Charlotte Brown

I am confident that the reason I achieved my A*AA grades and will be the first in my family to attend university, is in large part due to the opportunities, excellent teaching and supportive environment I had during Sixth Form. Sheffield Girls’ will stick with me and empower me to fulfil my potential way past leaving the school, and I never would have had any of the wonderful experiences of the past two years without the help of a bursary”.

“I definitely didn’t come from a similar background as a lot of my classmates at Sheffield Girls’. My mother being a teaching assistant and my father being a warehouse worker, neither decided to pursue education past college-level, but as a naturally academic person I’d always aspired to one day go to university. On top of that, I went to a secondary school where a lot of pupils struggled academically and with bad behaviour, so I felt like the odd one out and experienced a lot of bullying and problems with mental health as a result.

One of my teachers noticed how hard I was working and pulled me to one side to offer me a prospectus for Sheffield Girls’ Sixth form, and I was later overjoyed to receive a full bursary that would allow me to attend despite my family not being able to afford the fees.

I loved it from the very first day: finally being around people like myself, who were academically driven and always striving to be kind, I was the happiest I had been in years. My self-esteem blossomed with the support of teachers and peers to the point that I’m a completely different and more confident person, taking part in everything I can instead of shying away.

Academically too, the school was unparalleled. I am confident that the reason I achieved my A*AA grades and will be the first in my family to attend university, is in large part due to the opportunities, excellent teaching and supportive environment I had during Sixth Form. Sheffield Girls’ will stick with me and empower me to fulfil my potential way past leaving the school, and I never would have had any of the wonderful experiences of the past two years without the help of a bursary”.

Charlotte Brown
Alumna, Sheffield High School for Girls
Class of 2018