Wolverhampton Girls' High School is a grammar school for girls in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England.

Overview

Wolverhampton Girls' High School, founded in 1911, educates girls from the age of 11 to 18. There are some 1015 girls enrolled, including about two hundred in the sixth form. It was previously awarded the status of Language College in the UK's Specialist Schools Programme, and converted to academy status on 1 April 2014.

Entrance

Entry to the school is via the Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton Grammar Schools Consortium (Adams' Grammar, Newport Girls High, Queen Mary Grammar and High School and Wolverhampton Girls High School), testing Maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. These tests take place during Year 6 of primary education (in September). 11+ examinations must be taken in order to be enrolled in the school.

Curriculum

There used to be four forms according to which house a student belonged to, however the school now has five forms in each year. Subjects are taught in form groups in years 7 to 9 and then in option groups for the more senior years. Girls take English and at least three foreign languages, religious studies, history, geography,

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

, physics, biology,

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

, technology, information technology, art, music and physical education. Foreign languages are chosen from

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, German, Latin, Russian and Spanish. More recently, students have started to take one major European language and one language with a different writing system in year 7, then to begin Latin in year 8. At GCSE level, alongside English,

, biology,

and physics, students are required to take at least one foreign language, and one of geography, history, and religious studies. Further, girls take two more subjects of their choice, and in year 11 are given the option to take GCSE-level further mathematics if they desire.

Results

The school has been producing high results for many years and has frequently been ranked within the top 10 state schools in the country for its performance at GCSE and A level. Over 80% of GCSE grades are either A or A*, with the majority of pupils gaining nine or more GCSEs at these grades. The 2006

A-level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...

results placed the school in fifth place in the performance league table for all maintained schools in the West Midlands. In 2009, 100% of girls who sat GCSE examinations gained 5 or more A*–C GCSEs. Since the 2017 GCSE reforms, WGHS has continued to perform highly in subjects. Notably, in 2019, three-quarters of results were a grade 7 to 9, and 87% of students achieved at least a grade 4 in all 5 EBacc subjects.

Notable former pupils

* Lindsay Ashford, author * Narinder Dhami, author *

Jacqueline Elledge Jacqueline Lucienne Marie-Louise Marguerite Elledge (born 8 January 1937) is an English former cricketer who played primarily as a batter. She appeared in 3 Test matches for England in 1963, in a series against Australia. She played domestic c ...

, England cricketer *

Wendy Flavell Wendy Ruth Flavell (born 1 September 1961) is Vice Dean for Research and a Professor of Surface Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester. Her research investigates the electronic structure of complex met ...

, professor of surface physics at the University of Manchester * Helene Hayman, Baroness Hayman, Labour politician, first Lord Speaker of the House of Lords * Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, captain of the

England women's cricket team The England women's cricket team represents England and Wales in international women's cricket. Since 1998, they have been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), having been previously governed by the Women's Cricket Association ...

Ann Jago Ann Jago (born 20 February 1939) is an English former cricketer who played primarily as a bowler. She appeared in two Test matches for England in 1960 and 1961, against South Africa. She played domestic cricket for Kent. Jago was educated at W ...

, England cricketer * Betty Joseph (1917-2013), British psychoanalyst *

Caitlin Moran Catherine Elizabeth Moran (; born 5 April 1975) is an English journalist, author, and broadcaster at ''The Times'', where she writes three columns a week: one for the Saturday Magazine, a TV review column, and the satirical Friday column "Celeb ...

, author and journalist * Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark, Conservative politician and educationalist * Patience Wheatcroft, Baroness Wheatcroft, journalist and Conservative peer, former editor of The Sunday Telegraph and Wall Street Journal Europe * Anne Rafferty, High Court judge * Sarah Clarke, first woman to be appointed Black Rod in the UK Parliament *

Constance Wood Constance "Connie" Annie Poyser Wood (1897–1985) was a pioneer of radiotherapy, leading research units in London when the speciality was being established. Early life and education She was born in Wolverhampton in 1897. She went to Wolverhamp ...

, pioneer of radiotherapy * Jane Stevenson, Conservative Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton North East and Councillor for Tettenhall Wightwick

References

External links

Wolverhampton Girls' High School
- official web site

- Wolverhampton Girls’ High Old Girls’ Union website {{Authority control Girls' schools in the West Midlands (county) Grammar schools in Wolverhampton Educational institutions established in 1911 1911 establishments in England Academies in Wolverhampton *