Wakefield schools organise online open evenings

Wakefields Girls’ High School and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, which are united in The Wakefield Grammar School Foundation, have adapted the way they are working with both children and parents.

One of the most dynamic changes will be an online open evening on October 13 and 14, which gives parents the chance to meet and talk with the team, as well as providing fun activities for students, and other open events.

Head teacher Heidi-Jayne Boyes said: “Wakefield Girls’ has been educating girls through challenging times for nearly 150 years. The school is intentionally designed to develop, challenge, nurture and prepare girls from age 3 with practices and programmes developed by what works best for girls. All kinds of girls thrive at Wakefield Girls’, succeeding individually and collectively.”

Award winning

After becoming Head of Wakefield Girls’ High School 3 years ago, Heidi-Jayne Boyes accelerated the school’s proud history of developing girls’ ambitions and potential with accreditation this summer as a High Performance Learning World Class School.

This award recognises the very best schools in the world - those at the forefront of educational thinking with exceptional outcomes for students. And while students achieve high examination success annually, the real strength of Wakefield Girls’ is the nurturing, happy environment.

This environment supports all girls to achieve their full potential and develop the critical skills that prepare them as young women ready for work and life. Each flourishes to become who and what she wants to be, evidenced in the career progression of Wakefield Girls’ alumnae.

And at Wakefield Girls’ excellent annual GCSE and A’level results and destinations are also testament to these values. Over 70% of students earn top grades at both GCSE and A’ Level. Heidi added: “Happy girls learn and achieve their best potential. We nurture our students through positive relationships between staff and girls, creating one supportive and wonderful educational family.“Our students are not only academically successful as the acquisition of skills and knowledge makes them more than ready for life and develops a thirst for more. We are just the right size so all girls are known, yet our outlook is very much global.”

QEGS

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School has been educating boys for well over 400 years. As one of the top boys’ schools in the country, QEGS prides itself in providing that educational alchemy which taps into the core strengths of boys – their innate sense of fair play, their sense of humour and their sheerdetermination to succeed (link to school video).The boys - from the QEGlets in Junior School right the way up to Sixth Formers at the top end of Senior School - have demonstrated these strengths in abundance most recently, handling an unprecedented year with typical QEGS spirit; and the school says it is incredibly proud of them all.Headteacher David Craig said: “Indeed, it was this outstanding display of hard work and determination that paid dividends for our Year 11 boys over the summer with over 70% of GCSE grades in the top 9-7 bracket, an exceptional set of results in extraordinary times.”And a remarkable demonstration of sheer grit and resolve saw so many happy faces as the Year 13 boys opened their envelopes on A Level Results Day, with the vast majority of them set fair for a diverse range of exciting university courses and apprenticeships at top institutions around the country.Mr Craig added: “While our students continue to achieve exam success year on year, the ethos at our school is to ensure that each boy is, first and foremost, a happy boy, who reaches his full potential – whether that is on the academic or sporting front, music, drama, or very importantly just in being the best version of himself.“At QEGS, we enhance, accentuate and build upon the uniqueness of every student and ensure that their time here has given them the best chance to understand and use their own talents for future success.” And never has this been more necessary than in 2020; the schools have both consistently maintained exceptional teaching and reliable delivery of a full curriculum to students, using virtual lessons and parents evenings as and when needed.

Sign up nowThe school is looking forward to welcoming families to its first open events of the academic year on October 13 and 14, 4 - 7pm. Due to COVID restrictions they will be virtual and include e-meets with teachers as well as some fun taster activities - a great chance to experience Wakefield Girls’ in action. Register here and here.