Norwich High School for Girls Senior School has been highly commended in two of the categories in this year’s Muddy Stilettos School Awards 2024: Passionate About Sport and Most Inclusive School.

We all know the importance of exercise in our daily lives – whether it’s recreational or more competitive. This award commended those schools showing how passionate they are as a school about their sports provision and how they’ve promoted a love of being physically active amongst students.

The submission for Norwich High School for Girls explained how, whilst many school sports departments face a lack of uptake from female students, at Norwich High School for Girls participation in sporting activities is already high across the entire school. In the supportive and encouraging girls-first environment, girls enjoy all kinds of sport without being held back by gender stereotypes or self consciousness.

The girls are able to take part in many different sports, including football and cricket, and the school’s compulsory PE and games programme operates from Nursery level through to the Sixth Form. After school clubs provide even more activities, from trampolining to hockey, rowing and swimming.

We have established partnerships with local sports clubs such as Norwich Swan Swimming Club, Norwich Canoe Club and Swardeston Cricket Club which provide further opportunities for our pupils to foster a love of sport and encourage them to lead a healthy and active lifestyle into adulthood.

Coaching and leadership opportunities also form an important part of our provision with Little Swimmers and the Tennis Leaders programme giving Senior School pupils the opportunity to work with our Prep School girls and in doing so gain a qualification.

Women’s football has seen a surge in participation and popularity since England won the Women’s European Championships in 2022. Football is very popular with the Norwich High girls, with Debra saying it is common place to see pupils in both the prep and senior school playing at break and lunchtime. With Prep Teacher Mr Harry Barker playing for local team Wroxham FC and previously Norwich City FC youth and reserve teams, and Director of Sixth Form Mrs Hazel Packer playing for local ladies team Leftfield FC, there was significant opportunity to take the students’ interest in football further at Norwich High.

School should be a welcoming and safe space for all children, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or background. This award explored how schools are fostering an inclusive environment for all students and staff.

The submission for Norwich High School for Girls focused on Languages and Cultures Week 2024 which was devised through contributions from the Modern Languages Department, the Diversity and Inclusion group ‘Changemakers’ and the Prep School.

“Norwich High School for Girls continuously strives towards inclusion, representation and equity and does not ever assume that the job is done. The Changemakers are an empowered and dynamic group who meet every week, to discuss inclusion and diversity and how we can move forward in our aims. It is partly through these interactive gatherings that we make ourselves accountable and get things done. For the last few years, we have organised many events such as Pride Days and our Black History Music Project, we have had many speakers in to talk about a variety of topics such as trans issues or disability, and we celebrate world religions and cultures through assemblies, food, monthly bulletins and music.

The annual Languages and Cultures Week particularly illustrates our commitment to inclusion. Along with our more obvious activities, we have also focussed on deeper, structural change. For example, our staff have had unconscious bias training, our policies have an inclusion thread running through them all, our music in assemblies is more diverse, and our curriculum is beginning to shift through our Perspectives Project – a student-lead initiative that encourages students to work with staff to widen the curriculum.

Our tireless, whole-school efforts will explain the high results from this year’s Undivided survey.”
Mr Matt Bull, Head of Diversity and Inclusion and Teacher of Maths and Computer Science

In the GDST Undivided Survey to students:

96% agreed with the statement “I feel that my culture, faith and background are respected in school.”
95% agreed with the statement “Over the last year, as a school we have worked together to support diversity and inclusion in our school community.”
94% agreed with the statement “Students of all backgrounds and beliefs are valued equally in my school.”
94% agreed with the statement “The staff at my school value different views, beliefs and cultures.”