Harrogate Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school located in the town of

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa w ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Founded as a girls' senior school in 1893, the college includes Highfield Prep School and educates girls from ages 2 to 18 and boys up to age 11. It is a member of the

Girls' Schools Association The Girls' Schools Association (GSA) is a professional association of the heads of independent girls' schools. It is a constituent member of the Independent Schools Council. History The GSA can trace its history back to the Association of Headm ...

and Allied Schools.

History

In the 1880s, the original Harrogate College was a boys' school. The need for a girls' school in the area soon became obvious and opened in 1893. Over the years, the newly opened girls' school flourished while the boys' school was eventually closed. In 1904, the girls' school moved into the present accommodation located across the street from St Wilfrid's Church. From 1939 to 1945, the school was evacuated to Swinton Park, and after the

Second World War 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 opposi ...

moved back. Additional extensions that housed a library, a science block and a gymnasium were built later in the 1950s. Later, more buildings were constructed (a sports hall in the 1980s, an art room, and the Highfield Prep School). Gradually, houses on each side of Clarence Drive were acquired and were used as boarding houses. The pre-prep department, known as Bankfield, was opened in 1997, whilst the junior school, Highfield, opened in 1999. Currently, the grounds, playing field, tennis courts, houses and gardens occupy about of the Duchy Estate. The college now consists of three divisions: Highfield Pre-School (boys and girls aged 2–4), Highfield Prep (boys and girls aged 4–11) and the main school (day and boarding girls aged 11–18).

Pastoral Care

As a Christian school, pupils are encouraged to attend chapel services but welcomes pupils of "all faiths or none". The school has links with the local parish church St Wilfrid's Church. A school chaplain oversees pastoral care and spiritual aspects of the school curriculum. The College has its own health and wellness centre.

House System

Upon entry, pupils are placed into one of the four houses. Over the school year, the houses will compete in inter-house competitions.

Highfield

The junior school houses are named after four of the

Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of the Pennines in the historic county of Yorkshire, England, most of it in the Yorkshire Dales National Park created in 1954. The Dales comprise river valleys and the hills rising from the Vale of York w ...

. *

Nidderdale Nidderdale, historically also known as Netherdale, is one of the Yorkshire Dales (although outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park) in North Yorkshire, England. It is the upper valley of the River Nidd, which flows south underground and then ...

Wharfedale Wharfedale ( ) is the valley of the upper parts of the River Wharfe and one of the Yorkshire Dales. It is situated within the districts of Craven and Harrogate in North Yorkshire, and the cities of Leeds and Bradford in West Yorkshire. It i ...

Wensleydale Wensleydale is the dale or upper valley of the River Ure on the east side of the Pennines, one of the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It is one of only a few Yorkshire Dales not currently named after its principal river, but th ...

Swaledale Swaledale is one of the northernmost dales (valleys) in Yorkshire Dales National Park, located in northern England. It is the dale of the River Swale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire. Geographical overview Swaledale runs ...

Senior School

The senior school houses are separate from boarding houses. They are named after prominent British female figures in history. * Austen *

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

Nightingale The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (''Luscinia megarhynchos''), is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is no ...

* Pankhurst

Boarding

The school has a long boarding tradition and over half of senior school pupils are boarders. Full or flexible boarding is available to girls aged 10 and above. There are five boarding houses: Armaclare, Clarence, Lancaster, Lincoln, or Tower. The first four are situated in the heart of the campus. Tower House, which is similar to a university hall of residence and houses Upper Sixth girls, is located further away from the main school. Each house is overseen by a housemistress and full-time residential staff who look after boarders during after-school hours. The head of boarding is Laura Brookes.

Notable former pupils

* Anne McIntosh, politician *

Claire King Jayne Claire King (born Jayne Claire Seed; 10 January 1962) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Kim Tate in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' and Karen Betts in '' Bad Girls''. She has appeared in the fourth series of ''Stric ...

, actress * Elspeth Candlish Henderson, WAAF * Genevieve Barr, actress * Jane Carr (Rita Brunstrom), actress *

Joolz Denby Joolz Denby (born Julianne Mumford 9 April 1955, previously known simply as Joolz) is a poet, novelist, artist and tattooist based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Early life Born to an Army family at Colchester Barracks in Essex, Engla ...

, poet, novelist, artist and tattooist *

Sheila Burnford Sheila Philip Cochrane Burnford née Every (11 May 1918 – 20 April 1984) was a Scottish writer. She is best known for her novel The Incredible Journey about two dogs and a cat traveling through the Canadian wilderness. Life and work Born in ...

, author *

Ella Pontefract Ella Pontefract (1896 – 23 February 1945) was the writer of six books on the social history of the Yorkshire Dales related to disappearing rural traditions. Pontefract and her partner Marie Hartley developed a rigorous transcription method f ...

, writer

References

External links

Harrogate Ladies' CollegeYorkshirenet
* ISI Inspectio
ReportProfile
on

MyDaughter MyDaughter was a British website set up by the Girls' Schools Association (GSA) offering advice to parents of daughters on all aspects of raising and educating girls. Advice was provided by headteachers from the member schools of the Girls' Scho ...

{{Authority control Educational institutions established in 1893 Girls' schools in North Yorkshire Schools in Harrogate Independent schools in North Yorkshire Member schools of the Girls' Schools Association 1893 establishments in England Boarding schools in North Yorkshire *