WHAT? WHERE?

An all-through day school for girls aged 3-18, Nottingham Girls’ High School straddles a public road and is a mix of old lace makers’ houses and contemporary buildings. Although not in the prettiest part of town (though the leafy arboretum is just over the road), this is a school which embraces its city location, meaning girls grow up streetwise in the best of ways. It’s not just road sense they have from an early age (that public road may be quiet, but it needs to be crossed); the Head is proudly local and has made sure the school is firmly embedded in its community. The 7.7 acre site, just a 20-minute walk from the city centre, adds up to plenty of room for the 623 girls who attend.

The school celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2025 and welcomed scores of past students back to reminisce, an easy task thanks to its incredibly engaged alumnae. This has to be one of the biggest bonuses of coming to school here – there is a constant calendar of workshops, events and panels that brings high-flying past pupils back to share their experiences. Inspiring, motivating, and seriously useful to girls navigating possible futures and squiggly careers.

Being part of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) opens up an even bigger all-female network and puts the school at the forefront of innovation in girls’ learning. It also sets pupils up with fantastic opportunities like the Space Diploma, the entrepreneurship programme, and a multitude of workshops, events and training programmes aimed at highlighting the achievements of young women. Girls aren’t short of brilliant role models and the effect on them is dramatic.

FACILITIES

Pupils are still reaping the rewards of large-scale investment over the last decade. That means a shiny new sports centre (with fully-equipped fitness suite and yoga studio), a recently refurbished gym and sports hall, and a professional-standard 260-seater theatre.

SPORT

The impressive 1875 Sports centre is the biggest recent investment, with climbing wall, dance studio, four-lane cricket nets, and a seriously swanky, state-of-the-art fitness suite that’s well-used, especially by the Sixth Formers. Outside there are well-kept astro pitches, grass pitches, and courts.

Looking to nurture a competitive streak? Silverware isn’t the main focus; it’s more about embedding a love of fitness for life, than turning out elite stars. That said, netball and cricket are pretty strong (with amazing facilities and coaching opps for cricketers) and there are plenty of county players. Cross country is competitive too. Hockey, football and basketball are also popular, but there are stacks of opportunities to try more niche and solo activities too – with rowing and climbing popular among the current cohort.

This is a school that loves to push boundaries. It set up a girls’ football club way back in 1881, despite it being deemed ‘too dangerous’ for girls. It’s still banging that drum today, with a thriving outdoor learning department (and two full time OL instructors), a massive take-up of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, and almost every child embracing annual adventure trips.

If your kid is a talent, there’s strong support in place that enables them to compete during term time when needed. There are currently two international ice skaters and an international badminton player at the school.

CREATIVE ARTS, MUSIC & DRAMA

pupils in prodiction of we will rock you at nghs

Exceptional. Music is the lifeblood of this school and extends waaay beyond the classroom, popping up in joyous corners of the playground, in tutor groups and even as a learning tool in maths lessons. On my visit, I heard singing coming from the dining hall at break and popped my head in to discover the most fabulous flash mob of girls up on the tables belting out a number from their upcoming musical Rent. Inspiring and infectious (with alarmingly good, West End-standard performance levels), this kind of thing happens all the time here, and is enthusiastically supported by both pupils and staff. Not a whiff of jealous comments or critical whispers – every girl was smiling and clapping in support.

A whopping 95 per cent of junior girls play at least one musical instrument. This supported by the Da Capo music programme in the early years where girls can choose to play a range of different instruments for a term each, and they are encouraged to keep at least one of these up.

Having witnessed the standard of the flash mob, it doesn’t surprise me to discover there are not one, but three, full time music teachers on the staff, with 15 specialist teachers also visiting the school. It’s not just the traditional ensembles, but modern, quirky stuff too. There’s everything from senior and junior orchestra, choir and chamber choir, to swing band, jazz band, percussion, string, wind and flute ensembles, rock, pop and steel pan bands – most of which perform all over the UK and even internationally. NGHS’s Ukuladies (ukulele players) performed in Disneyland Paris and students often perform for the community and hospices, fundraise for local charities, busk in the city centre, and even play an annual gig at super-cool music venue Rough Trade. Talent is everywhere. One current student is in the National Youth Orchestra, one is a member of Opera North, and there are plenty of alumnae who are now professional musicians.

theatre block at nghs — The Squire Performing Arts Centre

Drama is equally embraced and facilities are a-maz-ing. The Squire Performing Arts Centre, a 260 seater professional theatre with full time theatre manager and a packed what’s on calendar is quite the star facility. And it’s well used. Every year group, from Nursery to Sixth Form, has at least one formal production a year and the annual Performing Arts Week is entirely driven by the girls, who write, direct and perform their own shows. A partnership with Nottingham Trent University’s theatre production degree course, means the girls also get help with set and costume design.

LITTLIES

Nursery starts from age three and is housed in a lovely, large, nurturing space. You’ll find big, airy classrooms, brilliant outdoor play spaces with dens, kitchens, and sand boxes, along with excellent indoor role play areas. It’s a bit like walking through Ikea for littlies, with small-but-perfectly-formed lounges and kitchen-diners alluringly-decorated for imaginative play.

There are 142 girls across the nursery, infant and junior school. The junior school is well-equipped with IT suites, its own lovely library, plus a brilliant forest school area (also well-used and loved by the senior pupils with pizzas frequently rustled up in the outdoor pizza oven and marshmallows toasted over the fire). Almost everyone moves up to the senior school, with just the odd one gently guided elsewhere if she might not be up to the high academic standard.

ACADEMICS

senior girls at nottingham girls high school

Selective, with high academic standards, if your daughter wants to join in Year 7, she’ll sit a three hour assessment in Maths, English and non verbal reasoning, followed by an informal interview with the Head. To impress, girls need to show potential and a thirst for learning.

It’s cool to be clever here. No one is labelled a swot for wanting to get involved, do well or achieve success. That’s just the norm. Girls feel in control of their own learning and are keen to do well. The secret? Letting them choose the subjects they want rather than forcing compulsory subjects onto them. Fancy learning a few languages? Feel free. Drawn to creative subjects rather than STEM? Not a problem. Girls are allowed to play to their strengths and pick what they want.

Classes are mixed ability (apart from setting for Maths) and stay below 20 in senior school (where there are currently 359 students), allowing plenty of opportunities for discussion, interaction and enquiry, learning methods the Head believes are vital to girls. She believes girls learn best when they discuss, collaborate and explore a topic deeply, so teaching is set up for this. It seems to work, with 60% of last year’s cohort securing the top 9-7 grades at GCSE.

girls receive a level results at nottingham girls high school

For an academic school, homework isn’t onerous. The Head is a firm believer that girls put enough pressure on themselves, so the school’s job is to take the pressure off. With this in mind, homework is limited and tasks are never open-ended. It’s a digital-first approach to learning in senior school, with all students using Chromebooks, Microsoft Teams and Clevertouch screens in every classroom.

Plenty to inspire, with a huge emphasis on empowering girls, leading by example (the mostly-female leadership team takes role modelling very seriously and are clearly admired and respected). Girls here know they are lucky, and there are some fab initiatives to help others while honing their leadership skills at the same time. The Bright Girls, Bright Futures partnerships programme, pairs NGHS students from Year 8 – 10 with younger girls from two local primary schools in Year 4 -6 to work on STEM based projects, including code breaking and programming. Glass ceiling? This lot won’t recognise the term.

SIXTH FORM

The 122 sixth formers have a separate, modern Sixth Form block with cool spaces to study, chill out, and even cook (there’s a nifty kitchen with bar-style seating that feels like a grown-up space to hang). They share science labs, IT suites and the like with the main school but there’s a dedicated Sixth Form art studio, canteen, and a lecture theatre where girls enjoy uni-style lessons and practise their own public speaking.

There’s a broad choice of A-levels that can be built around each child and nothing is over-subscribed. STEM is king here, but everything is on offer, from Politics and Philosophy, to Drama & Theatre and Classical Civilisation. A-level results and leavers’ destinations are impressive. Almost half (49%) scooped an A or A* last year, with 95% claiming at least a grade C. From last year’s cohort, every single one went onto higher education, with an incredible 21% taking up medicine and dentistry courses. Most (71%) were accepted at their first choice university (with 75% going to Russell Group unis).

PASTORAL CARE

two girls play with school dog Saffy at nottingham girls high school

Wellbeing is at the heart of this school, firmly embedded, with everything carefully set up to work for girls. ‘When else in the world does anyone just think about what girls need?’ asks the Head. ‘It’s magical because it never happens.’

The aim is to be proactive, so that that issues are nipped in the bud. The Head believes that girls value friendships more than anything so staff understand this and the school has invested in training. In KS3 the Girls on Board programme educates the girls about why it’s ok to fall out and arms them with tools and strategies. A huge effort goes into supporting Years 7 and 8, which can be tricky years for friendship issues. Year 7 tutors, for example, are experts in Year 7 and only have tutor groups for that year. ‘It’s a year like no other,’ explains Keller, ‘and you need tutors who understand.’ In year 8 girls get a new tutor who will see them through until y11.

If girls have any issues, they can go to the brilliant, easy-to-talk-to, very experienced nurse called Brenda (I found myself quickly oversharing – she’s the kind of person you want to open up to). There’s also a school counsellor and team of pastoral care specialists and the school works closely with third parties such as The Positive Project, Young Minds and MHFA England to train both staff and students. Plus, there’s a sweet mentoring programme – Big Sister, Little Sister – that pairs up girls in Junior and Senior school.

SEND

A team of SEN specialists support girls with long term medical conditions including those on EHCPs. But it’s a whole school approach, with teachers trained to adapt all lessons to make them accessible and inclusive without ‘othering’ girls with additional needs. Like wellbeing, SEN support isn’t confined to the SEN team, it’s treated as the responsibility of the whole school (with specialist support for more serious needs).

EXTRA-CURRICULAR

Plenty to do outside the academic curriculum, with more than 40 clubs before, during lunch hour, and after school. From eco-club, archery, and astronomy, to chess, WarHammer, and knitting, most come from girls suggesting topics and our older students are encouraged to lead sessions. The latest request was for a school newspaper so The Quire was born. Lower down the school, there’s a popular pet club (learning to look after the school dog, bearded dragon, guinea pigs and fish) and Year 3 Bee Club is busy (the school has two hives and has just taken delivery of its first batch of honey).

THE HEAD

julie keller head of nottingham girls high school

Down-to-earth and brimming with passion and purpose, Julie Keller is every inch the trailblazing female role model she wants to inspire in her girls. Not your standard private school Head, she was born and bred in a working class Nottingham family, went to a local comp, and spent the first decade of her career working in a deprived part of Notts. She joined as Deputy Head at NGHS in 2011 – it was love at first sight and she has become a passionate advocate for girls’ education. She took the reins in 2016 and is now the longest-serving Head in the GDST.

Driven, tenacious, but with a friendly, laid-back style that’s easy to love, it’s clear that if you cut Keller open, she’d have NGHS written through her like a stick of rock. Having taught in both co-ed and girls’ settings, she’s an ardent believer in the power of girls’-only education. In a mixed setting, she says, even bright, confident girls will sit back and let boys dominate. Go into a classroom here, and girls all put their hands up and confidently speak out. She believes in playing to girls’ strengths and has set learning up to be collaborative.

A keen Parkrunner herself, she has worked hard to embed a sports curriculum that works for everyone, not just the ‘sporty’. Girls are given the space and freedom to choose what works for them. On the academic side, Keller is alert to anxiety and perfectionism, traits common in high-achieving girls. She has invested in training staff to be able to spot problems early and intervene before it’s an issue. She also sees it as the school’s role to reduce, not add, pressure and has put policies in place to ensure homework isn’t onerous.

A key priority was to improve results at the lower end, where Ds and below were popping up when she took over. She improved adaptive teaching for different needs and learners and made the curriculum completely flexible at GCSE. The results? Dramatic. Girls don’t get below Cs here and no one is left behind.

Her other priority was to make the school friendlier and warmer. It is certainly that. Keller makes a huge effort to ensure her staff feel valued and looked after. She introduced a menopause policy, flexible working and invested in training. This has led to an engaged staff, who seem to love working here and all take the business of good role modelling seriously.

QUIRKS

I’ve never come across such an impressive, engaged, and well-used alumnae network. Inspirational alum are a core part of the careers programme, with dedicated careers evenings, medics returning to help with mock interviews, and workshops. If you come here, you’re NGHS for life, with reunions every single year.
Resident ghost? All sorts of ghostly goings-on have been reported after hours, with staff over the years sharing stories of spooky sightings, eerie noises, and spectral piano playing.
Excitement builds towards the end of each academic year as staff film a hilarious (and increasingly-professional) music video for the leavers. It goes down a storm. After all, who doesn’t love seeing their teachers busting out dance moves and larking about?

ISI REPORT

Excellent. You can read the latest ISI report here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Phones aren’t banned because the school believes in encouraging pupils to take responsibility for themselves, but they’re not allowed out during the school day. Parents are also encouraged to delay getting phones for their daughters until they reach senior school. IPads are used in junior school and Chromebooks in senior school, but are locked down from social media and internet access is monitored and tracked.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Parents with busy lives, rejoice! The school offers an extended day from 7.30am each morning and until 6pm for all senior pupils, at no extra charge to families. There is a small daily charge for junior students.

TRANSPORT

Buses are shared with two other school (the co-ed Notts High over the road and Hollygirt) and children can travel from the ago of seven up. Nine routes on offer – from Spondon in the west to Newark in the east.

FEES

Pretty competitive (and cheaper than the mixed Nottingham High School over the road). Fees start at £4,784 per term (inc VAT), rising to £4,920 in Years 3-6. From Year 7-13 it’s £6,439 a term.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Girls here know they’re onto something good. They speak of the confidence they have built and are well aware of the amazing opportunities being here has afforded them. The homework isn’t overwhelming – tasks are designed with girls and perfectionist-tendencies in mind and are never open-ended.

Parents say on repeat that their daughters love coming to school here and seem proud to send their kids to a city school that is embedded in its community. There’s a strong sense among parents that teachers here aren’t just focused on academics but see the whole picture and turn out well-rounded girls. ‘Modern’ and ‘forward-thinking’ are words that come up a lot. The result? Girls that don’t limit or pigeonhole themselves.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Girls who want to find their own voice. Sure, she’ll get awesome academic results, but that’s not what you come here for. Come for the opportunites, inspiring networks, and freedom to find out what you need to flourish.

Not for: Parents dreaming of a traditional set-up steeped in wood-panelled history with streamed classes, heavy homework, and a laser-focus on A*s. NGHS is unapologetically modern, rounded, and forward-thinking.

Dare to disagree? Be my guest. If your daughter is in Year 5 or 6, book her onto the senior school open day on Fri 20 March where she will experience an immersive day-in-the-life. Or, book a personal tour or individual taster day throughout the year.

Nottingham Girls’ High School, 9 Arboretum Street, Nottingham, NG1 4JB

Nottingham Girls’ High School, Nottingham

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