How Newcastle High School Pioneered Girls' Education
With a 150-year legacy of putting girls first, it’s no surprise that NHSG continues to be a trailblazer for girls’ education in the North East – empowering the next generation of ambitious young women to make their mark on the world.
Our alumnae have always been trailblazers. Ella Bryant was the first woman to graduate from Durham University in 1892, Chief Wren Wendy Vernon Brown, OBE (and Head Girl) was instrumental in leading the Royal Navy to become the first military service to open main combat roles to women.
BAFTA Award-winning producer Ruth Caleb, OBE, became the first female Head of Drama at the BBC, while Yolande Heslop-Harrison was among the first women to receive the Royal Society’s Darwin Medal for her botanical research that led to the establishment of the Millennium Seed Bank.
Today, Professor Ruth Plummer MBE continues this legacy, leading groundbreaking cancer research that is transforming patient treatment in the UK and across the world.
These world-shaping women were, and are, able to make a profound difference thanks to educational reform for girls – something NHSG has championed since its foundation in 1876. At that time, girls faced limited opportunities and those who received some schooling were educated only at home, primarily prepared for marriage. In fact, the thinking of the time considered educating girls to be unnecessary and even dangerous.
Our school helped change that story. Established in Gateshead as part of the newly formed Girls’ Day School Trust, its very foundation was a bold statement of intent: to open doors for girls and provide them with the same highquality academic education as boys. From the outset, NHSG played a pivotal role in transforming society by equipping girls with the knowledge, skills and confidence to demand greater political and social rights and to break through barriers that once held them back.
Today, as a proud member of the Girls’ Day School Trust, NHSG continues that pioneering mission. For 150 years, we have been at the forefront of girls’ education in the North East – empowering pupils aged 3 to 18 to thrive in a world that still needs female trailblazers. As society faces new challenges and opportunities in the 21st century, we ensure our pupils are not only prepared to meet them but to lead with confidence, creativity, and purpose.
Our history is more than a record – it’s a story of courage, perseverance, and resilience. As we celebrate 150 years, we are delving into our archives to help our pupils appreciate their place within this extraordinary legacy and inspire them to carry it forward. By raising awareness of our history, we reaffirm our commitment to equality for women. The vision and values of our past inform our future, ensuring NHSG remains a driving force for female empowerment and a testament to the transformative power of education.
What makes us truly unique is that in a world that doesn’t always put girls first, our school does. We did so 150 years ago and we continue to do so today and for good. The strength of our school ethos and spirit lives in every girl at NHSG today, where ambition is nurtured, potential is unlocked, and confidence is built. Every day, our pupils are encouraged to think boldly, act courageously, and shape the world with knowledge, compassion, and resilience.
Choosing NHSG means giving your daughter access to this legacy of excellence and a future without limits.
Find out more at our Open Mornings – Senior and Sixth Form, Saturday 8th November and Nursery and Juniors, Saturday 22nd November.
Register here: www.newcastlehigh.gdst.net