Hitchin Girls' School
Encyclopedia
Hitchin Girls' School is a specialist science college
in Hitchin
, Hertfordshire
, England
. The school has 1030 students and is in a consortium
for sixth form
teaching with Hitchin Boys' School
and the Priory School. It recently gained academy status.
but is now a single sex comprehensive
. It moved from Bancroft in the town centre to its present site in Highbury Road in 1908. Since 1960, there have been no more boarders. It was awarded specialist Science College
status in 2004. The head teacher is Mrs Manning who replaced Mrs Edwards at the start of the 2007/8 academic year. In July 2011 it became an academy.
The school's traditions include form running, which takes place at the end of every term, and Founders Day.
The 2008 OFSTED report graded Hitchin Girls' School as a 'good school'.
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
in Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, 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...
. The school has 1030 students and is in a consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
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,...
teaching with Hitchin Boys' School
Hitchin Boys' School
Hitchin Boys' School is a specialist technology and language college in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England. It educates boys aged between 11 and 18. The school currently has around 1000 pupils...
and the Priory School. It recently gained academy status.
History
The school was founded in July 1889 by John Mattock, and was originally a boarding grammar schoolGrammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
but is now a single sex comprehensive
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...
. It moved from Bancroft in the town centre to its present site in Highbury Road in 1908. Since 1960, there have been no more boarders. It was awarded specialist Science College
Science College
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics...
status in 2004. The head teacher is Mrs Manning who replaced Mrs Edwards at the start of the 2007/8 academic year. In July 2011 it became an academy.
The school's traditions include form running, which takes place at the end of every term, and Founders Day.
The 2008 OFSTED report graded Hitchin Girls' School as a 'good school'.
Old Girls' Association
The original Old Girls' Association was established in 1916 and disbanded in 1976. A new one was founded in 1989 as part of the school's centennial celebrations. It is a group of old student girls who left the school in past years. The consistently building group plans many events for the school and activities that are educational and held indoors during lessons yet also outdoor extra curricular activities that the girls thoroughly enjoy.Notable Alumnae
- Lauren Derwent, musician and singer
- Michelle Gilders, author
- Emma KennedyEmma KennedyEmma Kennedy is an English actress, writer and television presenter....
, English television actress, writer and presenter - Eileen A. Soper, artist