Wimbledon High School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wimbledon High School |
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| Address | |
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Mansel Road
London
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SW19 4AB
England
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| Coordinates | 51°25′21″N 0°12′39″W / 51.4226°N 0.2107°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private day school |
| Mottoes | Ex Humilibus Excelsa ("From humble beginnings, greatness") Stepping in, Striding out |
| Established | in 1880, 144 years ago (in 2024) |
| Local authority | Merton |
| Department for Education URN | 102692 Tables |
| Headmistress | Fionnuala Kennedy |
| Gender | Girls |
| Age | 4 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 1000~ |
| Houses | 4 |
| Colour(s) | Green |
| Alumnae | Wimbledonians |
| Website | http://www.wimbledonhigh.gdst.net/ |
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Wimbledon High School is a private school just for girls in Wimbledon, South West London. It is part of the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) and also a member of the Girls' Schools Association.
Contents
Discovering Wimbledon High School's History
Wimbledon High School was started by the Girls' Public Day School Trust. It opened on November 9, 1880, with only 12 students. Miss Edith Hastings, who was just 29, became the first Headmistress. Over the next ten years, the school grew to more than 200 girls.
The very first lesson taught at the school was about an apple. Because of this, the apple became the school's special symbol. Every year in November, on the school's birthday, students and staff eat apple-green cupcakes to remember this fun fact.
Challenges During Wartime
Ethel Gavin became the headmistress in 1908. During World War I, the school faced a tough time. The headmistress was held in Germany for several weeks. Older students and teachers helped with the war effort. They even made special masks for soldiers.
In 1917, a fire badly damaged the main school building. Headmistress Ethel Gavin helped organize the repairs. Sadly, she passed away in early 1918. The girls moved to a temporary place to continue their studies.
A new school building officially opened in October 1920. It had a gymnasium and two new science labs. Since then, many more modern facilities have been added.
School Sports Grounds
The school's current sports fields are at Nursery Road. Until 1922, these fields were the original home of the All England Club. This is where the famous Wimbledon Tennis Championship used to be held. The school bought these playing fields after a successful fundraising effort. Parents and former students helped raise £6000 to make it possible.
The school was also greatly affected by Second World War. Fewer students attended as London was bombed during the Battle of Britain. After the war, the school became a "direct grant" school. This meant it received money from the government. When this system ended in the 1970s, the school chose to become a private school.
Modern School Buildings
A new building for the junior school opened in 2000. More new buildings were added later. These include a design and technology center and new science labs. The Rutherford Centre for the Performing Arts was also built. It is named after the famous actress Margaret Rutherford, who used to be a student at the school.
In 2022, a big building project called "Project Ex-Humilibus" was finished. This name comes from the school's motto. The project added many new areas, including:
- A special tower for STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).
- A Sixth form center with special spaces for older students (Year 12 and 13).
- New dining halls.
- A brand new assembly hall.
- A "Playground in the Sky" for junior girls. This is a safe play area on the roof of the Assembly Hall.
Academic Achievements
Wimbledon High School is known for its strong academics. Students usually get excellent results in their A-level and GCSE exams. The school is often listed very high in school rankings.
The school has won and been nominated for several Times Educational Supplement (TES) awards. These awards are sometimes called the "Oscars of Education." Wimbledon High School has been recognized for its use of technology, being an inclusive school, and as a top senior school.
Recent Exam Results
In 2024, half of all A-level grades were A*s. Also, 31% of students achieved three A* grades or more. These were the best A-level results ever for a group of students at Wimbledon High.
For GCSE results in 2024, 52.5% of grades were a 9. Nearly 80% of grades were either a 9 or an 8. About 44% of students earned all 9s and 8s across 23 different subjects.
Sports and Athletics
Wimbledon High School has a long history with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. This club organizes the Wimbledon Tennis Championship. The school's sports grounds were once the original home of the Wimbledon Championship. They even hosted the tennis matches for the 1908 London Olympics. Every year, many Wimbledon High School students are chosen to be ballgirls at the Championship.
Tennis Success
In 2023, student Hannah Klugman made history. At just 15 years old, she became the youngest player ever to qualify for a W100 tennis event.
Rowing Achievements
Rowing is a very popular sport at Wimbledon High School. The school's Boat Club (WHSBC) was started by Gillan Lindsay. She is a British world champion and Olympic silver medalist in rowing. The club has won many trophies and achieved high rankings. This includes winning the National Schools' Regatta and qualifying for the famous Henley Royal Regatta.
School Leaders
Here is a list of the Headmistresses who have led Wimbledon High School:
- Miss Edith Hastings (1880–1908)
- Miss Ethel Gavin (1908–1918)
- Miss Mabel Lewis (1918–1939)
- Miss Kathleen Littlewood (1940–1949)
- Miss Marguerite Burke (1949–1962)
- Mrs Anne Piper (1962–1982)
- Mrs Rosemary Smith (1982–1992)
- Mrs Elizabeth Baker (1992–1995)
- Dr Jill Clough (1995–2000)
- Mrs Pamela Wilkes (2001–2008)
- Mrs Heather Hanbury (2008–2014)
- Mrs Jane Lunnon (2014–2020)
- Ms Fionnuala Kennedy (2020–present)
Associated People
Famous Former Students
Many notable people have attended Wimbledon High School, including:
- Katharine Stewart-Murray, Duchess of Atholl (1874–1960)
- Sylvia Payne (1880–1976) – a psychoanalyst
- Audrey Blackman – a sculptor
- Dame Margaret Rutherford (1892–1972) – a famous actress
- Judith Ledeboer (1901–1990) – an architect
- Dame Mary Smieton (1902-2005) – a civil servant
- Sheila May Edmonds (1916–2002) – a mathematician and lecturer
- Jean Aitchison (born 1938) – a professor of language
- Professor Dame Louise Johnson (1940–2012) – a biochemist
- Ilora Finlay, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (born 1949)
- Bridget Rosewell OBE (born 1951) – an economist
- Sara Nathan OBE (born 1956) – a broadcast journalist
- Sasha Wass KC (born 1958) – a barrister
- Michelle Paver (born 1960) – a novelist
- Rosie Millard (born 1965) – a journalist and broadcaster
- Samira Ahmed (born 1968) – a news presenter
- Lara Croft (born 1968) – a fictional video game character from Tomb Raider
- Afua Hirsch (born 1981) – a writer and broadcaster
- Lizzy Pattinson (born 1983) – a singer
- Amara Karan (born 1984) – an actress (from St Trinians)
- Georgina Sherrington (born 1985) – an actress (from The Worst Witch)
- Monica Allanach (died 2013) – an actuary
- Rachel Wang – a British filmmaker
Notable Former Teachers
Some well-known teachers have also worked at Wimbledon High School:
- Nellie Dale – She created her own reading program that helped students learn to read.
- Ethel Gavin – She was the headmistress during World War I.
- Ada Wallas – This socialist writer taught at the school for a short time.
