Learning without limits for 150 years: Newcastle High School for Girls

Newcastle High School for Girls

www.newcastlehigh.gdst.net
LinkedIn: Newcastle High School for Girls

Pictures: Andrew Lowe

150 years ago, the idea that girls should receive the same sort of education as boys was as strange as the thought that man would one day walk on the moon.

Founded to challenge that idea and prepare girls to take their place in the world, the independent girls’ school today known as Newcastle High School for Girls still proudly honours that original aim.

While the educational landscape for girls has transformed dramatically over 150 years, the school remains committed to a clear belief: that an all-girl environment continues to matter.

“Our ethos is very simple,” says head Amanda Hardie.

“Our girls can learn without limits and become the person they want to be.”

That girls-first ethos is reflected in the school’s stated aim to empower girls to be leaders, trailblazers and world shapers, and its determination for each of its pupils to develop learning characteristics that include being courageous, confident, curious and collaborative, which will stay with them into adult life.

Amanda says: “Our school levels the playing field for girls, enabling pupils to step into life with self-belief, leadership skills and the confidence to succeed, whatever path they choose.”

Joining the school as a newly qualified teacher in 1997, Amanda has spent almost 30 years working at Newcastle High School for Girls, and was appointed head three years ago.

After a comprehensive, co-educational school education herself, she was immediately won over by the power of the all-girl offer at Newcastle High School for Girls.

She says: “I couldn’t believe an environment existed that was so empowering for girls.

“I’m deeply passionate about what we deliver and about the lives we can change.

“At its core, the school’s role is to help each pupil develop character, as well as academic ability.

“I say to the girls all the time: be the best version of you.”

Newcastle High School for Girls was formed in 2014 through the merger of Church High School and Central Newcastle High School, founded in 1885 and 1876, respectively.

Part of the national Girls’ Day School Trust organisation, Newcastle High School for Girls welcomes pupils from across the region, including Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Hexham, Corbridge, Durham and Sunderland, with a fleet of buses making school life workable for busy families.

With smaller class sizes, staff at Newcastle High School for Girls can treat each girl as an individual, offering encouragement to follow their interests and passions.

Amanda says: “That sense of being seen, supported and celebrated is fundamental to building confidence in girls.

“In an all-girl environment, pupils are more likely to take intellectual risks, to be inventive and to speak up and share their thoughts.

“It creates a confidence that allows them to be more successful in the working world.”

Amanda Hardie, Newcastle High School for Girls’ head

Amanda draws comparisons with mixed-sex classrooms, where boys can dominate discussion and girls may hold back or moderate their behaviour.

She says: “Our girls have the space to participate fully, without judgement, in lessons and across co-curricular activities.

“Many girls and their parents, who are making the move to our all-girl environment, share how they had once enjoyed sport or STEM clubs, only to drop out after feeling out of place or experiencing negative comments within a co-educational environment.

“Here, everything is open to the girls and designed specifically for them; they can follow their interests and passions without worrying about how they are perceived.”

The school has a record of strong academic outcomes for its pupils, with learners more likely to take STEM subjects at GCSE and A-level than seen in the co-educational system, something Amanda believes is due to the lack of stereotypes or judgement.

But success is about more than just grades.

Amanda adds: “It’s about giving girls a space to be who they are, to speak up and be confident – the chance to be leaders.”

The focus on leadership begins early, with programmes starting in junior school that encourage girls to use their voice – whether through charity initiatives, environmental action or shaping what happens in their classrooms.

Amanda says: “Their voice is important to us and they know that.

“It gives them a sense that they matter and that they are valued.

“The more the girls experience leadership and realise they are good at it, the more they take that mindset forward with them.

“It’s about confidence and opportunity.”

Looking ahead, the school is placing growing emphasis on ensuring pupils are prepared for future careers in a rapidly changing economy.

Since becoming head, Amanda has built links with employers, investors and universities to better understand emerging skills needs.

Partnerships with companies including Sage have helped shape an understanding of future pathways in technology such as cybersecurity.

The school is also working closely with universities to address significant gender gaps in applications for some technical courses.

Amanda says: “By working on those imbalances early, we aim to ensure our pupils have both the skills and the confidence to enter fields where women remain underrepresented, if that’s what they choose.”

Alongside its forward-looking approach, the school holds a deep pride in its past and the success of its alumnae.

As the school marks its 150th year, that heritage will be celebrated through a programme of events, culminating in a major gathering in September that will bring together alumnae, current pupils and families.

Amanda speaks warmly of the alumnae community, many of whom still contribute to school life by returning to share their experiences, offering current pupils real examples of career stories and the challenges they have faced.

From pilots, doctors and vets to roles with the British Fashion Council and McLaren F1, the range of careers is broad and deliberately visible.

Amanda says: “It’s powerful for the girls to hear from someone who once sat in the same place they are sitting now.

“Our job is to make sure they are ready to grasp those opportunities by giving our girls a voice, a sense of self-esteem and confidence, and the space to share ideas, challenge each other and take risks among their peers.

“We are very proud to be an all-girl school.”

For more information about Newcastle High School for Girls, its curriculum and its culture, visit the website here: newcastlehigh.gdst.net