Miss Ironside's School (also called Miss Ironside's Day School and Miss Ironside's School For Girls) was a school at 2

Elvaston Place Elvaston Place is a street in South Kensington, London. Elvaston Place runs west to east from Gloucester Road to Queen's Gate. The High Commission of Gabon, London, is at number 27. The High Commission of Mauritius, London, is at number 32/ ...

, in

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

. The journalist John Walsh, writing in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'', called it "legendary". It was founded in 1920 by Miss Irene Ironside, the aunt of artists Robin and

Christopher Ironside Christopher Ironside Order of the British Empire, OBE, Royal British Society of Sculptors, FRBS (11 July 1913 – 13 July 1992) was a British painter and coin designer, particularly known for the Obverse and reverse, reverse sides of the new Br ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the school was evacuated to Little Ridge House (later renamed Fonthill House) near to the village of

Fonthill Bishop Fonthill Bishop is a small village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, to the north of the Nadder valley and south of Warminster. The Fonthill Park estate extends into the south of the parish. Landscaping which included the creation of F ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

. Ironside had a kindergarten or nursery at the site that was notable for its attendance of the "scions of many of the most illustrious families", including

Nazi collaborator In World War II, many governments, organizations and individuals Collaborationism, collaborated with the Axis powers, "out of conviction, desperation, or under coercion". Nationalists sometimes welcomed German or Italian troops they believed wou ...

John Amery John Amery (14 March 1912 – 19 December 1945) was a British fascist and Nazi collaborator during World War II. He was the originator of the British Free Corps, a volunteer Waffen-SS unit composed of former British and Dominion prisoners of w ...

, whom she described as "unteachable". Notable alumnae included: * Salimah Aga Khan (''née'' Sarah Frances Croker Poole), former fashion model and an ex-wife of the IV Aga Khan Prince Karim Aga Khan *

Jane Birkin Jane Mallory Birkin ( ; 14 December 1946 – 16 July 2023) was a British and French actress, singer, and designer. She had a prolific career as an actress, mostly in French cinema. A native of London, Birkin began her career as an actress, ...

, singer and actor * Sheila and Ellen-Craig Crosland, daughters of Susan Crosland, journalist, and step-daughters of

Tony Crosland Charles Anthony Raven Crosland (29 August 191819 February 1977) was a British Labour Party politician and author. A social democrat on the right wing of the Labour Party, he was a prominent socialist intellectual. His influential book ''The F ...

, Labour Education Minister who started the

comprehensive school A comprehensive school is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is restricted on the basis ...

movement in the UK *

Rose Dugdale Bridget Rose Dugdale (25 March 1941 – 18 March 2024) was an English debutante who rebelled against her wealthy upbringing, becoming a volunteer in the militant Irish republican organisation, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). As an ...

, a militant in the Irish republican organisation and the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) * Jane Fawcett, a World War II codebreaker, singer, and heritage preservationist * Teresa Hayter, writer and activist *

Sarah Hogg, Viscountess Hailsham Sarah Elizabeth Mary Hogg, Viscountess Hailsham, Baroness Hogg (; born 14 May 1946), is a British economist, journalist, and politician. She was the first woman to chair a FTSE 100 company. Early life and education Sarah Elizabeth Mary Boyd-Car ...

(''née'' Boyd-Carpenter), economist, journalist, and politician * Virginia Ironside, journalist, agony aunt and writer, whose great-aunt was headmistress * Tracy Reed, actor *

Jan Struther Jan Struther was the pen name of Joyce Anstruther, later Joyce Maxtone Graham and finally Joyce Placzek (June 6, 1901 – July 20, 1953), an English writer remembered for her character Mrs. Miniver and a number of hymns, such as "Lord of All ...

, writer *

, British fascist and

References

Girls' schools in London Defunct schools in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Ironside family {{London-school-stub