St George's School, Edinburgh

St George's School

Motto	Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye
Established	1888
Type	Independent day and boarding
Headteacher	Alex Hems
Deputy Headteacher	Adrienne Armstrong
Founder	Dame Sarah Mair
Location	Garscube Terrace Edinburgh EH12 6BG Scotland
Students	800
Gender	Girls
Ages	2–18
Colours	Red, Navy, White
Website	www.stge.org.uk

St George's School for Girls is an all-girls independent school situated in the Ravelston district of Edinburgh, Scotland.^[1][2]

Until Session 2012/2013 the School's curriculum was based on the Scottish education system but incorporating aspects of the English education system. For example, GCSE Art was preferred and some A-Levels were available in sixth form. However, after the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence, St George's chose to move entirely to the English system.

History

In 1876, some members of the Edinburgh Association for the University Education of Women began St George’s Hall Classes to provide teaching up to university entrance level, either by attendance in Edinburgh or by correspondence courses. In 1886 they started the first teacher training college in Scotland for women teachers in secondary schools. In 1888, they opened St George’s High School in a converted house in Melville Street in the centre of Edinburgh. It had only fifty pupils. Four years later, Scottish universities finally began admitting women, and some St George’s students were among the first female University of Edinburgh graduates. By 1914, numbers had swelled to over three hundred, so the school was moved to a new, purpose built school on its present site in Ravelston.

Notable Former Pupils

• Kaye Adams, Broadcaster and Journalist
• Katie Targett-Adams, Musician and Recording Artist
• Phyllis Bone, Sculptor and first female member of the Royal Scottish Academy
• Sheila Burnford, Novelist
• Sarah Davidson, Model and Fashion Buyer^[3][4]
• Emily Dudgeon, Athlete^[5]
• Dr Cordelia Fine, Academic Psychologist and Writer^[3][6]
• Dr Ione Fine, Professor in Psychology, University of Washington^[3][7]
• Felicity Hammond, Photographer and Installation Artist^[3][8]
• Sarah McVittie, Entrepreneur^[3][9]
• Candia McWilliam, Award-winning Author
• Penny Macmillan, Journalist and Broadcaster^[3]
• Dr Doreen Miller FRCP FFOM, founder of Miller Health Management and former Chief Medical Officer at Marks & Spencer^[3][10][11]
• Amanda Mitchison, Author^[3][12]
• Annie "Spitfire" Penrose, daughter of Sir Robert McLean, Chairman of Vickers Aviation who suggested her childhood nickname for the Supermarine Spitfire^[3][13]
• Brenda Mark, Artist^[3][14]
• Lady Mary Ogilvie, Principal of St Anne's College, Oxford 1953-1966, and wife of Sir Frederick Wolff Ogilvie.^[15][3]
• Lindsay Paterson, Politician^[3][16]
• Catherine Philp Foreign Correspondent^[3]
• Kathleen Scott, Baroness Kenett, Sculptor.
• Marie Stopes, scientist, author and pioneer in the field of birth control.
• Alice Thompson, Novelist, Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize 1996
• Dr Jennifer Wallace, Director of English Studies, Peterhouse College, Cambridge^[3][17]
• Lois Weatherup, Model and Miss Scotland 2004^[3][18]
• Carol Brown Janeway, translator and editor.^[19]

Houses

There are six houses at St George's with girls first being allocated a house in Junior School. The houses are:

• Argyll
• Strathmore
• Lindsay
• Buccleuch
• Moray
• Douglas

Boarding

The girls from the ages of nine to eighteen live in Houldsworth House on the edge of the school grounds. The girls play an active part within the house, the student Head of Boarding being elected by the boarders themselves. As of January 2013 the school had more than 50 boarders, about 7% of the number of pupils.^[20] In March 2012, St George's School celebrated the centenary of boarding at the school^[21]

See also

• Margaret Houldsworth
• Sarah Mair
• Marie Stopes

References

External links

• Official website
• Profile on the ISC website
• Profile on MyDaughter

Coordinates: 55°57′00″N 3°14′00″W / 55.95000°N 3.23333°W / 55.95000; -3.23333