at Bradford University. After securing further funding in partnership with HSBC we have also been delivering the latest in our primary CPD sessions with groups of primary teachers from across Sheffield.

Above and below: Primary school students from across Sheffield take part in the WER Regional Final at Sheffield Girls’.

Sheffield Schools’ Celebration of Science

As part of this year’s UK Science Week, Sheffield High School for Girls hosted a special event on Friday 15th March during which pupils from all year groups showcased their science experiments and activities, around this year’s theme of ‘Time’.

Pupils from a number of local primary and secondary schools joined in to collaborate with their own experiments and demonstrations and enjoyed sharing their experiences and testing each other’s theories. There were experiments with walking water, creating batteries, making rainbows, evaporation studies, Virtual Reality experiences and even a volcano, so everyone had something to do. We looked closely at Darwin’s finches to consider who has the ‘best beak’ whilst floating flowers tested capillary action. Diffusion was explored with Skittles – though perhaps the bigger test was that of self-control not to eat them!

Guests from the University of Sheffield and local science and technology organisations joined the event to share their experiences and pupils enjoyed a short keynote speech delivered

by Saman Qarni, an Engineer at Sheffield University, specialising in manufacturing and electronic engineering who is also a programme officer for the Maker School Project, a programme which provides children and young people with the skills, knowledge and habits of mind to make projects in relation to real world problems using both high –and low-tech tools, materials and technologies.

Jo Hill, Head of Science at Sheffield Girls’ said:

“Science Week is always such a fantastic opportunity to explore the wider applications of science in all walks of life and to introduce new concepts to pupils and start new conversations. We are

passionate about STEM in school, and we celebrate it every single week, but our pupils are particularly excited to have the opportunity at this event to explore new ideas and share their interests with other children from around Sheffield.”

Right and below: Students take part in experiments during Celebration of Science.

Year 7 Welcome Quiz Night

Our annual quiz night for our incoming new Year 7 pupils took place in June, with over 80 pupils and family members joining us to test their local knowledge, hear our school ‘top tips’ and watch our ‘how not to do it’ uniform fashion show. This informal event is one of the many ways we work with our new students to ensure their start at Senior School is as stress free and enjoyable as possible, and it’s a great chance for parents new to the school to meet and get to know each other and our staff.

Hellos and Goodbyes

Goodbye Mr Hald

A fond farewell to our Junior Head, Christepher Hald. Before the end of the year we took some time out with our Junior Head Girls, who were only too ready to accept the challenge of a final interview with Mr Hald. No question was off the table and we certainly learnt a few new things!

What has been your most memorable moment?

Seeing you guys shine in and out of the classroom. It’s hard to pick one particular moment but seeing your creativity and enthusiasm every day in the classroom has been an absolute joy. Oh… and seeing your teachers bounce round on space hoppers was pretty good too!

What will you miss the most?

Interacting with you guys, watching you progress, grow and develop your confidence and seeing you move across the road as you go to Seniors.

If you weren’t a Head teacher, what would you have been? [with no hesitation] An archaeologist! I loved archaeology as a child and was passionate about history. Then I moved to a big city and eventually got ‘hooked’ on science – the rest is my history! Pompeii, where our senior pupils recently visited is one of my favourite places to visit and I still absolutely LOVE history! What’s the magic ingredient at Sheffield Girls’?

Positivity and kindness. We listen to each other – and it’s important to never underestimate the power

Below and right: Junior Head Girls Aaruthe and Orla get the scoop with Mr Hald.

of being a good listener. There is an old proverb which says we have ‘One mouth and two ears’, so I think if you’re listening at least twice as much as you’re talking its a good start.

What has been your funniest moment at school?

I have to admit that I love it when our younger pupils try to tell me something and perhaps use the wrong words and end up saying something they really shouldn’t. I also love our end of year assemblies and last years’ wacky races and Apprentice sketch were big highlights. A good piece of advice is to never take yourself too seriously! Turn to page 21 to see what surprises were in store during Mr Hald’s last final assembly!

Where do you see the school going next?

I am so excited to see Miss Green take up the mantle as I retire and have absolute faith in her and the rest of our wonderful team. I think the school will just continue to get bigger and better, but always with a focus on what makes us so special: our girls only position, the emphasis we place on building skills for life, and our use of the positive Growth Mindset at the centre of everything we do.

“Everything starts with Infant and Junior School and your experiences here will set you up for the rest of your

time at school and indeed for life.”

What are you most proud of and why?

Professionally speaking, all the wonderful pupils who have passed through the corridors of all the schools I have worked at. I hope I have had a positive

impact on most of them and I’m proud of what they have all gone on to achieve. Winning UK Prep School of the Year, in this, my final year as a Head was perhaps my proudest moment of all.

What is the first thing you’ll do in retirement?

On the first day of Autumn Term I’ll probably be up bright and early and be thinking and worrying about all you girls and our team of staff, and how you’ll be feeling on your first days in school. Perhaps a few days after that I’ll finally feel more relaxed and in mid September I’m planning that most sacred of things in the minds of most teachers – a holiday in the middle of term time!

Do you have any advice for us?

Be yourself!

Be proud of who you are, like and love yourself.

Be kind to yourself and to others, but be who you are.

PLEASE tell us a secret!

Ok, but don’t tell anyone! When I took the phone call to inform me that we had won ‘UK Prep School of the Year’ last autumn, I was so excited I jumped up off my chair, and broke it! I’ll have to make sure I get a new one before Miss Green sits in it and finds out!

OPEN DAYS

We welcomed over 200 new pupils to school during our on-site and online open days during the year. These events are a fantastic chance to really see the school in action and learn more about each of our departments and our co-curricular offer. We also welcome families for individual tours and visits throughout each term. Use this QR code to view our next events.

Year 7 Experience Day

During Summer Term we welcomed Year 4 and 5 pupils from our Junior School and other schools around Sheffield to our Year 7 experience day. The girls explored both physics and business skills, taking part in a challenge to build a rollercoaster for a theme park before moving on to creative writing and illustration workshops in the afternoon. We always thoroughly enjoy welcoming younger pupils into our Senior School and it is a great opportunity for them to meet our friendly teachers and forge new friendships with their peers.

Year 13 Leavers’ Evening

We were delighted to see so many of our Year 13 pupils and families come together after A Level exams finished, to reflect on their time at the school and look forward to the years to come. Director of Sixth Form, Mr Spick was on hand as ever with some suitably embarrassing photo slides and our outgoing Head Girls and Senior prefects took the chance to share their last words of wisdom with their peers.

Always a bitter sweet moment but we wish every one of our students the best of luck in their next steps and look forward to seeing them back at school in the near future.

December is a magical month at Sheffield Girls’ with the spirit of Christmas twinkling through the corridors and the sound of carols echoing in the hall. As always, we took the opportunity to think about those in need at this most special time of year, with pupils and staff leading charity activities and sharing their resources, time and friendship with those who need it most.

Carol service and Christmas concerts

Music plays a huge part in our Christmas festivities, the pinnacle being our Carol Service at St Marie’s Cathedral. Pupils, staff, families and friends joined us for the evening and as usual there was standing room only as the congregation enjoyed choir, solo and a capella performances from ensembles across every year group in school. Our more informal Christmas concerts at school were an absolute delight with the usual sing-alongs and musical performances alongside the vocals.

Christmas card competition

Well done to all our participating pupils. Phoebe’s winning seniors submission shown above.

Infant nativity

Our ‘Twinkly Nativity’ was a major hit, with our youngest pupils dressed as innkeepers and angels. It was incredible to see such confidence and determination as our youngest stars shone brightly on the stage, with some fabulous dance moves and singing on display.

Christmas swap shop

We are dedicated to our ethos of sustainability at Sheffield Girls’ and Christmas is no exception. We promote Christmas ‘swapping’ not Christmas ‘shopping’ in our annual event during which staff and pupils bring pre-used items into school to swap for alternative gift items.

Christmas jumper day

Christmas Jumper Day gets more competitive every year and this Christmas was no exception. We not sure who enjoys this most, our students or our staff, but it’s a great day to celebrate and wonderful way to raise money for Save the Children.

Christmas tree decorating

In what is an annual tradition at Sheffield Girls’, our Year 7 pupils with the most achievement points were invited by the Head to decorate our Christmas tree. The most eagle-eyed amongst us spotted Darth Vader and Yoda amongst the baubles!

Movement Evening

On the 12th of December we pulled out our crash mats, polished our tap shoes and rolled out the trampolines for our annual gymnastics and dance extravaganza ‘Movement Evening’. Hosted at Sheffield University’s Octagon Centre over 200 of our athletes from Reception to Year 13 dazzled the audiences with a display of musical and gymnastic prowess.

Individual contemporary performances were followed by group dances and whole club demonstrations as our trampolinists reached new heights – literally – and our youngest performers impressed with their colourful and energetic productions.

Our whole school community, including parents, alumnae, staff, governors and some Sheffield VIPs enjoyed a fabulous evening celebrating the courage of our pupils as they showcased their talents. With a chance to socialise with a drink before the event, it was a fantastic addition to our Christmas festivities.

Parent Insight Evening with Dr Kevin Stannard

This year’s programme of Parent Insight Evenings included a range of important topics for pupils of all ages, including Maths, English and PSHE. The events are targeted at our parents and carers and are designed to provide information about aspects of our school strategic plan and other areas of provision at the school.

A highlight in the calendar was a presentation on the value of an all-girls education, given by Dr Kevin Stannard, Director of Innovation and Learning at the GDST.

In a time when there is a great focus on the gap between independent and state schooling as well as the gap between boys and girls in educational achievements, Dr Stannard provided the GDST perspective on why (and how) girls thrive in a girls-only school.

Dr Stannard outlined key arguments, and data, in support of all-girls education compared with the co-ed alternative.

Discussion points included:

• The ways gender affects students’ experience of education

• Pressure to conform to gender stereotypes

• Accommodating girls’ needs and preferences within a dedicated learning environment

• Facilities design, curriculum and approaches to learning –for girls

• Reflecting girls’ priorities and ambitions for future careers and leadership

With over a hundred parents and carers in attendance, it was great to see such appetite and interest in this area of debate with a good number of our own alumnae joining the event to add their own experiences and perspectives during the final Q&A session.

Department for Education data shows that:

Girls in girls’ schools are 2.7 times as likely to take Further Maths and more than twice as likely to take Physics and Computer Science A Levels – compared with girls in co-ed schools.

The uptake of other sciences is also higher with Biology 43% higher, Chemistry 85% higher and Maths 87% higher in girls’ schools compared with girls in co-ed schools.

“A

girls-only education is really important as it has established a belief in my daughter that she can pursue any career option and access any curriculum subject.”

Year 10 parent

Above: Dr Kevin Stannard presents on the values of an all-girls education.

Girls in girls’ schools perform better than students in co-ed schools across all (state and independent) schools.

Girls perform better in girls’ schools than in co-ed schools in their top eight GCSEs, looking at all subjects as a whole, and also for Maths and English separately.

All Girls, By Design!

We asked some of our Year 9 students to share their thoughts on the value of their all-girls education.

“Our school empowers girls to reach their full potential. It teaches us to be strong and independent through our actions, to push ourselves to improve and to not hesitate to ask for help. We are taught that when we put our minds to it, we can achieve anything, that we deserve to be respected and valued, and when not given equal opportunities we have a right to speak up.”

Nirja, Year 9

“Girls in single-sex schools have many more opportunities to take on leadership roles within a school community, leading to confidence and flourishing skills. Unconfined by the restraints of gender stereotypes, girls in single-sex education have nothing holding them back and can go beyond the limitations of mixed education.”

Imogen, Year 9

“Having been at a single sex school my whole life, I see both the positives and negatives surrounding them. Girls-only schools encourage confidence and offer opportunities which are not always available to girls and there is less focus on ‘cliques’ and more focus on academics.”

Amba, Year 9

“Single sex education has many benefits that can really nurture and support your child. A recent study shows that girls are significantly less likely to be involved in sports than boys at a co-educational school, and part of the reason for this is body consciousness. I have also found in a single sex school we are more encouraged to speak out and stand up for ourselves.”

Eve, Year 9 SCAN TO READ GDST Difference: Designing Education for Girls’ Futures

GDST Girls’ Futures Report Read the latest research from the Girls School Association

Evening of the Arts

On the 25th of June Sheffield Girls’ celebrated An Evening of the Arts inviting students, parents, staff, alumnae, friends and Sheffield VIPs to enjoy an exhibition of fantastic art pieces, alongside musical performances and theatrical showcases from across the school.

Over 250 guests enjoyed student performances as they viewed the final pieces and portfolios of our GCSE and A Level students. Our younger pupils also had the chance to show some of their work across a number of mediums, inspired by various artists.

The standard of work on display was just incredible, evidencing how hard our students have worked to achieve their final pieces. With spectacular artwork from Infants to Year 13, you could really grasp the creativity and individuality across all year groups.

Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Jayne Dunn, and Sheffield Poet Laureate Danaé Wellington were amongst our guests and were delighted to meet some of the artists behind the work.

Below: Art Department staff meet Lord Mayor of Sheffield and Sheffield Poet Laureate Danae Williamson.

Above and right: Infant and junior pupils exhibited alongside their senior peers and took inspiration from some of our GCSE and A Level final artworks.

Our Girls of Steel are in their element!

We share three school values at Sheffield Girls’: courage, kindness and positivity, and with a school mission to ‘teach her everything so she can be anything’ our character education programme underpins everything we do, as we weave our ‘steel thread’ of personal development through every single year group.

Infants and Juniors

Values award scheme

In our younger year groups this year we have been working to develop an understanding of values and how people think and behave. We open opportunities for our girls to demonstrate our school values as often as possible and in Year 3 and 4 our Fusion Curriculum allows for them to develop a values portfolio. Here pupils record their reflections, ideas and experiences and record completed challenges and activities set for them. In Summer Term, completed portfolios are collected and during the COTSY celebration our values awards are presented to our successful pupils.

develops curiosity, independence, appreciation, creativity, confidence and morals and ethics.

This year, pupils focused on a range of areas including:

• Goal setting

• Understanding rights and responsibilities

• Respecting others

• Decision making

After completing a range of challenges from a list of over 60 options in the programme, our pupils worked towards their final awards, taking a trip up on stage during COTSY in July as the whole school recognised their achievements.

Seniors

Gold and Silver Awards

In Year 5 and 6 our pupils work towards their Gold and Silver Awards as they develop strategies and skills to enhance their positive mindset and well-being, as well as acquiring new transferable life skills. Reflecting the six competencies of the Fusion Curriculum, the scheme

This year we welcomed a whole new group of Year 7s into senior school and they launched into the next stage of their character education ready to become independent critical thinkers and leaders. We all know that top grades and an up-to-date LinkedIn profile are no longer enough to secure the job of your dreams and so we take great care to work with our seniors to continue their growth

as Girls of Steel, specifically focusing in Year 7 and 8 on:

• Leadership

• Communication

• Collaboration

• Independence

• Critical Thinking

• Reviewing and improving and of course: kindness, courage, and positivity

It’s been another fantastic year watching our pupils in their element, building skills and attributes and seeing them demonstrated in the bigger successes but also in the smaller everyday, magical interactions that are so often overlooked.

“The girls are so kind and caring towards each other, which is something that is very much encouraged at the school.”

Year 6 parent

Above: Year 7 enjoy Bushcraft residential.

Early Ye ars

at S h ef field Girls ’

Rachael Leslie, Deputy Head of Infants

Castle

“As Deputy Head of Infants at Sheffield Girls’, I'm endlessly inspired by our young pupils’ journey from inquisitive four-year-olds to confident young women. At Sheffield Girls', we encourage pupils to challenge, question and create. Our vibrant and welcoming environment offers a breadth of opportunities , nurturing confidence and kindness in every girl.

One of the unique joys of being part of a through school is witnessing our pupils’ remarkable growth over the years. Seeing them blossom from their early days in the Infant School and then catching up with them at various events as they progress through the school is nothing short of magical . It's incredible to know that we are shaping young minds and preparing them to make their mark on the world.”

being outside is fun

Trips and visits in 2023-24

Summer in the

Other

Madagascar and Stick Man at the Lyceum Theatre, Tropical Butterfly House, Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Ecclesall Woods and Endcliffe Park, Weston Park Museum and Shepherd Wheel

Topics explored this year in Infants

Reception – We’re pleased to meet you; Special jobs

for special people; We’re going on a bug hunt

Year 1 – All about me; houses and homes;

Sunshine, showers and rainbows

Me and my wonderful world

Year 2 – Are we nearly there yet?; Splish splash splosh; Where in the world is Penguin Small?; Great fire of London;

Botanical Gardens

Bolsover

Every week our infants took part in:

Sport Music

Our girls enjoyed twice-weekly PE lessons, with our reception class also taking part in weekly ballet lessons with Miss Ambrey. The culmination of the girls’ sporting activity was their very own Sports Day at the end of the summer term – they all had lots of fun cheering each other on!

welove learning

Library time

Our infant pupils performed in the Nativity, Spring Sing and Celebration of the School Year amongst many other events, including an extra special farewell performance for Mr Hald at Steely 7 Saturday and in a surprise final assembly. Girls learned songs linked to the topics they have been exploring and developed their rhythm skills. We use the Kodaly style of teaching; that music is a language everyone can learn to speak.

Our infants have a dedicated library for themselves and the juniors, and each week they spend time in the library discovering new books and reading favourite authors with our Infant and Junior Librarian Mrs Russell. In the autumn and the summer there is great excitement when the book fair visits and the girls get the chance for a new reading adventure.

Specialist lessons

Technical literacy

Our infants are technology whizzes and from reception through to Year 2 they have spent this year using their chromebooks confidently to support their learning.

There is always something interesting happening in the Infants school! French and Spanish, Art, Ballet, Music, outdoor learning and getting out into our local community. And of course, lots of time for playing outdoors with our friends, come rain or shine!

FOLLOW

Katie Morag Day

Year 1 had a fantastic day immersed in the world of Katie Morag –everyone looked fantastic in their cosy jumpers and tartan combos! Our pupils taught Katie to count two digit numbers, visited the beach and spoke courageously with big voices in a wonderful assembly – well done girls!

Young Linguists

French and Spanish lessons take a fun, cross-curricular approach by including many songs, games and interactive activities. Pupils in Reception to Year 2 focus on speaking and listening and developing spontaneity. Great importance is given to culture and the girls learn about different festivals, enjoy food tasting from different countries and watch videos with native speakers.

Year 1 Celebrate Spring

Spring sprung in Year 1 with beautiful paper flower creations as our young crafters perfected their cutting, folding and rolling techniques. The results were some of the most unique and beautiful bouquets we have seen. Well done girls.

Our Instagram to watch the exciting things our young pupils do next!

Welcome Miss Green

We were delighted to announce in Spring that Emily Green, our current Junior Deputy Head, would be taking up the role of Head of Infant and Juniors upon Mr Hald’s retirement in summer. Miss Green has been instrumental in driving recent developments, which have seen the school gain national recognition as the Independent Prep School of the Year 2023. Reflecting on her appointment, Emily said:

“I am extremely honoured to be the next Head of Juniors at Sheffield Girls’. Under Mr Hald’s leadership, the school has developed a curriculum and character education programme which has been nationally recognised and I am eager to continue to develop this further. I remember as a little girl, being so excited and eager to walk through the gates of Sheffield Girls’ Infant and Junior School as a pupil and feel the same way now as I begin the next journey leading the school that gave me so much.

We’ve been named Prep School of the Year 2023

Read the full story here.

Maker School

This year has seen our partnership with the University of Sheffield’s School of Education flourish as we have, not only taken part in their Maker School Futures Programme but we were awarded the Bronze Maker School Award in this, our first year of participation! During the programme our juniors worked with staff from across the University in workshops that allowed them to use new tools, tinker and test as they designed thinking methods to build and create things like cogs and wheels and programming robots. Learn more about the Makers programme here: www.makerfutures.org

Junior pupils become legal eagles!

Year 4 and Year 5 pupils enjoyed an insight into the legal world when Solicitor and teacher James Stewart joined us to deliver an ‘All Rise’ workshop. The session offered a gentle introduction into the legal world and how it applies to everyone’s lives. Our girls learned about their legal rights and responsibilities and important concepts such as the rule of law, fairness and impartiality through a variety of immersive activities. We also learned about Fundamental British Values, the importance of law and used role play to show democracy in action. Asked whether our guest speaker had provided an interesting workshop, the verdict was unanimous… guilty!

Haddon Hall Tapestry Project

As part of our Year 5 computing curriculum, we have been working with Sheffield Hallam University and Brockwell Junior School to produce a tapestry for Haddon Hall. Inspired by the stained glass windows at Haddon Hall, and combining their Art, English and Computing knowledge together, the girls used Canva to design the tapestry and used their programming skills to sew the tapestry using TurtleStitch.

Learning is delicious!

During the Summer Term, Year 3 took the great glass elevator into the world of Charlie and the Chocolate factory, learning as much as possible about everyone’s favourite treat during fantastically creative chocolate workshops, before entertaining the rest of the school with their Charlie and Chocolate Factory performance. Showing an impressive appetite for performance, the girls lead by example as our infant audience looked on. We were all left feeling that little bit happier – and hungrier!

Year 5 head to London for the GDST Junior Robotics Competition

In June Charlotte, Ruby and Indira in Year 5 jumped on a train with Mrs Pooley and Mrs Williams to join pupils from across the Trust at the 2024 GDST Junior Robotics Competition. It was another opportunity to get to grips with LEGO Spike kits as well as a great chance to meet new friends and fellow coding enthusiasts. The girls got their problem-solving hats on and programmed their way to 1st place. They can’t wait to take their next robotics steps in Year 6.

Trips and residentials

Our junior pupils have enjoyed trips and residentials throughout the year linked to their curriculum topics. The girls have tried their hand at candle making, history walks, orienteering, cargo net climbing, mountain biking, museum treasure hunts, crazy golf and much much more and it’s great to see the fizz of excitement as they push their own boundaries and further develop their confidence.

Year 3 Castleton residential

Year 4 Thornbridge residential

Food fuels the feet!

Our juniors were excited to meet Dr Christopher Rosimus, Head of Performance Nutrition at England Football this year when he joined us in school to deliver a workshop about the importance of nutrition not only for elite athletes but as part of a balanced, active and healthy lifestyle.

5

TURN

To page 53 for more information on Junior sports action.

Year 6 Kingswood Residential

TURN

To page 31 so see our wild Year 6 pupils take on Madagascar.

STEM

Biology in the Lakes

Our A Level Biology students headed to the Lake District in September for field work at the Blencathra Field Studies Council Centre. The girls visited a variety of locations and completed biological sampling and statistical tests whilst taking in the magnificent scenery.

Computer Science

students visit HSBC global data centre

Year 11 GCSE Computer Science students were invited to take a guided tour of HSBC’s state of the art data centre this year. This computer facility handles all of HSBC and First Direct’s banking transactions and during the visit students were able to link a number of their study areas to this real world computing facility including networks, cyber security and the impacts of technology.

Junior Maths Challenge Competition

Well done to the Year 7 and Year 8 students who were awarded the highest level of certificate for the Junior Maths Challenge competition they took part in during Autumn Term. Many students achieved Bronze and Silver awards, but a huge well done to Florence and Siddhi who achieved Gold, with Florence being the best in the year. The students who achieved Gold also qualified for the Maths Kangaroo.

HSBC ‘Go for it’ Workshop

Following the GCSE visit in September, a further visit to HSBC’s new Head Office was arranged in November for a group of students who might want to consider future careers in technology. Our Head of e-Learning Mr Wiles, led the group as they took part in three workshop sessions: the A-Z of computing; women in tech; and App design, followed by a tour of the new facilities.

Geological Society

Our budding geologists also had the chance to take part in the Geological Society’s National Schools Challenge, with a group qualifying for and participating in the national finals in March. This was capped off by a visit to the Geological Society’s HQ in London where a group of our pupils completed a range of problem-solving activities.

South Yorkshire Maths Competition

Eight Year 10 students joined peers at King Ecgberts School for the South Yorkshire Maths Feast Competition in February run by MEI. The event tests problem solving and team working skills.

Geology rocks!

This year 30 students across three GDST schools and two Sheffield schools were able to study our GCSE Geology curriculum as a twilight subject. James Speed, Head of Geology reflects:

“It’s such a pleasure to be able to share the GCSE Geology curriculum with students from a range of schools, delivering sessions both in person and online and enjoying a joint field trip. Our twilight structure provides the opportunity for more students to gain an introduction to this fascinating subject and contributes to more young women moving into careers in related fields.”

With field trips throughout the year for pupils aged 10-18 and with our bi-annual visit to Iceland approaching later this year it’s easy to see why so many pupils across the region are keen to be involved.

Year 7 Maths Day

On 19th April, Year 7 had the day off timetable to complete their Maths Day, full of different mathematical puzzles and challenges. A fantastic day was had by all!

Year 12 students present at North Star Schools Science Conference

North Star Science School is an amazing annual oneday STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) workshop. The event showcases the cutting edge of science and engineering, and promotes innovation and opportunity in the South Yorkshire region.

This year some of our science stars from Year 12 were invited to present at the conference – hosted by Professor Brian Cox – and the group shared the work they had completed in partnership with scientists at AMETEK Land, a leading local engineering firm. Sophie, Nongmi, Ellie, Winta, Catherine, Ellen and Priyanka presented their workshop for children, designed to explain the processes of glassmaking. They then enjoyed inspirational talks from leading scientists and engineers, and had the chance to engage in hands-on interactive activities.

This amazing Science Summer School programme aims to make Britain the best place to do science and engineering, by inspiring the UK’s next generation of young scientists, engineers and inventors. North Star is South Yorkshire’s part of this fantastic Science School initiative.

“We collaborated with AMETEK Land to use a chocolate fountain and strawberries to demonstrate the process of thermal conduction, and the functionality of their thermal imaging camera and software. It was a great learning experience and we were able to demonstrate leadership and teamwork skills. Overall, it was very rewarding because, not only did we learn something new, but we also inspired children interested in STEM.”

Nongmi and Winta, Science Prefects

Bebras Computing Challenge and Oxford Computing Challenge

Both organised by Oxford University these events test advanced problem solving and programming skills as well as logical thinking. See page 89 for details of event participants.

Industrial Cadets

This year, one of our Bronze Industrial Cadets groups created a project to improve the environmental sustainability of a well-known local building, which incorporated new ideas around energy, recycling and waste. After building a 1:100 scale model fully from recycled materials to test their eco-theories, our cadets could reflect on their research and problem-solving techniques, in anticipation of taking part in the Silver Awards next year.

A calendar of activity for STEM students at Sheffield Hallam

In November, all Year 12 Mathematics students were invited to attend a day of talks and interactive workshops at Sheffield Hallam University designed to present a broad and diverse view of maths and the things that mathematicians do.

The talks and workshops included sessions on mathematical problem solving, mathematical modelling and applications of mathematics.

On 9th March teams from Years 8, 9, 11, 12 and 13 all descended on the University to compete against each other in solving Mathematical puzzles and challenges during a Maths ‘Pop Quiz’ event.

As part of Science Week in March this year, SHU hosted a Cybermaze event for Year 8 students. This involved students working in a team to follow a trail around the University campus to solve puzzles and reveal clues along the way. A great opportunity to learn more about the type of thinking that underpins computer science, and our students had a blast!

Year 10 take a Quantum Leap for rocketry!

A six-week super-curricular course in Quantum Machine Learning provided our Year 10 students with an introduction to the theory of quantum computing and its practical application for the prediction of rocket trajectories. Students gained practical insight into quantum machine learning AI and how ML algorithms can be used for rocket trajectory prediction. This year Inayat, Alyal, Myra, Kaiyan and Aliza completed the course. Special mention goes to Inayat who worked with a student from Sutton High school to deliver a presentation on their learning to a panel of experts in the final session.

Year 8 STEM spelling bee

Congratulations to all the participants of the STEM Spelling Bee, the students who went through to the final were Mya, Sara and Riya. The final took place online and we won ‘Best School’ overall and Riya went to a nail biting ‘spell-off’ and came second overall, Congratulations Riya!

CREST Award

The CREST Award is the British Science Association’s scheme for STEM project work that inspires young people to think and behave like scientists and engineers.

Pupils follow a path to complete a research project or an experiment – this year’s projects included: mutations in the world of medicine, insect-based sustainable pet food and robotics in medical surgery.

Get up to Speed Business Challenge

In a second collaboration with Ametek LAND a group of our Year 8 scientists were delighted to win the Ametek LAND Get up to Speed with STEM Business Challenge. Tasked with creating a marketing campaign for a new thermal imaging camera, the judges were blown away by their creative thinking, understanding of the product and vibrant and exciting ideas. The winners travelled to Ametek LAND’s headquarters to accept certificates and a cheque, and to have a tour of the facilities where the newly named ‘Manticore’ camera is manufactured. Congratulations Riha, Lizzie and Georgie.

Science pupil wins Atherton Award

Conceived in 2019, The Atherton Award is open to all pupils aged 11+ and aims to recognise entrepreneurial spirit, with the ultimate goal of incentivising more young women in the UK to enter STEM careers.

This year’s award recipient is Saba in Year 8 who delivered a project on building an app to improve the memory of those with dementia. Saba collected the school trophy on the last day of the academic year and will take part in a mentoring day for entrepreneurs next year. Riha also received special mention for her project for a non-profit website built to translate speech into captions for hearing impaired people.

Robotics Club enter the Lego League!

In March this year a team of six students from Year 8, 9 and 10 took part in the regional heats of the first Lego League Robotics Competition at the University of Bradford. They had been working towards this challenge over the Autumn Term and at robotics club. The competition involved taking part in a number of challenges including building and programming a Lego robot to solve a number of challenges. Our students had a great day and performed brilliantly. They came 5th in the robot game challenge and were winners of the innovation project task.

Food and Nutrition

This year our seniors, as well as some of our junior students have been back in the cookery suite honing their kitchen skills. Whilst we use competitions like ‘Master Chef’ to raise the profile of this subject and encourage groups to get involved, this year we also awarded ‘Top Chef’ in each curriculum lesson to recognise students developing not just their technical cooking skills, but also organisation, presentation, teamwork and service. Overall ‘Top Chefs’ were named at the end of each term.

Space Technology Diploma

Year 12 students with experience of programming have the opportunity to take part in the GDST Space Technology Diploma this year.

This is a super-curricular programme of study including practical activities that enable students to explore and learn how programming and other Computer Science techniques are used in the Space Technology industry. This year Daria, Sophie and Winta successfully completed the Diploma with both Sophie and Winta achieving a Distinction for their additional research projects. As part of the programme, which

South Yorkshire Climate Conference leads to eco-action at school

Seven of our most eco-conscious senior school students attended the South Yorkshire Schools Climate Conference this Spring.

They took part in a workshop about climate change, enjoyed music inspired by climate action and then contributed to a Q&A session with professionals from across the region involved in local climate initiatives. This inspirational event encouraged them to confront some challenging themes and devise some practical actions to implement back at school which were passed back through our Climate Action Support Team (CAST) to approve.

To read more about our other eco activities this year visit page 68

is in its second year at the GDST, our students took part in a space technology conference at Cranfield University where they carried out their final group practical assessment component in front of an industry panel in order to defend their programming portfolios. The event included guest speakers from NASA.

: Space Tech Diploma Conference at

UKROC

In this annual competition where Year 10 and 12 students have the chance to build and launch their own rockets, our students did not disappoint. They used the ‘OpenRocket’ app to access data to calculate optimum flight time, trajectory and parachute opening timings. After a worrying start on launch day, when the fuse did not initially work, our physicists finally got to see their creation take to the skies, with ‘Team Chaos’ rising to far greater heights than ever expected. Well done girls!

Watch Team Chaos rocket launch

Psychology Club

Psychology club for Year 10 students was back by popular demand and well attended throughout Spring Term. Pupils had a taster of various fascinating topics, including microexpressions and lie detectors, the issues surrounding the diagnosis of mental health, a ‘human’ brain dissection and of course how to spot a psychopath.

Can men multitask as well as women?

… according to our psychology research the answer is no!

In March, Year 12 students carried out their own research projects and presented their findings at our in-house psychology conference. Fascinating topics included the link between colours and emotions, the effect of gender on multitasking and the placebo effect. The winners, Sophie, Blythe and Issy represented the school at the GDST Psychology Cup later in summer.

Above

Cranfield University.

Art, Music and Drama

Sheffield Girls’ students shine in Young Artists Exhibition and Snooker Portrait competition

Our young artists showcased their creativity in this year’s Sheffield Young Artists Exhibition. The event coincided with the World Snooker Championships who collaborated with the organisers to include a snooker portrait competition.

Year 12 students Chloe and Lottie emerged as the overall winners of their categories. Six of our students also exhibited snooker portraits, with some even featuring in the championship programme, and Charlotte joining an interview with BBC Sport.

Our infant and junior pupils were also exhibiting in this year’s event and were excited to visit the exhibition to see their own work

on display. We were delighted to learn that two of our infant pupils had been selected to feature their artwork in the Art in the Park exhibition at the Botanical Gardens in September.

“We are so incredibly proud of our amazing artists who were selected to have work included in The Sheffield Young Artists Exhibition ‘24. Their work exemplifies the talent and creativity of so many of our students.”

Kairen Andrews, Head of Art

Inktober

Inktober is our annual invitation to flex the creative muscles and join a friendly House competition.

Inspired by inktober.com, the aim of Inktober is to draw, using any form of ink, from the prompt words provided throughout the month of October. This year we had more interest than ever from students and staff alike with over 700 submissions.

VIEW Our gallery here:

Director of Music shortlisted for Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year

In her final year at Sheffield Girls’, and after 26 years at the school, we were delighted to see Frau Wallace shortlisted for the Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Awards 2023.

Her nomination reflected the many years of commitment and dedication to music at the school, both as Music Outreach Coordinator and more recently as Director of Music. Clare was ‘instrumental’ in developing links with the University of Sheffield Music Department, Sheffield Music Hub, Sheffield Cathedral and 21 partner schools around the city. Her passion and dedication to sharing music with as many pupils as possible and letting them develop their skills and interests in their own way has created some magical moments along the way. With more than 10 school concerts this year, 20 weekly music clubs and three UK and overseas music trips, we think Frau Wallace has more than earned a bit of a rest and we wish her well for her retirement.

Gig Nights, Serenades and concerts

– celebrating

voices and talents of every age at Sheffield Girls’

It’s been another year of musical adventure and every one of our pupils has had the opportunity to perform.

Our infants have taken to the stage to twinkle and shine for their parents, whilst juniors have entertained with Christmas favourites and musical endeavours in a number of concerts through the year and the school birthday. Informal Gig Nights and Spring and Summer Serenades have provided Seniors with a chance to stretch themselves contributing to group ensembles and choirs or as solo performers. Whether just starting out on their musical journey or developing more expert skills, it’s always a joy to watch our students grow in confidence and ability.

Future Now Exhibition – Sheffield Hallam University

We are always so pleased to collaborate with the University’s Institute of Arts on this exhibition and this year we were delighted to see eight of our senior students have final pieces selected for display. Congratulations to Izzy, Raisa, Issy, Charlotte, Cara, Anavi, Keira and Alina.

Clay Club

Year 13 Mentors Anavi and Raisa supported 18 of our Year 7 girls at this weekly club as they developed skills in a medium many had not worked with before. Great hands-on experience for our new senior students and a fantastic opportunity for our Sixth Form mentors to develop their leadership and communication skills whilst imparting knowledge from their own learning.

Sixth Form photography enrichment programme

As part of our Sixth Form Forging Futures enrichment programme a group of talented Year 12 students created an online photography exhibition, displaying work resulting from the study of a number of different topics and photographic techniques.

VIEW This year’s fantastic work here:

Above: Farewell to Director of Music Frau Wallace.

Art visits, trips and speakers

This year our budding Piccassos experienced a range of trips, visits and speakers supplementing their time in the Art Studio:

• Life Drawing Workshop at Chesterfield College

• Visit from comic book illustrator / Manga artist Sonia Leong

• Visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park to consider artistic interpretation and critical analysis of how art interacts with the environment

See page 18 to read about our Evening of the Arts.

National Youth Brass Band

Congratulations to Lizzie in Year 13 who was appointed as co-principal soprano cornet of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain.

“There was a great team spirit and a genuine sense of camaraderie between us all. Everyone willed each other on, and there was no real sense of competition as we all supported each other.”

Natalie, Year 10

BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2023

This year Sheffield Girls’ celebrated the remarkable achievement of one of our Year 10 pupils Natalie, who was crowned BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2023.

The announcement came after an impressive performance by Natalie during the competition finals, broadcast in December on BBC 1, where she outshone her competitors with her exquisite rendition of The Virgin’s Slumber Song by Max Reger. The prestigious awards, hosted by BBC Songs of Praise and BBC Radio 2 and presented by the renowned chorister Aled Jones, aim to showcase the finest young choral talents across the country.

Nina Gunson, Head of Sheffield Girls’, acknowledged Natalie’s exceptional talent, remarking:

“Since Natalie joined us in the Senior School we have recognised her as a prodigious musical talent. I am not surprised to see her extraordinary talent

recognised in this national competition and we are so thrilled for her. What is also so special about Natalie is her personality and character, and the kind, collaborative and joyful way she approaches everyday life at School. I’m sure this shone through for all the judges and contributed to her eventual success. We’re all incredibly proud of you Natalie and can’t wait to see what you do next.”

Natalie went on to sing a solo in the GDST Sing production in February.

Oughtibridge Brass Band success

Congratulations to Chloe in Year 10 and Hannah in Year 13 who reached new heights with Oughtibridge Brass Band who, having won the regionals two years in succession, claimed the 3rd place trophy in the Nationals, making history for the band.

Musicians assemble!

A special mention to all of our junior musicians who have played us in and out of assembly each week throughout the year. These short musical interludes are enjoyed so much by staff and pupils alike and provide fantastic inspiration for our younger pupils just starting out on their musical journeys.

Making a song and dance

Last year marked a bigger than ever calendar of performances for our juniors to participate in and this year was no different. From the Spring Sing, and a Midsummer Night’s Dream, to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Year 3 and 4 Christmas concerts, there has been something for everyone to enjoy. Year 6 ended things on a high with a simply amazing performance of Madagascar, it’s been a year to remember!

Year 9 Explore Theatre Day

Back in Spring Term, Year 9 took part in the ‘Explore Theatre Day’ at Sheffield Theatres. Our students participated in an acting workshop, writing workshop, costume and set design masterclass and completed a backstage tour.

Some students were also lucky enough to watch the pros at work during a rehearsal of the production Wish You Weren't Here. Director Robb Watt was on hand to provide invaluable advice and insights about working within the industry.

National Youth Choir

Congratulations to Kitty in Year 7 and Zoe in Year 8 who successfully auditioned for the 9-15 National Youth Choir. Zoe also participated in a one week residential course with them during the Easter holidays.

Performance opportunities

This year saw a huge range of opportunities for our pupils to perform, across infants, juniors and seniors. Parents, staff, pupils, and visitors alike enjoyed a wide range of performances across the year including some of the following highlights:

• School birthday performance for school alumnae and former staff

• Matilda – senior school musical production

• Madagascar! – Year 6 play

• The Twinkly Nativity – infants

• Performance Platform – senior drama, speeches and music

• Evening of Arts – musical and dramatic interludes during evening art exhibition

• COTSY – solo and group musical and dramatic performances from juniors, senior students and Sixth Form

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Year 3 Assembly

Drama trips

Our theatre trips allow students to engage directly with the arts in regional venues, developing lifelong memories for them to cherish and hopefully fueling a lifelong interest in the arts. This year’s trips included:

• Life of Pi – Sheffield Lyceum

• Metamorphosis – Liverpool Playhouse

• Greek Theatre Day – Warwick University

• Explore Theatre Day (Year 9) –Sheffield Crucible

• Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Sheffield Lyceum

Year 8 pupil performs at Leeds Playhouse

Ana Gutierrez Robson was cast in this year’s Leeds Playhouse production of Oliver. Ana was part of the Young Company Cast as she trod the boards at this prestigious venue. Well done Ana, you’ve left us wanting “More!”

GCSE Artwork

Zara Afelumo

Emily Bamforth

Elodie Howarth

Sophie Anderson

Sophie Wild

Eva Anderson

Jae-Hui Tan

Freja Lobley

Ruby Murphy

Charlotte Hellewell

A Level Artwork

Raisa Hasan Keira Dunn

Cara Bacigalupo-Cookman

Charlotte Wadsworth

Isabella Thorpe

Cara Bacigalupo-Cookman

Alina He Isabel Andrew Pickles

Raisa Hasan

Anavi Hosaangaadi

Film adventures in Sicily

Congratulations to Emily in Year 13 who was involved in an exciting film project last summer. She was whisked away to Italy to film Lemons which has since won an award for Best Student Film at the Sicilian Film Awards.

Performance Platform

Senior school students showcased their talents during our annual performance platform. The evening included public speaking, dramatic scenes from plays such as Girls and Dolls by Lisa McGee and The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stevenson, as well as musical performances by our string quartet alongside solo pieces. Well done to all our incredible actors, singers, stagehands, costume designers and sound support for their amazing contributions to stage performances throughout this year.

Matilda

This year we embraced the music and words of Tim Minchin, as our senior performers took to the stage in our production of Roald Dahl’s classic, Matilda.

We were blown away by the emotional performances as well as the amazing vocal talents of our group performers and soloists.

During COTSY, our Drama Prefect Esme spoke about one of her favourite moments in the production and how it reflects life at the school:

“In a song called Quiet Matilda discovers her telekinetic powers. It is an intimate number where Matilda shares her innermost thoughts and feelings, directly with the audience.

Matilda explains how she sometimes wonders about paradoxical things—like how there’s no way to know if we’re perceiving colours the same way as anyone else, and how travelling at the speed of light works. She wonders if she’s ‘not just a bit different from some of my friends’ and how things can get too loud sometimes.

Quiet is a moving song, where the audience gets a glimpse into Matilda’s wonderful mind and its powers. Matilda’s neurodivergence fuels her strength, creativity, and resilience. She embodies the virtues of intelligence, bravery, and creativity, showing that true strength lies in embracing one’s unique qualities and using them to make a positive impact on the world.

Thank you to everyone at our school who is so inclusive and understanding of neurodiversity within our community. Your support helps us all to recognise and celebrate the unique strengths each individual brings.”

Congratulations to everyone involved in this fantastic production including all those working so hard backstage and behind the scenes.

English, Languages and Humanities

There’s no argument –debating clubs are back!

In April this year, teachers from our English Department were delighted to welcome colleagues from five Sheffield schools for our first CPD event on Junior School Debating. The sessions covered a range of topics including debate styles, listening and speaking skills games, and structures for termly club management. This free event was a great success and we look forward to continuing to work together with these partnership schools to develop future opportunities for our pupils to compete against each other and put their verbal reasoning and skills of oration to the test.

National Reading Champions Quiz

We have so many book lovers at Sheffield Girls’ we were able to put forward two teams for the Yorkshire Heat of the National Reading Champions Quiz. Answering eight rounds of questions on various genres as well as a brainteaser and Dingbats round, both our teams made top ten positions. With lots of giggles along the way our Year 7 and 8 completed another chapter in their learning story!

Top tips shared by awardwinning author and screenwriter Simon James Green

Simon joined Year 10 and 11 in Autumn Term to deliver a talk and workshop focused on careers in publishing and writing. He shared advice on getting your writing noticed in this highly competitive arena and advised our pupils on key considerations when writing for a young audience.

Simon’s books for younger readers include Life of Riley: Beginner’s Luck, which was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award. His latest novel Boy Like Me was published this year and has just been nominated for the YOTO Carnegie Medal 2024.

Sixth formers see London through the eyes of English and History

Back in November our English and History A Level students enjoyed a two-day visit to the capital, during which they were able to experience the literary heritage of the great city as well as its history. Underpinning topics in their A Level exam specification the girls explored the Tower of London, The British Museum and the British Library. A tour of Westminster Abbey and the chance to visit Poet’s Corner topped off the trip, with the added bonus of an interactive workshop on Henry VII for our History buffs.

Foyle Young Poet of the Year

Merila in Year 13 was selected by the Poetry Society from over 15,800 entries by young poets from across the world, as one of only 85 commended Foyle Young Poets of the Year. Reflecting on her incredible achievement Merila said:

“Being part of the 85 commended young people for the Foyle’s poetry award was truly amazing and it

was one of the biggest shocks of my life… who knew a poem about an inflatable costume called John would receive an award! The ceremony itself, which was held at Shakespeare’s Globe, was lovely. It was amazing hearing the 15 winners read out their work.”

Manga illustrator inspires young comic enthusiasts during World Book Day

Our youngest senior students were lucky enough to meet Sonia Leong this year. Sonia has worked on Doctor Who and Assassin’s Creed, amongst many other projects in comics. She illustrates for children’s books, fashion, advertising, film and television, and has appeared on CBBC’s Britain’s Best Young Artist. Sonia discussed her experiences as an illustrator and provided guidance and advice to our budding illustrators and authors who then had the opportunity to join an illustrator workshop.

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ESU Public Speaking competition

Since October, upwards of twenty Year 10 students have been involved at some point in Public Speaking Club sessions which took place every Tuesday lunchtime. In Autumn Term, six students, members of our popular Public Speaking Club, entered the first round of the ESU Public Speaking Competition. Split into two teams of three, each student took the role of either chairperson, main speaker, or questioner. Competing against other regional schools in the first round, Asha, Myra and Ruby were delighted to qualify for the next round. The girls then competed in the Regional Finals held at Loughborough Grammar School in March.

Oxford Schools’ Debating Competition

In February, four teams from Sheffield Girls’ entered the Oxford Schools’ Debating Competition. The regional round, held at Silverdale School, saw groups argue a range of motions on social and cultural topics. Of around 750 UK and international teams that entered the competition, only 120 made the finals, hosted at the Oxford University Debating Union. We were delighted to see Amara and Ellen in Year 11 join them.

E-magazine A Level English Conference

English Language students had the opportunity to listen to some new inspiring ideas and get an update on the latest English language research as they attended a conference in Macclesfield in February. Language never stands still and this event proved a fantastic chance to gain greater insight into some of the hottest topics of debate in the field ahead of Spring exams.

Languages

Sheffield Girls’ hosts city-wide translation bee competition

This year our Languages Department hosted a new city-wide translation competition, with class-based rounds during the year and the finals taking place in June.

We were delighted to welcome students and staff from Astrea Academy, Springs Academy, Notre Dame, Birkdale, Forge Valley and Silverdale schools in June as pupils prepared to do battle in the linguistics arena. Pupils were tasked with translating as many sentences as they could from English into the target language in one minute. French, German and Spanish students also got to participate in additional challenges and quizzes and learn more about careers in languages during the event. Head of Languages Katy Barker said:

“We’re keen to expose our students to as many languages activities as possible, and to increase opportunities to work alongside other schools in our region, so we decided to

Key Stage 2 Languages Film Club

This well-attended club involves showings of French, Spanish, German and Chinese language films in the Junior School. It’s a great way for our young learners to hear languages in a different way and in context and reflect on differences and similarities with English language films.

start our own competition this year and invite other Sheffield schools to join the fun.”

In a great example of cross curriculum working, Daria in Year 12 who is studying A Level Computer Science supported our event by designing a bespoke computer programme to be used by teachers and students as part of their preparation for the competition. Daria said:

“This was a really fun problem for me to try and solve and it allowed me to bring together and practise a lot of the programming skills I have been learning as part of my A Level Computer Science studies.”

Poetry by Heart

Three Year 7 pupils put forward entries for the Poetry By Heart competition, a national poetry speaking competition for schools and colleges in England. Phoebe and Aanya were commended whilst Sophie was highly commended. Taking part is all about developing confidence with poetry in an enjoyable, accessible and engaging way that leads to its life-long enjoyment. We were delighted to see three of our pupils take part in this national event.

Languages Week

September saw the annual celebration of Languages Week, providing an opportunity for pupils to focus on lots of language topics and learn about new cultures as we pause to reflect on the wider world around us. This year’s highlights included:

• Guest speaker, alumna Georgia Marshall

• Ancient language code breaking

• A friendly game of petanque

• Multi-lingual bingo

• Languages careers quiz

Onatti Theatre Group

Year 5 and Year 7 pupils were treated to a performance of a bi-lingual play by the Onatti Theatre group when they visited the school. The production, delivered in French and English, is aimed at beginners to help them develop their French skills in a fun, interactive and non-threatening way and the girls thoroughly enjoyed such an interesting and energetic performance.

Alumna shares her languages journey

During languages week, alumna Georgia Marshall joined students to share her experiences studying Spanish and Portuguese at university. Georgia talked about her year abroad and travels around South America after graduation and how her experiences have broadened her horizons and prepared her for the world of work. After a gruelling nine month application process Georgia has taken up a training place with South Yorkshire Police, demonstrating that languages can take your career in almost any direction.

Georgia credits her time in Sixth Form and especially her exchange trip to Palma for inspiring her lifelong love of languages and it was such a privilege for our younger girls to hear her story.

Year 3 pupils look to Year 7 to lead the way in languages

This year our Year 3 pupils have hugely enjoyed working with our older pupils in the Senior School. In June, Year 7 girls were in action in the Junior School creating fun and creative lessons for their younger peers to help expand their language knowledge about food and opinions. This peer education model is beneficial to both groups of girls, allowing our older students to develop confidence and communication skills whilst our younger pupils get to see where their language journey will take them in seniors.

Dance like no-one’s watching!

We brightened up a cold dark January with some fabulous dancing as Dance Days joined us in the Junior School to provide a variety of workshops. From reception class through to Year 6, the girls enjoyed learning some classic Indian and Chinese steps, linked to recent class topics. In the afternoon it was time for flamenco and the girls had a blast as they explored Spanish culture through the magic of movement!

The Law of Languages – Big International Issue!

In November we joined up with Business Language Champions (BLC) to host an event for school students across the city, called Big International Issue.

Sixth Form students came together to take part in workshops and put together an international campaign on an issue they feel strongly about. Students had to put their points across in the foreign language and face questions from the audience, as well as have a go at live interpreting.

Topics included police brutality, minority languages, and even space mining and other elements of the day included:

• A keynote talk from a linguist working with Amnesty International

• An opportunity to talk to

practising legal professionals about the possibilities for a career in law

• The opportunity to talk to international business professionals

• A workshop about how to articulate arguments effectively in a foreign language

BLC is an organisation which promotes MFL and cultural cohesion by demonstrating to young people the value of language skills in the workplace and their language champions were on hand throughout the day

to advise students and help with language issues. Our students eagerly put themselves out of their comfort zone and worked incredibly well in teams with students from across Sheffield. Positivity, courage and kindness were in abundance!

Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française (DELF)

Senior school linguists have the additional opportunity to study for the French DELF qualification, administered and awarded by the French Ministry of Education. These exams are the only official French language proficiency diplomas in existence and we are lucky to have two qualified DELF examiners here at Sheffield Girls’: Madame Van Schingen and Madame Rosset. We offer the B2 qualification to all French A Level students and the B1 qualification to some Year 11 and Year 12 students as an enrichment option.

In November, Isobel, Hannah and Imani in Year 13 achieved their B1 qualification and Jomana in Year 12 achieved her B2. In June, Year 13 Isobel sat her B2 qualification and in Year 12 and 11 Kit, Ruby, Esme, Namratha and Anjali sat their B1 qualification. Congratulations to all of senior linguists who have gone above and beyond to reach new language heights.

Language Ambassadors lead the way

Over the last year a group of our Year 9 and Year 10 students have shown exceptional commitment to modern languages by taking on the role of Language Ambassador. Nairouz, Tithkar, Sophie, Harriet, Tegan, Isabella, Freycie, Amelie and Susannah have planned and hosted several activities throughout the year, providing a session for open morning, delivering our ‘big languages’ quiz, creating content for our social media and publicity material and running stalls at our Sheffield Schools Translation Competition.

The group also initiated and ran a Language Club for our Year 5 and Year 6 students in Spring Term. Our younger pupils really enjoyed working in partnership with their older peers who supported some of them to enter the Oxford German Olympiad, drawing creatures and labelling them in German. In a year when there were a record number of entries to the Olympiad, Imogen in Year 6 was ranked as a runner up.

Spanish exchange trip to Palma

December saw the return of our annual Sixth Form exchange trip to Palma, Majorca, in partnership with High Storrs, Notre Dame and Forge Valley Schools. We returned to San Josep Obrer School in Palma, with whom we have partnered for many years and our students enjoyed the opportunity to improve their oral fluency, their listening comprehension and deepen their knowledge of Spanish culture and society, all of which is integral to the A Level syllabus.

During our visit to Palma, and our Spanish peers return visit to Sheffield, students stayed with host families and attended lessons with the exchange friends. There was also the chance to absorb some additional culture with sightseeing around the historic city.

We’re looking forward to a new Barcelona exchange later in Autumn Term 2024!

European Day of Languages

Juniors celebrated the European Day of Languages on 26th September taking part in online activities with Lingotot, including a Spanish ‘superheroes’ session and a French take on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes… practice whenever you can!”

Listen to our Year 9 students interview Jomana, one of our master linguists in Sixth Form.

Classics

Never too young to embark on a Classical adventure

Our Classics teachers love to share their passion for all things Latin, Greek and Roman, and offer clubs for students from Year 5 upwards. Our Junior Classics Club offers the chance to explore language, Greek history and anything else they might be interested in. This year has been all about having fun with topics, tapping into existing knowledge and demonstrating the relevance of these subjects in the modern world. Miss Gill has also offered a lunchtime club in Key Stage 3. Not only do these groups offer an early introduction to the subjects, they provide the opportunity for our Classics Prefects to get experience supporting younger pupils, and developing their leaderships skills.

Senior Classics students meet Dame Mary Beard

During a visit to The University of Sheffield during the ‘Off the Shelf’ literary festival, our classics students were able to meet one of their heroes Dame Mary Beard. A preeminent English classicist specialising in Ancient Rome, she is a trustee of the British Museum and formerly held a personal professorship of classics at the University of Cambridge. The girls were able to share their recent classics experiences and squeeze in a few questions for the scholar. An incredibly inspiring encounter with one of the most impressive female scholars of our time.

Pompeii and the Bay of Naples

In October a group of our classical explorers ventured out to Italy. The visit took in the Archaeological Museum of Naples, Mount Vesuvius and of course, Pompeii. Dr Sophie Hay, an expert in the field in Pompeii joined the group to provide a guided tour of the house of Julia Felix, a businesswoman of her day. The group benefited enormously from the context this trip afforded them as they continue their studies in classics. The pizza and gelato was an added bonus!

Warwick Ancient Drama Festival

The Classics department celebrated the Warwick Ancient Drama Festival in January, providing students with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of Ancient Greek Drama at Warwick University. Students from Sixth Form Latin, Classical Civilisation and Drama classes, joined with our GCSE Twilight Greek group to enjoy a performance of Aeschylus ‘Persians’ which further enriched their understanding of classical literature and theatre.

The SCA share their ‘Wild Visions and Untamed Myths’

In a mesmerising event hosted by the Sheffield Classical Association, we were treated to a captivating play featuring encounters with mythical figures like Artemis and the compelling tale of Kassandra on the grounds of Sheffield Girls’. Storytellers Katy Cawkell and Lucy Lill transported the audience to ancient worlds, inspiring imagination and curiosity. The excitement didn’t stop there. Katy Cawkell returned to share fantastic storytelling workshop, captivating Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils with the tale of ‘Odysseus and Penelope’, fueling their passion for Classics.

Two awards in a year for top Sheffield Girls’ Classics student

Congratulations to Olivia in Year 12 who scooped not one but two prestigious classics accolades this year. Olivia was award the GDST Nancy Silver Classics Award for commitment to and excellence in Classics. Olivia also secured second place in the Lytham St Anne’s Classical Association’s ‘Ancient Worlds’ competition.

Humanities

Sheffield Girls’ take the stand at Independent Schools’ Mock Trial Competition

Back in March a group of our students participating in our Forging Futures programme showcased their knowledge at the Independent Schools’ Mock Trial competition hosted at Nottingham Girls’ High School GDST. This exciting opportunity saw students engage in each of the processes of a criminal trial, and their efforts were a culmination of their work throughout this year as participants in our Law enrichment course. Amidst a day of passionate debates and collaborative teamwork, our exceptional students emerged with victories in two out of three trials. Notably, one of our teams triumphed against the overall winning team, highlighting the calibre of talent and preparation exhibited by our students. Congratulations to all participants on the day, we look forward to celebrating their future successes in the realms of law and beyond.

PRE Conference in Manchester

Ahead of A Level finals our PRE students headed to Manchester for a revision conference which covered topics such as Natural Law Theory and Conscience. The conference also provided an opportunity to practise debate and skills sessions for essay writing.

Philosophy Society

Syeda, Amelie and Steph in Year 12 ran this year’s Philosophy club tackling a range of philosophical ideas and ethical quandaries in today’s society.

Sociology Scholars’ Programme

We were delighted to launch the first few lectures of the Sociology Scholars’ Programme this year. A Level students were given the opportunity to write and deliver a 15 minute lecture on an aspect of Sociology. We were grateful to Felicity for her insightful lecture on crime statistics and to Amelie who took us through the Feminist ideology as shown in the recent Barbie movie. These sessions are open to everyone, not just our sociologists and our first in the series have certainly set the cogs whirring!

Craft Club ‘sew’ seeds of remembrance

Remembrance Day is always an important opportunity at the school to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of those before us and those caught in conflict now around the world. This year our craft club unveiled a beautiful blanket of remembrance, a crocheted field of poppies, which had been a joint project between students and staff in the Senior School.

Year 9 Ethics Conference

In November Year 9 students took part in an Ethics Conference with external speaker sessions that encouraged debate and discussion:

• Animal testing and inclusivity with the Lush team

• Rationing the NHS with alumna, GP Dr Fran Yarlett

• AI with Marjory Da Costa, senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University

• Prison Reform with Chris White, Chaplain from Armley Prison

Year 10 take on Snowdonia

As part of the fieldwork requirement for GCSE Geography coursework our Year 10 class ventured out to beautiful Snowdonia this summer to collect data and case studies. Students studied glacial landforms and processes in the Ogwen Valley as well as river processes and features in the Llanberis Pass area and stayed at the Plas Menai National Outdoor Centre allowing for extra watersports fun in the evenings. The weather may not have felt too summery, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of our outdoor explorers.

Stepping into the past at The Thackray Museum

of Medicine

In May Year 5 spent a day in Victorian times as they were invited to step back into the past at the Thackray Museum of Medicine and ask themselves ‘What was life like for children in Victorian times?’.

Exploring the lives of a range of characters on Victorian streets our pupils discovered how people lived and worked and saw first-hand the sights, sounds and smells of Victorian Leeds. After witnessing the conditions people lived in, the girls then had the chance to discover how Victorians

Humanities out and about

would have treated their illnesses, using maths skills to decide what their character would have done. This workshop will let the girls use lots of historical evidence to piece together the lives of real Victorians, while the role-play gets them to empathise with the people from the past.

Excursions and field trips form an important part of our humanities curriculum. This year senior students have pulled on their walking shoes and ventured out on a range of informative and engaging adventures.

Year 8 geographers learned about tourism and coastal erosion in Scarborough.

Year 10 geographers spent three days in Snowdonia in June learning about glacial landforms and taking part in a variety of watersports.

Cranedale was the destinations for our Year 12 geographers exploring geomorphology in October.

Our budding historians headed to Ypres in Flanders to learn more about the First World War and Year 8 visited the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

Sixth Form Psychology students were in London in November to visit the Freud Museum and at a Psychology research conference in Leeds in March.

Business and Enterprise

BiG Challenge

This Sheffield based enterprise competition runs from September to February, with teams competing to see who can set up and run the most successful business.

Prize categories range from the best branding; biggest profit; outstanding journal; best marketing and sales and many more. This year judges were challenged with choosing winners from 160 team entries involving over 500 young people.

After devising, pitching, marketing and selling their products our ten new Year 9 business teams had a wealth of experience to draw on in future projects. Well done to Paws & Pals (Lucy, Marni, Nirja, Katie and Nethra) who won ‘Best Community Engagement’ and ‘Best Advert’ and Jar It (Jasmine and Summer) who won ‘Best Branding’.

We were so proud when two teams made it through to the Big Challenge Awards Evening at the OEC in March. These were Shutter Scrubz (Hannah,

Amelia and Nousha) who won the Harvey Morton Digital Award for Marketing and Sales and SJ Jewels (Serena, Sienna, Joyce and Jiya) who won both the Harvey Morton Digital Award for Marketing and Sales and the HLM Architects Award for Teamwork. They also won The Sheffield City Council Big Prize Award for Outstanding Achievement.

GDST LEAD

Launched in September 2021 as an innovative Leadership and Enterprise programme designed to allow young women to develop the transferable skills necessary to be future leaders and entrepreneurs.

GDST LEAD is accredited by the London School of Economics. Each team has access to their own dedicated mentor from LSE to support and advise them through the business planning process all the way up to the final Showcase Event.

In October, Sheffield Girls’ played host to the GDST LEADership North conference, bringing together

Enterprise Club

students from five schools in the Trust. The event aimed to foster leadership skills, enhance confidence, encourage ideasharing and forge new friendships through a series of workshops. Participating students were mixed into different groups, providing them with an opportunity to meet and collaborate with peers from various schools.

Year 7 Enterprise Club meet fortnightly with our Head of Business and Economics, Stephen Coote.

Our pupils entered the ‘10X’ national competition run by Young Enterprise which challenges pupils to come up with a business idea and make it a reality. This year our teams held two trade fairs in the school hall, marketing and selling their products to peers and staff, as well as putting together entries for the branding competition and a sales pitch.

Enterprise Club provides an encouraging environment for our younger budding entrepreneurs. Through access to nationwide challenges and competitions our pupils get the chance to share

their ideas and work together to gain valuable entrepreneurial experience.

Seniors visit Bank of England and BlackRock

In Summer Term Year 10 and Year 12 Economics students travelled to London to visit the Bank of England and BlackRock investment management firm. The highlight of the day was the Women in Investment Panel, with representation from women in investing, tech, sales and various asset classes. This Q&A session was a fantastic opportunity for our students to find out more about a career in finance, before finishing up the visit with an informal networking session.

Economics Today Photo Competition

The annual Economics Today photo competition requires entrants to submit a photograph they have taken alongside 200 words on how it demonstrates an aspect of economics. Three of our A Level Economics students took up the challenge and we are delighted that Tahlia’s entry was Highly Commended, she wins signed books from economist and broadcaster Linda Yeuh and economic journalist Tim Harford as her prize. Molly and Suhani were both commended for their entries.

You can read Tahlia, Molly and Suhani’s full entries here economicsfactory.com/blog

Above: Business planning session as part of the LEAD programme. Below: Enterprise club hone their sales skills at their school trade fair.

Wings of Hope Achievement Award

This year a group of dedicated Year 10 students participated in the Wings of Hope Achievement Award, a nationally recognised social enterprise programme created in 2005.

Students work in small teams to run fundraising projects for the Wings of Hope Children’s Charity which helps children in India and Malawi to gain a free education.

Our Year 10 team, Natalie, Rebekah, Freycie, Isabelle and Isheeta produced a successful fundraising concert at school, organised a bake sale and a community litter picking event. They were selected to attend the semi-finals which were held at the Houses of Parliament and even

GAIN

got to meet Sir David Jason!

Sarah Hogg WOHAA Senior Schools’ Programme Manager said:

“You have demonstrated incredible passion and dedication to the values we hold dear at WOHAA.

During the Semi-Final, you showcased your personal WOHAA journeys both as individuals and as a team.

The judges were deeply impressed with the sheer talent and determination displayed by all of you.”

The team will attend the finals later this year.

The annual GAIN (Girls Are INvestors) Challenge aims to provide young women in Years 10 to 13 with a unique insight into the world of investment management and the skills needed to analyse a company.

In this national competition, each participating team is assigned a company to research. Guided by industry experts and supported by an investment mentor during six online sessions during the Spring Term, students are advised on whether to buy, hold, or sell the stock as a potential investment opportunity. We were thrilled that after three rounds of judging our

Year 12 Team, Grace, Lena, Esme, Gabby and Annie, were announced as the runners-up in this year’s competition. The team attended the GAIN Awards in June at Apollo Global Offices in London. A huge congratulations to everyone who took part in the competition.

Above: Wings of Hope Achievement Award at the Houses of Parliament with David Jason.

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Sport

In a school that believes so passionately in supporting wellbeing and healthy lifestyles, the huge range of sports we offer provides an opportunity not just for every pupil to participate, but to find a sport they can enjoy and take part in at a level that suits their abilities and level of interest.

Our Sports Department know each student individually and can support them to contribute to sporting life at school within the curriculum or as part of our extensive co curricular club offer. This year we have competed in national competitions in: Badminton, Tennis, Gymnastics,

Trampolining, Netball, Hockey and Rounders.

Every Wednesday afternoon our junior sports stars head to fixtures across the city and at home – playing netball, hockey and football to further develop their teamwork, communication and resilience skills. fixtures

Becca Podlaski, Director of Sport

“I am super proud that Physical Education at Sheffield Girls’ isn’t just about elite performance; it’s about discovering the joy in working with peers and teachers in a fun and engaging environment. With high levels of engagement in cocurricular sports this year, we celebrate a community where the majority of our girls embrace sport, fostering a lifelong love for physical activity, camaraderie, and resilience.”

Sports stars of tomorrow mentoring the sports stars of the future

As part of their DofE programme our Year 9 sports captains run clubs in badminton, netball and hockey for our junior school pupils, coaching them and supporting them as they build confidence and ability in their chosen sport, developing the skills and aptitude required to compete at a higher level as they join the Senior School.

Alex Reid Memorial Netball Tournament

We enjoyed a great afternoon of netball at our memorial tournament which also serves to raise funds to provide cardiac screening from the national charity CRY, in memory of one of our Senior School pupils. Learn more about CRY here: www.c-r-y.org.uk/screening

Year 13 pupil appointed as director and trustee in the Youth Regional Football Association

“I can’t wait to see the differences that we can make in football across the county.”

Grace, Year 13 Prefect

Since Year 7, Grace has had an outstanding school sports career at Sheffield Girls. We were delighted, but not surprised, to hear that Grace, one of our Year 13 Senior Prefects, had been appointed as the youngest ever director and trustee in the Youth Regional FA. After taking up the role, Grace said:

“I am really enjoying being a part of something so important and exciting. As a director and trustee I attend

Elite success

regular board meetings, where decisions are made regarding finances and the future plans of the business. As a young person I bring a new perspective to the board and can effectively put across the opinions of young people. One of my roles has been setting up a youth council for the county FA, a youth council is a group of young people from different areas of football who meet to discuss what changes we would like to see and how we can make these happen. The process of creating a youth council was fascinating and I am now the chair, leading meetings and planning projects which I hope can improve football for young people.”

A dynamic curriculum for dynamic students

Our pupils are always looking for something new and their appetite for sport is no different. Changes to the sports club offer this year included the addition of cheerleading and more opportunities for football. We’ve added new training for our staff to support the department as we continue to provide the broadest range of sports of any school in the city.

VIEW

Our sports stars in action:

This year we have delighted in seeing some of our elite sportswomen continue on their personal journeys of success. The school works hard to accommodate the unique needs of our elite sports students, with adjusted timetables and flexibility to accommodate additional training and competitions.

We were incredibly excited to see Sophie in Year 12 win a Swimming scholarship with Northeastern in Boston USA which will see her join their UG swim team as she starts her degree there in Sept 2025.

We were delighted to see Leah in Year 8 head off to represent England in the Under 17’s European Championships in Spain this July.

We wished good luck to Charlotte in Year 13 as she travelled to Lithuania for the European Junior Swimming Championships in June.

Mia in Year 10 was selected to represent England in badminton and played in the Under 17 Six Nations tournament in Sweden during the Easter break.

There were too many individual successes to list here, but in this Olympic year we are equally proud of our pupils reaching the heights of elite sport as we are of those girls showing the bravery and tenacity to try something new this year or persevere to master a new skill in PE.

Below: Sophie celebrates her swimming scholarship to the States. Far below: Mia took part in the Under 17 Six Nations tournament in Sweden at Easter.

South Yorkshire Athletics Championships

Congratulations to Rosa, Lizzie, Jameela and Alexia in Year 8 and Hattie, Mia, and Malie in Year 10 who were selected to represent Sheffield at the South Yorkshire Athletics Championships.

Under 13 Cricket Tournament

Well done to Year 7 and Year 8 girls who attended the regional Under 13 Girls Cricket Tournament in May. This was our first event of the season and the girls were fantastic. They learnt lots throughout the day and were a credit to the school.

Skateboard workshop

Always keen to push the boundaries in sport we welcomed House Skate Park to Sheffield Girls’ in Autumn Term to deliver a skating workshop for students and staff. No boardslides or kickflips to be seen but a few Ollies and lots of ramp work left everyone feeling wide awake and a little braver by the end of the day.

Sheffield Girls’ hosts Regional Gymnastics Championships

It was a cold February day but we soon warmed up as we welcomed gymnasts from Bradford Grammar, Headlands, King Ecgbert’s and Silverdale schools for the regional championships. Gymnastics is central to our sports programme at Sheffield Girls’ and every year we look forward to supporting our pupils to participate in regional and national finals as well as GDST rallies. View a list of our students’ gymnastics achievements on pages 98-100

Sheffield Secondary School Athletics

Year 9 took part in the Sheffield Secondary Schools Athletics competition relay races and were involved in 4x100m and 4x400m events.

Sports body associations and affiliations

Badminton

The GB Para Athletes for the Badminton Performance Centre train at school weekly and our own players have access to elite coaching as part of this relationship.

Congratulations to Grace, in Year 12 who won a Sports Aid Award in May for commitment to the sport. Adam Murphy, SportsAid Awards Manager said:

“Grace’s dedication, hard work, and talent have been recognised with this award, and we are delighted to support her on her journey as a promising athlete. We are excited to see what she will accomplish in the coming months and years. Grace’s determination and commitment serve as an inspiration to us all, and we are proud to have her as part of the SportsAid family.”

Sports Days

The sun may not have been shining, in fact it felt more like autumn, but the end of Summer Term means one thing in the PE Department calendar: SPORTS DAY!

Infant and Juniors got active at the English Institute of Sport mixing some fun infant fixtures with more traditional junior races, whilst Seniors headed off a couple of weeks later to the Sheffield Hallam Athletics Stadium where a day of semicompetitive fun ensued. Congratulations to House Gurney who were victorious after the Infant and Junior event and House Grey who took top place at the Seniors Day. Year 12 were resplendent as always in their fancy dress!

Another busy year for Infant and Juniors PE and sports

A year of fitness, competition, skills development, fixtures and teamwork saw our young sports stars reach new heights.

Junior School sport in numbers

sports clubs offered 16

Girls participating in co curricular sport 120 (86%)

sports to take part in 16

2 Fixtures played 48

Junior regional champions

“The teachers recognise each pupils’ abilities and needs and treat them as individuals.”

Year 8 parent

The Learning Support Hub

Our Learning Support Hub is a place where pupils feel welcome and supported both academically and emotionally.

It is run by Michelle Bates (SENCO and Joint Head of Learning Support), Zoë Holmes (SENCO and Joint Head of Learning Support) and Fiona Godbole (SEND teacher).

How do we support our students throughout the School?

Pupils who need specialist support with their learning include those with the following types of learning difficulty, all of which we have experience of supporting at Sheffield Girls’:

LearningSupport

• Specific Learning Difficulties, e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia

• Emotional, behavioural or social difficulties, e.g. ADHD or ASD

• Speech, language and communication needs

• Sensory and physical difficulties

Personal and tailored support for pupils at the School

Staff are provided with pupil profiles for all pupils who have an additional need. This indicates the areas of challenge for those pupils and gives strategies for the teachers to follow to ensure that each individual’s needs are

met. Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Champions in the Senior School are teacher representatives from each department who will help us to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are fully met within their curriculum area.

We can also provide:

• 1:1 and small group intervention (Infant and Junior School)

• Open Door drop in clinic times

• SEND homework club run by our Year 13 SEND prefects

• Reading buddies

How do we work alongside parents/carers to support a child’s needs?

We know that students thrive when there is a strong partnership between us and their parents and carers. At Sheffield Girls’ we value the knowledge parents have of their children and use this to enable us to work in partnership with them to provide effective learning support. We will always inform parents of any concerns we have and discuss fully any action we feel is necessary.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week

We

don't just support neurodiversity, we celebrate it.

NCW aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by individuals and organisations around the world and at Sheffield Girls’ it is an important part of our school calendar.

Though our support for our neurodivergent pupils is yearround, it was great to have the opportunity for all pupils, and staff to pause during the weeklong event, take part in activities, listen to presentations and attend webinars about various topics.

On Wednesday 20th March at exactly 11am we all stopped, and took a ‘brain break’ for five minutes, to contemplate the benefits of adopting moments of calm during your daily routine, or to complete exercises to help us to think differently.

HEADGIRL

Leadership at Sheffield Girls’

At Sheffield Girls’ we provide an environment where every girl can lead. From Reception to Year 13 our huge range of leadership positions reflect our high expectations for students to support the school and their fellow pupils throughout their school career. Younger pupils benefit from learning directly from their older peers and they look forward to taking their turn in these senior positions in future years.

We’re delighted to introduce our 2024/25 Head Girls, Deputy Head Girls and Senior Prefects.

Head Girls:

“I have really benefited from the opportunities and extensive support the school has given me. It is such a privilege to help ensure others have the same experience, and to give something back to our community.”

Elizabeth Hunter

“Since joining in Year 8, the incredible opportunities here have allowed me to grow into a positive, kind, and confident person. I love volunteering at school events, working with the Juniors, and getting involved with competitions and clubs, as they enable self-expression, inclusivity, and meeting new people.”

Olivia Strudwick

Leadership opportunities

Character education starts from day one and in 2023-24 we have seen a large number of our students adapt and rise to the challenge of leadership roles. Our pupils have benefitted from opportunities to lead in every single year group, from sports and House captains to subject prefects, peer educators to reading buddies, student council reps to eco CAST members, there is something to suit every interest and every level of confidence.

We welcome Emma Kong and Erin Denton as our new Junior Head Girls for 2024-25.

“As Junior Head Girl I will continue to support and encourage girls not only in my year but throughout the school to be the best that they can be. I’ll continue to be inclusive with everyone and maintain Sheffield Girls’ ethos and values.”

Erin Denton

Through these experiences they have developed new skills, built their confidence, enjoyed more responsibility, provided valuable service to the school community, shared their passions and prepared for future roles.

L-R: Amelie G, Amelie S, Connie, Bess, Ezaania, Sophie, Ellen, Esme and Olivia

Head Girl Team

Junior Head Girls

Co-Curricular and Trips

Chatsworth

Year 3 had a fantastic time visiting Chatsworth for their end of term trip. They took part in a session on pollinators which gave them the opportunity to explore the gardens before having a picnic, an ice cream and heading to the playground!

Year 8 Peak District residential

As part of our Outdoor and Adventurous activities programme, our Year 8 students set off on an overnight camping residential to Hathersage at the end of June, preparing them for the challenge of the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, which they can choose to participate in during Year 9. Although this trip was just one night away – we packed it full of activities!

The year group split in half for this trip, for the first day one group took on canoeing and walking at Ladybower reservoir while the other got stuck into rock climbing and weasling at Burbage, before swapping activities on the second day. In the evening, everyone came together and students had the opportunity to cook their own expedition style meal at the campsite before settling down for a night under the stars.

Whitby

Our Year 5 residential to Whitby has been running for 15 years! This three-day adventurous trip is often mentioned as being one of the Junior School pupils’ favourite memories and we can certainly see why. Year 5 crammed in so many exciting activities, including hunting for fossils on the beach, visiting the Whitby Jet Heritage Centre and Whitby Abbey, playing crazy golf and even an I-spy trail around the town. Best of all – hot chocolate before bed of course!

Ski trip

Our spring ski trip to Italy offered the opportunity to learn how to ski from scratch or further develop skiing ability in an alpine setting. The trip included six days of skiing with four hours of lessons on each day. The high altitude Passo Tonale resort was a great choice for all levels of abilities and the girls had a fab time carving up the slopes.

Year 7 Bushcraft

A highlight of the school year is definitely the Year 7 Bushcraft Residential. In late September, pupils were up bright and early ready to jump on the coach and head off to the woods! With sleeping bags, extra blankets and plenty of cosy layers Year 7 were ready for their Bushcraft adventure. For two days they immersed themselves in life in the woods, building shelters, learning how to light a fire, playing campfire games and making smores. It was fantastic to see friendships blossoming and students confidently learning new skills whilst having lots of fun together.

Alton Towers trips

Each of our trips to Alton Towers this year have been a huge success. Our Sixth Formers were the first to enjoy a day at the theme park together, spending time with friends after a busy first half-term of A Level study. In April it was a delight to take our Year 10 students out for the day, to thank them for being a fantastic year group and to give them the opportunity to enjoy time together before exams. Finally, it was time for students who have regularly participated in extra-curricular music clubs, ensembles and the school musical to jump on the coach and head to Alton Towers. A brilliant way for students in different year groups to spend time together relaxing and having fun outside of school.

Wimbledon

Students from across the Senior School had a fantastic time on their trip to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships to see top professional tennis players in action. They spent Saturday watching tennis matches and soaking up the atmosphere, even getting to meet tennis stars like Lulu Sun, who this year was the first New Zealand woman to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in the Open Era. On Sunday, students enjoyed sightseeing in Central London and spent some time shopping in Covent Garden before heading home having made memories to last a lifetime.

E.on Kids in Motorsport Day

In June a group of our Year 6 girls were invited to attend the E.ON Kids in Motorsport Day at the Magna Science Centre. The event was held in collaboration with Veloce Racing Team, with a focus on sustainable transport as well as encouraging team building and collaboration. During the day our pupils attended workshops on sustainability, coding, resuscitation skills, TV presenting and media and were able to enjoy some fun in a professional Formula 1 racing simulator.

Scarborough

Year 9 students enjoyed their visit to Scarborough where they worked in small groups to carry out land use surveys, questionnaires, and environmental quality surveys to write up an investigation to assess the impact of tourism in Scarborough. Of course, they made sure to leave time for an ice cream.

Blencathra

Our trip to Blencathra, run by the Field Studies Council, is specifically tailored to promote A Level Biology students’ understanding of ecological research and interpretation of experimental data, core skills required for success within the A Level course. Our students received expert tuition and workshops directly related to their examinations, covering concepts from the populations and ecosystems section of the specification.

Cranedale

The fieldwork trip to Cranedale is an essential requirement of the A level geography syllabus. The students gathered first hand experience of case study material and knowledge to support the Coast and Changing Places Modules. The students focused on geomorphology at Flamborough Head, lived experience of Scarborough and coastal management at Skipsea, Mappleton and Hornsea.

Junior EDI Ambassadors visit GDST Head Office

Emma Kong and Olivia Toh visited GDST Head Office to talk about EDI at the school.

Jodrell Bank

Year 5 had a space-tastic time at Jodrell Bank as part of their Mystery themed Science topic exploring Space. Students took part in expert-led sessions and hands-on activities with telescopes and learned how they have changed our view of the Universe. They discovered constellations in the Space Dome and took a tour of the Solar System. Before heading home, there was time to venture into the gift shop too!

Ypres

Historians from Year 9 to Year 12 had the opportunity to take part in a unique trip to Ypres to trace the footsteps of the soldiers who bravely gave their lives for a better future. Students visited the In Flanders Fields museum, which offers a real insight into the devastating events that took place during 1914-1918, and allows students to follow the experiences of the people living in Westhoek at the time of the First World War. They also visited the Menin Gate, the famous British war memorial of WW1 and toured some of the local battlefields, cemeteries and memorial parks. Some of our students were even able to make some very poignant personal connections, making this a particularly meaningful experience.

Clubs and Societies

Pompeii

In October, our Classicists travelled to the Bay of Naples and to Pompeii for a richly inspiring trip taking in sites they have studied as part of the Classics syllabus. A high point of the trip was the fantastic opportunity to visit Caecilius’ house and have the texts they have been immersed in brought to life. Students also scaled Mount Vesuvius, explored Pompeii and Herculaneum and visited the Naples Archaeological Museum. Of course, they also fitted in time to sample plenty of pizza, pasta and gelato!

Exploring their interests outside of the curriculum our pupils took part in over 60 different clubs and societies this year including:

7Up Choir / Angel Delight Choir / Anime Club

These clubs provide the chance for pupils to meet each other outside of class and year groups and share their personal interests, not to mention being great addition to their UCAS applications!

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

We’re incredibly proud of the achievements of all our students who have taken part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award this year. They’ve experienced nearly every form of weather while out on expedition, shown a staggering array of versatility in their skills and physical pursuits and made a lasting difference in our community through their tireless voluntary work.

Bronze Award

63 Year 9 students successfully completed their practice expedition weekend at the end of April. Despite the weather turning from fine to very wet on Sunday, our students persevered and completed their journey with smiles on their faces. A total of 58 students embarked on their final Bronze Award expedition, starting and finishing in the beautiful areas of Castleton, Hope, and Grindleford, with an overnight camp at Wardlow.

Silver Award

Our Year 10 Silver Award participants tackled their practice expedition in April, trekking from Baslow to Hathersage to Bradfield. Their final expedition in June saw them journeying from Bradfield to the Ladybower reservoir area, then onto Edale, and finishing in Hayfield — essentially traversing the Peak District from Sheffield’s edge to nearly Manchester’s boundary. The teams mastered their navigation skills, and despite a freezing first night during the practice expedition, the weather remained kind during the day, allowing for a smooth and successful hike.

Gold Award

In July, our Sixth Form Gold Award walkers geared up for an exciting challenge week in the Lake District, where they hiked from Keswick to Buttermere, Borrowdale, Thirlmere, and Ullswater, including a wild camp in the mountains. Their practice expedition in May was blessed with lovely weather, making it a fun and enjoyable experience for all involved. In August, our Gold canoeists will paddle down the River Wye from Whitney on Wye to Monmouth, facing the thrilling rapids of Symonds Yat on their final day. This joint expedition with Nottingham Girls’ High School promises to be an adventure to remember.

Volunteering and Skills Development

This year, our students have collectively completed 3,211 hours of volunteer work, with a social value of £16,953.

They have made significant contributions, such as leading Girl Guide and Scouting activities, participating in conservation work with Peak District rangers, volunteering in local nursing and care homes, and as St John Ambulance first aiders at events.

A huge well done to all our students for their hard work, resilience, and commitment to both their personal development and their community.

“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. This programme is really amazing and will have a long lasting effect on the kids.”

SHINE Participant Parent

Sixth Form

SHINE

After battling tough competition to be part of the programme our selected SHINE Mentors for 2023-24 chaperoned and supported 40 pupils from nine Sheffield primary schools during seven Saturday morning sessions.

Proving that it’s ‘cool to be clever’ the pupils tackled a range of topics from maths puzzles and creative computing, to dinosaurs, a history escape room and the world of construction. The programme culminated in a final musical celebration, with parents invited and our young stars taking to the stage to share their personal highlights from the scheme.

We asked some of the Primary school heads to reflect on their pupils’ experiences at SHINE:

“The children selected felt valued and seen, which has been beneficial to their selfesteem.”

Primary Head

“My son has really enjoyed each session. His confidence has grown greatly in the time spent at the SHINE project.”

SHINE Participant Parent

Year 9 Sixth Form Taster Day

After the quiet and calm during A Level exams, Sixth Form was buzzing with excitement again as it was taken over by Year 9 for a day towards the end of Summer Term. This event is designed to give the year group a sense of what it’s like to study in our dedicated Sixth Form Centre and to give them an insight into some of the subjects they haven’t experienced before. They also enjoyed use of our newly refurbished common rooms and outdoor spaces.

Above: SHINE Prefects 2023-24.

Another year of enrichment opportunities for Year 12 and 13, with these timetabled programmes running at lunchtimes and during free periods throughout the year:

Mock trial

For those interested in the legal field, or wanting to improve their critical thinking and public speaking skills, our Mock Trial programme offered some incredible experiences during Year 12. Our students completed a series of lessons looking into areas of criminal law as well as courtroom process and procedures, and the skills and approaches adopted by barristers when presenting and arguing a case. In December they enjoyed a visit from Charlotte Brown, from Northgate Tax LLP who provided valuable insight and answered questions from our 15 lawyersin-the-making. The culmination of the programme was the Independent Schools Mock Trial Competition in Nottingham in March with our teams winning two of their three trials on the day. Congratulations to them!

Peer Educators

As Peer Educators, our Sixth Formers take on a teaching role, developing personal and communication skills while making a difference in the school community. After a period of training our budding Year 12 teachers delivered a series of engaging lessons for their younger peers in our Junior and Senior School and in some of our partnership schools across Sheffield.

Documentary filmmaking

Delivered by writer, film-maker and creative producer, alumna Mathy Selvakumaran who is also a Programme Adviser at Sheffield DocFest, this programme provided our creative students with the skills to tell new stories in visual and engaging ways through film. Students learnt practical skills about shooting and framing as well as editing and audio before collaborating on a short film at the end of term.

Events Management

Amidst a backdrop of sunshine and blooming magnolia blossoms, The Botanical Gardens became a vibrant hub of cultural celebration on Sunday 24th March with the fantastic ‘Flowers Around the Globe’ event hosted by our Year 12 students. They worked cohesively as a group, meticulously crafting, communicating and executing their vision. On the day an array of stalls, each dedicated to celebrating the cultural heritage of both the gardens and the Sheffield community were enjoyed by the public at this family focused free event.

Photography

After studying Landscape, Architecture, Abstract, Portrait and Photojournalism students complete an online portfolio for exhibition towards the end of the year. View this year’s fantastic work here:

FIND OUT MORE

There were a number of other modules to choose from including French DELF B1 qualification (see page 42 for details), Cooking on a Budget and Marketing.

Extended Qualification Projects

EPQs completed by Year 12 this year

Number of staff supervising EPQs

AAverage 2023 grade / score

universities accept the tariff points value for an EPQ towards entry tariff

Leavers’ service and breakfast

Our Year 13 students left us at the start of summer to commence their final exams, but not before a final morning of celebrations with a social breakfast and a final leavers’ service, giving the whole school the chance to mark their achievements and contribution to the school and to wish them well for their A Level assessments.

Mr Spick’s top moments of 2023-24

“A great addition to our Forging Futures programme. A full off timetable day for Year 12 students to learn in both theory and practice, how to protect themselves.”

Intelligent Self Protection Workshop provided by Absolute Defence

“Helping Year 13 students reverse park on Melbourne Avenue! I now know I have a future career as a driving instructor if necessary!”

“Great to take the whole Sixth Form out for a trip to Alton Towers for a bit of fun… although The Smiler was not for me!”

Alton Towers trip

“A charity event to raise funds for local charity Roundabout. Horror films and hide and seek in the Sixth Form centre… seemed a good idea at the time!”

Sixth Form sleepout

“I can’t list my highlights of the year of course without mentioning the incredible A Level results for Year 13. It was such a joy to see them return, fresh from their summer holidays, and watch as they discovered the outcome of all their hard work. Well done gang!”

Turn to page 82 for a summary of A Level results.

WATCH

Move over Beyoncé! Our Director of Sixth Form and Deputy Head of Sixth share their musical ‘talents’ as part of their advice and farewell messaging for our Year 13 students.

Careers

Live Lunch

Our programme of Live Lunch alumnae speaker sessions has got off to a fantastic start this year as Esme Rodger, class of 2006 and Chief Brand Officer at Waldencast Brands joined us in Autumn Term, followed swiftly by Nikki Alderson, class of 1992, a former criminal barrister who now works as an executive coach specialising in supporting and empowering female talent in the legal profession.

Esme runs the start-up beauty incubator, Waldencast, which has created several fragrance, skincare and make-up brands, all with a strong focus on sustainable entrepreneurship. She is a dedicated advocate for young women in business and has a real focus on developing and accelerating the next generation of beauty industry talent. Her team of 40 is 95% female and run by a female lead board.

Nikki Alderson, spent 19 years as a criminal barrister, including several stints in Jamaica supporting attorneys who represented those on Death Row. On her return from Jamaica, Nikki studied for her coaching qualifications while continuing to work full-time at the Bar.

Nikki was inspiring, honest and gave our students vital insights and advice:

“Back yourself and define success your way. Sheffield Girls’ taught me to not be afraid to stand out from the crowd and gave me the confidence and courage to follow my own path.”

“I really enjoyed the Live Lunch – as someone who is especially interested in pursuing a career in law it was incredibly insightful to hear from someone who has worked in and experienced the legal sector at the highest level. It was also inspiring to hear from a highly successful woman striving for better opportunities for other women especially in a traditionally male-dominated industry.”

Olivia, Year 12

“Follow your strengths and don’t be afraid to take a less trodden path to achieve your goals.”

Esme Rodger, Class of 2006

Sandy Gunn Aerospace Aviation & Careers Forum

Sheffield Girls’ welcomed the Sandy Gunn Aerospace Careers Roadshow in December, a cutting-edge event that showcased the latest technology and brought experts from the aerospace and technology sectors to engage students in the possibilities of the fourth industrial revolution.

Representatives from industry leaders, Hybrid Air Vehicles and Airborne Platforms, were on hand to demonstrate technology, share insights, and answer questions from students eager to explore career paths in the aerospace sector.

Our students had the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge technology, including virtual reality headsets, flight simulators, 3D printers, and drones. These hands-on experiences allowed them to envision a future career in STEM, emphasising the collaborative relationship between human expertise and artificial intelligence technology.

“I have just completed my third year at Sheffield Girls’ and I still think I have the best job in the world. Every day I meet with excited, enthusiastic young women and I get to play a small part in guiding them towards

their next step and towards the future they aspire to. The world of work is changing rapidly and this year especially, with the massive growth in AI, has shown us how quickly things can transform around us. A big

Career Spotlight Events

This year, we were excited to launch our new programme of Career Spotlight events for each year group in the Senior School to embed careers provision into the curriculum and offer comprehensive support to help our students make informed choices.

These age-appropriate sessions feature alumnae employers who offer valuable insights and prepare students for a dynamic and competitive world. These events included:

• Year 7 ‘This Is Me’: Exploring strengths and hearing from Esme Rodger (Class of 2006) on how self-awareness shaped her career

• Year 8 ‘The World of Work’: with a talk on “squiggly careers” by alumna Hannah Groombridge

• Year 9 ‘Making Good Choices’: Guidance on GCSE options and speed networking with alumnae and guest speakers across varied industries

• Year 10 ‘Morrisby Aptitude

Tests’: Aptitude tests and insights from alumna Sacha Way on networking

• Year 11 ‘Securing Your Dream Job’: CV, application, and interview workshops by CWR Recruitment

• Years 12 and 13: Explore Post-18 pathways

Head of External Relations, Ros Owen, said:

“It’s fantastic to see our alumnae continue to engage with out current pupils in such a meaningful and supportive way. Their insight is invaluable as the girls look ahead to their own careers.”

part of what we do is to prepare our girls to be agile, and open minded about their professional futures.”

Mrs Metcalfe-Murgatroyd, Head of Careers

GDST Career Start webinar series

This year the GDST has continued its Career Start webinar series. Hosted each week by one of the GDST schools, these webinars –available to students and parents – includes invaluable advice and guidance from guest speakers about a range of career areas and professions.

Topics this year included:

• Apprenticeships

• Careers in Gaming

• Careers in Sustainability

• Careers in Law

• Gap Years

• Careers in AI

• Applying to Oxbridge

• Entrepreneurship

Careers Couch

Mrs MM’s weekly Careers Couch was as popular as ever this year for seniors as they navigate decisions about subject choices and future careers. These drop in sessions are a great way to access support and advice at a moment’s notice.

Year 12 UCAS Conference

Our UCAS Day in Year 12 provides the chance for students to hear from a range of HE providers about what makes an outstandingly competitive application. This year we heard from colleagues at The University of Sheffield, The University of York and Gleeds International who spoke about degree apprenticeships. Guests from The University of Lincoln talked about student life in general and our pupils then completed an application workshop, including registering for the UCAS account.

Careers Fair

In February this year we were delighted to open our doors once again for the Sheffield Girls’ Careers Fair. We welcomed over forty top universities and HE providers as well as forty companies and career experts.

Sixth Form Careers Ladder

We provide careers support throughout every year at school, but it’s fair to say that in Sixth Form it really ramps up! This year has been no different with Year 12 and 13 taking part in mock interviews, UCAS workshops and conferences, GDST Networking events, Oxbridge Conference and guidance on writing personal statements.

VISIT

View our interactive careers timeline:

Our halls were packed with the excited buzz of students and parents discussing their future options and next steps. Students gained valuable insight into crafting an outstanding application, what it is really like to work in a particular field and even secured work experience placements there on the spot.

With Russell Group and more modern institutions on site we had experts across almost every academic and professional field. Study Abroad organisations and

more niche providers such as The Northern College of Music and National Horse Racing College, meant there was something for everyone.

Radiographers, engineers, vets, lawyers, architects, publishers, medical professionals, finance experts, entrepreneurs and digital game designers were amongst the exhibitors as well as representatives from the public sector including the RAF, Army and South Yorkshire Police.

There are enormous benefits and advantages to being part of a large family of schools. The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) continues to lead and innovate in all areas of girls education and we’ve enjoyed another year of collaboration across a range of activities and development areas.

GDST Trust Rallies

Athletes and competitors from across all 25 GDST schools come together during regional and national sporting rallies throughout the year to pit their skills against each other. In what are always good natured but highly competitive events, our students get to mix with girls from across the Trust and make new life-long friendships through a shared passion for sport.

GDST Careers Start programme

This series of webinars is designed to offer insight into a range of careers and provide advice on routes into these fields. Designed primarily for our sixth form students but available for all of our pupils and parents to watch this years topics have included:

• Careers in Policing

• Entrepreneurship

• Careers in AI

• Careers in healthcare beyond medicine

• Careers in the performing arts

GDST: In Conversation with…

A series of recorded conversations with leading women in a variety of fields, many of whom are alumnae from our GDST schools. You can access these on YouTube here:

Applying For Competitive Courses Webinar

GDST LEAD Programme

An innovative Year 12 leadership programme to help students develop the essential skills for effective leadership. This year a large group of our Sixth Formers took part in this programme and we were delighted to host the LEADership North GDST conference in November.

This webinar held in March for students from Year 10 – Year 12 was one of many such events delivered by the GDST designed to support our students to apply successfully for competitive courses, institutions and apprenticeships programmes and this year our Sixth Form students have been able to take advantage of these wide ranging online resources alongside the careers advice provided by our Head of Careers Sarah Metcalfe-Murgatroyd.

We Are One

Sustainability is a green thread running through everything we do across all schools in the GDST, and is represented within the GDST ‘One’ strategy. We aim to be Net Zero by 2050 and have already achieved CarbonNeutral® Organisation certification.

inclusive and community A sustainable, considerate

In our efforts to make school a greener environment, we ask that all of our pupils and staff follow these simple rules:

Don’t waste paper

Rule off after each piece of work (Infant and Juniors)

Close windows (Seniors)

Switch off classroom lights when not in use

Always switch off computer screens after use

Switch off computers at the end of the day

Don’t litter

Recycle

Cut Your Carbon

In November our Year 6 eco warriors joined a national initiative to encourage everyone to ‘cut your carbon’! They spent time throughout the month exploring ways we can reduce our carbon footprint and improve how environmentally friendly we are. Across the school this year we have:

• Installed LED lightbulbs throughout all buildings

• Installed a print delay system to prevent unnecessary or excessive printing

• Raised money to install bird feeders and turn grey spaces into green spaces to encourage insect and small mammal habitats

• Installed a new roof to the main building, improving insulation.

• Cut out single use plastics from all catering areas

• Moved to chemical free cleaning products

JUST ONE Tree

Following the planting of our new trees as part of the Queen’s Jubilee Green Canopy programme we have continued to support the agenda for more trees with our support of JUST ONE Tree. This charity is focused on removing CO2 from the atmosphere through reforestation and commits to planting one tree for every £1 donated. In Summer Term our eco reps planned a day for pupils to donate £1 to wear a green accessory with their uniform for the day, with all proceeds going to this fantastic organisation. Across the GDST schools we have now been responsible for planting over 20,000 trees.

WATCH

Watch our own student Kitty and her GDST peers share their thoughts on sustainability in the GDST We Are One video or head to www.gdst.net/about-us/sustainability

Eco-Schools Green Flag

We were in a celebratory mood as we learned that our amazing Eco-Committee had yet again met the requirements for us to retain our Eco-Schools Green Flag Award, with Merit. Judges for this coveted certification noted:

• Students being aware of environmental issues and being committed to being active and creating positive change

• The proactivity behind our environmental review and resulting action plan

• The impact of our CAST (Climate Action Support Team)

• The integrated environmentalism in our school

• Our well-considered Eco-Code which is easy to follow with a powerful message

National Education Nature Park

Our Eco prefects were quick to get involved when asked to take part in activities to develop new resources for schools across the country by the National Education Nature Park organisation. During a visit to our school and tour of our site, they identified ways for us to improve school grounds to promote more outdoor learning which has now informed a future plan for the year ahead… watch this space!

Unicef Rights Respecting School

We are a Silver Award Unicef Rights Respecting School and embed the articles of the week across teaching and other activities throughout each term. Our pupils understand the vital importance of recognising the rights of the child and this is reflected in our school ethos and values of positivity, courage and kindness.

Above: Eco reps take part in South Yorkshire Schools Climate Conference.

Right: Junior eco reps share climate-related projects with Department for Education.

South Yorkshire Schools Climate Conference

We were excited to send a delegation of staff and pupils to this conference earlier in the year where our students were able to mix with children from across the city and share their eco-related concerns and ideas.

After valuable sessions looking at the impact on children and adults of thinking about high impact climate challenges, and how to manage your wellbeing, in the afternoon students were invited to visit stalls and meet with a variety of climate organisations. With a chance for Q&A with a group of climate change experts, everyone came home with a renewed sense of energy about the positive changes we can all make.

‘OurEcho’ Eco Challenge

Ruby and Ina in Year 10 shone in the ‘OurEcho’ Challenge. This STEM competition empowers young changemakers to take a closer look at biodiversity in their communities. Competitors are tasked with identifying threats to local ecosystems and then proposing solutions to help preserve, protect, or restore those natural resources. Ina and Ruby’s team Sheffield Rivers was shortlisted for the final after they designed an experiment to use algae to help improve the resilience of rivers’ communities to pollution. One of the judges commented:

“The students are showing evidence of following the Scientific Method; having made an observation, conducted research into this area, developed a hypothesis, and now looking to test this with an experiment. Good thought has been given to monitoring success, using kick sampling to monitor invertebrate populations and measuring other indicators of water quality.”

Well done team!

Department for Education Sustainability visits Sheffield Girls’

Gayle Boulton, Head of Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy at the Department for Education was taken aback by the breadth of our climate action when she visited the

school with climate platform organisation Zellar earlier this year. Eco leads Aimen and Daisy, and a group of our Junior greenminded pupils showed Gayle and the group around the school, highlighting some of our recent changes and improvements as well as discussing plans for the future. Not only were we able to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability but our students enjoyed the opportunity to perfect their presentation and communication skills.

& Partnerships

PSHE, Community

Movie Night

During our annual Movie Night in September we were again blessed with good whether as we all settled down under blankets and under the stars for a showing of Sing 2. This yearly event at the start of the school year is a great chance for friends old and new, as well as parents and the wider school community to come together, share some popcorn and make memories before the hectic schedule of the Autumn Term really gets started.

Charity netball match

Year 11 hosted a charity netball match between Sheffield Girls’ and Birkdale School. The crowds could be heard across school and the atmosphere was fantastic. Sheffield Girls’ took the win but everyone enjoyed themselves. Well done to all involved.

Sleepout for Roundabout

Sixth Form students raised over £700 for local youth homelessness charity Roundabout after a sponsored sleepover in the Sixth Form building. Perhaps a spooky movie in the middle of the night wasn’t the best idea, but it was all for a good cause!

Junior Charity afternoon

In June our Junior Charity Prefects led an incredible afternoon of activities, games and sales tables – with some delicious cakes on offer – and raised an incredible £678.15 for Baby Basics and RSPCA Sheffield, two charities the girls had selected themselves. Well done team!

Wellbeing Prefects and Reps

Wellbeing is a priority for everyone at the school and we encourage our pupils to be autonomous and take responsibility for their own wellbeing and those of their peers. Our Wellbeing Prefect leads assemblies and organises projects throughout the year and is supported by a Wellbeing Rep in each Form. This year these role holders have been instrumental in feeding back ideas and comments to Form Tutors and Heads of Year for further action to support pupil wellbeing.

Training the teachers of the future

At Sheffield Girls’ we are fully committed to supporting anyone who is training to become a teacher. Over the last three years we have welcomed 23 trainee teachers across a wide range of subject areas. We work with a range of providers in the region notably Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Teaching School Alliance, University of Manchester and the University of Sheffield.

Hosting trainee teachers

completing their placement in an independent secondary school offers numerous benefits that directly enhance the educational experience for students. Firstly, it brings fresh perspectives and the latest educational techniques into the classroom. Trainee teachers are often at the cutting edge of modern teaching methods, having recently completed their academic training. Their innovative approaches can invigorate the learning environment, introducing new ideas and technologies that complement the established curriculum. This dynamic exchange ensures that students are exposed to a diverse range of teaching styles and methodologies.

It has been a pleasure this year to see trainee teachers develop new skills and knowledge during their time with us and we were particularly pleased to receive the following feedback:

“I had an amazing experience at the school and I cannot articulate just how amazing your students are and the school overall; it very much changed a lot of my own thoughts in a positive way. It is something that I will take with me through my career and something I will value. All of the staff that I spoke to were so incredible, friendly and positive. It was a school environment that I have not experienced before… your pupils are a testament to the school’s culture and it is an incredible place to be.”

Rachel Griffiths, trainee teacher

Pardada Pardadi Education Society partnership project

This year Sheffield Girls’ has partnered with PPES – an NGO focused on girls’ education in India – to link with their school in Uttar Pradesh. The PPES was set up to ensure that every female in the region can attend a secondary school and it relies on fundraising and charitable donations from across India and the rest of the world. In the long term, through this project we aim to:

• Connect with other students digitally in India

• Develop cultural awareness

• Develop our communication skills

• Promote gender equality through collaboration

• Carry out a project collaboratively of mutual benefit

• Make new friends with students in another country.

“Hosting

trainee teachers also contributes to the professional development of our existing teaching staff. The exchange of ideas between experienced teachers and trainees fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement.”

Sarah White, Deputy Head and Professional Mentor Initial Teacher Training

37

charity activities taken place at school over the year

Steel City Marketing

worth of funds raised over the year approx

Wings of Hope

£9,000

pupils leading delivery of charity activity

18

40 charities receiving funds

Our Year 10 team set up a music concert in March, in aid of the social enterprise programme Wings of Hope. Bringing together a large group of fellow students to support the enterprise, the concert was fantastic, with a sizable audience, resulting in a large sum being raised. A badminton tournament hosted by another of our team was equally well supported. Well done to all of our fundraisers, and further congratulations to our concert hosts who received an award for their efforts. See page 48 to learn more about Wings of Hope.

Student Wellbeing Week

Student Wellbeing week provided a useful chance for a break to the routine for our pupils and a chance to remember the vital importance of having a positive mindset and taking time to maintain your wellbeing. Activities across the week ranged from skateboarding, Latin disco and smoothie making, to running club, crafting and LEGO building.

Charities we have supported this year:

This year we collaborated with Steel City Marketing Ltd, a leading UK supplier of branded merchandise on an exciting Design and Technology project. Our Year 5 students were challenged to create an innovative branded toy or toy kit for patients at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Over the course of several weeks, the students worked diligently on their plans, gaining an insight into the design and build process, with a real-world, educational experience. Thanks to everyone at Steel City for this fantastic opportunity.

Springs Academy Geology session for Nebula students

Our Year 10 Geologists delivered a Geology lesson to Nebula Programme students from partner school Springs Academy in the Summer Term. A fantastic opportunity for the younger pupils to experience a new subject and a great chance for our Year 10 girls to hone their mentoring and tutoring skills.

Period Champions

This year our Period Positive Champions continued their fantastic work to engage staff and students alike in the importance of breaking down barriers and stigma related to menstruation.

We’re a ‘Period Positive’ school and were delighted receive our Bronze Award this year. Year 5 enjoyed an informative assembly from our period champions this year as part of a range of activities during Period Positive Week. It’s been fantastic to see the impact our committed and positive students have had on their peers and our younger students.

Peer Mentors

Year 12

Peer Mentors planned and led a range of lessons for Year 6, Year 7 and Year 11 and travelled to Arbourthorne School to deliver sessions there as well. They were well-organised, calm, confident and approachable, demonstrating that good preparation is the key to success. Well done girls!

LEGO robotics teacher CPD

LEGO Computing Robotic training sessions for Sheffield teachers. Continuing our junior robotics partnership work, our Junior robotics leads hosted a full day CPD for teachers from local schools to support the integration of robotics into more school curriculums. The event included an introduction to LEGO Spike kits, example lessons and ideas for using the equipment in schools with clear links to the national computing curriculum. This event will be complemented next year with additional in-school workshops delivered through our Robotics Hub by our robotics lead teachers.

Christmas swap and shop

Our second Christmas Swapping event took place in December in the Senior School Sports Hall. Linking to our policy to reuse and recycle, promoted by our own Eco-council members, pupils in Infants, Juniors and Seniors brought in good quality items, gifts and clothing to be swapped or sold as new gifts for Christmas. With all left over items donated to our local foodbank and charity shops, it was a green, rather than white Christmas at Sheffield Girls’!

Orange the City

Supporting charities fighting violence against women and girls (VAWG). Chloe in Year 12 and Kitty in Year 7 took part in a competition organised by Soroptimists of Sheffield to ‘Orange the City’ (linked to the UN’s ‘Orange the World’ project). Each designed a poster for shop windows in the local area, to tie in with an event spanning November and December when buildings across the city were lit orange in solidarity and to raise awareness at a local, national, and international level about violence against women and girls. Congratulations to Kitty who received a Highly Commended certificate and Chloe who won third prize. This year the School was proud to become a White Ribbon Supporter Organisation against VAWG.

Space for You Club

This weekly club offered all pupils the opportunity to share a space to talk, discuss ideas about wellbeing and be creative in their ideas for supporting good health at home and at school.

Alumnae & the

Bursary Fund

Introducing the Melbournians!

This Summer term we were delighted to celebrate our inaugural group of ‘Melbournians’. This is the name we give to girls who have been at Sheffield Girls’ since Reception right through until Year 13.

Our Melbournians, Anyaa, Imani, Adithi, Naina, Khushi, Emily, Isobel, Hannah, Sophie, Stephanie, Lizzie, Zara, Annabel and Ananya were treated to a celebratory lunch in the Junior Hall with Mr Hald, Miss Green, Mrs Leslie as well as Mr Spick and Dr Mac.

After a delicious lunch, a spontaneous piano performance from Stephanie, and a chance to look at photos from their first days at school, the Melbournians visited the Infant building to meet our Reception class who were incredibly excited to meet our ‘big girls’. Mrs Leslie created pure joy as she shared items from her box of memories; favourite reading books, school uniform and even a treasured jigsaw, uniting our oldest and youngest pupils in their treasured memories of their own first days at Sheffield Girls’.

Our Reception class loved having the Melbournians stay and play with them, and it was hard to tear them away as the event drew to a close.

“I loved colouring with the big girls, they’re fun! I wanted them to stay with us forever.”

Reception pupil

Deputy Head Girl, Khushi said,

“I have had a wonderful 14 years at this school, with every school day teaching me something valuable. Sheffield Girls’ has instilled in me the values of kindness, courage and positivity. Attending the Melbournians event was greatly nostalgic and made me have immense pride to be a Sheffield Girls’ student. It was so much fun to spend time with the Reception class, and really moving to be back where it all began for me.”

At the end of the event there was a real sense of excitement amongst our youngest pupils about the time ahead of them at Sheffield Girls’. We can’t wait to see what the next 14 years will bring.

Our Melbournians will become the newest members of the Sheffield Girls’ Alumnae Network alongside all their Class of 2024 cohort. We wish them all well with their upcoming exams and look forward to welcoming this wonderful year group back to reunions and events in the future.

The gift of opportunity –anonymous donor funds Sixth Form bursaries

Earlier this year we were thrilled to receive a generous donation from an alumna, who is choosing to remain anonymous, which will be used to provide three fully-funded Sixth Form bursaries.

What makes this even more special, is that this is the second time this donor has supported bursaries at Sheffield Girls’. She made her first gift in 2017, enabling us to provide bursary awards to seven Sixth Form students. Four of these have just finished their University studies and are embarking on the world of work, and three have just started their University degrees in Architecture, Psychology and Biomedical Science respectively. Without the generous support of donors like this alumna from the class of 1965, bright talented young women like these would not have the opportunity to access all that a Sheffield Girls’ education provides.

Sophie, who received one of these bursary awards said:

“It would never have been possible for me to attend this school without financial help. I owe such an important part of my life to your generosity

MAKE A GIFT

and I will never forget the kindness that has been shown to me. I hope many more students will also have the opportunities I have been given thanks to a bursary.”

We are very grateful to our wonderful alumnae, and to all those in our community who choose to support our Bursary Fund and transform young lives.

How can I support the Bursary Fund?

Gifts of all sizes make a difference, and we are deeply appreciative to everyone who chooses to donate to our Bursary Fund. One of the most effective ways to support the Bursary Fund is to make a regular gift, as this enables us to plan ahead and have confidence in how many bursaries we can award each year, so that many more talented, motivated girls have the opportunity of a Sheffield Girls’ education.

Bursary Fund impact

57

people made a gift in 2023/24

Senior School students receive bursary support 1 in 11

32

pupils receive 100% transformational bursaries (57% of recipients)

37

regular donors support our Bursary Fund

£296,757

Raised for the Sheffield Girls’ Bursary Fund since 2020

The simplest way to make a gift is online at www.gdst.net/donate/Sheffield or by scanning this QR code. 100% of all donations, including Gift Aid, go directly to bursary awards for pupils at Sheffield Girls’. Together our collective philanthropy has the power to make an incredible difference.

Live Lunch and Career Spotlight

This year our Head of Careers and Head of External Relations have worked closely together to expand the careers opportunities available to all Senior School students.

We are delighted that many of our alumnae have supported these opportunities and also taken part in our ‘Live Lunch’ informal Q&A sessions at lunchtime, providing further insight into their career paths, giving advice and answering questions.

Speed networking and alumnae careers panel

In January, Year 9 pupils participated in a workshop that delved into the psychology of decision-making, exploring the factors that contribute to making sound choices. They discussed potential pitfalls, such as choosing subjects based on peer influence or personal attachment to a teacher.

Students participated in a dynamic speed networking event with five alumnae and two guests, each representing distinct occupational fields. During the seven minutes they had with each guest the Hall was abuzz with conversation as our students asked questions and gained valuable insights into careers as distinct as sustainable engineering and orthotics, as well as receiving advice to navigate their own career paths.

After the workshop, our alumnae and guests took part in a Q&A panel with an audience of Senior School and Sixth Form students. It was a wonderful opportunity for our alumnae and guests to share genuine first-hand experience with our students and to signpost careers which they may not have realised existed. It was inspirational to see so many exchanges

SHARE YOUR STORY

taking place and the key message that came out of the event was: follow your own strengths and do what makes you happy.

Grace in Year 12 said,

“I found the event really helpful as I want to have a career similar to Sahar’s after school so it was great to have the chance to ask her advice on how many companies she applied to, for example. She was really approachable and helpful.”

Sahar Akhter, HSBC finance degree apprentice from the Class of 2020 said about the day:

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to contribute and offer guidance to Sheffield Girls’ students. The warmth and enthusiasm of the girls and fellow alumnae left a lasting impression, and I thank you for giving me the chance to make a positive impact.”

If you would like to share your expertise or career insight with current students, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact our Head of External Relations, Rosslyn Owen on r.owen@she.gdst.net

Alumna Shares Banking Career Insights

Yasmine Dajani, Class of 2018

In April, we were delighted that Yasmine from the class of 2018, joined us for a virtual session to talk about her role at the Bank of England. She gave our A Level Economics students invaluable advice on career and study progression. After Sheffield Girls’ she gained a BA in International Relations with Economics at Birmingham University and has been at the Bank of England since graduating in 2021. Yasmine said:

“After so many years on the other side of the classroom, it was so exciting being (virtually) back at school to talk to the Sixth Formers about my job and to give them an insight into how it relates to their Economics A Level. I always found the talks we had at school so useful and interesting. It was fantastic being able to return the favour, and hopefully add a bit more colour to what central banking is and how financial regulation works in real life.”

Class of 2018 and 2023 –milestone reunion

In March we welcomed back our newest alumnae, the Class of 2023 and those who left Sheffield Girls’ five years ago, the wonderful Class of 2018.

Over pizza, glasses of fizz and delicious cakes our alumnae caught up with each other and their former teachers. The afternoon was a wonderful opportunity for nostalgia and networking, and Mr Spick did a brilliant job at guiding us all down memory lane with a speech chockful of anecdotes and memories from over the years.

It was fantastic to see connections being forged between those that left the school last summer and are embarking on life at University and those that are finding their way in the world of work after graduation. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for our amazing young alumnae and look forward to welcoming them back to school again soon.

Our Stories: The Impact of a Bursary

Leah Young, Bursary Award recipient, Class of 2021 Accounting & Finance Student, University of Newcastle

“Girls like me would not be able to benefit from going to Sheffield Girls’ if not for bursary awards. My time at school was life-changing. I flourished academically and left with friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

The Bursary Fund is such a vital part of the school. I would like to emphasise how much support from donors directly benefits girls like me and how deeply thankful I am to have been given this opportunity. I hope that the Bursary Fund remains able to provide this same experience to many more girls in the future.”

Dianne’s fascinating career spans more than 30 years. She has been recognised for her tremendous contribution to the voluntary and public sectors across every level of society. She was chairman of the Age UK Group and chaired Age International until 2018. Dianne is now a trustee of the Devonshire Educational Trust at Chatsworth and also serves as chairman of the Peak District National Park Management Plan Advisory Group.

We wanted to find out more about Dianne’s experiences at Sheffield Girls’ and how her time at school shaped her career and her values, so we sat down to ask her a few questions:

An Interview with alumna Dame Dianne Jeffrey

We were delighted when alumna Dianne Jeffrey, Class of 1957, was appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire in the King’s New Years Honours List in January.

Why do you think all-girls education was relevant when you attended Sheffield High School, and why do you think it is relevant today?

The five years I spent at the High School were memorable years filled with role models and a set of values which have guided many of my choices in life. An all girls environment suited me very well. Our aspirational imaginative world prompted then, as now, a serious approach to academics and it does not surprise me at all to learn that girls educated in an all girls environment tend to do better in STEM subjects. It was not only cool but also desirable to excel, if you could, at your studies.

How do you think your experience at the High School shaped you and had an influence on the roles you have taken on in your career?

I think the passion I have always had to do something, anything, to alleviate poor quality of life anywhere in the world was kindled first and foremost at Sheffield High School for Girls. We were always

raising money or doing good deeds at SHS. It was from the vantage point of Age UK that we launched a unique organisation, Age International, designed to support older people caught up in disasters whether man-made or natural across the world. It is pleasing to report that, partly as a result of our lobbying and influence, several developing nations now offer their older people a social pension. What advice would you give to students at Sheffield Girls’ today? Have fun. Be determined. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Make sure you look after others who might need you or who are disadvantaged. Try not to criticise those who are only doing the best they can. Ensure you are up to speed with the benefits and drawbacks of AI and social media as this is what has changed the face of the world the most since I was growing up.

As we approach the momentous occasion of our 150th birthday in 2028, can you share what you hope the next 150 years will hold for Sheffield Girls’?

It is my fervent hope that some, if not many, of the girls who read this will take up the challenge of working to support vulnerable people in many parts of the world to live better lives. Robots, space travel, and video phones were the stuff of science fiction – and that is only 70 years ago. So in the next 150 years we must recognise that technology will yield even greater developments that will change the face of the world even more than we can imagine today. I truly believe that Sheffield Girls’ will be best placed to make the most of these opportunities.

146th School Birthday Celebration

In March we marked 146 incredible years of Sheffield Girls’ with a memorable Birthday Celebration event. More than 40 alumnae and former staff from across the decades celebrated with us back at school.

The main hall was filled with excitement as old friends and new reconnected, and our fantastic Sixth Form guides were on hand to share insight into what it’s like to be a student at Sheffield Girls’ today and to take our guests on tours around the school. Many commented on the inviting atmosphere around the school and that while much has changed, the ‘essence’ of Sheffield Girls’ remains as strong as ever.

We can’t wait to celebrate 147 years of Sheffield Girls’ with as

many alumnae and former staff next year. We’re sure it will be another afternoon to remember!

“It was a superb and very special afternoon. The girls were delightful, and the performances put on for us towards the latter part of the day were to an exceptional standard – quite the showcase.”

Emily Tunnard, Class of 1992

Class of 1994 Reunion

“This year marks 30 years since our year group left SHS – the Class of 1994; the perfect opportunity for a reunion.

I have been tracking down as many of the group as possible for a couple of years now, putting my former headhunter skills into practice. We have found 60 so far, many of whom are now in a WhatsApp group. About 40 of us got together in March for a lunch at the Hideaway in Sheffield, the day after the school open day which some also attended. Of course we all agreed it couldn’t possibly be 30 years and no one has changed a bit! I know many had mixed feelings about reconnecting with school friends. Some having had little contact over the years but the atmosphere in the room was wonderful, positive and full of joy. Lots of squeals, hugs and shared memories. Lots of photos and yearbooks.

I highly recommend a reunion if you get the chance and plan to organise a follow up in four years for the school’s 150th birthday. Huge thanks to the “keen girls” team who helped plan the event, and to Ros at SHS for our daffodil pin badges.”

Ellie Rich-Poole (Eleanor Rich, 1987-1994)

Celebration ofAchievement

“The school has gone over and above to help the girls achieve their results, and supported them tremendously.”

Senior School parent

GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION (GCSE)

Our GCSE candidates delighted us with an extraordinary set of results this year, reflecting their hard work and commitment to their subjects.

Overall results compared with national average: August 2024

ADVANCED LEVEL EXAMINATION RESULTS (A LEVELS)

YEAR 6 AWARDS 2023-24

These girls have been recognised for their contributions to the life of the school.

SCHOOL VALUES AND GROWTH MINDSET

SHOSHA Cup

For all-round contribution to the school. Involvement in all aspects of school life, showing the school values in actions, words and deeds.

Academic Excellence Award

Positivity Award

For having a positive view of the diversity of school life, and exhibiting positivity; for having the right mindset to individually aim high and persevere.

Kindness Award

For showing respect and empathy through their actions and behaviours, and promoting the good name of the school not only within its walls but in the community; for having supportive relationships.

Courage Award

For taking risks and being brave, having integrity which involves being honest, responsible and accountable, and acting ethically and respecting themselves and others.

Growth Mindset Award

For exhibiting the characteristics of Growth Mindset in their approach to learning, all aspects of school life and with their relationships with others.

SPORTING

Sporting Excellence Shield

For exceptional participation in sports, excelling in skills, strategy and tactics; having an excellent sense of gameplay, competition and fairness.

CREATIVITY

Creativity Trophy for Music

For exceptional skill in Music.

Musical Spirit

For all-round, positive participation in the musical life of the school. Showing musical aspiration and enthusiasm.

Girls

HOUSE CAPTAINS

Grey

Stanley

Sherriff

Gurney

Orla Hague and Aaruthe Srirakavan

Orla Hague

Ruthvika Paladugu

Alicia Villalba Ramos

Trudy Ludlam and Nicole Waring

Carlotta Bailey and Huriah Bin Hadi

Emilia West and Cerys Richards

Imogen Waller and Mia Chen

Emilia West

Imogen Waller

Cerys Richards

Trudy Ludlum

Mia Chen

Carlotta Bailey

Head

LEGACY PRIZES

Our Historic Legacy Prizes are pledged to the school from a variety of past staff, parents and members of the school community.

SPECIAL PRIZES

Performing Arts Cup

Awarded to a pupil from any age who has achieved a high standard in at least two of the disciplines of art, dance, drama and music.

The Poetry Cup

Awarded to the most outstanding poet.

Soroptimist Prizes

Awarded to girls in any year group for Service in the wider community.

Loyalty and Service to School Sport

A student who shows great loyalty through all round involvement and support of younger students and peers.

Technical Theatre Award

Awarded to a pupil who has given an outstanding contribution to one of Stage Management, Lighting, Sound, Stage Crew.

Anne Hogg Prize for Languages

Year 10 who has achieved an excellent standard in at least two modern foreign languages.

David Wraith Award

Awarded to a promising Mathematician.

The Bradbury Drama Cup

2024 WINNER

Alice Lumb

Aimen Azeem

Chloe Lai and Kitty Sumner

Louisa Slight & Elissa Taylor

Emily Thomas

Freycinet Morritt

Ayla Iqbal

Outstanding contribution to drama from one of the senior year groups. Ellie Styan

SHOSA Music Prize

Awarded to a girl in Year 10-13 with outstanding flair for music.

Senior All Rounder in Sport

Awarded to a girl in Year 10-13 who has shown outstanding all-round sporting ability.

Key Stage 4 Drama Cup

Mrs Ames’ Spoken English Prize

Awarded to a girl who has shown promise in public speaking.

Beth Lomax Memorial

Year 12 student who has shown enthusiasm, commitment, and involvement in at least two of Art, Drama and Music.

Miss Grayson’s Shakespeare Prize

Sixth Form student who has shown excellence in the written word.

Escott Memorial Prize

Awarded for outstanding service to the school.

Sheffield High School University Scholarship

Awarded to a Year 13 girl who has made a significant contribution during the Sixth Form.

Hanlon Prize

Year 13 award for outstanding research.

Mrs Turner’s Junior, Miss Leggett’s Inter and Senior Maths Cups

Junior Drama Cup

Awarded to a pupil in Key Stage 3 showing outstanding potential in drama.

The Martin Award

Awarded to a promising linguist Year 8.

Alina He

Eleanor Hartley

Isobel Carter & Alice Carr

Skye Webster

Ellen Hockham

Isobel Dunigan

Ruvimbo Ushewokunze, Hannah Blyth, Grace Mitchell, Khushi Gupta

Jessica Rodgers

Cara Bacigalupo-Cookman

Senior – Lizzie Chung Intermediate – Kaiyan Zhang

Junior – Riha Ganesh

Katie Halsey

Zoe Burch

SPECIAL PRIZES

The Music Cup

Awarded for outstanding potential and commitment to music in Key Stage 3.

Mary Elliott Prizes for Art

Awarded to the most outstanding artists in each of the Year 9 classes.

GDST Pearson and Silver Classics Award

Webster Humanities Prize

Young Linguist

VALUES AWARDS

Year 7

Anya Opie

Phoebe Doig

Ella Liu

Lizzie Mayfield-Tulip

Parneet Cheema

Year 8

Kara Ford

Aila Sharaz

Rachel He

Elexa Stamose

Year 9

Daisy Shaw

Sienna Chung

Zyva Butt

Amelia Philips

Year 10 Aimen Azeem

Lydia Stevens

Louisa Slight

Deena Gelli

Year 11 Camilla Addy

Charlotte Grady

Anjali Verma

Joanna Gunn

Amber Moxon

Year 12

Grace Sachdeva

Amelie Spedding

Bess Hunter

Manya Gupta

Connie Howarth

Ishita Nagineni

Year 13

Imogen Graus

Ruvimbo Ushewokunze

Suhani Kansra

Eleanor Walker

Abby Tam

Kinysha Gavai

Alana Howieson

Francesca Burley

Cora Lee

Thea Windsor

Grace Osborne

Jasmine Green

Mya Wray

Isla Craig

Elina Hajirasouliha

Holly Zang

Cecilia Li

Isabella Latter

Emily Wild

Ellie Lawton-Nicholls

Chloe Preston

Inaaya Awan

Emily Houghton

Amara Ramlakhan

Mariam Nadeem

Havanna Holmes

Melissa Muzulu

Salma Bin Hadi

Sophie Mirza

Isobel Wilkie

Chinonso Idaboh

Ruby Burrell

Esme Woodhouse

Maya Komy

Emily Edwards

Isobel Dunigan

Lucy Walters

Rebecca Surafel

Rebekah Hald

Millie Bonson

2024 WINNER

Nousha Jackson and Katie Halsey

Karen Shendy, Joyce Lin, Louisa Cullen, Amba Jaiswal

Olivia Strudwick

Hannah Blyth

Tithkar Khamas

Fizzah Batool

Sophie Robert Amelie Melia

Frances Fisher

Saira Kamran

Ana Gutierrez Robson

Ayesha Awan

Phoebe Furniss-Plant

Lola Shirtcliffe

Nishka Chinthalapani

Olivia Inglis

Nirja Das

Katie Halsey

Ruby Lee

Mia-Rose Scott

Riya Nagaraja

Chikaima Ucheana

Rosie Sparks

Skye Webster

Zohha Durrani

Joy Zhang

Charlotte Hellewell

Isbah Ahmad

Amelie Goodson

Sophie Bromley

Tahlia Read

Nicole Chen

Ashleigh Tao

Sanah Butt

Annabel Townsend

Faye Nixon

Sarah Ramazani

Jessica Rodgers

Adithi Ravishankar

Rosa Evans (Stoddard Student Award)

Victoria Chen

Stella Fong (Marriott Student Award)

Grace Sachdeva

Edenia Nsefik

SCHOLARSHIPS 2023-24

AWARD

Year 7 Academic Scholarship

Year 7 Music Scholarship

Year 7 Music Highly Commended

Year 7 Sport Scholarship

Year 7 Sport Highly Commended

Year 12 Academic Awards

Year 12 Subject Awards

Honorable mention

TOP HOUSE POINTS

AWARD

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 12

PUPIL NAME

Julide Senior, Chunyan Liu, Florence Moody, Sonam Sampath, Chiedza Ushewokunze, Elisabeth Jones, Ariana Ramlakhan

Kady Wiggett, Kitty Sumner, Victoria Lee

Rishika Sarkar

Emily Slight, Isabella Cancello

Mayra Singh, Harriet Addy, Isobel Riddle

Olivia Strudwick, Emily Thomas, Ellie Styan, Winta Surafel, Sophie Li-Heathcote, Magda Elmalik, Eleanor Gill, Jomana Khamas, Priyanka Sankaralingam

Tahlia Read (Economics/Business), Ellen Hockham (Art), Caitlin Burlton (PE), Elissa Tailor (PRE), Pippa Simpson (PRE), Annie Stainthorpe (Biology), Imogen Todd (Physics), Sasha Goodwin (History), Ishita Nagineni (Chemistry), Lena Akil (Economics/ Business), Grace Sachdeva (Geography), Daisy Kirby-Baker (Geology) Alice Lumb (Drama), Sophie Bromley (PE)

Hyabeal Robel (Year 7), Chloe Lai (Year 12)

PUPIL NAME

Jasmine Kaur 127 points (Gurney)

Phoebe Furniss-Plant 127 points (Grey)

Eve McAnea 84 points (Shirreff)

Chloe Preston 84 points (Shirreff)

Emily Thomas (Shirreff) and Jomana Khamas (Stanley) tied with 44 points

FINAL HOUSE POSITIONS 2023-24

AWARD

1st place

2nd place

3rd place

4th place

PUPIL NAME

Grey – 8477 points

Shirreff – 8363 points

Gurney – 8121 points

Stanley – 7898 points

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PARTICIPATION IN CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND CHALLENGES 2023-24

Every year we’re incredibly proud of the dedication, hard work and skill our pupils put into every aspect of their school life, from in-classroom work to co-curricular challenges and opportunities that are encouraged and delivered by the School.

The next few pages of Spotlight are a record of the competitions, awards, and events from different subject areas from the academic year 2023-24.

STEM

– Science (including Computer Science), Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

ACTIVITY/CHALLENGE/ COMPETITION

Geological Society of London’s National Schools Challenge –Finalists

Industrial Cadets – Bronze Award

Ametek Land Business Challenge winners – Year 12

BPhO Junior Astrophysics Challenge 2024

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Year 12 British Physics Olympiad –Senior Physics Challenge

Silver

Bronze

Year 10 British Physics Olympiad Junior Physics Challenge

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Physics Challenge – participant

Atherton Award winner

STUDENTS

Esme Beckett, Rania Delaimi, Eleanor Hartley, Safi Ismail, Eden Joel-Drennan, Daisy Kirby-Baker

Karen Shendy, Stella Fong, Daisy Shaw, Cecilia Li, Zyva Butt, Holly Zang

Chikaima Ucheana, Georgie Morritt, Katie Halsey, Elizabeth Gilbert, Riha Ganesh

Inayat Budhiraja, Ayla Iqbal

Aanya Shadija, Amara Ramlakhan, Anjali Verma, Chikaima Ucheana, Ella Yat Nga Mow, Katarina Melson, Emily Phillips, Jae-Hui Tan, Mariam Nadeem, Myra Soni, Namratha Naveen, Ruby BacigalupoCookman, Skye Webster, Sophie Hutchinson, Isabelle Antony

Aliza Ghafoor, Charlotte Green, Edenia Nsefik, Freycinet Morritt, Isheeta Chowdhary, Kaiyan Zhang, Natalie Fooks, Rebekah He, Zemaye Aliyu

Ellie Styan

Safi Ismail

Amara Ramlakhan, Jae-Hui Tan, Ayla Iqbal, Kaiyan Zhang, Inayat Budhiraja, Sophie Hopton, Isabelle Antony, Freycinet Morritt

Inaaya Awan, Louisa Slight, Jasmine Taylor, Susannah Bradey, Asha Chib-Lewis, Sanah Choudhry, Isheeta Chowdhary, Bethel Tedros, Chikaima Ucheana, Isabella Pardavila, Ruth Willoner, Emily Ollier, Ella Ford, Aliza Ghafoor, Myra Soni, Deena Gelli, Jennifer Barlow, Ruby Bacigalupo-Cookman, Yasmeen Aftab, Huey Tse, Sara Naylor, Sara Khan, Funminiyi Sobodu, Ananya Ashok

Gayoung Lee, Mia Fox, Bree Halewood, Cecillia O‘Toole, Emily Stirrup, Edenia Nsefik, Ella Squire, Rebekah He, Xanthe Davies, Ridhima Prashar, Amélie Nourry, Alice Pieters, Lucinda Gilert, Georgia Leek, Amy Chen, Eleanor Swann, Tanya Vijay, Riya Nagaraja, Zemaye Aliyu, Elizabeth Francis, Alice Carr, Natalie Fooks, Emilia Bell, Elsa Conroy, Ameya Amat, Katie Lynn-Jones, Iris Buxton, Lida Ariyan, Miranda Johnson, Ruby Green, Harriet Robertson, Aniah Afzal, Dilneet Sangha

Adithi Ravishankar

Saba Mohammed

ACTIVITY/CHALLENGE/ COMPETITION

Year 10 Biology Competition Gold

Silver Bronze

Highly Commended

Commended

Participation

Year 12 Biology Intermediate Olympiad

Gold Silver Bronze

Highly Commended

Commended

Participation

Secret Life of Trees Competition certificate winners

Junior Maths Olympiad

Merit

Mathmatical Olympiad for Girls

Distinction

Maths Junior Kangaroo

Maths Senior Kangaroo

Year 8 Team Maths Challenge

Intermediate Maths Challenge

United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT)

Gold Silver Bronze

STUDENTS

Sophie Hopton, Inayat Budhiraja, Ananya Ashok, Ruby BacigalupoCookman, Asha Chib-Lewis, Ayla Iqbal

Inaaya Awan, Emily Stirrup, Sanah Choudhry, Kaiyan Zhang, Miranda Johnson

Yasmeen Aftab, Ruth Willoner, Ella Ford, Myra Soni, Ameya Amat, Isabelle Antony, Susannah Bradey, Amy Chen, Deena Gelli, Rebekah He, Chikaima Ucheana, Tanya Vijay, Natalie Fooks, Lucinda Gilert

Jasmine Taylor, Mia Fox, Sara Khan, Emily Ollier, Ruby Green, Iris Buxton, Eleanor Swann, Freycinet Morritt, Katie Lynn-Jones, Bethel Tedros, Riya Nagaraja, Cecillia O‘Toole, Dilneet Sangha

Ella Squire, Bree Halewood, Imogen Hasan, Zemaye Aliyu, Aliza Ghafoor, Louisa Slight, Xanthe Davies, Isabella Pardavila, Lida Ariyan, Isheeta Chowdhary, Emily Houghton

Alice Pieters, Jennifer Barlow, Emilia Bell, Elsa Conroy, Elizabeth Francis, Amélie Nourry, Ridhima Prashar, Gayoung Lee, Sara Naylor, Edenia Sefik, Harriet Robertson, Aniah Afzal, Esme Goodson, Georgia Leek

Priyanka Sankaralingam, Magda Elmalik

Nongmi Yu, Phoebe Prescott, Daisy Kirby-Baker, Anika Kacker, Safi Ismail, Ellen Hockham

Chloe Cao

Emily Thomas, Pippa Simpson, Chuxuan Liu, Sophie Li-Heathcote, Maya Komy, Jomana Khamas, Maddison Cundy

Sanjana Sampath, Ebony Griffiths, Florence Goodson, Holly Archbould

Annie Stainthorpe, Winta Surafel, Yasaman Soleymanisalehabadi, Ishita Nagineni, Lottie Letuka, Eden Joel-Drennan, Maryam Jebour, Chinonso Idaboh, Rania Delaimi, Caitlin Burlton, Sophie Bromley, Blythe Brock, Lena Akil

Martha Conroy & Agatha McMahon

Riha Ganesh

Grace Sachdeva, Lizzie Chung

Haybeal Robel, Florence Moody, Sophie Storey

Jomana Khamas, Lizzie Chung, Adithi Ravishankar, Isabel Andrew Pickles & Lucy Walters

Areej Anser, Yorsalim Bahre, Zoe Burch, Kate Chen, Fenella Dyde, Riha Ganesh, Deborah Gebrekristos, Sophie Storey

Myra Soni, Alice Pieters, Kaiyan Zhang

Inayat Budhiraja, Chikaema Ucheana, Sanah Choudhry, Bethel Tedros

Ameya Amat, Isabella Pardavila, Deena Gelli, Elizabeth Francis, Cecillia O’Toole, Zemaye Aliyu, Isabelle Antony, Ruth Willoner, Dilneet Sangha, Susannah Bradey, Lida Arian, Louisa Slight

COMPETITION

CyberFirst Computer Science

Competition

National Cyber Security Centre

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

Commended

Bebras Computing Challenge

Gold (Participants scoring in top 10% nationally)

STUDENTS

Distinction

Merit

LEGO League Innovation Research Project Winners

GDST Quantum Machine Learning Certificate

GDST Space Technology Diploma

Riha Ganesh

Sophie Annett, Maaria Nawaz, Saba Mohammed

Roberta McFarlane

Elina Hajirasouliha, Rachel He, Phoebe Furniss-Plant, Ogochukwu

Idaboh, Elizabeth Heeley, Heidi Marsh, Lilia Maraqa, Georgie Morritt, Faith Bello

Year 7 – Alana Howieson, Kitty Sumner, Anya Opie, Charlie Liu, Hyabeal Robel, Florence Moody, Sophie Robert, Phoebe Doig, Georgina Capehorn, Elisabeth Jones, Sophia Abbasi, Julide Senior –(also Best in School Award Year 7), Kady Wiggett, Maryam Zakkar, Yuge Wang

Year 9 – Ruby Houlding, Emilia Seymour, Imogen Fryer, Tithkar Khamas, Stella Fong, Maria Balmaceda, Nousha Jackson (also Best in School Award Year 9), Aimin Tabina

Year 10/11 – Myra Soni, Jessica Harrity (also Best in School Award Key Stage 4)

Year 7 – Ria Gupta, Eva Home, Annabelle Seymour, Leyla Harrison, Evelyn Scott, Frances Fisher, Violet Spray, Georgia Sayer

Year 9 – Ruby Houlding, Emilia Seymour, Imogen Fryer, Maria Balmaceda, Stella Fong, Tithkar Khamas, Aimin Tabina, Myra Soni, Amba Jaiswal, Daisy Shaw, Kara-Mae Hattersley, Molly Hughes, Nethra Buggineni, Zyva Butt, Harriet Gwynne, Lucy Home, Deborah Tedros, Nairouz Aldibbiat, Katie Halsey, Isabel Peberdy

Year 10 – Ayla Iqbal

Year 11 – Ahna Chowdhury, Sophia Lichfield, Amber Moxon, Sophie Wild, Winkie Chiu, Sophie Hurst, Zoe Liu, Amara Ramlakhan

Year 7 – Veda Arun, Alya Bin Hadi, Umaiza Hussain, Ariana Ramlakhan, Harriet Addy, Anika Aggarwal, Zhi Yi Chen, Heer Chung, Zaina Hussain, Emily Slight, Charlotte Elam, Rosa Evans, Sophie Quick, Sonam Sampath, Delina Solomon, Lizzie Mayfield-Tulip, Shreshta Pitchika, Mayra Singh, Matilda Wild, Saira Kamran, Agatha McMahon, Clemence Moran-Healy

Year 9 – Phoebe Blunt, Pippa Bramall, Georgia Burlton, Nell Schaper, Holly Zang, Sienna Chung, Sophie Hall, Bosola Opeyemi, Reilly Stahl, Alice Walters, Cheuk Wing Yue, Louisa Cullen, Nirja Das, Sophie Wilson, Harriet Ibbotson, Joyce Lin, Hannah Lone, Jaishnavi Nellikondi, Isabella Whitehouse

Year 10 – Inayat Budhiraja, Funminiyi Sobodu, Lucinda Gilert

Year 11 – Sophie Hutchinson, Evie Brook, Neela Houshiari, Janice Hau Ki Kwan, Yat Nga Ella Mow, Emily Phillips, Hannah Samuel

Year 8 – Riha Ganesh

Year 9 – Karen Shendy, Stella Fong

Year 10 – Funminiyi Sobodu, Susannah Bradey, Inayat Budhirajah

Mrya Soni, Kaiyan Zhang, Inayat Budhiraja, Ayla Iqbal, Aliza Ghafoor

Daria Vasile, Sophie-Li Heathcote (Distinction), Winta Surafel (Distinction)

ACTIVITY/CHALLENGE/ COMPETITION

Samsung Next Generation – Solve for Tomorrow Competition

STUDENTS

Year 7 – Aanya Saxena, Sophie Robert

Year 8 – Rachel He, Riha Ganesh, Lilia Maraqa, Saba Mohammed, Elexa Stamose

Year 10 – Funminiyi Sobodu, Isheeta Chowdhary, Emily Ollier, Liza Boiko, Lucinda Gilert, Edenia Nsefik, Aliza Ghafoor

UKRoc Competition Participants

Kaiyan Zhang, Evie Barlow, Inayat Budhiraja, Lizzie Chung, Aliza Ghafoor, Ayla Iqbal, Safi Ismail, Tlotlisang Letuka, Edenia Nsefik, Myra Soni, Ellie Styan, Imogen Todd, Daria Vasile, Top Chef Competition

Millie Crowther, Lydia Marshall, Aila Sharaz, Hattie Wells, Sonam Sampath, Jasmine Green, Alice Walters, Frances Fisher, Sophie Storey, Olivia Robinson-Mensa, Rishika Sarkar, Emelia Williams, Haniah Nawaz, Ridhima Prashar, Chiedza Ushewokunze, Sapphire Billing, Rosa Evans, Lujain Tahar, Georgia Sayer, Trinity Everett, Zoe Burch, Isla Craig, Sarah Maatouk, Madison Barker, Sienna Chung, Emma Daniel, Nousha Jackson, Darcey Morewood, Amanda Sin, Mariam Nadeem

BUSINESS AND ENTERPRISE

ACTIVITY/CHALLENGE/COMPETITION STUDENTS

BiG Challenge 2023 – HEPP Award for Aiming High

GDST LEAD – Leadership Advanced Diploma

GAIN Investment Challenge Runners Up

Participants

Community Engagement Award and Best Ad Award

Katie Halsey, Nethra Buggineni, Nirja Das, Marni Green and Lucy Home

Best Branding Award

Jasmine Wheatley and Summer Thompson

HLM Architects Award for Teamwork / Sheffield City Council Award for Outstanding Achievement Shutter Scrubz Team

Harvey Morton Award for Digital Marketing SJ Jewels

Lena Akil, Grace Sachdeva, Annie Stainthorpe, Esme Woodhouse, Anika Kacker, Alanna Hassack, Ellis Gill, Manya Gupta, Nongmi Yu, Nichole Chen, Safi Ismail, Ishita Nagineni

Esme Woodhouse, Gabrielle Leek, Grace Sachdeva, Annie Stainthorpe, Lena Akil

Aimen Azeem, Iris Buxton, Miranda Johnson, Gayoung Lee, Huey Tse

Below: BiG Challenge stalls at the Moor Market in Sheffield City Centre.

HUMANITIES, SOCIAL SCIENCE, LANGUAGES, PUBLIC SPEAKING AND DEBATING

ACTIVITY/CHALLENGE/

COMPETITION

Sheffield Schools Debating Competition

STUDENTS

Winners Aimen Azeem, Inayat Budhiraja and Asha Chib-Lewis

GDST Debating Competition

Silver Final Winners

ESU Public Speaking Competition

Regional finalists

Chrystall Prize for Public Speaking National finalist

School finalists

Oxford Schools Debating Competition

Finalists

Poetry by Heart Competition

Highly Commended Commended

Ruby Bacigalupo-Cookman and Asha Chib-Lewis

Asha Chib-Lewis, Myra Soni and Ruby Bacigalupo-Cookman

Skye Webster

Samirah Rahman, Namratha Naveen, Skye Webster, Anjali Verma

Amara Ramlakhan and Ellen Hockham

Sophie Robert Phoebe Doig, Aanya Saxena

Oxford University German Olympiad Anna Goebel and Riha Ganesh

Sheffield Schools Translation Competition

Overall winners

Finalists

DELF French B1

DELF French B2

Language Ambassadors

National Reading Champions Quiz

Year 7 – Aanya Saxena (French), Ria Gupta (German), Ariana Ramlakhan (Spanish) – also best Year 7 linguist in school winner

Year 8 – Riha Ganesh (German), Lola Shirtcliffe (Spanish) – also best Year 8 linguist in school winner

Year 7 – Julide Senior, Eden Alexander, Maryam Zakkar, Kitty Sumner, Delina Solomon, Jameela Schawdmidth, Sonam Sampath, Emily Slight, Mayra Singh, Rosa Evans, Florence Moody, Kady Wiggett

Year 8 – Mya Wray, Jasmine Green, Aila Sharaz, Sara Nasim, Leonie Scott, Saba Mohammed, Hannah Inayat, Eloise Spedding, Maaria Nawaz, Zoe Burch, Areej Anser, Ogochukwu Idaboh, Phoebe Furniss-Plant

Isobel Dunigan, Hannah Taylor, Imani Schawsmidth, Kit Kersh-Mellor, Ruby Burrell, Esme Beckett, Namratha Naveen, Anjali Verma

Jomana Khamas, Isobel Dunigan

Freycinet Morris, Isabella Pardavila, Amelie Nourry, Susannah Bradey, Harriet Gwynne, Sophie Wilson, Tithkar Khamas, Nairouz Aldibbiat & Tegan Willmott

Participants Team A:

Year 7 – Kitty Sumner and Julide Senior (Reserve: Lizzie Mayfield-Tulip)

Year 8 – Riha Ganesh, Eva Canavan-Slater Team B:

Year 7 – Hyabeal Robel and Phoebe Doig (Reserve: Sophie Robert)

Year 8 – Rachel He, Zoe Burch

GDST Pearson and Silver Award for Classics Olivia Strudwick

DRAMA COLOURS

Full Colours

Half Colours

Junior Thespian Award

Senior Thespian Award

Performance Process

Ellie Styan & Alice Lumb

Erin Baker, Riya Nagaraja, Priyanka Sankaralingam

Georgie Morritt, Phoebe Furniss-Plant, Jacey Duggan, Olivia RobinsonMensa, Harriet Gwynne, Daisy Shaw, Karen Shendy, Cecilia Li

Emily Houghton, Riya Nagaraja, Dilneet Sangha, Isobel Carter, Maisie Gregerson Slater, Chloe Lai and Mia-Rose Scott

Chikaima Ucheana, Elisha Sangha

LAMDA (LONDON ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND DRAMATIC ART) AWARDS

TYPE OF EXAM GRADE NAME

Award in Acting

Level 2 Award in Communication Speaking Verse and Prose

Group Graded Examination Group

Introductory Stage

Group Graded Examination Group

Introductory Stage

Group Graded Examination Group

Introductory Stage

Introductory Graded Examination Solo introductory

Introductory Graded Examination Solo introductory

Entry Level Award in Performance Acting Entry Level Solo

Entry Award in Performance Acting Entry Level Solo

Entry Award in Performance Acting Entry Level Duo

Entry Level Award in Performance Acting Entry Duo

Introductory Graded Examination Group Introduction

Introductory Graded Examination Group Introduction

Introductory Graded Examination Group Introduction

Introductory Graded Examination Group Introduction

Grade 8

RESULT

Lydia Drabble Distinction

Grade 5 Kitty Sumner Distinction

Stage One Phoebe Zheng Distinction

Stage One Chloe Turner Distinction

Stage One Esther Li Distinction

Stage Three Ermo Cao Distinction

Stage Three Ekamjoht Khaira Distinction

Entry Level Three Tajmanjoht Khaira Distinction

Entry Level Three Dhriti Idukallu Distinction

Entry Level Three Anya Mangat Distinction

Entry Level Three Emma Kong Distinction

Stage Three

Stage Three

Stage Three

Stage Three

Danielle Ngodigha Distinction

Dania Nasim Distinction

Lydia Higham Distinction

Evelyn Liu Distinction

TYPE OF EXAM

Introductory Graded Examination Group

Introduction

Introductory Graded Examination Group

Introduction

Introductory Graded Examination Group

Introduction

Introductory Graded Examination Group

Introduction

Introductory Graded Examination Group

Introduction

Level Three Certificate in Musical Theatre Solo Gold Medal

Stage Three

Stage Three

Stage Three

Stage Three

Stage Three

Grade 8

Award in Performance – Acting Grade 2

Award in Performance – Acting Grade 2

Award in Performance Acting Duo Grade 4

Award in Performance Acting Duo Grade 4

Certificate in Performance Acting Solo Gold Medal Grade 8

Award in Performance Devising Drama Duo Grade 4

Award in Performance Devising Drama Duo Grade 4

Certificate in Performance Acting Duo Bronze Medal Grade 6

Certificate in Performance Acting Duo Bronze Medal

Grade 6

Acting – Solo Grade 4

Acting – Solo Grade 5

Acting – Solo – Silver Medal

Musical Theatre – Solo

Acting – Solo – Bronze Medal

7

4

6

Acting – Solo – Silver Medal Grade 7

Acting – Duo

Acting – Duo

Acting – Duo

Grade 2

Grade 2

Grade 4

Megan Kong Distinction

Grace Staples Distinction

Ariana Turner Distinction

Helen Fox Distinction

Lara Mangat Distinction

Melissa Harrower Distinction

Lydia Marshall Distinction

Georgia Sayer Distinction

Clemence Moran-Healy Distinction

Kitty Sumner Distinction

Melissa Harrower Distinction

Lilly Kilbane Merit

Phoebe Doig Merit

Florence Billing Distinction

Lydia Stevens Distinction

Sophie Robert Distinction

Eve McAnea Distinction

Riya Nagaraja Distinction

Harriet Gwynne

Elizabeth Francis Merit

Erin Baker Distinction

Julide Senior Distinction

Agatha McMahon Distinction

Milli Gleadhall-Romanach Merit

TYPE OF EXAM GRADE NAME RESULT

Acting – Duo

Acting – Solo

Acting – Solo

Devising Drama – Duo

Devising Drama – Duo

ART

Grade 4

Grade 3

Grade 2

Grade 6

Grade 6

NAME ACHIEVEMENT

Art Colours

Lydia Burke-Fairlee Merit

Ariana Ramlakhan Distinction

Ella Mitchell Distinction

Ayla Iqbal Distinction

Deena Gelli Distinction

Raisa Hasan, Anavi Hosaangaadi, Ellen Hockham, Isobel Wilkie, Amelie Spedding, Thea Kerry, Maryam Jebour, Chloe Lai, Imogen Todd, Sophie Mirza, Tlotlisang Letuka, Kate Au, Alice Lumb, Priyanka Sankaralingam, Blyth Brock

Rotary Club Art Certificates Isobel Wilkie, Priyanka Sankaralingam, Alice Lumb, Xu Yan Chen

Sheffield Young Artists Winners

MUSIC COLOURS

FULL COLOURS

Sophie Li-Heathcote, Ellen Hockham, Chloe Lai, Olivia Strudwick, Amelie Spedding, Catherine Liu, Connie Howarth

Chloe Lai, Ellen Hockham, Maryam Jebour, Isabel Andrew Pickles, Isabella Thorpe, Charlotte Wadsworth

HALF COLOURS

Sophie Hurst, Joana Hobson, Joy Zhang

MENTORS

NAME

7UP Choir

TO YOUNGER GROUPS

Angel Delight Choir Mentor

Junior Orchestra

Sophie Hurst

Natalie Fooks, Myra Soni, Alice Carr

Chloe Preston

KEY STAGE 3 COLOURS

Maya Gupta, Haniah Nawaz, Katie Halsey, Nousha Jackson, Siloam Tesfamariam, Milli GleadhallRomanach, Kara-Mae Hattersley, Cecilia Li, Jacey Duggan, Nirja Das

MUSIC INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS

NAME GROUP

BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2023, Les Mis and The Addams Family with Junkyard Theatre Company, soloist at GDST Sing! at the Royal Academy of Music, Kathleen Walker award and Edith Batty salver at the David Clover Festival of Singing

Natalie Fooks

Named Co-Principal National Youth Brass band (Soprano Cornet) Lizzie Chung

Selected for National Youth Choir of Great Britain

National Children’s Concert Band, Sheffield Music Academy, piano masterclass with Benjamin Frith

Kitty Sumner

Rachel He

Sheffield Music Hub Junior Choir and Youth Strings, Junior Music Ambassador for the Hu Kady Wiggett

Stagecoach Chicago tribute at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Stagecoach Into the Woods and Summer showcase

Holly Henser-Fisher

Sheffield Music Hub Young Sinfonia, Intermediate Strings and Awards for Young Musicians Siloam Tesfamariam

Blue Peter Music Badge Aanya Saxena

National Youth Choir (9-15)

National Youth Children’s choir

Co-Principal Soprano Cornet for National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain

Zoe Burch

Kitty Sumner

Elizabeth Chung

Performances with Verve Academy and Imagine Theatre Isla Craig

Performances with Stage Coach and SYPA Maisie Gregerson Slater

MUSIC

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity Exam Results Exam Results

NAME GRADE RESULT

Violin

Kara Ford 3 Merit

Aanya Saxena 4 Merit

Chiedza Ushewokunze 4 Merit

Ruby Burrell 4 Pass

Kaiyan Zhang 6 Distinction

Olivia Strudwick 8 Distinction

Charlotte Gregory 1 Merit

Annika Pillay 1 Merit

Emelia Williams 1 Distinction

Olivia Toh 2 Pass

Rishika Sarkar 3 Merit

Ria Gupta 4 Pass

Havanna Holmes 4 Pass

Sara Nasim 4 Merit

Nirja Das 5 Merit

Aanya Shadija 6 Merit

Ruvimbo Ushewokunze 6 Merit

Rachel He 7 Merit

Aanya Saxena 4 awaiting result

Dilneet Sangha 4 Merit

Milli Gleadhall-Romanach 5 Merit

Simran Sangha 3

Kate Chen 6 Merit

Mihaela Lumin Ogbuagu 1 Merit

Trudy Ludlam 2 Pass

Alina He 8 Distinction

Amelie Spedding 7 Distinction

Fizzah Khattak 1 Merit

Milli Gleadhall-Romanach 8 Merit

Chuxuan Liu 6 Merit

Kitty Sumner 3 Distinction Rachel He 8 Distinction

Sara Nasim 4 Merit

Conroy

Holly Henser-Fisher 5

Isabelle Antony 6

Lucy Johnson 3

Myra Soni 5

SPORTS COLOURS

SPORT

Netball

Hockey

Athletics

Badminton

Dance

Football

Gymnastics

FULL COLOURS

Evie Lobley, Hannah Blyth, Eleanor Walker, Ruvimbo Ushewokunze

Anika Kacker, Maddie Cundy, Gabby Leek, Eleanor Hartley

Eleanor Hartley

Grace Sachdeva

HALF COLOURS

Hattie Allenby-Hodgetts

Mia Fox

Isobel Wilkie, Amelie Spedding, Elizabeth Hunter Neev Chung, Sylvie Radatz, Caoimhe Kent, Millie McLoughlin

Grace Mitchell

Imogen Hasan, Louisa Slight

Hannah Lone

Cricket Maya Gupta

Trampolining

Nirja Das, Georgia Burlton, Miranda Johnson

SCHOOL SPORTS AWARDS

AWARD

Hockey Progress Cup

Netball Progress Cup

Gymnastics Progress Cup

Trampolining Progress Cup

Badminton Progress Cup

Tennis Progress Cup

Cricket Progress Cup

Athletics Progress Cup

Football Progress Cup

Junior All Rounder

Senior All Rounder

Loyalty to School Sport

Nethra Buggineni, Olivia Inglis, Maddison Barker, Amelia Phillips, Milli Gleadhall-Romanach

PUPILS

Hana Jokhi

Bella Wright-Coe

Sophie Storey

Ruth Willoner

Georgia Johnston

Isabella Pardavila

Nousha Jackson

Hattie Allenby-Hodgetts

Hannah Lone

Katie Halsey

Eleanor Hartley

Grace Mitchell

TEAM ACHIEVEMENTS

Gymnastics and Trampolining

Under 11 Trampolining Novice and Intermediate Yorkshire Champions

Under 11

Trampolining North of England Intermediate Champion

Under 11 Trampolining North of England Novice Runner Up

Under 11 Intermediate Trampolining National Runner Up

Under 13 Novice Trampolining Yorkshire Runners Up

Under 15 Novice Trampolining Yorkshire Champions

Under 14 Intermediate Trampolining Yorkshire Champions

Under 19 Elite Trampolining Yorkshire Runners Up

Under 11 Gymnastics 3rd place in National Finals

Under 11 Yorkshire Acro and Tumbling 2nd place

Under 14 Yorkshire Acro and Tumbling 1st Place

Hockey

Northern Trust Senior Hockey Champions

Senior Hockey – County Champions, Yorkshire Champions and NW Champions

Under 14 hockey – South Yorkshire County champions

Under 15 SFSS Hockey Champions

Under 14 SFSS hockey Champions

Under 18 Tier 3 National Hockey Champions

Under 11 GDST Northern School Hockey Champions

Badminton

Key Stage 4 South Yorkshire Badminton runners up

Northern Trust badminton champions

Under 13 SFSS Badminton Champions

Under 15 SFSS Badminton Champions

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS

SPORT

NAME

Athletics – SFSS Athletics Year Group

Long Jump Orla Hague

Netball

Under 15 SFSS Netball Champions

Under 16 South Yorkshire Netball Champions

Under 14 SFSS Netball Runners up

Under 12 SFSS Netball runners up

Under 11 SFSS Netball Champions

Under 10 SFSS Netball Runners up

Swimming

Northern Trust swimming champions

Year 4 and Year 6 Swimming champions at Mylnhurst swimming festival

Tennis

Northern trust tennis champions

Athletics

GDST Trust Athletics (whole school) – 3rd Place

RESULT / ACHIEVEMENT

Finalist

Ball Throw Nicole Waring Finalist

600M Carlotta Bailey Finalist

Long Jump Rosa Evans Finalist

Long Jump Alexia Wastakaran Finalist

Rounds Ball throw Lizzie Mayfield-Tulip Finalist

100M Jameela Schawsmidth Finalist

Shot Faith Bello Finalist

Discus, Long Jump, Javelin Isabella Latter

Discus, Javelin, Shot Put Maya Gupta

100M, 300M (reserve) Katie Halsey

Long Jump (reserve) Amelie Nourry

Discus, Shot Put Mia Fox

Long Jump, 100M, 200M Hattie Allenby-Hodgetts

Winner (Javelin, Long Jump)

Winner (Shot)

Winner (100M, 200M)

Winner

Winner (Discus)

Winner (100M, 200M)

SPORT NAME

Long Jump, 100M, 200M

Eleanor Hartley

South Yorkshire Athletics Championships

Long Jump

Long Jump

Rosa Evans

Alexia Wastakaran

Rounds Ball throw Lizzie Mayfield-Tulip

100M

Shot

Discus / Long Jump / Javelin

Discus / Javelin

300M (reserve)

Jameela Schawsmidth

Faith Bello

Isabella Latter

Maya Gupta

Katie Halsey

Long Jump (reserve) Amelie Nourry

Discus / Shot

Mia Fox

Long Jump / 100M / 200M Hattie Allenby-Hodgetts

RESULT / ACHIEVEMENT

Finalist

Finalist

Finalist

Finalist

Finalist

Finalist

Finalist

Finalist

Finalist

Finalist

Finalist

Finalist

Long Jump / 100M / 200M Eleanor Hartley Finalist

High Jump

Emily Slight

150M Erin Denton

Eleanor Hartley

Athletics

Rowing

Gym and Trampolining

Jameela Schawsmidth

Carlotta Bailey

Eleanor Swann

Isabella Cancello

Gerogia Burlton

Miranda Johnson

Harriet Addy

Erin Denton

Jess Rodgers

Winner

Winner

GDST Athletics Champion Senior 200M & 300M & English Schools Athletics Finalist

GDST Athletics Champion Senior 100m

SFSS Cross Country City Champion & League Champion

Selected to Row for Yorkshire at National Championships in April & selected for GB rowing Performance Development Academy

2nd Overall and winner of artistic awards at Nottingham Gymnastics Open, Distinction in Yorkshire Grades

2nd at National Finals Intermediate Under 14 Trampolining

SFSS Under 15 Elite Trampolining & Rachel Crowther Memorial Award. Represented Yorkshire at Inter-Regional Trampolining finals

Represented Yorkshire at 2024 Inter-Regional Trampolining Finals: Level 4

Club category winner at the Yorkshire NDP tumbling competition & finalist in English Silver Competition. 3rd Nationally Under 11 Tumbling

National Gold Classic British Gymnastics –Bronze squad medal

SPORT NAME

Cricket

Badminton

Roller Hockey

Swimming

Netball

Football

Orienteering

Equestrian

Hockey

Ariana Ramlakhan

Mia Fox

Grace Sachdeva

Leah Micklethwaite

Charlotte Bianchi

Sophie Bromley

Freja Lobley

Louisa Slight, Rumbi Ushewokunza, Freja Lobley

Amelie Nourry

Hannah Blyth

Amelie Latter & Fleur Latter

Skye Webster

Alice Pieters

Amber Moxon

Kat Melson

Hana Jokhi

Alysha Ferreira

RESULT / ACHIEVEMENT

Selected for the Yorkshire County Cricket Under 13 squad for the 2024 season

Represented England Badminton in the Under 17 Nations Cup in Sweden

Badminton England Sports Aid Award 2024

England Roller Hockey – European Finals in Spain

European Junior Swimming Championships in Lithuania

North East Competitor at English Schools

Swimming Inter-Divisional Championships. Swimming scholarship recipient for NorthEastern University, Boston for 2025

Selected for Under 17 NPL Leeds Rhinos Netball Club

GDST Select Netball Team

Represented France in Netball (competition details TBC)

Umpiring qualification in Netball

Selected for Sheffield’s first school girls competitive football team – Yorkshire Federations League Champions & semi-finalists for the English Schools Football Association Champions Cup

Senior Under 16 team debut for Sheffield Wednesday Ladies – Goalkeeper

Represented England at Orienteering: 4th in Under 17 Interlands Cup in Belgium

Winner – British Dressage Class during Under 18 British Eventing season

National League hockey club player, captained Yorkshire in annual England Hockey tournament.

England Hockey Pathway

England Hockey Pathway

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARDS

BRONZE SILVER GOLD

Hattie AllenbyHodgetts

Amelie Nourry

Imogen Richardson

Ameya Amat

Imogen Hasan

Emily Ollier

Ruby Green

Sanah Choudhry

Ruth Willoner

Aliza Ghafoor

Inayat Budhiraja

Asha Chib-Lewis

Deena Gelli

Maisie Gregerson

Slater

Isabella Pardavila

Nina Meiring

Lauren Berwick

Ella Squire

Isabelle Antony

Xanthe Davies

Ellie LawtonNicholls

Kaiyan Zhang

Holly Wright

Rebekah He

Darcey Morewood

Freya Morrow

Isheeta Chowdhary

Aimen Azeem

Alice Carr

Emily Houghton

Lana Jaiswal

Sophie Hopton

Madison Barker

Hannah Benten

Nethra Buggineni

Zyva Butt

Sienna Chung

Harriet Gwynne

Alana Holmes

Olivia Inglis

Nousha Jackson

Jayani Koganti

Georgia Leek

Cecilia Li

Isabella Noble

Mirolla Sefen

Karen Shendy

Isabella Stoddard

Aimin Tabina

Tegan Willmott

Eleanor Gott

Zara Aslam

Millie Coldwell

Emily Phillips

Aanya Shadija

Zohha Durrani

Namratha Naveen

Esme Singh

Annabel Stenson

Rosie Thaw

Havanna Holmes

Joanna Gunn

Freya Richards

Pranavi Pindiprolu

Amara Ramlakhan

Maha Gohar

Melissa Harrower

Jasmine Billing

Hannah Samuel

Jerusalem

Gebrekristos

Isabella Wright-Coe

Hena Shujja-Ud-Din

Flo Bond

Alysha Ferreira

Melissa Muzulu

Millie Haworth

Rosie Sparks

Zoe Liu

Hannah Clark

Isabella James

Eden Joel-Drennan

Emily Bamforth

Thea Kerry

Evie FawcettGreaves

Chensy Chen

Meenakshi Paniker

Zoey Chen

Celia Mycock

Safi Ismail

Ruby Pocock

Anjali Verma

Rania Delaimi

Daisy Kirby-Baker

Millie McLoughlin

Tegist Gebrhiwot

Khushi Gupta

Hannah Blyth

Lucy Walters

Grace Mitchell

Rebekah Hald

Sophie Radatz

Stephanie Radatz

Suhani Kansra

Adithi Ravishankar

Hannah Taylor

Molly Shah

Abby Tam

Eleanor Walker

Welcome to the world…

October 2023

July

We welcomed…

We were delighted to invite some fantastic new members of staff into the Sheffield Girls’ community this year.

Tanasity Wood Attendance Officer

Emily Meadows EAL Teacher

Liam Hall Teacher of Mathematics

Georgina Gill Teacher of Classics

Stuart Dodson Teacher of Physics

Joanna Day School Counsellor

Shamim Akhtar Teacher of Mathematics

Alice Marsden Learning Support Assistant

Iona Carmichael Learning Support Assistant

Emma Dodson Temporary Teacher of English

Candy Lo Catering Assistant

Hannah Margerison Marketing and Communications Officer

Ian Dicken

ICT Operations Manager

And we bid farewell to…

We unfortunately had to say goodbye to some of our faces and we want to thank them for all their hard work.

Carl Adams Assistant Head Academic

Ophelia Parish Communications Officer

Susan Smith Catering Assistant

Chris Hald Head of Infant and Junior School

Rachel Willie Head of Chemistry

Clare Wallace Director of Music

Diane Bronze Teacher of Mathematics

Miriam Gunn Learning Support Assistant

Iona Carmichael Learning Support Assistant

Morgan Blundell ICT Operations Manager

Jess Barnsley Chemistry Technician

Emma Dodson Temporary Teacher of English

Victoria Ronan welcomed daughter Leanora on 31st

Megan Neve welcomed baby daughter Rosie Grace on 9th

2024