Senior School
At NHSG, your daughter will have every opportunity to explore, learn and excel so she can become whoever she wants to be.
Senior School at NHSG is more than just broadening your daughter’s intellectual, personal and social horizons. With academic excellence at our core, this stage of her educational career will equip her with the skills to lead a successful, happy life and to forge her own future.
Our Senior School is a forward-thinking, outward-facing dynamic learning environment, firmly and proudly rooted in our city and region. Experts in the education of girls, our approach is focused on how girls learn best and is built on academic rigour and outstanding support for every girl to allow her to achieve excellence.
What this means for your daughter is that she will be both inspired and excited about learning. We'll nurture her intellectual curiosity enabling her to step outside of her comfort zone so that she is stretched to achieve her very best. In doing so, she’ll develop the confidence and the resilience to face challenges, grasp opportunities and acquire the skills she needs for success both at school and beyond.
At NHSG we will empower your daughter to become a strong, confident and grounded young woman, who will stand by her principles and values in an ever-changing world.
Parent of a Senior School pupil
I have been really impressed by the level of care and support offered to my daughter since she started at NHSG. The diverse and challenging lessons and excellent extra-curricular opportunities have made her first terms at Senior School engaging and rewarding. The staff have been approachable and efficient and the whole experience has been wonderful for my daughter.
Your daughter's learning journey of discovery.
Through outstanding teaching from our expert staff, your daughter will enjoy a journey of discovery in Senior School. One where her love of learning is ignited in all subjects and also where she’ll begin to uncover which subjects she has a real passion for whether in the Sciences/STEM, Performing Arts, Sport, Languages, Humanities and everything in-between. And, at NHSG, in an all-girl environment, she will never be limited or influenced by stereo-types around subject choice.
In Key Stage 3 (Years 7 - 9), your daughter will follow a broad curriculum to extend her academic skills and knowledge. In addition to separate Sciences, English, Maths and Humanities subjects, she'll also study two modern foreign languages, Classics, PE, Dance, Drama, Art and Music. She'll also follow an extensive Personal, Social and Health Education programme which will support her in the challenges of modern day living and understanding of the wider world. At GCSE, we'll continue to offer a breadth of subjects and will support your daughter in selecting the best possible pathway for her, helping her to keep her options open, as she continues to explore her future.
High quality teaching and learning, a broad modern curriculum and every kind of opportunity and challenge. Superb facilities, strong pastoral care and a very obvious commitment to inclusivity tailored to girls’ needs and interests. It’s a pretty compelling package.
Empowering your daughter to be a leader, trailblazer and world shaper.
Every girl who passes through our doors will develop the capacity to take a lead, to blaze her own trail, and to shape the world around her. This doesn't mean that every pupil at NHSG will be the next Prime Minister, but it does mean that every girl at NHSG has the self-esteem and confidence to make her voice heard, to speak out about her beliefs and convictions and live by a strong set of values.
We'll support your daughter inside and outside of the classroom to achieve all of this and more. It's also the reason why we provide an extensive and exciting co-curricular programme to extend learning even further beyond the curriculum. Research into co-curricular activities has found pupils attain higher academic results, have better relationships at school, and are more likely to lead healthy, active lifestyles when they leave school. They learn the value of commitment, teamwork, discipline, and open-mindedness. We encourage girls to get involved in a variety of activities in order to maintain a good balance between their studies and life outside school. It’s key to them leading positive and fulfilled lives.
The space to be herself.
A focus on wellbeing, and the space to be herself, means that your daughter will maximise her progress and have every opportunity to develop her full potential in the broadest sense. Our pastoral ethos underpins, supports and nurtures our aim of giving girls the confidence to think independently, analytically, logically, creatively and imaginatively. Girls need a safe space in which to develop these characteristics. We provide that space so that your daughter will develop the confidence to make sound judgements and autonomous decisions; to become a strong, grounded young woman who is not afraid to stand by her principles in a world of ever shifting values.
First class facilities and nothing to stand in her way.
Situated on Tankerville Terrace in Jesmond, surrounded by mature trees and plenty of outdoor space, our Senior School fuses the traditional with the contemporary to create a first class learning environment.
Whatever subject your daughter is studying she’ll have access to every facility and resource she needs. Whether learning in the classroom, laboratory, sports pitch or creative arts studios, our expert staff ensure that our excellent resources are used to the full so that there are no limits to your daughter’s education. And every classroom and learning space is equipped with the most up to date technology providing the means for truly interactive and exciting lessons every day.
Exemplary record on results.
Our public examination results have been consistently impressive year on year reflecting our aim to continually improve upon the academic attainment for our pupils. In our last published GCSE and A Level results in 2019 (pre-pandemic), we reported a significant increase in top grades at both GCSE and A Level. This was one of the reasons we were awarded the prestigious Sunday Times North East Independent School of the Year Award in 2020. Since that time, we have continued on an upward trajectory of academic attainment at GCSE and A Level in 2020 and 2021.
In the Summer of 2022, further excellent results have been reported. At A Level we saw approximately a quarter of grades (24%) at the highest possible grade of A*, and over half (51%) were at the top grades of A- A*, while 73% of grades were at A* - B. Pupils have consequently had their places confirmed at universities including Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, UCL and Central St Martins and they'll be studying a wide range of courses from history and politics to medicine and dentistry as well as art and dance.
For GCSE, we were also delighted to report that 20 of our pupils received all grades 9 - 7 and 65% of all grades were at the highest grades 9 - 7, with just under a quarter of grades (44%) at the equivalent of an A* - ie Grades 9 - 8. Overall, 86% of GCSE grades were awarded at grades 9 - 6 and the girls' impressive achievements at GCSE have provided them with an excellent foundation for their studies at Sixth Form at NHSG.
Open Days. See for yourself.
The best way for you and your daughter to gain a real sense of everything NHSG can offer at Senior School is by visiting us during one of our Open Days, or if more suitable, to arrange a private visit. As well as viewing our excellent facilities, you'll be able to meet key members of our Senior School team and our pupils, and find out in more detail what life is really like at NHSG.
Meet key members of the Senior School Team: your daughter's future is in excellent hands.
Mrs Amanda Hardie
Acting Head
It's my role to make sure that we deliver our vision and mission across the school, and by doing so enable every girl to achieve her potential and ambition. I am proud therefore to lead an exceptional academic and support team in delivering an inspiring and vibrant curriculum and co-curriculum, alongside excellent pastoral care. I meet every new pupil joining our Senior School to make sure they are settling into school life. Our warm and friendly community is very much part of our ethos of putting girls first.
Mrs Tori Snowdon
Deputy Head Academic 2023-2024
My role is to ensure that the academic programme at Senior School is rigorous and provides both the breadth and depth to spark intellectual enquiry and debate. I lead the Heads of Department and subject teachers to continually review the delivery of teaching and learning, as well as closely monitoring and tracking every girl to ensure she is working and achieving her best. Our robust approach means that we encourage and support girls to step out of their comfort zone and strive to be the very best version of themselves.
Mr David Hyde
Assistant Head Academic 2023-2024
Supporting the leadership of the academic programme for Newcastle High School for Girls, including assisting the Deputy Head Academic with the development and implementation of the curriculum and ensuring high academic standards across Senior School. Leadership of the CPD programme in Senior School.
Mrs Lucy Franks Doyle
Deputy Head Pastoral
Pastoral care and support has never been more important. I have responsibility for our pupils’ wellbeing, to try and ensure they are happy and thriving from a personal and social perspective, as well as making the most of the educational opportunities at NHSG. I lead an approachable and expert pastoral team which includes Heads of Year, a PSHE Co-ordinator, a full time School Nurse and a full time Counsellor; they all have unrivalled experience in supporting the girls to face challenges and build self-esteem.
Miss Sarah Penny
Director of Partnerships and Co-curricular
Working within the pastoral team, I am responsible for leading our co-curricular, charity and trips programmes as well as running our House system and supporting our pupil leaders. Life at NHSG is busy and rewarding and every day offers a new opportunity for our pupils. As well as running these programmes, my role is to encourage every pupil in every Year Group at NHSG to get involved in as much as they can. Participation at NHSG is high and contributes to the strong sense of family and community that is so valued here.
Mrs Sarah Mawhinney
Head of Year 7
As one of the Heads of Year, my role is to support the girls in my Year Group. Initially in Year 7 that includes helping them make a successful transition into Senior School with all the excitement and challenges that brings. During this process, I get to know the girls very well indeed, and, as well as supporting them to be happy and settled in their new environment, I work with them to ensure they are meeting their academic targets and making the most of every opportunity presented to them in their first year at Senior School.
School travel made easy.
The school run can be stressful. Our reliable, fully chaperoned, school mini-bus service offers a variety of routes from across the region, and can be as flexible as you need it to be. We even run a shuttle bus service between our Junior and Senior School sites. Our school bus service also helps to reduce the numbers of cars on the road (which our planet will thank us for).
Term dates.
It's always helpful to know when the School terms start and finish, as well as the holiday periods.
Senior School
School fees per term for academic year 2023 - 2024
School Fees per term
£5,017
Lunch fees per term
£288
Senior School – before/ after school
Our School day starts at 08.35, and concludes at 15.50. During the term time girls can arrive before school at 08.00 and at the end of the day remain in school until 18.00 for no additional charge. We operate a breakfast club each day at 8.00 and the girls pay for the items purchased on the day using our cashless payment system.
Please note:
Fees cover tuition as part of the regular curriculum, textbooks and scientific materials. Fees also include non-residential curriculum trips.
Our fees do not include the cost of entries for external examinations. In Year 11, when pupils sit GCSE examinations as a whole year group, there is an additional charge for the actual cost of the number and type of subjects being sat at GCSE and IGCSE tailored for each pupil. Currently the typical range is between £400 to £600 for GCSE pupils and the calculated amount for each pupil, based on her confirmed entries, will be added to the Summer Term’s fee bill in Year 11.
Individual examination entries taken at other times will be the subject of an additional charge to cover both the direct cost of the exam entry along with any additional costs of administration, invigilation, centre supervision and/or access arrangements.
Fees do not cover tuition for optional extra subjects, which are charged for directly by the School or the self-employed peripatetic teacher. The costs of stationery are also additional to the fees.
Tuition fees do not include School lunches. All pupils up to the end of Year 13 are required to have School lunch and the cost is added to the fees account and collected at the beginning of every term.
Payment of fees
Fees must be paid for by the Bank Direct Debit system and the necessary form can be provided either by the School or from the Trust Head Office. The fees may be paid either termly in advance or by monthly instalments (four per term).
Acceptance fee
A deposit of £500 is charged on the acceptance of a place, and is held until the pupil leaves the School. It will be refunded as soon as is reasonably practicable after this and, in any case, no later than 12 weeks after the end of term, less any outstanding fees or additional charges due to the School. It is forfeit if a pupil is withdrawn after the place has been accepted.
NOTE: This website is for information only and does not form part of any contract between the parents and the Girls’ Day School Trust. This is because the information has necessarily been prepared well in advance of entry of a pupil to the school and inevitably there may be subsequent alterations.