Sheffield Girls’ Year 11 Cohort Gather to Celebrate GCSE Results Day 2024

Today we welcomed Year 11 back into school to celebrate GCSE Results Day. This fantastic year group should be proud of all they have achieved following hours of dedication, hard work and determination. We are delighted that this year, 29% of results were at grade 9, 52% were at grades 8/9 and 74% were at grades 7 to 9, more than three times the national average of 22%. 

Many of our students have achieved outstanding success across the board. 12 students achieved a minimum of nine 9s, and 45% of the cohort achieved all top grades of 9-7 (equivalent to A*/A). This year, 1,270 students across the whole of England achieved all 9’s in their grades and we are delighted to say that eight of these pupils are from our Year 11 cohort at Sheffield Girls’. 

One parent commented on the celebratory atmosphere of the day: “It's amazing to see so many girls celebrate today including my daughter. She's interested in STEM and Engineering in particular and the confidence she's gained in these subjects over the last few years has been incredible.” Another parent, who has had four girls at the school since Reception, commented: “It wouldn’t have been possible without the teachers and their support, not just academically but all the other support as well.”

In a year where the gap between boys and girls’ grades has narrowed, Sheffield Girls’ pupils have remained on top with top grades across the full range of subjects: 

• All three Sciences all achieved over 75% grades 9-7, with 83% 9-7 in Chemistry, 83% 9-7 in Physics and 77% 9-7 in Biology
• 80% of Drama grades and 60% of PE grades were awarded the top grades of 9/8
• MFL subjects, French, Spanish and German all achieved over 50% of the top grades of 9/8. Spanish achieved 62% 9/8, German achieved 59% 8/9 and French achieved 50% 8/9. 
• 57% of Geology grades were awarded grade 9, with 71% graded 9-8
• Over half of Maths grades were 9/8, with a further third of grades awarded 9. In Further Maths, 67% of grades were 9/8.
• Over a third of History grades were the top grade 9.

Most of our Year 11 girls will be returning to school in September to start their Sixth Form journeys, giving them new opportunities to develop resilience, independence and self-directed learning skills as they begin their A Levels. 

A huge congratulations once more to our fantastic outgoing Year 11s and we can’t wait to welcome you back to school in September!

Courage is one of our core values at Sheffield Girls’ and students are not afraid to speak up  and share their perspectives - be it in the classroom, in MFL lessons or in debating. Alongside meticulous preparation for their GCSEs, five Year 11 students found their voices this year by participating in enrichment activities designed to enhance their public speaking, languages and debating skills, and their results have been phenomenal.

Debating is a popular co-curricular choice amongst students, and four Year 11 girls achieved success this year at the prestigious Oxford Schools Debating Competition, alongside studying for their GCSEs. Amara R, Anjali V, Aanya S and Namratha N all reached the regional finals of the competition (the largest British Parliamentary school-level debate competition in the world), with Amara then progressing to the finals in March 2024. Anjali and Namratha flexed their linguistic muscles further this year alongside their GCSEs by studying for their French DELF B1 diploma, an advanced language qualification which we are proud to offer at Sheffield Girls’. All four girls achieved ten grade 9s in their GCSEs this year.

Amara, one of the Debating Team members who progressed to the final round, reflected on how engaging with co-curricular activities alongside her studies helped her gain a deeper subject understanding and helped her team excel. She commented: “Participating in Debating alongside my studies tied in quite well, especially because Debating itself stems from so many subjects that I take already. For example, in History, you can read a lot of examples that you can use to build your case and to win your case, and I think that's what really helped us to stand out at the regional rounds and to get to Oxford.”

We are so proud of the individual successes of our linguaphiles this year who have certainly proved that ‘speaking up’ sometimes does help you ‘buckle down’!