Croydon High School is an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

day school for girls located near

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

, London, England. It is one of the original schools founded by the

Girls' Day School Trust The Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) is a group of 25 independent schools, including two academies, in England and Wales, catering for girls aged 3 to 18. It is the largest group of independent schools in the UK, and educates 20,000 girls each ye ...

History

The school was founded in 1874 in Wellesley Road just north of the centre of Croydon, and the first Headmistress was Dorinda Neligan. The school was evacuated to

Bradden Bradden is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire, England, about west of Towcester. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 census it had a population of 179, falling to 149 at the 2011 census. Th ...

, Northamptonshire during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The present building in Old Farleigh Road,

Selsdon Selsdon is an area in South-East London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon, in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Prior to 1965 it was in the historic county of Surrey. It is located south of Coombe and Addiscombe, west o ...

, South Croydon, Surrey was opened in 1966. It has been an independent girls school aiming to educate young girls since its foundation in 1874.

Houses

Girls entering the school are assigned to one of the four houses.

Weekend programmes

The

Japanese Saturday School of London The is a Nihonjin gakkō, Japanese international school in Acton, London, Acton, London Borough of Ealing. The school is incorporated as . The , a Hoshū jugyō kō, Japanese supplementary school, is a part of the institution. Junko Sakai (酒� ...

, a weekend Japanese programme, uses the Girls' School as its Croydon Campus (クロイドン校舎 ''Kuroidon Kōsha'').

Notable former pupils

* Mary Baines (1932–2020), palliative care physician *Dame

Lilian Braithwaite Dame Florence Lilian Braithwaite, (9 March 1873 – 17 September 1948), known professionally as Lilian Braithwaite, was an English actress, primarily of the stage, although she appeared in both silent and talkie films. Early life She was born ...

DBE (1873–1948), actress (née Florence Lilian Braithwaite) *

Judy Buxton Judith Catherine Buxton (born 7 October 1949) is an English actress best known for playing Nurse Katy Shaw in ''General Hospital'' (1972–1973), Susan Protheroe in ''By the Sword Divided'' (1983–1985) and Ruth Carpenter in '' On the Up'' (199 ...

(b. 1949), actress *

Elsa Gye Elsa Gye (1881–1943) was a music student at Guildhall who became a suffragette and involved in disruptive events in London and Scotland and was imprisoned for the cause of women's suffrage. She married the brother of fellow suffragette Daisy ...

(1881–1943), suffragette organiser with the

Women's Social and Political Union The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was a women-only political movement and leading militant organisation campaigning for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom from 1903 to 1918. Known from 1906 as the suffragettes, its membership and ...

* Catherine Christian (1901–1985), novelist and supporter of the Girl Guide movement *Dame

Jane Drew Dame Jane Drew , (24 March 1911 – 27 July 1996) was an English modernist architect and town planner. She qualified at the Architectural Association School in London, and prior to World War II became one of the leading exponents of the Modern ...

DBE (1911–1996), architect and town planner (née Joyce Beverly Drew) *

Jacqueline du Pré Jacqueline Mary du Pré (26 January 1945 – 19 October 1987) was a British cellist. At a young age, she achieved enduring mainstream popularity. Despite her short career, she is regarded as one of the greatest cellists of all time. Her care ...

OBE (1945–1987), musician, cellist *

Josephine Elder Josephine Elder was the pen name of Olive Gwendoline Potter (5 December 1895 – 24 July 1988), an English writer of children's literature who published ten school stories between 1924 and 1940 as well as numerous short stories for annuals. Sh ...

(1895–1988), children's author (née Olive Gwendoline Potter) *

Clare Gilbert Clare Gilbert is a British ophthalmologist, professor and researcher who focuses on blindness in children. She is based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Education, training and experience Gilbert was born in C ...

, professor and researcher who focuses on blindness in children *

Jessie Gilbert Jessica "Jessie" Laura Cory Gilbert (30 January 1987 – 26 July 2006) was a British chess player. She was women's world amateur champion in 1999. Biography Jessica was the daughter of Angela and Ian Gilbert and was raised in Woldingham, ...

(1987–2006), chess player * Barbara Jones (1912–1978), artist, writer and mural painter *

Yootha Joyce Yootha Joyce Needham (20 August 1927 – 24 August 1980), known as Yootha Joyce, was an English actress best known for playing Mildred Roper opposite Brian Murphy in the sitcom ''Man About the House'' (1973–1976) and its spin-off ''George and M ...

(b. 1927), actress * Elizabeth Laird (b. 1943), children's author *

Kate Evelyn Luard Kate Evelyn Luard, (29 June 1872 – 16 August 1962), was a British nurse in the Second Boer War and First World War who was awarded the Royal Red Cross and Medal bar, Bar. She was the author of two books describing her experiences. Early life L ...

(1872-1962) Decorated 1st World War nurse *

Sandra Howard Sandra Howard, Lady Howard of Lympne (born August 1940) is an English novelist, former model and the wife of Michael Howard, a former leader of the Conservative Party. Life She was trained at the Lucy Clayton Modelling Agency and as Sandra Pau ...

(b. 1940), novelist, former model (under the name Sandra Paul), and wife of

Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005. He previously held cabinet posi ...

Perin Jamsetjee Mistri Perin Jamsetjee Mistri (1913 – 1989) was the first woman to qualify as an architect in India. Early life and family Perin Jamshedji Mistri was born into an illustrious Parsi family of engineers and master builders, originally from Navsari. ...

(1913–1989), Indian architect *

Susanna Reid Susanna Reid (born 10 December 1970) is an English television presenter and journalist. She was a co-presenter of ''BBC Breakfast'' from 2003 until 2014 alongside Bill Turnbull and Charlie Stayt. In 2013, she finished as a runner-up on the elev ...

(b. 1970), '' Good Morning Britain'' presenter *

Anneka Rice Anne Lucinda Hartley Rice (born 4 October 1958), known professionally as Anneka Rice, is a Welsh-born television and radio presenter, broadcaster, journalist and painter. Early life and education Rice was born in Cowbridge, Glamorgan, Wales, ...

(b. 1958), TV presenter (née Anne Rice) *Dame

Marion Roe Dame Marion Audrey Roe DBE (born 15 July 1936 in London) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom, and former MP. Early life and career She went to the independent Bromley High School for Girls in Bickley, then the independe ...

DBE (b. 1936), Conservative politician *

Wendy Savage Wendy Diane Savage (born 12 April 1935 in Surrey) is a British gynaecologist, and advocate and campaigner of women's rights in childbirth and fertility. Professor Savage read medicine at Girton College, Cambridge. She qualified in 1960, and was ...

(b. 1935), obstetrician and gynaecologist * Henderina Klaassen Scott (1862–1929), pioneer of time lapse photography in botany *

Beatrice Seear, Baroness Seear Beatrice Nancy Seear, Baroness Seear (7 August 1913 – 23 April 1997) was a British social scientist and politician. She was leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Lords from 1984 to 1988, and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the ...

(1913–1997), known as Nancy Seear, social scientist and politician *

Joanna Shapland Joanna Mary Shapland (born 17 February 1950) is a British criminologist, forensic psychologist, and academic, specialising in restorative justice and victimology. Since 2013, she has been Edward Bramley Professor of Criminal Justice at the Univ ...

(b. 1950), criminologist, forensic psychologist, and academic *

Jill Tweedie Jill Sheila Tweedie (22 May 1936 – 12 November 1993) was a British feminist, writer and broadcaster. She was educated at the independent Croydon High School in Croydon, South London. She wrote a column in ''The Guardian'' on feminist issues (19 ...

(1936–1993), novelist and journalist *

Charlotte Deane Charlotte Mary Deane (born 1975) is an English Professor of Structural Bioinformatics and the former Head of the Department of Statistics at the University of Oxford. Early life and education Charlotte Deane was born in May 1975. She comple ...

(b. 1975), bioinformatician and Head of the Department of Statistics at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

* Gabrielle Bertin, Baroness Bertin (b. 1978), Conservative aide and life peer *

Susan Ma Susie Ma is a British-Chinese skincare entrepreneur, philanthropist and Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree. She is known for her appearances on the seventh series of the BBC television series The Apprentice in 2011, where despite coming in third plac ...

(b. 1988), ''

The Apprentice ''The Apprentice'' is a Reality competition, reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States. Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with variou ...

'' contestant and founder of

Tropic Skincare Tropic Skincare is a British online and multi-level marketing company which sells skincare and cosmetic products. The company is based in Sutton, South London, where it designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes its products. The business ...

Susan Wrigglesworth Susan Wrigglesworth (16 September 1954 – 17 March 1996), whose married name was Susan Wojciechowski, was the youngest female foilist in the history of British fencing to compete in the Olympic Games. She attended Croydon High School and, at t ...

(1954-1996), British fencer who competed at the 1972, 1976 and 1980 Summer Olympics

Headmistresses

Past headmistressesList of past headmistresses courtesy of the librarian, Croydon High School GDST *1874–1901 Miss

Dorinda Neligan Dorinda Neligan (9 June 1833 – 17 July 1914) was an Irish born English headmistress and suffragette. Life Neligan was born in Cork in 1833. She was the fifth child of Lieutenant Thomas Neligan. Despite having a soldier as a father she objected ...

(1833–1914)The Women's Suffrage Movement
/ref> *1902–1924 Miss Marion Leahy *1925 (Spring term) Miss Eleanor Roper, acting headmistress *1925–1939 Miss Ella Ransford *1939–1960 Miss Margaret F. Adams *1960–1974 Miss Elsa Cameron *1974–1979 Miss Agnes McMaster *1979–1990 Miss Agnes Mark *1990–1997 Mrs Pauline Davies *1998–2007 Miss Lorna M. Ogilvie *2007–2010 Mrs Zelma Braganza *2010–2016 Mrs Debbie Leonard *2016–2022 Mrs Emma Pattison *2022-Present Ms Annabel Davies

References

External links

School WebsiteCroydon High Sports ClubProfile
on

GDST The Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) is a group of 25 independent schools, including two academies, in England and Wales, catering for girls aged 3 to 18. It is the largest group of independent schools in the UK, and educates 20,000 girls each yea ...

website
Profile
on

ISC #REDIRECT ISC {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous page ...

website *

ISI ISI or Isi may refer to: Organizations * Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a classical conservative organization focusing on college students * Ice Skating Institute, a trade association for ice rinks * Indian Standards Institute, former name of ...

Inspectio
Reports
{{authority control Independent schools in the London Borough of Croydon Independent girls' schools in London Educational institutions established in 1874 Schools of the Girls' Day School Trust Member schools of the Girls' Schools Association 1874 establishments in England