Sheffield High School

• Location: Sheffield, England,
• Founded in: 1878,
• Number of students: about 1,000,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of education: girls only.

Sheffield High School (SHS) is one of the best girls' schools in the North of England, offering programs at all stages of secondary education, from kindergarten to high school.

Sheffield High School has a centuries-old history, first opening its doors in 1878. From the beginning, the school was focused on single-sex education, accepting 39 female students in the first year. Over the years, it has undergone several reorganisations and relocations in order to offer students the best learning opportunities: a sprawling campus with state-of-the-art facilities, all stages of studying, highly qualified teaching staff and a variety of extracurricular activities for talent development. Throughout its history, Sheffield High School has not changed its main goal - to provide each student with individual attention, thanks to which all girls develop at a comfortable pace and in the directions that they like.

Sheffield High School is recognized by many ranking agencies, regularly occuppies positions in the ratings of the country's leading schools, and is in demand among local and foreign students. By admitting a limited number of foreign students, Sheffield High School creates a multicultural student community in which friendly, respectful and kind relations are maintained. Among the teachers, there are also representatives of different countries who bring a broader vision of the world around them to the educational process.

The slogan of the educational institution is the phrase "We teach her everything so that she can become anyone", confirming the quality of same-sex education, the absence of gender stereotypes and the freedom of students in choosing their favorite scientific directions, extracurricular sections and areas for implementation.

SHS junior students are offered one-to-one tuition to support gradual academic progress and more thorough preparation for the transition to middle school. In high school, a qualified support team provides a number of special services to help future graduates prepare for exams, choose a university:

• Individual career conversations,
• Workshops on interview techniques, focusing on career goals and priorities, writing a resume, and more,
• Speaking by guest speakers and alumni, exploring their career paths, and tips for choosing medical apps to improve your LinkedIn profile,
• Visits to university campuses, job fairs.

The school covers all stages of secondary education, teaching programs at the following academic levels:

• Infants & Junior (4-11 years old),
• Senior (11-16 years old),
• Sixth Form (16-18 years old).

SHS does not have residential premises, does not organize off-campus housing.

On school days, the pupils visit the dining room, which serves hot and cold dishes, drinks and healthy snacks. A meal plan that includes a daily lunch is mandatory for students from preparatory groups to grade 7 inclusive.

SHS offers a wide range of extracurricular activities focused on additional education, development of talents and abilities of all students. Thematic clubs, sports sections, creative teams, participation in scientific projects and volunteer events - these and other opportunities will allow students to gain important social skills, self-confidence and find like-minded people.

To maintain enthusiasm and interest in learning, three specialized programs have been created: Girls of Steel Awards for junior grades, Pre Senior Baccalaureate for students in grades 7-8, and Forging Futures for senior groups. Participation in the programs will give students a particularly high quality of skills and will broaden their horizons to become a competitive college and university applicant in the future.

Some of the extracurricular areas of development include:

• Individual lessons in piano, violin, cello, guitar, drums and other musical instruments,
• Participation in orchestras, ensembles, choirs, string groups and a brass band. Performances take place both on the campus of the school and outside it - on regional and international trips around Europe,
• Master classes on various types of dances,
• Dramatic art, involving participation in two school productions per year. Classes will allow students to improve their speech skills, improve acting skills and gain confidence in public performances,
• Circles in needlework, fine arts,
• Robotics and Coding Club, whose members often compete with pupils of other schools at the regional and national levels,
• Business and entrepreneurship lessons that provide the development of teamwork, creativity, leadership skills,
• The debate club is an opportunity not only to discuss social problems and current events, but also to learn how to formulate and present a well-founded opinion. Girls of all ages can try their hand at debate: from introductory sessions to competitions across the country,
• The SHINE community project offers volunteer work in the field of social mobility.

Extracurricular education is complemented by regular excursions to local attractions and trips to other countries for skiing, exploring other cultures and customs, participating in the Duke of Edinburgh competition, visiting the campuses of the country's leading universities.

• Best Independent Secondary School in the North of England by the Sunday Times,
• Best UK Preparatory School Award 2023,
• Highest results in ISI verification,
• Small classes, decreasing with the seniority of students,
• The school accepts foreign students,
• Excellent GCSE, A-Level results,
• A wide range of extracurricular activities, including sports sections and creative teams,
• Personalized academic support.

Sheffield High School is placed in three areas located next to each other and involve the separation of classrooms for students of different ages. The University of Sheffield and the Botanic Gardens are adjacent to the campus, where excursions are regularly held. The school buildings are surrounded by a green area with prepared places for outdoor learning, playgrounds, and sports infrastructure.

For each age stage of students, suitable premises have been created with equipment that enriches the educational process. Thus, primary school students are gradually beginning to use STEM equipment and more complex materials from art studios, get access to the library and reading rooms, and high-tech science laboratories, computer classrooms with iPads and PCs, self-study areas and many other rooms for study and extracurricular development are already open to high school students.

The all-weather fields located on campus are suitable for sports in any season: training in team sports takes place here, and individual classes are organized in the indoor sports and gym halls, trampoline center, gymnastics and dance studios.

Music also occupies an important place in the extracurricular life of students, so several halls for performances, rehearsal studios, classes for playing musical instruments are equipped for classes.

Sheffield High has its own bus fleet, the cars of which are used during excursions.

The academic year consists of three semesters:

• Autumn: September-December,
• Spring: January-March,
• Summer: April-July.

There are holidays between semesters. Rest is provided on weekends and holidays. Lessons are conducted from Monday to Friday in the morning, afternoon, followed by extracurricular activities.

The cost of the program covers the following additional services:

• Career testing of a schoolchild,
• Regular training according to the program (except for additional elective subjects),
• Physical education
• Lots of lunchtime and after-school activities,
• Stationery
• Textbooks and scientific materials,
• Some study trips and field research,
• Expenses for tests, recommendations for choosing a career, starting from the 10th grade.

List of additional costs may include:

• Registration fee, deposit upon admission,
• Meals for grades 8-13,
• State exams, standardized tests in high school,
• Some extracurricular activities,
• Checking grades based on the results of exams at the request of parents or retaking module exams,
• Additional elective subjects, including music, speech, and drama,
• Individual lessons, including music,
• Compulsory insurance,
• Personal expenses.

Sheffield High staff offer an introductory tour before applying so that the family of the prospective student can meet the faculty and tour the campus. Next, applicants will have to fill out a registration form, pay the entrance fee and provide the required documents, and then pass an interview and tests in the main subjects. Based on the results of the entrance exams, the admission committee selects candidates for enrollment by sending official invitations. To reserve a place at school, students pay a deposit and can then arrive on campus to begin classes.

The annual high scores received by students at GCSE and A-Level confirm quality academic preparation and all-round development. In 2024, among the graduates:

• 45 – enrolled in Russell Group universities, including Oxbridge,
• 7 – study medicine,
• 6 – study law,
• 40 – study non-medical STEM subjects,
• 29 received A*-A grades,
• One is undergoing a piloting course at easyJet and BA.

The university accepts foreign students who apply through SHS partner agencies. For admission, you must have a passport, medical insurance, apply for a visa or residence permit, and provide:

• Academic reports from the previous place of study, exam results if any,
• Results of a language test confirming the level of English language proficiency: IELTS (from 5.5) or equivalent recognized by the school,
• Individual achievements, if any.

Sheffield High School is part of the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST), the largest group of independent schools for girls in the UK. Members of the group offer scholarship programs and grants based on excellence in academics, sports, and creativity, as well as financial need. Scholarships Available:

• Academic, musical, sports scholarships for applicants entering the 7th grade,
• Sixth Form Award for Excellence and Future Potential for High School Girls,
• Discounts for students from the same family in the amount of 20% for the third and subsequent children.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision