City of London School for Girls
Encyclopedia
City of London School for Girls (CLSG) is a girls' independent school located in the City of London
, United Kingdom
. It is sister school of the City of London School
(a boys day school) and the City of London Freemen's School
(a co-educational day and boarding school in Surrey
).
in 1894. It was his conviction that girls should be given a broad and liberal education with an emphasis on scholarship; he left a third of his fortune to the City of London to fund the foundation of a girls' school, a £20,000 legacy for the City of London Corporation. The school now receives financial support from the City Livery Companies as well as banks and other City firms. Links with the City of London remain strong - the City administers the school and the Board of Governors is appointed by the Court of Common Council. The school has strong links with its brother school - the City of London School
is just a 15-minute walk away.
The school celebrated its 110th Anniversary in 2004-2005, under the title of 'Women in Leadership'. It celebrated its 111th Anniversary in 2005-2006, under the same title. It celebrated its 112th Anniversary in 2006-2007 under the title of 'International Women in Leadership'.
The school is for girls aged 7 to 18. Most pupils enter aged 7 ("7+" for the Prep School
), 11 ("11+"), or 16 ("16+", for Sixth Form
), although casual vacancies arise occasionally. The school's capacity is roughly 680 pupils. As its success rises, applications to the school continue to climb with new classrooms being continually created to meet this growing demand. They have a well known "Women in Leadership" interest, which continued in 2007 with an excellent conference concerning the global leadership of women.
Fees are currently £4,125 a term
for the senior school exclusive of school lunches, and entrance is by examination. For 7+ and 11+ entry, the entrance exam consists of exams in English and Maths. At sixth form level, the entry process is more competitive, with exams being set in each of the subjects they propose to study at AS as well as a comprehension paper and logic test. The school remains relatively ethnically and socially diverse, although not as diverse as other leading London schools in both the state and independent sectors. There is a very active Jewish Society.
The new headmistress, Diana Vernon, is the 10th headmistress of the school.
table of Prep Schools, and 2nd and 3rd respectively in many published tables of England's GCSE
and A-level results. In 2008, the school topped The Times A-level league table of England's independent schools. The Good Schools Guide credited the school with a "Very strong work ethic," noting that it "Continues to get good results."
Music lessons are available to individuals or groups, and the school has successful Junior and Senior Orchestras, Junior and Senior Choirs, a gospel choir, a barbershop group and a swing band.
In 2005, City held its first ever drama festival; a fortnight of productions and workshops. Sports are another strength at City, with clubs, teams and squads in abundance. City encourages girls to take up sports they have never done before and push them when necessary. The Gym and Dance display which is held every other year shows parents, relatives and friends the girls' talents and gives the girls a chance to "shine". The school has a swimming pool, a lecture theatre, two netball/tennis courts, a drama studio, an all weather playing field and an indoor gym with climbing wall, as well as a gym complete with exercise equipment such as treadmills and weights. Debating is another popular activity, with a weekly club and participation in public speaking events such as Model United Nations
and European Youth Parliament
.
Trips and visits are common, and City girls are offered language exchanges to France, Spain, Germany and China
, as well as other travelling opportunities through schemes such as World Challenge, which has seen girls go recently to Venezuela
. Duke of Edinburgh Award
expeditions have been confined to the UK since 2001, when student Amelia Ward was killed whilst abseiling on a Duke of Edinburgh trip in South Africa
.
The school team won the Kids' Lit Quiz
in 2010 at the world final in Edinburgh
.
The four houses are:
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is sister school of the City of London School
City of London School
The City of London School is a boys' independent day school on the banks of the River Thames in the City of London, England. It is the brother school of the City of London School for Girls and the co-educational City of London Freemen's School...
(a boys day school) and the City of London Freemen's School
City of London Freemen's School
City of London Freemen's School is a coeducational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located at Ashtead Park in Surrey, England. It is the sister school of the City of London School and the City of London School for Girls, which are both independent single-sex schools located within...
(a co-educational day and boarding school in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
).
History
The school was founded by William WardWilliam Ward
-Athletics:* William Ward , American boxer who fought under the name Kid Norfolk* William Ward , British cricketer, scorer of the first ever double-century...
in 1894. It was his conviction that girls should be given a broad and liberal education with an emphasis on scholarship; he left a third of his fortune to the City of London to fund the foundation of a girls' school, a £20,000 legacy for the City of London Corporation. The school now receives financial support from the City Livery Companies as well as banks and other City firms. Links with the City of London remain strong - the City administers the school and the Board of Governors is appointed by the Court of Common Council. The school has strong links with its brother school - the City of London School
City of London School
The City of London School is a boys' independent day school on the banks of the River Thames in the City of London, England. It is the brother school of the City of London School for Girls and the co-educational City of London Freemen's School...
is just a 15-minute walk away.
The school celebrated its 110th Anniversary in 2004-2005, under the title of 'Women in Leadership'. It celebrated its 111th Anniversary in 2005-2006, under the same title. It celebrated its 112th Anniversary in 2006-2007 under the title of 'International Women in Leadership'.
General
The Good Schools Guide called the school an "Academic and hard-working day school that currently produces good results and unspoilt articulate girls but remaining low profile."The school is for girls aged 7 to 18. Most pupils enter aged 7 ("7+" for the Prep School
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
), 11 ("11+"), or 16 ("16+", for Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
), although casual vacancies arise occasionally. The school's capacity is roughly 680 pupils. As its success rises, applications to the school continue to climb with new classrooms being continually created to meet this growing demand. They have a well known "Women in Leadership" interest, which continued in 2007 with an excellent conference concerning the global leadership of women.
Fees are currently £4,125 a term
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
for the senior school exclusive of school lunches, and entrance is by examination. For 7+ and 11+ entry, the entrance exam consists of exams in English and Maths. At sixth form level, the entry process is more competitive, with exams being set in each of the subjects they propose to study at AS as well as a comprehension paper and logic test. The school remains relatively ethnically and socially diverse, although not as diverse as other leading London schools in both the state and independent sectors. There is a very active Jewish Society.
The new headmistress, Diana Vernon, is the 10th headmistress of the school.
Academic
The school has an outstanding academic reputation and leading league table results. In 2005, the school came first in The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
table of Prep Schools, and 2nd and 3rd respectively in many published tables of England's GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
and A-level results. In 2008, the school topped The Times A-level league table of England's independent schools. The Good Schools Guide credited the school with a "Very strong work ethic," noting that it "Continues to get good results."
Extracurricular
The school's success gives it the reputation of a hot house, however, the school also encourages extracurricular activities. The arts are popular, appropriately enough for a school located across a lake from the Barbican Arts Centre. Furthermore, teachers are encouraged to go 'beyond the syllabus', exploring wider issues to nurture girls in areas that are not examined.Music lessons are available to individuals or groups, and the school has successful Junior and Senior Orchestras, Junior and Senior Choirs, a gospel choir, a barbershop group and a swing band.
In 2005, City held its first ever drama festival; a fortnight of productions and workshops. Sports are another strength at City, with clubs, teams and squads in abundance. City encourages girls to take up sports they have never done before and push them when necessary. The Gym and Dance display which is held every other year shows parents, relatives and friends the girls' talents and gives the girls a chance to "shine". The school has a swimming pool, a lecture theatre, two netball/tennis courts, a drama studio, an all weather playing field and an indoor gym with climbing wall, as well as a gym complete with exercise equipment such as treadmills and weights. Debating is another popular activity, with a weekly club and participation in public speaking events such as Model United Nations
Model United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
and European Youth Parliament
European Youth Parliament
The European Youth Parliament is a politically and religiously unbound non-profit organisation, which encourages European youth to actively engage in citizenship and cultural understanding....
.
Trips and visits are common, and City girls are offered language exchanges to France, Spain, Germany and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, as well as other travelling opportunities through schemes such as World Challenge, which has seen girls go recently to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Duke of Edinburgh Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
expeditions have been confined to the UK since 2001, when student Amelia Ward was killed whilst abseiling on a Duke of Edinburgh trip in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
The school team won the Kids' Lit Quiz
Kids' Lit Quiz
The Kids' Lit Quiz is an annual literature competition, in which teams of four students, aged 10 to 13, work together to answer wide-ranging literary questions. The winning team from each region competes in the national final. The winner of the national final is then invited to the World Final...
in 2010 at the world final in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
Pastoral
The school is secular, yet has mildly Christian traditions, with twice weekly hymns and an annual Carol Service in the neighbouring St Giles' Church. There is a weekly Jewish assembly, as well as a Jewish Society, an Asian Society, an Oriental Society and an African-Caribbean Society.The House System
City has a relatively new house system which consists of four houses. Each girl is allocated a house when they enter the school. There is a variety of inter-House competition, including drama, music, quiz and at Sports Day. The School encourages good natured competition.The four houses are:
- Fleet - after Fleet Street
- Tudor - after Tudor Street
- St. Bride - after St. Bride church on Fleet Street,
- Ward - after William Ward, the founder of the school.
Expansion
There is now a Sixth Form Block, intended to cater for the ever growing number of girls - the 2000 intake swelled from the usual 60-70 girls per year to 90+. An all-weather playing field was added to the school's outdoor facilities after the winter term of 2008.Headmistress
The current headmistress is Miss Diana Vernon, who joined the school in September 2007.Helen Goddard controversy
On 21 September 2009, 26-year-old Helen Goddard, who taught music at the school, was jailed for 15 months for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female pupil.Notable former pupils
- Dido ArmstrongDido (singer)Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
, b.1971, pop singer - Sasha Hails b.1968, actress and writer
- Anna BlundyAnna BlundyAnna Blundy , is a British author and journalist, educated at City of London School for Girls and Westminster School. Every Time We Say Goodbye, her memoir of her father, the foreign correspondent David Blundy , was published in 1998...
, journalist - Elizabeth EmanuelElizabeth EmanuelElizabeth Emanuel is a fashion designer who, along with husband David Emanuel, is best known for her 1981 work for the wedding of Diana, Princess of Wales...
, fashion designer - Romola GaraiRomola GaraiRomola Sadie Garai is an English actress. She is known for appearing in the movies Amazing Grace, Atonement, and Glorious 39, and for appearing in the BBC adaptation of Emma.-Early life:...
, b.1982, actress - Sahar HashemiSahar HashemiSahar Hashemi is a successful business woman who co-founded the coffee chain Coffee Republic with her brother Bobby Hashemi and low calorie sweets brand Skinny Candy. Sahar left Coffee Republic in 2001 to write bestselling book: “Anyone Can do It”...
, entrepreneur - Hermione LeeHermione LeeHermione Lee, CBE is President of Wolfson College, Oxford and was lately Goldsmiths' Professor of English Literature in the University of Oxford and Professorial Fellow of New College. She is a Fellow of the British Academy and of the Royal Society of Literature.-Biography:Hermione Lee grew up in...
, professor of English at University of Oxford - Emily Leon, b. 1908,architect
- Georgina MaceGeorgina MaceProfessor Georgina Mace, CBE, FRS is Professor of Conservation Science and Director of the Natural Environment Research Council Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London.She was the winner of the 2007 International Cosmos Prize...
, Conservation scientist - Sara NathanSara Nathan (journalist)Sara Nathan is an English journalist and newspaper columnist.She helped launch The Sun's successful TV Biz column in 2003 and was editor from 2005-2009....
journalist - Mary NighyMary NighyMary Nighy is an English actress and film maker. She was named one of the UK Film Council's breakthrough Brits in 2005.-Work:Nighy is director of Foster Films...
, actress - Melinda Camber PorterMelinda Camber PorterMelinda Camber Porter was an artist, author, poet, journalist and filmmaker. Porter was a modernist who worked in oils, watercolor and ink...
, artist, journalist & filmmaker - Claire RaynerClaire RaynerClaire Berenice Rayner OBE was an English nurse, journalist, broadcaster and novelist, best known for her role for many years as an agony aunt.-Early life:...
, b.1931, journalist - Dinah RoseDinah RoseDinah Rose is a human Rights lawyer. She was named Barrister of the Year, in The Lawyer Awards 2009.Rose is formerly a pupil at City of London School for Girls.-Notable Cases:...
barrister - Alison WeirAlison WeirAlison Weir is a British writer of history books, and latterly historical novels, mostly in the form of biographies about British royalty.-Personal life:...
, historian, writer - Claudia WinklemanClaudia WinklemanClaudia Anne I. Winkleman is an English television presenter, film critic, radio personality and journalist.- Early life and family :...
, b.1972, TV presenter - Sophie WinklemanSophie WinklemanSophie Lara Winkleman is an English actress who has worked extensively in television, film and stage. On 14 February 2009, she became engaged to Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince Michael and Princess Michael of Kent. They married in Hampton Court on 12 September 2009...
, actress - Tasmin Lucia KhanTasmin Lucia KhanTasmin Lucia Khan is a British journalist and news presenter for ITV breakfast show Daybreak. She also presents a news bulletin for the Lorraine programme on ITV. She is a former presenter of BBC Three's hourly news bulletin, 60 Seconds, and presented E24 on the rolling news channel BBC News...
, ITV News Presenter for Daybreak
External links
- The school's official site
- 2003 Report on the school from the Independent Schools Inspectorate.
- League Table results from BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
. - Preparatory department profile on Times Online
- Profile at the Good Schools Guide
- School profile at the Schools Guidebook
- DailyMail.co.uk