Helping to nurture young ability

Education: Alison Sefton, NHSG

To celebrate our 150^th anniversary in 2025, we will be focusing on fundraising for our transformative and life-changing bursaries, which will enable more able and well-motivated students from differing backgrounds to join our school community.

Norwich High School for Girls is part of the Girls’ Day School Trust which supports around 1,000 students across the school network through these financial awards each year.

We aim to be an access enabler: seeking out talented girls who could benefit from a Norwich High School for Girls education and, for those not in a position to cover the full fees, offering support where needed through a bursary. These are open to students joining the school in Year 7 or Year 12, are means-tested, and may be given in addition to a scholarship.

Some of our most inspiring students joined the school through this scheme and we cannot wait to see who the next successful candidates will be.

Life changing

Year 12 student and member of the Head Girl Team, Bee Court, joined Norwich High School for Girls in Year 7 on a full bursary. She says: “I was overjoyed to receive a bursary to attend Norwich High. Being in a girls-only school is the best. There’s no one you have to impress and you can just be completely, outwardly yourself. I love chemistry and go home every day and tell my mum about the things I have been learning. It’s my hardest A Level and I have to put effort into every lesson but it’s addictive. I love the subject and my teachers. They invest so much time and effort in us that it feels like we’re more than just a job to them.

“I really enjoy rowing and public speaking and have put myself forward for several opportunities. I’ve not only improved my confidence but also developed a love for it that I would never have expected.”

Bee’s mum, Jess Court, adds: “Being awarded a bursary for Bee to attend Norwich High honestly felt life changing. We all cried! It’s a big moment when a child moves up to high school anyway, but this was different – it was exceptional. When we read the letter offering my daughter a place with a bursary I knew in that moment her opportunities for academia, extra-curricular activities, and self-development had grown exponentially. Obviously, the life she cultivates will be one of her own making, but I knew she was going to get closer to fulfilling her potential with a Norwich High education. Delighted is an understatement.

“The school gives students a level of ambition, aspirations, confidence, guidance, and experiences that I could never give them myself. What feeds into their mind in these crucial years, they will carry with them in their spirit forever. School is such a significant part of that for many children but even more so for bursary students.”

Find out more

More information on Norwich High School for Girls scholarships and bursaries can be found on the school website. If you would like to apply for an upcoming scholarship or bursary opportunity for September 2025, please contact admissions@nor.gdst.net for details.

Our bursary places are funded by endowments, generous donations, and legacies from the school community of parents, alumnae, and supporters. If you would like to help, please visit our website and learn more about making a contribution in support of the scheme.

To see the difference for yourself, visit one of our autumn Open Events: www.norwichhigh.gdst.net/open-events