Belle Vue Girls’ School

Number of classes, teachers and students (f/m)
1162 female students
9 forms per community (vertical tuition)
Approximately 200 staff (86 teachers)

Age of students
11-18

A short School history
The history of Belle Vue Girls' School is the history of educational reform in the country. In 1877, The Girls’ Higher Grade School was opened. The first Headteacher was Miss Emily Holmes. After having three headteachers in seven years, 1884 saw the appointment of Miss Sarah Louise Beszant.
Miss Beszant was in her early twenties when appointed and was to remain as Headteacher for nearly forty years.
Miss Beszant played an important role in the development of schooling in Bradford. she did much to expand access to secondary education and to promote the study of science by girls. In 1904, Belle Vue became Belle Vue Girls’ Secondary School. Belle Vue Girls’ has had a number of names; Higher Grade School, Organised Science School, Secondary School, High School, Grammar School, Extended High School, Upper School and now simply Belle Vue Girls’ School and Specialist Language College. In 2000, Bradford reorganised its three tier system to two and Belle Vue became a secondary school once more. By 2007, it had grown to almost 1100 students with 220 in post sixteen education. In 2003, we became a specialist language college. The school is focussed towards giving our students high aspirations both academically and socially as we continue to foster strong understanding of the global village in which they will live and work. The school is always in the top 20% of schools in the country when the progress girls make from year 7 to year 11 is measured, one of the highest performers in the city. As Ofsted and our students agree, ‘the quality of education is really good here’ (Salma year 12); ‘students respond well to high expectation set by staff, have a positive attitude to learning and are keen to do their best.’ (Ofsted)

What we want to tell you about our school
Belle Vue Girls’ School is a vibrant, motivating and happy place to learn. Students are enthusiastic about learning and teachers are passionate about teaching. We have many impressive attributes such as specialisms in languages, science and maths, and applied learning. We have a rich and diverse range of backgrounds within the staff and student body; where all are celebrated and included. Visitors to the school regularly remark on the welcome they receive and compliment students and staff on the quality of their experience. Belle Vue Girls’ School motto is ‘educating the women of tomorrow’; our students leave school as well prepared young women.

Headteacher
Mrs M. Copeland

Teachers involved in the GC Project
Mr T. Howell
Mrs V. Waley
Mrs J. Filby
Mr C. Jarvis
Miss R. Taylor

Spoken/ taught languages
Arabic
Bengali
Dutch
English
French
Gujarati
Hindko
Italian
Panjabi
Pangasinan
Pashto
Polish
Slovak
Spanish
Tigrinya
Urdu