As we approach the end of this calendar year, we have an opportunity to reflect on a range of accomplishments, which speak to the strength of our school community.
Our school was recently accredited with the prestigious Challenge Award from the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE). In his press release, Rob Lightfoot, the CEO of NACE, noted: “Chelmsford County High School for Girls will now be part of the international community of Challenge Award-accredited schools which have demonstrated a sustained and effective commitment to meeting the needs of more able learners, and an interest in sharing expertise for the wider benefit of the education community.”
Our English and Mathematics departments have received distinguished awards from The Prince’s Teaching Institute (PTI), in recognition of their inspirational practice. The PTI stated in their press release: “Chelmsford County High School for Girls has been awarded The PTI Department Development Programme Subject Mark for outstanding teaching in their English and Mathematics departments.”
Last week, the Department for Education (DfE) released Progress 8 (P8) scores for secondary schools, in relation to 2024 GCSE public examination results. For our school, the P8 score is +0.76, which means that our students (last year’s Year 11 cohort) achieved, on average, three-quarters of a grade higher than their similar ability peers nationally, which is superb.
At the weekend, The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide was published, in relation to 2024 GCSE and A level results. The newspaper provides rankings, both by region and nationally. In terms of the headlines for CCHS:
- 1st in East Anglia, state girls’ schools
- 3rd in East Anglia, all state schools
- 6th nationally, state girls’ schools
- CCHS ranked 20th in the country overall (all state schools)
This week, CCHS achieved two National School Attendance Awards for the 2023-24 academic year, for being in the top 10% of all FFT secondary schools in England and the top 10% of similar FFT secondary schools in England.
When these teaching, outcomes and attendance achievements are put together with other aspects of life at CCHS – including the recent Dance Show performances, this week’s superb Christmas Concerts, and our ongoing House Karaoke competitions – the breadth of activities and opportunities, animated with ambition, fun and joy, remind us that we are part of a caring, vibrant and successful community; a community committed to excellence in girls’ education and empowerment.
Mr S. Lawlor, Headteacher
The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2024
The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide provides information on the Summer 2023 public examinations, as well as other insights into schools from across the country.
As an indicator of our students’ ability and hard work, the support and encouragement of their families, and the talent and industry of staff, we were so pleased to see our students’ successes being celebrated. Our students’ results (GCSE and A level) are ranked 12th nationally. As last year, the collective achievements of GCSE and A level students mean CCHS is the top-performing girls’ state school in East Anglia, and 4th in the country.
Behind all this success sit so many individual stories, with students embracing life at CCHS beyond the classroom to enrich and develop themselves through House evens, the arts, sport, public speaking, volunteering and charity work, and in so many other ways. Each individual student brings something particular and special to our school community and we are richer for that. How fortunate we are to work with our students across the school.
We continue our leading work, as members of the UK Regional Advisory Board, with ICGS (International Coalition of Girls’ Schools). In addition, in November, we hosted the SSGS (Successful Selective Girls’ Schools) Autumn Conference, which provided a wonderful opportunity for us to share our work with colleagues from other girls’ schools and to learn from their great practice.
Mr S. Lawlor, Headteacher
The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2023
The recent BBC News Click programme (Saturday 10thDecember) featured a pioneering project in Scotland – the Glasgow Women’s Library. “This is the only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to women’s history and it’s filled with books that are about, for and by women. 20,000 books and half a million archived items here are providing a valuable resource for researchers and historians.”
It is often said that newspaper articles provide the first draft of history. If that is so, the recent Parent Power feature in The Sunday Times (11thDecember) provides inspiring news about girls’ schools. “Girls triumph in The Sunday Times Parent Power academic rankings…” We were delighted to see that last year’s GCSE and A level students from CCHS featured so prominently due to their tremendous work and achievements. Their results are ranked 17th in the country – a testament to the talent and effort of the students, the expertise and attention of our staff, and the care and support of their families. Indeed, the Year 11 GCSE results are ranked 4th in the country. The collective achievements of GCSE and A level students mean CCHS is the top-performing girls’ state school in East Anglia.
Importantly, “Parent Power also reveals that amid growing concern about children’s mental health after the pandemic, many leading girls-only schools…have set up or are planning wellbeing centres where girls can swiftly access psychological support and counselling…” We have developed our student services at CCHS, with our Pastoral Hub, Mental Health First Aider clinics each week, Young Carers drop-in sessions, as well as bespoke Art Therapy sessions, to name but some of our services.
https://www.cchs.co.uk/pastoral/
Our leading work, as members of the UK Regional Advisory Board, with the ICGS (International Coalition of Girls’ Schools) demonstrates our active and ambitious commitment to excellence in girls’ education and empowerment.
Mr S. Lawlor, Headteacher