Sarah Woodhead facts for kids

Sarah Woodhead (born in 1851, died in 1908) was an amazing pioneer! She was the very first woman to take and pass a tough university exam called the Tripos. Even more impressively, she was the first woman to pass the super challenging Mathematical Tripos exam in 1873. This was a huge step forward for women wanting to study at university.

Early Life and Education

Sarah Woodhead's family were part of the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. Because of this, she was able to go to Ackworth School. This Quaker school was special because it welcomed both girls and boys, which was not common back then.

Later, Sarah went to Girton College. This was a groundbreaking place, as it was the first college for women at either Oxford or Cambridge University. When Sarah first joined, the main college building wasn't finished yet. So, she attended classes set up by Girton's founder, Emily Davies, in a place called Benslow House in Hitchin.

Breaking Barriers in Maths

In 1873, Sarah Woodhead took the exact same Mathematical Tripos exam as the male students. This was a very difficult university test for maths. She had already done brilliantly in the first part of the exam. After passing, her results showed she was as good as a "Senior Optime" in mathematics. This was a very high achievement!

That year, Sarah was one of only three women to complete a Tripos exam at Girton College. She was the only one of the three to do it in mathematics. These three women were called "honorary" graduates. This meant they passed the exams but, sadly, couldn't get an actual university degree just because they were women. They became known as "Woodhead, Cook, and Lumsden, the Girton Pioneers." They truly paved the way for future generations of women.

Later Life and Career

After her studies, Sarah Woodhead married an architect named Christopher Corbett. She then started her own school in Bolton. Later, she became the second headmistress of Bolton School, which was known then as Bolton High School for Girls.

When her husband moved their family back to Manchester for his family business, Sarah found new work. She became an inspector of schools, helping to make sure other schools were doing well.

Sarah became a widow in her fifties. She then moved to Harrogate. She passed away there in July 1908, at the age of 57.