About SLGGS

Our Philosophy

We firmly believe that for pupils to do well, they have to feel good about being at school and good about themselves. We encourage our students to aspire to excellence throughout the relationships that they develop between themselves and their teachers, built on encouragement, sensitivity to needs and mutual respect. This is at least as important as the knowledge they learn in the formal and informal curriculum.
 
Pupils develop high self-esteem by being part of a community which values each individual and encourages an informed understanding of our multi-cultural society.
 
We value and uphold the traditional values of good manners and hard work and have high expectations of our pupils. We aim to instil in them a positive attitude which seeks out and relishes an academic or social challenge and overcomes it.
 
The all-girls community in Years 7-11 is something special, letting girls grow up at their own pace and in their own way, undistracted. They learn to take responsibilities and to be leaders in their own female style and choose courses and careers free of gender-stereotyping. They develop their own independent judgement, self-discipline and self reliance and leave as confident and mature young women, ready to face the challenges of the 21st century.
 

Aims and Objectives

We believe that one of our major tasks is to ensure that every pupil meets experiences which stimulate, inspire and challenge them. At the same time, we have created an atmosphere and an attitude to learning which makes pupils feel comfortable about being clever – it’s acceptable to be good learners and follow their interests.
 
We are proud of our staff who are very well qualified experts with a deep love of their subjects, which leads to lessons being very well prepared and stimulating intellectually. Pupils speak appreciatively of the enormous amount of help and time their teachers give them, which enables them to grasp complex concepts well.
 
We believe that homework is important, particularly for developing good study habits. It gives a real opportunity for parents to take a supportive interest in their daughter or son's studies. Homework is set throughout the school averaging one hour per night in Year 7 to two hours in Year 11. Larger assignments at intervals rather than fixed short tasks begin to be set by the time girls reach GCSE courses in Year 10. GCSE and A level coursework requirements and deadlines are collated into individual calendars for the guidance of pupils and parents.
 

A Strong Emphasis on Pastoral Care

We are extremely proud of our approach to the welfare, pastoral guidance and support of our pupils which is highly valued and appreciated by them. Younger girls experience such care and support not only from their Form Tutors, Year Heads and senior leaders in the school, but also from Sixth Form Guardians – there is always someone to turn to if they need help. Vulnerable girls, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, receive sensitive support, which enables them to succeed in achieving as highly as the rest.
 
We regard assemblies and personal, social, health and citizenship lessons as being important vehicles for developing the school’s positive social and learning ethos and strong community spirit.
 
Pupils’ academic and personal progress is thoroughly tracked throughout the school, with pupils playing a full role in setting their own targets and assessing their own progress. Careers advice and guidance are exemplary (OFSTED 2007).
 

The Curriculum

We believe that the education of intelligent youngsters must, above all, develop in them a lifelong taste for learning, built on intellectual skills, flexible attitude and the inner security that comes from having faced and overcome challenges. This happens through a broad academic curriculum, tackled by high quality teaching at a stimulating pace, encouraging excellence, valuing effort and achievement equally and making them think!
 
The girls meet a very wide range of subjects from Year 7, to give them as many new experiences as possible. The National Curriculum changed for September 2008 and we revised ours in the light of this.
 
Years 10 and 11 continue core subjects, plus the chance to exercise some choice while keeping a balance of creative and humanity subjects, all for GCSE examinations. Sciences are taught separately by specialists in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Additional enrichment is offered to the most gifted girls, including Ancient Greek.
 
In the Sixth Form, Years 12 and 13, (there is a separate detailed Sixth Form prospectus) we expect all pupils to do four AS courses in Year 12 and three or four subjects in Year 13, which may be a mixture of AS and A2. We offer 26 AS and A2 courses. Our pattern of option-subjects is based on offering the widest possible range of choice. The big Sixth Form means that we run several sets in some subjects, making it easier to meet pupils’ preferences.
 
Pupils of high ability regularly win Oxford and Cambridge places, recently an average of seven per year from over 100 pupils who go on to degree courses.
 

A Wide Range of Facilities

Located in a quiet and accessible area of south Canterbury, the school enjoys an ample site and has recently benefited from splendid additional buildings. We now have excellent space and facilities including:
  • Eleven fully-equipped laboratories
  • Specialist classrooms for all subjects
  • Large drama studio with professional lighting and sound
  • Three dedicated art rooms
  • Modern craft design and technology rooms
  • Large modern library with 17,000 books
  • Five dedicated computer rooms, plus networked and wireless access laptop computers giving 200+ modern computers with internet access in every room
  • Stand-alone music suite, recently doubled in size, with recording studio
  • Large separate Sixth Form suite with social area, kitchen, study area,
  • Careers and Higher Education Library.
Sporting facilities include:
  • Spacious playing fields and open areas,
  • All-weather netball/basketball and tennis courts
  • together with multi-purpose gymnasium

An Excellent Programme of Extra Curricular Activities

This is a very busy place: we run teams in hockey, netball, basketball, cross-country, athletics, tennis, football, cricket and achieve very highly, regularly winning district championships in all of these sports. During lunch-break, there are clubs for sport, dance, art, orchestras, instrumental groups, rock bands, choirs, pony club, drama, climbing wall, debating, school magazine and Christian Union. All girls in the junior years take part in at least one of these weekly activities. We provide opportunities for pony-trekking, mountain-walking, Duke of Edinburgh Award at Bronze and Gold, foreign language visits abroad, visits to galleries, plays and museums.
 
Charity fund-raising is a major feature of life at the Langton, as we raise approximately £15,000 per year. Most events are run entirely by the pupils with impressive commitment and originality, often creating a lot of fun in the process. These include an annual Sponsored Walk, a school fete and Charity Week amongst others.
 
Overall, there is a rich blend of intellectual and social activity which encourages independence, initiative and responsibility without forcing pupils into any particular mould.
 

Specialism Status

Our strong focus on creative and practical subjects nurtures the creative imagination essential for the full development of academic ability. The national Gold ArtsMark has been awarded for the third time in 2008, for excellence in Art, Music, Drama, Dance and Textiles, and we have a very high level of sporting achievement. ArtsMark is the benchmark for arts education provision and we have received the Gold award in 2002, 2005 and 2008.
 
The school has Specialist Music College and I.T. status, through which we are developing further our already impressive provision for music education. Developments include: free keyboard tuition for all Year 7 who do not otherwise learn an instrument, a wider range of world music, courses in Music Technology, increased opportunities for learning, performing and recording classical music and rock for members of the community as well as our own students.
 
SIMON LANGTON GIRLS’ GRAMMAR SCHOOL
 
To arrange a visit or discuss any matters about your daughter or son's education please contact the school:
 
Headteacher: Mrs Jane S Robinson
Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School
Old Dover Road 
Canterbury, Kent CT1 3EW
Telephone: 01227 463711
Facsimile: 01227 458363
email: post@langton.kent.sch.uk
 
Download the school's prospectus from our home page.