Streatham and Clapham High School
Encyclopedia
Streatham and Clapham High School is a successful independent day school for girls aged 3 to 18, situated in Streatham Hill
, south London
. The school was founded in 1887 by the Girls' Public Day School Company
, which aimed to establish schools for girls of all classes by providing a high standard of academic, moral and religious education.
The Head Master from January 2012 is Dr Millan Sachania
, a music scholar and late Bachelor Scholar of Christ's College, Cambridge
, where he attained Double First Class Honours. The Acting Head Master during the Autumn Term of 2011 is Mr Richard Hinton (Deputy Head Master). The Head of the School is in membership of the Girls' Schools Association
.
The ability profile of the school is above the national average, with a proportion of pupils being far above the national average. The 2010 Independent Schools Inspectorate report noted that 'the outstanding personal development of pupils of all ages demonstrates that the school meets its aim of developing girls who are happy, confident and inspired to meet the challenges of life and work'.
The school is located on two sites, the Junior School in a Victorian building in Wavertree Road, London SW2, and the Senior School (including the Sixth Form) in buildings designed in the 1930s by J. E. K. Harrison, FRIBA, on Abbotswood Road, London SW16.
in 1895, and the school was soon renamed Streatham Hill High School. The school's academic reputation and pupil roll grew strongly, and in 1938 Streatham Hill merged with Clapham High School, and was renamed 'Streatham Hill and Clapham High School'.
The Second World War created many challenges. Some girls were evacuated from London, while others continued their schooling in often difficult conditions. Misfortune struck during the school holidays on July 27 1944, when a V-1 bomb
damaged the school badly; and though parts of the building were still usable, the operation of the school had to be split between four separate sites. It was not until 1949 that the contract for rebuilding was finally signed, and then followed three years of demolition and reconstruction.
On 22 October 1952, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
, as Patroness of the the Girls' Public Day School Trust
, opened the new Wavertree Road building. The further expansion of the school led to the GPDST's purchase in 1993 of a new site (for the Senior School) at Abbotswood Road, the former buildings of the Battersea Grammar School
, purchased from London South Bank University
.
Since then the Abbotswood Road site has been expanded with the Millennium Building, comprising a new Sixth-Form Centre, Art Suite, Music Suite and a Recital Hall, and a bespoke Sports Hall. The Junior School, at Wavertree Road, comprises spacious accommodation and has recently been refurbished.
inspected Streatham & Clapham High School in October and November 2010, and the key findings of its report are:
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, south 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...
. The school was founded in 1887 by the Girls' Public Day School Company
Girls' Day School Trust
The Girls' Day School Trust is a group of 26 independent schools - 24 schools and two Academies - in England and Wales, catering for pupils aged 3 to 18. It is the largest group of independent schools in the UK, and educates 20,000 girls each year...
, which aimed to establish schools for girls of all classes by providing a high standard of academic, moral and religious education.
The Head Master from January 2012 is Dr Millan Sachania
Millan Sachania
Millan Sachania is a British music scholar, editor and educator. A graduate and Bachelor Scholar of Christ's College, Cambridge, where he obtained double first-class honours and subsequently a doctorate in musicology, Sachania edited a five-volume collection of Leopold Godowsky’s arrangements and...
, a music scholar and late Bachelor Scholar of Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, where he attained Double First Class Honours. The Acting Head Master during the Autumn Term of 2011 is Mr Richard Hinton (Deputy Head Master). The Head of the School is in membership of the Girls' Schools Association
Girls' Schools Association
The Girls' Schools Association is the professional association of the heads of independent girls' schools in the UK and overseas and is a constituent member of the Independent Schools Council .-History:...
.
The ability profile of the school is above the national average, with a proportion of pupils being far above the national average. The 2010 Independent Schools Inspectorate report noted that 'the outstanding personal development of pupils of all ages demonstrates that the school meets its aim of developing girls who are happy, confident and inspired to meet the challenges of life and work'.
The school is located on two sites, the Junior School in a Victorian building in Wavertree Road, London SW2, and the Senior School (including the Sixth Form) in buildings designed in the 1930s by J. E. K. Harrison, FRIBA, on Abbotswood Road, London SW16.
History
Under the name of 'Brixton Hill High School', the school began its life in February 1887 in a house at 260 Brixton Hill. Continued expansion led in 1894 to a temporary move to a home in Palace Road to await the completion of the new building in Wavertree Road, Streatham Hill (now the location of the Junior School). The building was opened by H.R.H. Princess Louise, Duchess of ArgyllPrincess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
The Princess Louise was a member of the British Royal Family, the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and her husband, Albert, Prince Consort.Louise's early life was spent moving between the various royal residences in the...
in 1895, and the school was soon renamed Streatham Hill High School. The school's academic reputation and pupil roll grew strongly, and in 1938 Streatham Hill merged with Clapham High School, and was renamed 'Streatham Hill and Clapham High School'.
The Second World War created many challenges. Some girls were evacuated from London, while others continued their schooling in often difficult conditions. Misfortune struck during the school holidays on July 27 1944, when a V-1 bomb
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
damaged the school badly; and though parts of the building were still usable, the operation of the school had to be split between four separate sites. It was not until 1949 that the contract for rebuilding was finally signed, and then followed three years of demolition and reconstruction.
On 22 October 1952, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was a member of the British Royal Family, the wife and then widow of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of George V and Queen Mary.The daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch & Queensberry, Scotland’s largest landowner, her brothers Walter and...
, as Patroness of the the Girls' Public Day School Trust
Girls' Day School Trust
The Girls' Day School Trust is a group of 26 independent schools - 24 schools and two Academies - in England and Wales, catering for pupils aged 3 to 18. It is the largest group of independent schools in the UK, and educates 20,000 girls each year...
, opened the new Wavertree Road building. The further expansion of the school led to the GPDST's purchase in 1993 of a new site (for the Senior School) at Abbotswood Road, the former buildings of the Battersea Grammar School
Battersea Grammar School
Battersea Grammar School was a Voluntary-Controlled Secondary Grammar School in South London. It was established in Battersea by the Sir Walter St John Trust in 1875 and moved to larger premises in Streatham in 1936....
, purchased from London South Bank University
London South Bank University
London South Bank University is a university in south London. With over 25,000 students and 1,700 staff, it is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name...
.
Since then the Abbotswood Road site has been expanded with the Millennium Building, comprising a new Sixth-Form Centre, Art Suite, Music Suite and a Recital Hall, and a bespoke Sports Hall. The Junior School, at Wavertree Road, comprises spacious accommodation and has recently been refurbished.
Curriculum
The school offers a wide range of subjects. Pupils in the first, second and third years of the Senior School (Years 7 to 9) study the core disciplines of English, Mathematics, and Science. Other subjects offered include Art, Classics, Design & Technology, Drama, French, Geography, History, Information and Communications Technology, Italian, Latin, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education, and Spanish. All of these subjects (except Classics) are available at GCSE in the fourth and fifth years (Years 10 and 11).Sixth Form
The Sixth Form is housed in the Millennium Building, which comprises several study areas, a common room, a kitchen area and café. The school offers a range of subjects for study at AS and A Level, including Art and Design, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Latin, Design and Technology, Drama and Theatre Studies, English Literature, Geography, History, French, Italian, Spanish, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology and Religious Studies. Sixth-form students also have the opportunity of taking Open University undergraduate modules to broaden their interests and knowledge.Findings of the ISI Inspection 2010
The Independent Schools InspectorateIndependent 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...
inspected Streatham & Clapham High School in October and November 2010, and the key findings of its report are:
- 'The school is successful in meeting its aim of providing the pupils with high-quality all-round education. From the EYFS [Early Years Foundation Stage] onwards, pupils achieve well, gaining good results in public examinations' (Section 2.1).
- 'The outstanding personal development of pupils of all ages demonstrates that the school meets its aim of developing girls who are happy, confident and inspired to meet the challenges of life and work' (Section 2.2).
- 'A notable feature of the pupils' personal development is the excellent integration between pupils from diverse social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds' (Section 2.2).
- 'The spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of pupils is excellent' (Section 4.1).
- 'From an early age, pupils have highly developed social skills' (Section 4.4).
- 'The quality of the arrangements for [pupil] welfare, health and safety is excellent' (Section 4.5).
- 'One of the school's aims is that girls should be educated in a supportive and compassionate environment and it is very successful in achieving this aim' (Section 4.5).
- 'The quality of links with parents, carers and guardians is excellent' (Section 5.8).
- 'The school provides an outstanding start to the children's education' in the EYFS (Section 6.1).
- The inspectors recommended that the school should establish a system to disseminate the good practice of heads of department in the senior school more widely, ensure that all teaching provides opportunities to challenge the most able, and consider the length of lessons (Section 2.5).
Heads of Streatham & Clapham High School
- Miss Alice Tovey (1887-1898), Headmistress
- Miss Reta Oldham (1898-1923), Headmistress
- Miss Ruth Gwatkin (1923-1938), Headmistress
- Miss Marjorie Jarrett (1938-1947), Headmistress
- Miss Margaret Macaulay (1947-1963), Headmistress
- Miss Agnete Wulff (1963-1973), Headmistress
- Mrs Nancy Silver (1973-1978), Headmistress
- Miss Gillian M. Ellis (1979-2002), Headmistress
- Mrs Sue Mitchell (2002-2011), Headmistress
- Mr Richard Hinton (2011), Acting Head Master
- Dr Millan Sachania (from January 2012), Head Master