Hitchin Girls' School
Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
About Hitchin Girls' School
Hitchin Girls’ School
Hitchin Girls' School is a single-sex, all-ability school in Hertfordshire serving the local community with 1,364 students on roll, including a Sixth Form of 330, and a teaching staff of 91. The school is regularly oversubscribed and students join the school from over 20 junior schools in Hitchin and the surrounding villages. In August 2011, the school converted to academy status and in June 2013 was rated by Ofsted as Outstanding.
We are part of the Hitchin Schools’ Sixth Form Consortium, providing a wide range of academic and vocational courses to more than 650 students across the 3 secondary schools in the town.
Values and culture
Hitchin Girls’ School is committed to giving every student a broad education and helping to develop their individual talents to the full, in preparation for the demands of the outside world.
Our School Improvement Plan for 2022-23 focuses on providing the highest provision for an exceptional educational experience and further development of our core values, traditions and family ethos.
We seek to maintain traditional values in work and behaviour and encourage our students to develop those qualities of character which help them to make a worthwhile contribution to society. We believe that this can best be achieved with the highest expectations within a firm, yet flexible, caring environment with frequent contact and close co-operation between parents and the school.
Facilities
In 2014 we opened a newly built Sixth Form Centre containing classrooms and a large student study area. With the ever-increasing demand for places at the school, Governors agreed an expansion programme which has seen an additional 45 students joining Year 7 from September 2018. Our four court Sports Hall, which also contains a Dance studio and fitness suite, opened in early 2018. To support the expansion of the school, we have added a new ten classroom teaching block, two new Science laboratories, larger dining facilities and a new staff car park.
A virtual site tour can be found on our website (https://www.hgs.herts.sch.uk/page/?title=Virtual+Open+Event+2022&pid=51).
Staff Support and Development
We offer all our staff excellent professional development opportunities and guidance, with a strong CPD programme.
We are a Lead Partner of the Alban Teaching School Hub. The partnership works in collaboration with North Hertfordshire schools to deliver staff Professional Development and National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) and support the delivery of Early Career Framework training for new teachers.
Ofsted report
“The headteacher, governors and staff have very high aspirations for students. Teachers create a lively and productive learning environment in which students thrive. Students’ achievement is very high across subjects and key stages. Students make exceptionally good progress in English and Mathematics. Teaching is consistently good and often outstanding. Students learn quickly and thoroughly as well as gaining high levels of enjoyment from their studies. Students’ work is often of a very high standard. Students are enthusiastic, creative and imaginative as well as thoughtful in their work. They develop their personal and social skills very well.”
The town of Hitchin
Hitchin is a beautiful historic market town in North Hertfordshire, surrounded by lovely countryside, with a population of approximately 33,500. It has been voted in the ‘Top 10 Best Places to Live in the UK’ in The Times.
It has great transport links, being just two miles from the A1(M) and only 10 miles from the M1, and is in easy reach of London with Kings Cross station a mere 30 minutes away. There is also good access to the main rail routes to Cambridge and north to York and Scotland.
The town is great for families with lots of activities for young people and their parents to participate in including sports and activities, youth organisations, performing arts and more. Hitchin also is well known in the area as a town for foodies with virtually every cuisine represented. Hitchin Festival runs throughout the month of July with over 100 different events celebrating the artistic, cultural and community life of the town. Hitchin is home to the famous Hitchin Lavender Farm.
For more information on Hitchin check out:
Location
'Hitchin Girls' School provides a wide range of opportunities for all students and supports each and every individual in reaching their fullest academic potential. HGS also allows the development of each student's character, encouraging us to mature as learners but also into young adults - I have been immensely supported by staff at each stage of the journey.'
- Head Girls 2022/23
