Two Wakefield sixth form schools are top class

Two leading Wakefield schools are offering parents and prospective pupils the chance to discover how working together achieves impressive results for sixth form students.
Wakefield Girls High School and boys school Queen Elizabeth Grammar School join forces across a range of subjects.Wakefield Girls High School and boys school Queen Elizabeth Grammar School join forces across a range of subjects.
Wakefield Girls High School and boys school Queen Elizabeth Grammar School join forces across a range of subjects.

Wakefield Girls’ High School and boys’ school Queen Elizabeth Grammar School join forces across a range of subjects to ensure sixth form pupils get the best of both worlds.

The perfectly balanced arrangement has seen both schools deliver impressive exam results, with students going on to succeed at some of the country’s leading universities across a wide range of subjects.

The two senior schools are part of Wakefield Grammar School Foundation. They are now preparing to open their doors on Thursday, November 21 from 6pm to 8pm, to show parents and prospective students how well the collaborative system works.

Both schools have outstanding track records for delivering excellent single-sex education.Both schools have outstanding track records for delivering excellent single-sex education.
Both schools have outstanding track records for delivering excellent single-sex education.

Students at the schools, located just a couple of hundred yards apart, enjoy the benefits of being part of a single-sex sixth form across a range of A-Level subjects while working with their close neighbours on others.

Joint subjects include A-Level Economics, Politics, Business, English Language and Literature, Modern Languages, Classics, Music, Theatre Studies, Physical Education and Religious Studies.

Wakefield Girls’ High School Assistant Head Joanna Rhodes, who is also Director of Sixth Form, said: “Having this flexibility is particularly useful when it comes to subjects such as art, performance and music.

“Being able to collaborate means we can work together across certain subjects, while the girls continue in same-sex classes in others, such as STEM subjects.”

Alistair Rees, Head of Sixth Form at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School said: “We are very modern in our approach within a traditional environment, and the cross co-operation brings many academic and extra-curricular opportunities.”

Both schools have outstanding track records for delivering excellent single-sex education. Wakefield Girls’ High School recently achieved yet another strong set of A-Level results. Some 73% of results achieved were between A* to B grades, and 100% of students achieved three or more A-Level passes. An outstanding 46% of girls achieved A* to A grades.

Meanwhile, at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, A-Level students achieved a 98% pass rate. Some 60% of results were in the top grade brackets, with 16 boys achieving a remarkable A* and A grade in three or more subjects.

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School was founded by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1591 and moved to its present site in Northgate, Wakefield, in 1854. Wakefield Girls’ High School opened in 1878.

Single-sex education is widely regarded as being beneficial to boys and girls, with both sexes said to respond positively.

If you want to see how the schools can help your child reach their potential in sixth form, visit the open evening on Thursday, November 21 from 6pm to 8pm or visit the foundation website, www.wgsf.org.uk.