Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language College (EGA) is a large comprehensive secondary school
for girls in Islington
, London
, England
. It is classified as a Language College
. It is named in honour of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
, the first woman to gain a medical qualification in the United Kingdom
.
, are also named after great women in history, for example:Emily Brontë
(Humanities, English and Mathematics) and Mary Seacole
(Languages and art).
As a designated Language College, students are encouraged to take at least one language alongside English, Mathematics, and Science, which are compulsory subjects at GCSE level.
In 2009, EGA gained international acclaim following the visit of Michelle Obama
, wife of US president Barack Obama
. Then in May 2011, 35 girls was chosen to go to Oxford university to meet mrs Obama again and this was shown live on many news channels
It is a member of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
.
, which had opened in 1960. It was later renamed Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School.
In 2009, the school was visited by Michelle Obama
, wife of the American president Barack Obama
. On 25 May 2011, during a state visit of the US president, she took a group of 35 pupils at the school to Oxford University for a presentation.
The school is being rebuilt and will be finished in 2013.
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
for girls in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is classified as a Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
. It is named in honour of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, LSA, MD , was an English physician and feminist, the first woman to gain a medical qualification in Britain and the first female mayor in England.-Early life:...
, the first woman to gain a medical qualification in the 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...
.
Overview
EGA’s buildings, which are located between King's Cross railway station and Angel tube stationAngel tube station
Angel tube station is a London Underground station in The Angel, Islington. It is on the Bank branch of the Northern Line, between Old Street and King's Cross St. Pancras stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. The tube stop serves as a portal to several Off West End, or fringe theatre, venues,...
, are also named after great women in history, for example:Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë
Emily Jane Brontë 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English novelist and poet, best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. Emily was the third eldest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother...
(Humanities, English and Mathematics) and Mary Seacole
Mary Seacole
Mary Jane Seacole , sometimes known as Mother Seacole or Mary Grant, was a Jamaican nurse best known for her involvement in the Crimean War. She set up and operated boarding houses in Panama and the Crimea to assist in her desire to treat the sick...
(Languages and art).
As a designated Language College, students are encouraged to take at least one language alongside English, Mathematics, and Science, which are compulsory subjects at GCSE level.
In 2009, EGA gained international acclaim following the visit of Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
, wife of US president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Then in May 2011, 35 girls was chosen to go to Oxford university to meet mrs Obama again and this was shown live on many news channels
It is a member of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust is an independent, not-for-profit, membership organisation with headquarters in the United Kingdom, dedicated to raising standards and achievement in secondary schools in England and internationally...
.
History
The school was founded in 1928 as Starcross School and moved into the buildings made vacant by the 1965 closing of Risinghill SchoolRisinghill School
Risinghill School was an early Comprehensive school opened in 1960 in Islington, under the headmastership of Michael Duane; a charismatic advocate of progressive and non-authoritarian education. The school's methods prompted criticism in the media and disputes with the London County Council...
, which had opened in 1960. It was later renamed Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School.
In 2009, the school was visited by Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
, wife of the American president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. On 25 May 2011, during a state visit of the US president, she took a group of 35 pupils at the school to Oxford University for a presentation.
The school is being rebuilt and will be finished in 2013.
Notable alumnae
- Alexandra BurkeAlexandra BurkeAlexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
, singer. - Melissa BellMelissa Bell (singer)Melissa Bell is the former lead singer of Grammy winning R&B act Soul II Soul, and currently fronts the group Soul Explosion, which started in 1999. She has also worked with Liza Minnelli Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder...
, former singer with Soul II SoulSoul II SoulSoul II Soul are a British group that was created in London in 1988. They are best known for their 1989 UK chart-topper and U.S. Top 5 hit, "Back to Life ".-Career:...
and mother of Alexandra Burke. - Grace Fleary, Islington's Got Talent winner and last 25 of the girls in The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
. - Jassette Sue-Patt, described by the Islington Tribune as "one of Britain's best-known Black solicitors" and sister of Terry Sue PattTerry Sue PattTerry Sue-Patt is a British actor best known for the role of Benny Green in Grange Hill ; his character was the first pupil seen on screen.He got the part, after scouted playing football in the local park....
who played Benny Green in the children's television series, Grange HillGrange HillGrange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
.