Head Amanda Hardie explains why creating an environment where girls thrive, free from gendered expectation, empowers them to make choices based on genuine interest, ability and ambition.
When Newcastle High School for Girls was founded 150 years ago, its pioneers lobbied for reforms that would allow girls to receive the same standard of education as boys. Their vision helped shape generations of young women and, a century and a half later, that commitment remains at the heart of NHSG.
Today, under the leadership of Head Amanda Hardie, NHSG continues to put girls first, creating an environment where girls thrive academically, socially and personally. It is a school where girls are encouraged to find their voice, pursue their passions and develop the confidence to navigate an ever-changing and more complex world.
“We need to give girls the space and confidence to speak their minds,” says Amanda. “It’s so important to us that every girl leaves us knowing her voice matters and that she can be whoever she wants to be. When girls are given the freedom to thrive without limitations, they achieve extraordinary things.”
As an all-through school for girls aged three to eighteen, NHSG removes traditional gendered expectations from the earliest stages of education. Amanda explains: “By the time our girls are making GCSE or A Level choices, they are making decisions based on genuine interest and ability. The classrooms they’ve been learning in and the teachers working with them will have encouraged them to be confident, courageous and curious – something that will stay with them into adult life.”
That approach is delivering tangible results. In the school’s 150th year, NHSG celebrated another set of outstanding GCSE and A Level results, the strongest in recent years and a powerful reflection of what can be achieved when girls are placed at the centre of everything a school does. For Amanda, these outcomes are about much more than grades. They demonstrate the impact of an education designed to help girls flourish, discover their strengths and realise their ambitions.
Amanda has been part of the NHSG community for almost 30 years, having joined the school as a newly qualified teacher in 1997 before becoming Head in 2022.
“I didn’t experience an all-girl education myself, so I never really imagined such a supportive environment could exist,” she explains. “But at NHSG, our girls are encouraged to participate fully, without judgement, in lessons and across co-curricular activities. They can follow their interests, take intellectual risks and share their opinions without worrying about how they are perceived.”
Many girls who join NHSG from co-educational settings quickly notice the difference.
“Girls often tell us they once enjoyed sport, science or technology clubs but gradually stepped away after feeling out of place or experiencing negative comments,” Amanda says. “That simply does not happen at NHSG. Here, girls feel confident to get involved, challenge themselves and explore whatever interests them.”
Research conducted by the Girls’ Day School Trust, of which NHSG is a member, shows that girls in GDST schools are significantly more likely to study STEM subjects than girls nationally. Combined with smaller class sizes and personalised support, NHSG creates an environment where every girl is known as an individual and encouraged to develop her own character and academic ambition.
“I say to the girls all the time: be the best version of you,” Amanda adds.
Beyond academic achievement, leadership is another cornerstone of the NHSG experience. Opportunities begin in Junior School, where girls are encouraged to take responsibility, share ideas and make a positive contribution to both the school and wider community.
“We begin our leadership programmes early, encouraging girls to use their voice, whether through charity initiatives, environmental projects or helping shape what happens in their classrooms,” says Amanda. “It gives the girls a sense of purpose and shows them they matter and are valued, developing their understanding around the importance of being a good citizen.”
Those experiences build confidence and self-belief as well as values that often remain long after pupils leave school.
Amanda continues: “The more girls experience leadership and realise they are good at it, the more they take that mindset forward into the next stage of their lives.”
Preparing girls for the future is also a key priority. Since becoming Head, Amanda has strengthened partnerships with employers, investors and universities to gain a better understanding of emerging skills needs and future career opportunities. Collaborations with tech organisations are helping the school stay connected to developments in technology and innovation.
The school is also working closely with universities to address gender imbalances in applications for certain technical courses and careers.
“If we address those imbalances early, we can ensure our pupils have both the skills and the confidence to enter fields where women remain underrepresented, if that’s what they choose,” Amanda explains.
Drawing pupils from across Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Hexham, Corbridge, Durham and Sunderland, NHSG has spent 150 years evolving to meet the needs of girls and their families while remaining true to its founding purpose.
Amanda reflects: “I am deeply passionate about what we deliver and about the lives we can change. For 150 years, NHSG has been putting girls first, creating an environment where girls thrive, achieve exceptional outcomes and develop the confidence to shape their own futures. As we celebrate our exceptional GCSE and A Level results, we are proud not only of what our girls achieve, but of the people they become.”
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