St Albans High School for Girls
Encyclopedia
St Albans High School is a private (independent) Church of England
girls' day school
founded in 1889 for girls aged 4 to 18, located in the city of St Albans
, Hertfordshire
with a primary school in the nearby village of Wheathampstead. It provides girls with good quality educational provision in all sections of the school. The school states that, “We aim to give each girl the stimulus to develop her academic abilities to the full and to engage in a wide range of interests…to encourage the formation of personal values and responsibilities.…
, the school's aims are:
pitches and athletics field areas.
For many years the school has joined forces with the nearby St Albans School
(the boys' school) to put on an annual joint choral concert in St Albans Abbey
in the Spring.
The school has strong links the Abbey, and the girls join a Eucharist
service there once a term. There is also a candle-lit Service of Lessons and Carols at Christmas and a Founders' Day service in May each year.
The headmistress until December 2008 was Ms Jacqualyn Pain who previously worked as headmistress at The Henrietta Barnett School
In January 2009, Mrs Bronwen Goulding became Acting Headmistress. In the Trinity (Summer) term 2009, the new Headmistress, Mrs Rosemary Martin, previously the Headmistress of Combe Bank School, Sevenoaks, took over.
in November 2008. The school finished fourth in terms of exam results, but was awarded the top spot overall due to its rapid improvement, its focus on the three Rs and its continued commitment to sports, drama, and the arts.
"As a school promoting a caring Christian ethos, St Albans High School places much importance on the girls’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and is highly successful in achieving this aim. This is an outstanding feature of the school and has improved from the already good standards reported in the inspection of 2000. Parents are highly satisfied with this aspect of the school".
:
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
girls' day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
founded in 1889 for girls aged 4 to 18, located in the city of St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, 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...
with a primary school in the nearby village of Wheathampstead. It provides girls with good quality educational provision in all sections of the school. The school states that, “We aim to give each girl the stimulus to develop her academic abilities to the full and to engage in a wide range of interests…to encourage the formation of personal values and responsibilities.…
Aims
According to the ISIIndependent Schools Inspectorate
The Independent Schools Inspectorate is an organisation responsible for the inspection of independent schools in England which are affiliated to the Independent Schools Council . The Inspectorate is a separate company, owned by the Independent Schools Council and has its work monitored by the...
, the school's aims are:
- to provide within the framework of a ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
community, an academic education for girls which will enable each individual to develop her abilities to the full, a wide range of interests and extra curricular activities, and a sense of personal values; - to make education a challenging and positive experience in which each girl can feel some measure of success and acquire confidence and self-esteem;
- to prepare girls for the challenges of the 21st century and in particular for work in a changing society where the role of women is still being defined.
Overview of the School
The High School is near the city centre of St Albans and as a result has limited space. Nevertheless, there are many facilities: an indoor swimming pool, numerous halls, fitness suite, drama studio, and a music block. Ten minutes away are the school's large playing fields which include eight tennis courts, two lacrosseLacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
pitches and athletics field areas.
For many years the school has joined forces with the nearby St Albans School
St Albans School (Hertfordshire)
St Albans School is an independent school in the city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, in the East of England. Entry before Sixth Form is for boys only, and co-educational thereafter. Founded in 948 by Wulsin , St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest...
(the boys' school) to put on an annual joint choral concert in St Albans Abbey
St Albans Cathedral
St Albans Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral church at St Albans, England. At , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England...
in the Spring.
The school has strong links the Abbey, and the girls join a Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
service there once a term. There is also a candle-lit Service of Lessons and Carols at Christmas and a Founders' Day service in May each year.
The headmistress until December 2008 was Ms Jacqualyn Pain who previously worked as headmistress at The Henrietta Barnett School
Henrietta Barnett School
The Henrietta Barnett School is a voluntary-aided grammar school for girls in Hampstead Garden Suburb in London The Good Schools Guide called the school "One of the best academic state schools in the country, providing a gentle, inspiring education in a wonderful setting for very clever...
In January 2009, Mrs Bronwen Goulding became Acting Headmistress. In the Trinity (Summer) term 2009, the new Headmistress, Mrs Rosemary Martin, previously the Headmistress of Combe Bank School, Sevenoaks, took over.
Academic Strength
Pupils attending St Albans High School for Girls perform extremely well in national tests and public examinations. In the 2006 SATs, all girls at Wheathampstead House reached level 5 (the higher expected level) in English and mathematics, and almost all in science, a very high level of achievement. In the 2007 GCSEs, girls achieved an A* or A grade in 83% of all subjects taken. 53% achieved an A or A* grade in all of their subjects. A Level results were just as promising, with 98% of the girls taking places at their first choice university. Over the same three years in GCSE examinations, pupils’ achievements were far above the average for girls in maintained selective schools. Comparison of A-level results for the same period with girls in maintained selective schools shows that their results in most subjects for which comparative figures are available, were well above average.Independent Preparatory School of the Year
The primary school was named as the Independent Preparatory School of the Year by The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
in November 2008. The school finished fourth in terms of exam results, but was awarded the top spot overall due to its rapid improvement, its focus on the three Rs and its continued commitment to sports, drama, and the arts.
Extra Curricular Activities
According to the Independent Schools Inspectorate, the quality and extent of provision in extra curricular activities is very good throughout the whole school including sport, dramatical, musical, academic, cultural and creative pursuits, organised by teachers and outside personnel.Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development
The school is noted for the importance it places in the development of its pupils unrelated to academia. The Independent Schools Inspectorate gave praise to the school in its most recent inspection, saying:"As a school promoting a caring Christian ethos, St Albans High School places much importance on the girls’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and is highly successful in achieving this aim. This is an outstanding feature of the school and has improved from the already good standards reported in the inspection of 2000. Parents are highly satisfied with this aspect of the school".
House system
At St Albans High School there are 4 housesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
:
- Julian - red. Named after Lady Juliana BernersJuliana BernersJuliana Berners , English writer on heraldry, hawking and hunting, is said to have been prioress of Sopwell nunnery near St Albans...
, a 15th century prioress of Sopwell NunnerySopwell PriorySopwell Priory was built c. 1140 in Hertfordshire, England by the Benedictine abbot of St Albans Abbey, Geoffrey de Gorham...
, famous for her learning - Paris - blue. Named after Matthew ParisMatthew ParisMatthew Paris was a Benedictine monk, English chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts and cartographer, based at St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire...
, a monk of St Albans Abbey in the 13th century and well known for his Chronicle of local events - Mandeville - green. Named after Sir John MandevilleJohn Mandeville"Jehan de Mandeville", translated as "Sir John Mandeville", is the name claimed by the compiler of The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, a book account of his supposed travels, written in Anglo-Norman French, and first circulated between 1357 and 1371.By aid of translations into many other languages...
, associated with a book of travels in the 14th century - Verulam - yellow. Named after Sir Francis BaconFrancis BaconFrancis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
, first Earl of Verulam, philosopher and writer
Notable former pupils
- Stephen HawkingStephen HawkingStephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA is an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity...
was educated at the school between 1950-1953. Then, unlike today, boys were educated at the school until the age of ten. - Dame Anna Neagle