Malvern St James Girls’ School A GSG School

Other features

All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.

Sports

Unusual sports

Equestrian centre or equestrian team - school has own equestrian centre or an equestrian team.

Rowing

Fencing

Sailing

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmaster

Since January 2024, Gareth Lloyd BA PGCE MSc PhD FMusTCL, previously head of Cambridge Stoke College in Suffolk and three other schools before that, both here and overseas. Born and bred in south Wales, he has studied at four British universities where his academic disciplines include modern languages, philosophy and music: he is an accomplished pianist, violinist and composer; his Requiem for the Fallen of 9/11 will premier in New York in 2026. If that weren't enough, he is also a committed sportsman and survivor of several ultra-marathons at national level. This first male head of MSJ states his commitment to girls-only education where no subject is genderised.

Head of prep since 2021 is Belle Bedford, who joined the school as a classroom teacher. Popular with parents. ‘A cross between Mary Poppins and a Disney Princess,’ said one. Degree in business management and PGCE, both from Gloucestershire. Enjoys photography and interior design and is currently writing a children’s book.

Entrance

Selective without top slicing – ‘There’s something wholesome about all-ability,’ said previous head. Up to year 3, a taster day; after that, a taster day with an assessment of reasoning abilities: verbal, non-verbal, qualitative and spatial reasoning, including an English paper up to year 10. Nearly all juniors move up, forming about half of the new year 7 – automatic entry means they avoid the 11+ tests that external candidates take (though if school thinks any girl won’t cope, conversations start around year 5). Further influx at 13+, while in sixth form around 10-20 girls join. The latter need at least five 5s (preferably 6s) at GCSE, with 6s in the subjects to be studied (7s for maths and sciences), and they take further papers in A level subjects plus EAL testing if English isn't their first language.

Exit

Between 10 and 20 per cent leave post GCSEs – usually for a change, the lure of boys or a more vocational route, eg at Hartpury College. Diverse range of courses. Ditto for universities, with northern choices Leeds, York, Durham and Manchester currently popular. Others to Imperial, Loughborough and Bristol among others. Sometimes one or two to Oxbridge but none in 2023; two medics though. Not all follow conventional routes, eg police apprenticeship, naval scholar.

Latest results

In 2023, 60 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 15 per cent A*/A at A level (62 per cent A*-B). In 2019 (the last pre-pandemic results), 55 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 44 per cent A*/A at A level (70 per cent A*-B).

Teaching and learning

General tightening up of academics and pastoral care under former headship – both are equally weighted, the theory being that happier pupils learn best. Small classes of around 15 (capped at 20) and there’s a focus on girls taking responsibility for their own learning – ‘They instil it in them to want to revise for tests,’ said a parent, while girls told us they learn how to eg take notes, speed read for research and spot command words in exam questions.

STEAM high on the agenda. ‘STEM without creativity makes no sense – the left and right brain need to work together; you only have to look at the development of the vaccine for Covid to see that,’ in the view of the last head. Message getting through loud and clear, it seems, with many sixth formers choosing a healthy blend, eg further maths, art and DT A levels. Even girls that don’t are encouraged to continue their musical, artistic etc pursuits. Computer science on offer at GCSE and A level as well as DT product design. Many girls go into engineering and architecture. Our guides were aghast we didn’t know it was British Science Week – says it all.

Prep based in the heart of the school, with bright and welcoming classrooms; girls also benefit from senior facilities for eg art and DT, food and nutrition and science. Learning mainly topic-based at this stage (currently toys and games – complete with Monopoly Land in one cosy corner). A pinboard with girls’ own targets caught our eye though we wondered if the pupil wanting ‘to improve on my writing skills’ was being a bit hard on herself, given the faultless examples of handwriting on the walls. Lots of competitions, eg extreme reading (the winner was photographed reading underwater!), work of the week – again, all beautifully displayed. Some outdoor learning. Specialist teaching in English, maths, science, computing, French, art, music and sport from year 3.

A seamless transition into seniors avoids the year 7 learning dip that you often get in separate secondary schools. Setting in maths from year 7 and in English, French and science from year 8. Spanish added as a second language in year 8 (with Mandarin, Russian, Japanese, Arabic, German and Italian all available as paid extras). At GCSE, geography, food and nutrition, art and languages all popular. In sixth form, around half complete an EPQ, the rest do an AS, a fourth A level or the very popular Leiths food and wine certificate. A levels all pretty trad, with a BTEC in sport and a diploma in food and nutrition – ‘would be nice if they broadened them a bit,’ mused a parent.

Classrooms were awash with didactic teaching and heads down during our visit. Probably just bad luck, reckoned our guides, who reeled off examples of more interactive lessons – everything from rock chiselling for fossils and presenting PowerPoints on an Ice Age project in prep to lively debates and classroom quizzes in seniors. In chemistry, girls were rightly proud of having recently created a synthetic pathway for a drug (‘Our results are going in a periodic journal,’ beamed one). Drop-in clinics and extra coaching on tap – and nobody feels nerdy taking it up, say the girls.

Huge, stunning, well-stocked library must get a mention – the librarian barely drew breath as she talked through all the visiting authors, book clubs, links with curriculum innovation etc.

Learning support and SEN

Has always been good, now ‘transformational’, say parents. ‘In her last school, everything was a constant battle but here they anticipate problems here before they arise’; ‘I think she’d have buckled at any other school’ etc. All staff have training on learning difficulties and there are literacy and numeracy specialists in addition to two full-time SENCos. The latter can often be found in lessons, observing teachers on their approach to differentiation and ensuring pupils extract the very best out of lessons. Masses of focused group work and one-to-ones – they don’t come cheap, say parents – ‘but the support is of such high quality that it is absolutely value for money,’ reckoned one. Regular screening for all and although there is no autism or dyslexia specialism, the school will take girls with autism, as well as mild to moderate dyslexics, and some girls have ADHD. Two EHCPs when we visited.

The arts and extracurricular

All pupils are expected to do at least two activities or clubs per week up to sixth form. No cracking of whip required from what we saw, with sports clubs very popular, as are Model United Nations, STEM club, choirs and drama. There are workshops on the likes of DNA extraction and some girls set up societies. Seemingly every corridor has a poster about a visiting speaker. DofE is huge and Young Enterprise on the up.

Enthusiastic head of music oversees private lessons in 25 instruments – most girls sign up to at least one and many sing too. One parent told us of how her daughter had ‘fallen in and out of love’ with her instrument over the years, but they got her to a high grade, ‘even switching teachers when they thought it would help’. Choirs and orchestras in both prep and senior, plus jazz band and special choral groups. If juniors are good enough, they move up to senior level – principle is ‘skills ready, not age ready’. Pupils can attend workshops with first class performers and they go to see the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Superb drama. We loved seeing tinies singing their socks off with all the actions to Do-Re-Mi. LAMDA popular, even for girls who don’t continue drama through to GCSE or A level (although a lot do – at least as many as for schools twice the size). Theatre taught in its widest forms – puppetry, mime, open air performances etc. High School Musical is the next senior school performance (there’s one a year, plus a separate prep production) – we were first to see the bright red poster, hot off the art room press.

The labyrinth of paint-splattered wooden floored rooms in the art department is chock-a-block with ambitious, high-quality artworks (also to be seen throughout the rest of the school). We marvelled at the ceramics, textiles, canvases and – our personal favourite – a giant hat made out of cutlery. One parent felt ‘access to digital art is quite limited’ (school disagrees). In DT, girls were coming up with design ideas for a loneliness project.

In non-Covid times, trips are wide-ranging – Gambia for sixth formers (there’s a linked school there), US netball and lacrosse tours, Spain for a cultural trip ‘combined with a bit of fun’ etc.

Sport

Takes place just over the road. Mostly hockey and netball, with some lacrosse (though the girls would like more). Cricket is taking off and there’s tennis and athletics in the summer. Good balance of team and individual sports, eg Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, gymnastics, trampolining, fencing, spinning and swimming (they have their own pool). Equestrian is big, with 30 girls going off riding every week. One parent told us how her daughter rows out of school, ‘and they created a rowing club for her!’ But while there are sports scholars and girls who play at county and national level, MSJ is perhaps not an obvious choice for girls at the very elite end, say parents. The less talented can be sidelined, we also heard. ‘Caters best for the middle-ground try-hard person,’ summed up one, though school says it runs A-C teams. Sixth formers told us they’d like more sport on curriculum (currently an hour a week, though school points out they have access to gym and other facilities in their frees, and many are involved in fixtures and Saturday sports).

Boarders

Around 10-15 per cent flexi or weekly; the rest full, with international students making up over a quarter of the school. Most from China and Hong Kong (‘can get cliquey,’ warned a parent), with small numbers from eg Germany, Spain, France, Africa, Mexico, Turkey, US and Canada. A few full boarders too from Forces families or ‘pupils who start out as weekly boarders but love it’.

The five boarding houses are on a rolling revamp and it’s all change with who resides where too. Years 3-9 currently all sharing (only until the junior house has had its beauty treatment though). Year 10 get their own house, year 11 and 12 share and there’s a transitional house to get year 13s university-ready (girls were learning how to change tyres and make hasty pizzas when we visited). With the exception of the year 13 house (purpose built) and the year 11-12 house (on site), they are lovely old Malvern properties within easy walking distance of the school with large tastefully decorated rooms, plush sofas and country gardens. All weekly and full boarders in years 12 and 13 get their own rooms (along with most in year 10 and 11), but no en suites.

‘Best thing ever for my daughter,’ said one parent about boarding – ‘it’s really brought her on socially.’ Great activities, according to the girls – everything from quiz night to craft making, with sports fixtures, eating out or cinema on Saturdays and a big trip on Sundays, eg escape room, go karting, Harry Potter World. Top-notch pastorally, too, although girls would like to see the back of demerits for boarders (‘You wouldn’t get one at home!’).

Ethos and heritage

The result of the 2006 merger of Malvern Girls’ College (founded in 1893) and St James’s School (founded in 1896), the school is handily located opposite the railway station (good links to Birmingham and London) in buildings that were formerly the Imperial Hotel and which lend a certain grandeur and spaciousness to the bustle of school life (if also a few tired corners here and there). Fabulous revamped basement dining room (where we enjoyed restaurant-standard salads – tacos were also available) but the sixth form centre struck us as rather underwhelming (except for a wonderfully quirky but smallish chill-out area).

Not a school weighed down by its past, but girls talk lovingly about enduring traditions including the exchanging of prefects’ gowns ceremony, the annual staff pantomime and ships events (the MSJ version of houses, complete with ship names and skippers instead of house captains). Juniors were dressed in blue and yellow in support of Ukraine on the day we visited – ranging from jeans and white hoodie to floral silk dresses complete with ribbons in hair. Seniors were in uniform – smart but comfy, no ties.

Former pupils include Professor Dame Lesley Rees, first and only female dean of St Bart’s Medical School; Dame Clara Furse, chair of HSBC and first female CEO of the UK Stock Exchange; Kate Ferry, CFO of McLaren; Sara Murray, founder of confused.com; Fiona Sperry, BAFTA, Oscar and Emmy award-winning video game and film producer; Elizabeth Day, journalist and novelist; Caroline Lucas MP, who has twice led the Green Party for England and Wales.

Pastoral care, inclusivity and discipline

Long known for its tailored, personal family feel, MSJ excels providing professional attention and nipping thorny issues in the bud. Head of pastoral comes in for particular praise – ‘The fact that she has a non-teaching role means you can always get hold of her,’ said a parent, while another told us, ‘She always makes time to send updates to parents.’ The dedicated wellbeing hub is an asset. Girls can pop up to this welcoming space to see a counsellor (two external ones visit) for a 30-minute session just for one or two weeks ‘because sometimes that’s all they need’. Or they might prefer to come and see the wellbeing dog – ‘She provides an opportunity to walk and talk which can be a great way to reach pupils who struggle with opening up,’ says school. One mother said her daughter ‘would probably have been expelled at another school, but they believed in her and she rose to their high expectations, with every single member of staff seeming to know how to get the best out of her, right down to the horse riding woman – the change in her has been phenomenal.’ Girls told us they look out for each other.

School ticks the diversity and inclusivity boxes with diversity champions, LGBTQ+ society etc, though it is felt they were a bit a bit slow on adapting to trans pupils. We spotted no sign of difficult conversations being brushed under the carpet – older girls told us they’d been learning about the dangers of porn and talked insightfully about the nationwide rise in anxiety since Covid.

Detentions, withdrawal of privileges etc for the few who fall foul of the otherwise exemplary behaviour, but staff we met seem more interested in prevention than cure. ‘But they act quickly when needed,’ said one parent who reported how the head ‘recently came down swiftly on the girls around social media and why it’s important to manage it respectfully – we were impressed as parents and felt very supported.’

Pupils and parents

In the main pretty well-heeled, with some dilution from bursaries (one in four receives fee remittance). Everything from farmers to business people and professionals, and a recent rise of families moving up from the south east too. Some at pains to tell us they had never considered a single-sex school – or, in a few cases, private education – but had a ‘gut feeling’ on first visit. Girls are easy company – chatty, comfortable in their own skins and well-mannered without being affected. One parent felt it wouldn’t be the school for those who don’t ‘naturally toe the line – the odd bit of vaping is a massive scandal here’; another that ‘a queen bee alpha female type wouldn’t do well due to the more collaborative vibe’. Comms around admin issues could be improved, say some parents.

Money matters

Scholarships in academic, sports, music, art drama etc in years 7 and 9, all with up to 10 per cent fee remission. Scholarships at 16+ are also on merit but any fee remission at this level is means tested. Could be more on for them, say some parents (school disagrees, saying the offering of workshops and competitions is ‘huge’). Means-tested bursaries up to 40 per cent, and there’s also the prestigious Founders’ Awards Scholarships for top-notch scholars and all-round ambassadors (additional assessments and interviews for these). Wraparound care at no extra cost.

The last word

Less polished than some of its bigger competitors but that’s the whole point, with the smaller, pastorally driven character of the school suiting its pupils down to the ground. From all-rounders to high-flyers (and many are both), these girls flourish in a traditional environment that manages to strike that tricky balance between caring and aspirational.

Special Education Needs

There is an established process, according to the school SEN policy, of identification and provision for those with special needs, and a system of continuous assessment thereafter. Detailed assessments for special arrangements in examinations are carried out each year for those who need them. The support staff includes a part-time dyslexia specialist and 4 part-time EAL specialists. The added support is reflected in the excellent grades most of these pupils achieve at both GCSE and A level. 09-09