Sydenham High School A GSG School
- Sydenham High School
15 & 19 Westwood Hill
London
SE26 6BL - Head: Antonia Geldeard
- T 020 8557 7000
- F 020 8557 7001
- E admissions@syd.gdst.net
- W www.sydenhamhi…school.gdst.net
- An independent school for girls aged from 11 to 18.
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Lewisham
- Pupils: 512; sixth formers: 69
- Religion: Non-denominational
- Fees: £21,348 pa
- Open days: Contact school or visit website
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Linked schools: Sydenham High School Prep
What The Good Schools Guide says..
The school was founded in 1887 by four pioneering women who were determined that girls should have as good an education as their brothers. It was originally housed in a converted hydropathic hotel (the forerunner of today’s spa hotels) but moved over the road in 1934 to an imposing Victorian mansion. Formerly a diamond merchant’s house, it has a fascinating history. The owner kept a menagerie of animals, including pheasants on the lawn and an orangutan that liked to swing from the chandelier in the ballroom. No orangutans in sight these days...
What the school says...
We inspire future generations of creators, independent thinkers and trailblazers. We open eyes and hearts by educating the whole person: to balance mind, body and soul. We empower every girl to discover and nurture her unique talents whether in the classroom, the laboratory, the library, the studio, the field and beyond. Our diversity of academic and enrichment opportunities enables every girl to forge her own path, strive to be her best and excel. We believe that educating the whole person leads to happy, confident and courageous children who flourish and make a positive difference to their community. ...Read more
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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
Rowing
Fencing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since 2022, Antonia Geldeard. Educated at Halstead Prep and Burgess Hill Girls, she read English literature at Trinity College, Cambridge. After two years in TV journalism, working on factual programmes at Yorkshire TV, she was offered a high-flying job at a top public relations company but realised that what she really wanted to do was teach. She went back to Cambridge to do a PGCE in English and drama and knew immediately that she’d made the right decision. She joined Alleyn’s as an English and drama teacher, becoming head of house, head of film and media studies and then head of English (‘a wonderful job’). She moved to Trinity School, Croydon as head of sixth form, later progressing to deputy head.
In an area that’s chock-a-block with good schools, she says...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
The school's special needs policy follows the recommendations of the Code of Practice (2001). At admission each pupil is looked at as an individual case to see whether the school can effectively meet her needs. A girl would only be refused entry if she was unable to attain the required academic standard or if the school was unable to cope with the child's difficulty once every effort had been made to accommodate her needs. The school has a Learning Support Department run by a qualified dyslexia teacher. Individual difficulties (eg mild dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, Aspergers) are handled as appropriate by the Learning Support Department. Pupils whose difficulties form a significant barrier to learning may have an Individual Education Plan and some targeted help from the Learning Support Department. Pupils with specific learning difficulties should be able to cope in mainstream classes but the school offers a supportive environment in which staff are made aware of the ways in which these students can be supported within the classroom. The Junior Department also has access to well qualified perpatetic special needs teachers who can give long term individual support during school time and parents may wish to use this facility for which an extra charge is made.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder |
Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment |
|
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty |
|
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing |
|
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes |
|
| PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability |
|
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty |
|
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma |
|
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication |
|
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP) |
|
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) |
Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herne Hill School | 2024 | 6 | ||
| Hornsby House School | 2024 | 1 |
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