With a focus on holistic education and empowering girls to achieve whatever goals they set, Roedean School sits comfortably amongst the top boarding schools in Brighton. Roedean students excel in all areas of school life, including academic studies across the curriculum. Girls take pleasure in learning an array of academic subjects, and many particularly enjoy studying the sciences.
The Brighton private school has a longstanding tradition of educating young women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Today, STEM subjects remain popular with Roedean girls from Year 7 to Sixth Form, with many students going on to pursue STEM-related degrees and careers.
Roedean’s Founding Vision: The Brighton Private School’s History
Sisters Penelope, Dorothy, and Millicent Lawrence founded Roedean School in 1885. Originally known as Wimbledon House and based in Kemp Town, the boarding school in Brighton had just 10 students.
Roedean moved to its current clifftop location in 1898, where it has remained since, except for 1940-45. During the Second World War, the School evacuated students to Cumbria. Meanwhile, Roedean’s clifftop site served as a Naval Torpedo training base.
The Lawrence sisters’ founding vision for Roedean was that the School would provide “a thorough physical, intellectual, and moral” education with “as much liberty as is consistent with safety.”
This education would prepare girls for university studies and careers. The Lawrence sisters challenged the orthodox views of their time by founding a school that gave girls as good an education as boys.
STEM At Roedean: Academic Pathways for Sixth Formers
Roedean continues to push boundaries today, often beating national trends in STEM subject studies.
In 2023, core-STEM subjects (including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics) accounted for 29.4% of all female A Level entries in the UK. By comparison, 45.6% of all UK male A Level entries were in core-STEM subjects.
At Roedean, maths and science are the most widely taken subjects in Sixth Form. In 2023, 55% of Roedean’s Year 13 students took Mathematics. More than 20% took Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology.
STEM is one of four academic pathways Roedean offers Sixth Form students. Each student’s pathway is unique and complements their A Level choices.
Roedean’s Pathways Programme ensures students have further learning opportunities to enrich their understanding of the curriculum. These opportunities are also relevant to future careers that they may want to pursue.
Impressive Exam Results
Overall, Roedean’s class of 2023 achieved impressive A Level results across all subjects. 28.2% of all grades were A* and 55.5% were A*-A. More than half of Year 13 students received at least one A* grade, and almost a third received all A* and A grades.
The most popular university destinations for Roedean students in 2023 were University College London, Imperial College London, Leeds, Cambridge, Exeter, Oxford, Southampton, and Edinburgh.
Several girls secured highly competitive places at these universities to study medicine, like Sylva and Jemima, who are both attending the University of Leeds. Others embarked on STEM-related apprenticeships, such as Harmony, who has undertaken a technology degree apprenticeship with investment bank UBS.
A third of Roedean’s Year 13 students usually go on to study STEM-related subjects in higher education. These girls contribute to the national percentage of core-STEM students in UK higher education who are not male (31% are female or non-binary). Notably, several students have also utilized resources like Oxbridge Notes to prepare for their successful applications to Oxford and Cambridge.
Empowering Girls in STEM
STEM On the Curriculum
At Roedean, STEM subjects form an essential part of the School curriculum from Year 7 (Key Stage 3). Girls study Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics.
In Years 10-11 (Key Stage 4), all students must take either the Double Certificate Combined Sciences (which counts as two GCSEs) or the Triple Certificate Separate Sciences (which counts as three GCSEs).
Alongside maths and science, girls have the option to study Computer Science and Sports Science GCSEs.
STEM Off the Curriculum
Girls can continue to explore STEM disciplines beyond the classroom. Roedean School has 150 co-curricular activities on offer, and several of these options provide students with opportunities to delve deeper into STEM.
Rodean’s STEM-related co-curricular activities include:
- Astronomy Club. The club uses the School’s five telescopes to study the night sky. Students also research and discuss varied astronomical subjects.
- Computer Aided Design (CAD) Club. In CAD Club, students learn how to use professional CAD software to draw complex shapes. Students also have opportunities to bring these shapes to life using a 3D printer.
- Junior STEM Club. This fun, practical club broadens and enriches the curriculum for younger students who are passionate about STEM subjects.
- MedSoc. This weekly, student-led society is for girls in Years 10-13 who share an interest in entering a career in medicine or health care. MedSoc members discuss the latest medical and biomechanical topics and practise diagnosing patient conditions.
Roedean School’s STEM Ambassador
Each term, Roedean invites role models to visit the School and speak to students. In addition, the Brighton private school has four Ambassadors who visit Roedean regularly to work with girls of all ages.
Dr Suzie Imber, Professor of Space Physics at Leicester University, is Roedean’s STEM Ambassador. Imber has spoken at Roedean’s event for International Women’s Day several times. Students find her passion for science and her remarkable achievements inspiring.
Imber is eager to continue working closely with the School’s strong science and mathematics departments.
The Future of STEM at Roedean School
Roedean School continues to invest in STEM, with exciting plans in this area in the future. Roedean’s enduring legacy in STEM subjects, combined with its focus on the future, positions the Brighton private school as a leader in nurturing the next generation of women in STEM fields.
Learn more about Roedean School’s academic ethos.
About Roedean School: A Leading Boarding School in Brighton
Roedean is a leading day and boarding school in Brighton for girls aged 11-18. With a breathtaking coastal setting, Roedean provides an exceptional, all-round education within a caring, supportive community. Girls flourish in beautiful surroundings and pursue their academic studies and co-curricular adventures with dedication and passion.
Roedean’s modern, sophisticated boarding houses mark the School as one of the best boarding schools in Brighton and beyond. Tatler has described the boarding facilities as the “swankiest” in “the country, perhaps in the universe.” On top of this, The Daily Telegraph says the Brighton private school “boasts the most stylish boarding house refurbishment ever to dazzle the independent school sector.”
Cosy and elegant, the boarding houses’ interiors blend traditional and contemporary features. From study bedrooms to snugs and common rooms, Roedean boarders relax, work, and socialise in a variety of welcoming spaces.
