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Sydenham High School, GDST, is an independent day school for girls aged 4-18 years. The school was founded in 1887, becoming one of the last schools to be opened by the Girls’ Public Day School Trust. Set in the leafy suburbs of South East London, we pride ourselves on enriching young minds in a way that will endure a lifetime.
The school’s original Anglo Saxon motto, ‘Nyle ye drede’, means ‘fear nothing’ and underpins all that we do. Sydenham High is selective and diverse, welcoming girls with wide-ranging talents and backgrounds into a close community that is large enough to offer choice and flexibility but compact enough to ensure that no girl is overlooked.
At Sydenham High academic excellence goes hand in hand with pastoral excellence. Creating an aspirational environment for our pupils is one of our foremost aims and the provision of a first-class education is paramount. As a high achieving school, we strive to ensure that every girl reaches, or exceeds, her potential by offering exceptional learning opportunities which harness individual strengths.
Self-belief and happiness, alongside a ‘can do’ approach to every aspect of school life, enable our girls to thrive and succeed and they leave us equipped with the skills and confidence to prosper in their future lives. We believe our pupils deserve the highest standards of classroom practice, as well as exciting, challenging and enriching co-curricular opportunities, in an inspirational environment where they can be themselves and learn to be independent, resilient and confident.
Girls at Sydenham High are ambitious and open minded and possess an inner strength and necessary self belief to outstrip all expectations. They are also well rounded, happy, down to earth, and much more besides.
Above all, our school is simply bursting with warmth, creativity, talent and excellence in all that we do.
Sydenham High School is a selective school and our aim is that every pupil reaches her full academic potential. Pupils at Sydenham High excel across the full range of subjects and we strive to ensure that every pupil in our school is challenged at every level and we pride ourselves on delivering a first-class education and academic excellence. Our rich and diverse curriculum not only prepares our pupils for examinations, but enables them to develop the skills and personal attributes to prepare them for the challenges, opportunities and active roles in our ever-changing society.
Our pupils develop academic enthusiasm, an enquiring and discriminating mind and a desire for knowledge. They are curious and able to think critically. To meet their needs, our learning environments are creative, vibrant, inspiring and well-equipped, enabling our staff to deliver not only dynamic and inspiring lessons, but also lectures, extension activities, enrichment opportunities, conferences, trips and workshops. Our exciting curriculum and tailored learning ensure that our pupils have the self-confidence to take risks and put themselves forward, fearing nothing, enabling them to be who and what they want to be.
Academic scholarships are awarded in Senior School to pupils joining in year 7 of exceptional academic talent and ability and their progress is closely monitored to ensure that they continue to achieve their full potential both within the curriculum and via the broad range of enrichment opportunities, to which all the girls have access.
In both of the sections of Senior School, Lower (years 7-9) and Upper (years 10 & 11), we offer a choice of subjects which ignite the love of learning, providing a powerful and diverse combination of traditional academic subjects, coupled with enrichment activities and the flexibility to cater for the individual.
Throughout their time at Sydenham High School, every pupil has access to rich educational experiences. Continuity and progression through the school enables our pupils to flourish in the Sixth Form, taking on further challenges such as the Extended Project Qualification, tailor-made enrichment courses and our bespoke professional skills programme.
These opportunities contribute to our leavers being ready to embrace an increasingly competitive global society with self-belief and confidence.
In the Lower School (years 7 to 9), we strive to ensure that every pupil learns to love learning, in an environment where she is challenged and inspired.
Our rich and diverse curriculum not only prepares pupils academically for the Upper School, and their GCSE courses, but also enables them to develop personal skills and attributes. We offer an array of subject extension activities, stretch and challenge and enrichment opportunities, conferences, trips and workshops which reinforce teaching and learning and bring subjects to life. These exceptional learning opportunities introduce pupils to many new experiences and enrich their education.
At all levels we aim to offer a broad and balanced curriculum.
In years 7-9 pupils study the following subjects:
- Mathematics
- Design and Technology
- English
- Religious Studies
- Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics from Year 8)
- Art
- French
- Music
- Spanish, German or Italian (year 8 and 9)
- Drama
- Latin
- Computing
- History
- PSHE
- Geography
- Physical Education
Teaching and learning in the lower years ensure that our pupils enter the Upper School with the requisite self-belief, confidence and academic foundations to embark on their GCSE courses.
In the Upper School (years 10 and 11) we not only prepare our pupils academically for their GCSE examinations, but we also continue to develop their personal skills and encourage them to be active learners who think for themselves.
We want our pupils to become independent and inquisitive learners as they progress through the school so that they develop specialist subject knowledge, an enquiring and discriminating mind and continue their desire for learning, especially in preparation for their A Level studies. Our pupils are curious and able to think critically and spontaneously, questioning the world around them and we want them to have the knowledge, skills and habits of mind to succeed and thrive both in their academic studies and in their future lives.
In years 10 and 11 girls study for nine or ten GCSEs or IGCSEs. It is compulsory to take:
- Mathematics (IGCSE)*
- English Language (IGCSE)
- English Literature (IGCSE)
- Biology (IGCSE)
- Chemistry (IGCSE)
- Physics (IGCSE)
- One Modern Language: French, German, Italian or Spanish
- One Humanity: Geography, History, Latin or Philosophy, Religion & Ethics
- Two other subjects from the following options: Art, Computer Science, Design Technology, Drama, Music, Physical Education, or another Modern Language
*pupils in the top set for Mathematics will also take an additional GCSE in Statistics.
We do not have a ‘blocking system' at GCSE or A Level. The timetable is constructed each year around the girls' choices and we aim to meet everyone's individual needs.
In addition to participating in co-curricular activities, our pupils have access to numerous subject lectures, academic symposiums, extension activities, stretch and challenge and enrichment opportunities, conferences, trips and workshops.As well as their examination subjects, girls are required to have lessons in Physical Education and PSHE, which includes Careers.
The Upper School curriculum not only prepares our pupils for the rigours of (I)GCSEs, but also provides our pupils with the crucial foundations required to ensure a smooth transition into the Sixth Form so that they can embark on their chosen A Level courses with confidence and an excellent academic grounding.
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