Royal Masonic School
Encyclopedia
The Royal Masonic School for Girls is an independent school
in Rickmansworth
, England
with both day and boarding
pupils. The school was instituted in 1788, with the aim of maintaining the daughters of indigent Freemasons
, unable through death, illness, or incapacitation to support their families. Today, the school accepts the children of both masons and non-masons.
It began in 1789 with fifteen pupils and a Matron in Somers Place, East London. During its history, the school has moved premises three times, twice within London and finally in 1934 to Rickmansworth
in Hertfordshire, where it still is today.
Currently the school still sits there at Rickmansworth Park. It is a day school for girls 4-18, a boarding school for girls 7-18 and a new nursury opened in 2009 for boys and girls aged 2-4. The school sits on its 316 acre site
and nine fellow Freemasons
met to discuss plans for establishing a charitable institution for the daughters of Masons who had fallen on hard times or whose death had meant hardship for their families.
On 14 May 1788, a committee met at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street to thrash out the details of the proposed institution. An advertisement for the position of Matron was put in the papers, and the committee set about finding a suitable premises from which their charity could operate. The house at Sommers Place East was a suggestion from Dr de Valangin, and was taken in October at rent of £35 per annum to house 15 children. The property has since disappeared but was between the present day Euston
and St Pancras
stations, approximately where the British Library
is today.
The original advertisement for the Matron read as follows:
Twenty replies were received, of which five were shortlisted. The decision was arrived at by means of ballot, and Mrs Ann Le Clerc was duly elected. She is referred to in the minutes of the meeting as a governess, and her address is given as 11 Wells Street, Marylebone. The term "Mrs" was used for single and married women alike, so it is unknown as to whether she was married or not.
On 5 January 1789, the children met at Ruspini's house and walked in procession to the house. The ceremonial procession was reported in the Morning Post (later to become absorbed by the Daily Telegraph
) and the Daily Advertiser on Saturday 10 January. The names of the children were listed with their birth and baptismal records.
Of the fifteen, Charlotte Richardson was removed from the school by her parents within a couple of months. She was replaced by Charlotte Hatton. Also, Mary Bagley had petitioned for a place at the school but had been rejected, having been found to be too old. The governors, however, decided to keep her on as an assistant servant, getting maintenance, clothing, and her education in return.
Although called a school, the institution was not what we might call a school until the mid-nineteenth century. In its early stages, it was more of an orphanage
, although many of the girls had at least one parent living. At the end of their school life, girls were either returned to their family or supporters (known as Friends) or apprenticed and supported until they could establish themselves.
The children could be from any part of the United Kingdom and had to be between the ages of six and nine. They had to be the daughters of freemasons and were required to be in good health, having already had smallpox
or cowpox
and "be free from infirmity of deformity." It is known, however, that Frances Sansum from the first fifteen had only one leg.
The place for the new school was St George's Fields
, that is today 28 Westminster Bridge Road.
, Clapham
, Wandsworth
, or Putney
when its address was written down. The girls, however, referred to it as Clapham J. In 1853, when the site was purchased, it was because of its wide open aspect and country air, qualities that would later be lost. The school, however, was still expanding; and in 1918, the junior girls moved to a new junior school in Weybridge
in Surrey
.
John Leopold Denman
, an architect from Brighton
, won the commission to design the school.
Sunday—Rice milk; Roast beef, vegetables, bread, and beer; Bread, butter, and beer
Monday—Water Gruel; Suet
pudding and beer; Bread, cheese, and beer
Tuesday—Milk Porridge; Boiled mutton, vegetables, bread, and beer; Broth and bread and beer
Wednesday—Rice Milk; Suet puddings, potatoes, bread, and beer; Bread, butter, and beer
Thursday—Water Gruel; Boiled beef, vegetables, bread, and beer; Broth and bread
Friday—Milk Porridge; Rice puddings and beer; Bread, cheese, and beer
Saturday—Rice and milk; Boiled beef, vegetables, bread, and beer; Broth and bread
Drinking water at the time did not exist, and beer was the standard for adults and children alike; although, generally speaking, children had their ale watered down. In December 1846, however, after persistent requests from the matron, the children were given tea or coffee with bread and butter for their supper as opposed to cheese and beer, even though tea and coffee were luxuries unheard of in a school.
, carrying men and munitions.
, Supergirl
, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
. Others include the children's TV series The Demon Headmaster
, Inspector Morse
, and EastEnders
. It was recently the venue for 'Skate Camp' on CBBC show, Skate Nation
and on the Kevin Bishop show for British High School Musical
”. At the top of the old badge are the letters R.M.I.G standing for Royal Masonic Institution for girls. On the new badge is the school motto, Circumornatae ut similitudo templi, which is the Vulgate
version of a phrase from Psalm 144:12: “That our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.”
Described originally as callisthenics, exercises and marching no one is entirely sure when school drill began. In an extract from the school magazine Machio in 1962, school drill is purported to be a hundred years old. There is a reference to it is an account of prize day 1876 although it is not referred to as drill.
It was performed to music on a piano, later 2 grand pianos and consisted of 180 girls ( the number of degrees in a semicircle). In 1980 the music was recorded and the spoken commands gave way to a whistle. The girls learn their positions (based on their height, and thus changing from year to year and needing to be re-learned) and move in time to the music from one point to the next. The end of the performance is marked by the girls producing the Masonic emblem of set square and compass, and the point, the smallest child in the performance marching forward alone to complete the symbol.
The school motto comes from Psalm 144, “That our daughters may be as the polished cornerstones of the Temple.”
It is a haven to a wide variety of flora and fauna, almost an island of tranquillity within the M25
There are two Dells, over 40’ deep, in which the herd of fallow deer, that were on the estate when it was a Deer Park, used to be wintered. The Dells were originally dug for the limestone that was used as road bottoming.
and various areas of sport such as;
Some of these sports will be played in the winter whilst others are played in the summer.
The words originally read "manfully fighting against sin" but were changed to "bravely fighting against sin".
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
in Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...
, 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...
with both day and boarding
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
pupils. The school was instituted in 1788, with the aim of maintaining the daughters of indigent Freemasons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
, unable through death, illness, or incapacitation to support their families. Today, the school accepts the children of both masons and non-masons.
It began in 1789 with fifteen pupils and a Matron in Somers Place, East London. During its history, the school has moved premises three times, twice within London and finally in 1934 to Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...
in Hertfordshire, where it still is today.
Currently the school still sits there at Rickmansworth Park. It is a day school for girls 4-18, a boarding school for girls 7-18 and a new nursury opened in 2009 for boys and girls aged 2-4. The school sits on its 316 acre site
In the beginning
In 1788, Bartholomew RuspiniBartholomew Ruspini
Bartholomew Ruspini was an Italian-born British surgeon-dentist and philanthropist in the 18th century, remembered for founding the Royal Masonic School for Girls.-Early history:...
and nine fellow Freemasons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
met to discuss plans for establishing a charitable institution for the daughters of Masons who had fallen on hard times or whose death had meant hardship for their families.
On 14 May 1788, a committee met at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street to thrash out the details of the proposed institution. An advertisement for the position of Matron was put in the papers, and the committee set about finding a suitable premises from which their charity could operate. The house at Sommers Place East was a suggestion from Dr de Valangin, and was taken in October at rent of £35 per annum to house 15 children. The property has since disappeared but was between the present day Euston
Euston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
and St Pancras
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
stations, approximately where the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
is today.
The original advertisement for the Matron read as follows:
Twenty replies were received, of which five were shortlisted. The decision was arrived at by means of ballot, and Mrs Ann Le Clerc was duly elected. She is referred to in the minutes of the meeting as a governess, and her address is given as 11 Wells Street, Marylebone. The term "Mrs" was used for single and married women alike, so it is unknown as to whether she was married or not.
On 5 January 1789, the children met at Ruspini's house and walked in procession to the house. The ceremonial procession was reported in the Morning Post (later to become absorbed by the Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
) and the Daily Advertiser on Saturday 10 January. The names of the children were listed with their birth and baptismal records.
- Harriet Ann Vinet—17/04/1782
- Sarah Jane Sitgraves—23/01/1780
- Ann Kane—27/11/1780
- Margaret Burgess—08/08/1781
- Catherine Charlotte Baes—12/07/1783
- Sophia Riches—14/04/1780
- Mary Ann Ruscoe—16/07/1780
- Mary Ann Fiske—16/10/1782
- Frances Sansum—25/12/1780
- Sheila Proctor—20/01/1779
- Mary Ann Wolveridge—05/11/1779
- Charlotte Richardson—01/04/1781
- Sophia Kewney—29/01/1780
- Ann Martin—17/07/1781
- Elizabeth Lowe—21/08/1782
Of the fifteen, Charlotte Richardson was removed from the school by her parents within a couple of months. She was replaced by Charlotte Hatton. Also, Mary Bagley had petitioned for a place at the school but had been rejected, having been found to be too old. The governors, however, decided to keep her on as an assistant servant, getting maintenance, clothing, and her education in return.
Although called a school, the institution was not what we might call a school until the mid-nineteenth century. In its early stages, it was more of an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
, although many of the girls had at least one parent living. At the end of their school life, girls were either returned to their family or supporters (known as Friends) or apprenticed and supported until they could establish themselves.
The children could be from any part of the United Kingdom and had to be between the ages of six and nine. They had to be the daughters of freemasons and were required to be in good health, having already had smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
or cowpox
Cowpox
Cowpox is a skin disease caused by a virus known as the Cowpox virus. The pox is related to the vaccinia virus and got its name from the distribution of the disease when dairymaids touched the udders of infected cows. The ailment manifests itself in the form of red blisters and is transmitted by...
and "be free from infirmity of deformity." It is known, however, that Frances Sansum from the first fifteen had only one leg.
St George's Fields
Although Ruspini and his fellow freemasons had intended the school to be a permanent establishment, even they had no idea how successful it would be. The house originally intended for 15 girls, a matron and a maid soon became too small with the addition of 5 new pupils at the end of the first year and a further five after that. By 1790 discussion of finding a bigger site had begun. It was decided that a new building would be built.The place for the new school was St George's Fields
St George's Fields
St George's Fields was an area of Southwark in South London, England.Originally the area was an undifferentiated part of the south-side of the Thames, which was low lying marshland unsuitable for even agricultural purposes. As such it was part of the extensive holdings of the king, it is difficult...
, that is today 28 Westminster Bridge Road.
Clapham J
St John's Hill, Battersea Rise was the school's third location, although there seems to have been some confusion as to whether the school was in BatterseaBattersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
, Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
, Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
, or Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
when its address was written down. The girls, however, referred to it as Clapham J. In 1853, when the site was purchased, it was because of its wide open aspect and country air, qualities that would later be lost. The school, however, was still expanding; and in 1918, the junior girls moved to a new junior school in Weybridge
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
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...
.
Rickmansworth Park
By June 1926, the school was again ready to move, to a site in Rickmansworth standing in 204 acre (0.82555944 km²) of land with a mansion (although reports suggest this was in a state of disrepair.) To ensure that the site would be suitable for many years to come, a lot of thought was put into the design of the new school buildings, and the following recommendations were made:- the buildings should be appropriate for 400 girls
- the boarding houses should house 50 girls, with each dormitory sleeping 16
- classrooms should be suitable for classes of 30
- there could be a central dining room capable of seating all 400 at one time
- that a gymnasium, swimming bath, and chapel were required
John Leopold Denman
John Leopold Denman
John Leopold Denman was an architect from the English seaside resort of Brighton, now part of the city of Brighton and Hove. He had a prolific career in the area during the 20th century, both on his own and as part of the Denman & Son firm in partnership with his son John Bluet Denman. ...
, an architect from Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, won the commission to design the school.
The Weybridge Girls
Originally, RMS Rickmansworth was just for the senior girls (aged 12 and above); but in 1973, it was decided that RMS Weybridge, where the junior school was, would move to join their older sisters, forming the combined site that it is today.Food and Clothing
We understand far more about nutrition now than was understood when the school began. A diet table was drawn up for the girls that was partly transcribed from other charities and partly based on the observations of Mr Boys, a governor and surgeon. The diet allowed a ration of 2 pounds of meat per child per week. Below shows the menu for breakfast, dinner, and supper.Sunday—Rice milk; Roast beef, vegetables, bread, and beer; Bread, butter, and beer
Monday—Water Gruel; Suet
Suet
Suet is raw beef or mutton fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys.Suet has a melting point of between 45° and 50°C and congelation between 37° and 40°C....
pudding and beer; Bread, cheese, and beer
Tuesday—Milk Porridge; Boiled mutton, vegetables, bread, and beer; Broth and bread and beer
Wednesday—Rice Milk; Suet puddings, potatoes, bread, and beer; Bread, butter, and beer
Thursday—Water Gruel; Boiled beef, vegetables, bread, and beer; Broth and bread
Friday—Milk Porridge; Rice puddings and beer; Bread, cheese, and beer
Saturday—Rice and milk; Boiled beef, vegetables, bread, and beer; Broth and bread
Drinking water at the time did not exist, and beer was the standard for adults and children alike; although, generally speaking, children had their ale watered down. In December 1846, however, after persistent requests from the matron, the children were given tea or coffee with bread and butter for their supper as opposed to cheese and beer, even though tea and coffee were luxuries unheard of in a school.
WWI
Unlike the Second World War, much of what went on was away from home and life at the school continued pretty much as normal. Two exceptions include an incident in 1917 where the school was damaged by anti-aircraft fire, and 1919 when the girls gave up their prizes on prize day so that the money could be given to charity.WWII
In order to protect the girls from the expected aerial bombardment, an air raid shelter had been dug out. This was behind the boarding house formerly known as Ruspini and now known as Alexandra. The shelter was commonly referred to as the trenches and consisted of underground tunnels that zig-zagged with a room at intervals for boiling a kettle or dispensing medicines. The tunnels were lined with benches 13 inches (330.2 mm) wide and each girl was allocated a place she must find in a raid. They were all kept together in houses, and each section was given a name such as Ruspini Row, Atholl Square, Cumberland Place, and Moira Mansions. The girls themselves wanted to play their part and formed their own land army, tending the kitchen gardens at the school to provide fruit and vegetables and helping out with domestic duties. They also adopted 3 ships, but most notably the Ocean Courier. The girls knitted socks, gloves, and other items which were sent to the ship at Christmas. In return, Captain Crastion, the ship's captain, sent the school 36 pounds of toffee. The captain visited the school, and he and his ship also took part in the action on D-DayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, carrying men and munitions.
Headmasters & Mistresses
- Sarah Louisa Davis—Head Governess—1861–1896
- Emily Redgrave—Head Governess—1896–????
- Elizabeth Hutchinson—Head Governess
- Florence Mason—matron and headmistress of the junior school—1915–1935
- Bertha Dean—1915–1938
- Mary Calway—1938–1940
- Audrey E Fryer—1941–1959
- Una Jessie Campbell—1959–1972
- Miss Thompson—1972–1980
- David Curtis—1980–1991
- Irene Andrews—1991–2001
- Diana Rose—2001–present
Film and TV
The school has been used as a filming location on a number of occasions for films and television, including Raiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
, Supergirl
Supergirl (film)
Supergirl is a 1984 superhero film directed by Jeannot Szwarc, and stars Helen Slater in her first motion picture role in the title role of the DC Comics superheroine Supergirl. Faye Dunaway played the primary villain, Selena. The film was a spin-off from the Salkinds' Superman film series which...
, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry...
. Others include the children's TV series The Demon Headmaster
The Demon Headmaster (TV series)
The Demon Headmaster is a British television series based on the children's books by Gillian Cross of the same name. Made for CBBC, the drama was first broadcast between 1996 and 1998...
, Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse (TV series)
Inspector Morse is a detective drama based on Colin Dexter's series of Chief Inspector Morse novels. The series starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Dexter makes a cameo appearance in all but three of the episodes....
, and EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. It was recently the venue for 'Skate Camp' on CBBC show, Skate Nation
Skate Nation
Skate Nation is a British children's television programme presented by Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes broadcast by CBBC on BBC Two in 2009. It was an eleven-part series in which fourteen teams of roller skaters competed for a trip to the World Games in Taiwan...
and on the Kevin Bishop show for British High School Musical
The School Badge
At each side of the design are two pillars. In the centre is a five-pointed star. At the bottom of the new badge, and centre of the old badge is the “smooth AshlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
”. At the top of the old badge are the letters R.M.I.G standing for Royal Masonic Institution for girls. On the new badge is the school motto, Circumornatae ut similitudo templi, which is the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
version of a phrase from Psalm 144:12: “That our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.”
School Drill
The school drill is akin to something expected on an army parade ground. Some of it originates in Swedish Drill, and some is based on calisthenics. When exercising began to be incorporated into girls' education there were no trained women P.E. teachers, so drilling was under the guidance of an Army drill instructor. The marching, counter marching and arm stretches were considered the only exercise suitable for a young lady.Described originally as callisthenics, exercises and marching no one is entirely sure when school drill began. In an extract from the school magazine Machio in 1962, school drill is purported to be a hundred years old. There is a reference to it is an account of prize day 1876 although it is not referred to as drill.
It was performed to music on a piano, later 2 grand pianos and consisted of 180 girls ( the number of degrees in a semicircle). In 1980 the music was recorded and the spoken commands gave way to a whistle. The girls learn their positions (based on their height, and thus changing from year to year and needing to be re-learned) and move in time to the music from one point to the next. The end of the performance is marked by the girls producing the Masonic emblem of set square and compass, and the point, the smallest child in the performance marching forward alone to complete the symbol.
Duo and Trio
Duo and Trio are a tradition upheld at prize day. 6 pianos in a row are played by either 2 (duo) or 3 (trio) girls simultaneously.Ashlar
The Ashlar is the silver badge that all RMS girls strive to achieve by the end of Year 11. The award of the Ashlar shows that a girl has been recognised for her contribution to school life, her sense of personal responsibility and her responsibility to others.The school motto comes from Psalm 144, “That our daughters may be as the polished cornerstones of the Temple.”
Interesting facts
The Royal Masonic School For Girls occupies a site of 315 acres (1.3 km²), 176 acre (0.71224736 km²) of which was once Rickmansworth Deer Park.It is a haven to a wide variety of flora and fauna, almost an island of tranquillity within the M25
There are two Dells, over 40’ deep, in which the herd of fallow deer, that were on the estate when it was a Deer Park, used to be wintered. The Dells were originally dug for the limestone that was used as road bottoming.
Curriculum
The school follows the UK national curriculum with students taking their GCSE'S at age 16 and A-Levels at 18. Subjects taught include:- Mathematics
- English Language
- English Literature
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- History
- Geography
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Latin
- Classics
- Art
- Textiles
- Technology
- Home Economics
- Drama
- Performance Studies
- I.T.
- P.S.E (Personal and Social Education)
- P.E
- Religious Studies
- Music
- Applied Business
- Government and Politics
- Health and Social
- Psychology
- Mandarin
and various areas of sport such as;
- Hockey
- Netball
- Rounders
- Tennis
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Fitness
- Sports leadership
- Athletics
Some of these sports will be played in the winter whilst others are played in the summer.
Extracurricular activities
- The Duke of Edinburgh's AwardThe Duke of Edinburgh's AwardThe Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
- Girl GuidesGirlguiding UKGirlguiding UK is the national Guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. Guiding began in the UK in 1910 after Robert Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to start a group especially for girls that would be run along similar lines to Scouting for Boys. The Guide Association was a founder member of...
- Young EnterpriseYoung EnterpriseYoung Enterprise is a not-for-profit business and enterprise education charity in the United Kingdom. It is made up of 12 regional organisations, each operating individually under a license agreement...
- Orchestra - Sinfonia and String Orchestra.
- Speech and Drama
- Dancing
- Music (individual lessons are also available)
- Fencing
- Debating
- Squash
- Trampolining
- Badminton
- Hockey
- Swimming
- Science Forum
- Gymnastics
- History Film Club
- History Society
- Public Speaking
- Rugby (Tag And Full Contact)
- Maths Clinic
- Science Clinic
- Street Dance
- Chapel Choir
- Creative Writing
- Netball
- Drill
- Film Society
- Theatre Club
- Forum
- Constante Productions
- Critical Thinking
- Kickboxing Club
- Book Club
- Art Club
- Biology Clinic
- Senior Choir
- Aqua Group
- Manga Club
- RMS Voices
- RMS 7
- Bridge Club
- Japanese Club
Religion
Although girls of any religion are invited to attend, the school is based upon the Church of England and girls attend chapel assemblies once a week in the afternoon. A Chapel service is also held on Sundays for the boarders.The Old Girls Prayer
Bless oh Lord we pray thee, all who having here been trained in thy faith and fear, have now gone forth to do their duty in the world. Grant them thy grace that may remember the lessons that they have here been taught, and may never fall away from thy service, but bravely fighting against sin, the world and the devil, may continue faithful unto death and so at length receive the crown of life, Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.The words originally read "manfully fighting against sin" but were changed to "bravely fighting against sin".
Notable former pupils
- Amelia WarnerAmelia WarnerAmelia Warner is an English actress and songwriter. As of October 2011, Warner is a signed musician to Island Records and works under the name, 'Slow Moving Millie'.-Early life:...
, actress - Wendy RichardWendy RichardWendy Richard, MBE was an English actress best known for playing Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler in EastEnders...
, actress
External links
- About Freemasonry
- The pentagram as a Masonic symbol
- The Royal Masonic School for Girls
- The Royal Masonic Trust for Boys and Girls
- OMGA
- video A short film about a mother, terrified by her daughters imaginary friends. She seeks help at a Psychiatrist only to unravel the truth of her own life. Filmed at RMS by some students.
- Extracts from Barbara Kelland's Book