Sherborne Girls, formally known as Sherborne School for Girls, is an independent day and

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

for girls, located in

Sherborne Sherborne is a market town and civil parish in north west Dorset, in South West England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The parish includes the hamlets of Nether Coombe and Lower Clatcombe. T ...

, North

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

, England. There were 485 pupils attending in 2019–2020, with over 90 per cent of them living on campus in the seven boarding houses. Recognition for Sherborne Girls has included a double "excellent" rating in its Independent Schools Inspectorate Report and the title of Best Public School of The Year at the Tatler Schools Awards 2017/2018.

Curriculum

The school, founded in 1899 by John and Charlotte Wingfield Digby, requires all girls to take English, maths, a science subject, religion and a foreign language. Most girls take nine or ten GCSEs and three or four A Level subjects. Sherborne Girls previously offered the International Baccalaureate programme. Some subjects at AS/A Level are taught jointly with

Sherborne School (God and My Right) , established = 705 by Aldhelm, re-founded by King Edward VI 1550 , closed = , type = Public school Independent, boarding school , religion = Church of England , president = , chair_label = Chairman of the governors , ...

for boys, under a cooperation scheme. Both also collaborate in activities and functions such as theatre productions, specialist societies and social activities.

Houses

The house system is based mainly on the boarding houses, as most pupils are boarders. The day pupils (about 10 per cent) are distributed among them. The seven boarding houses on campus are: *Aldhelmsted East *Aldhelmsted West (lower fourth and upper fourth aged 11–13) *Dun Holme *Kenelm *Mulliner (upper sixth) *Reader Harris (formerly Ealhstan and Thurstan) *Wingfield-Digby (formerly Aylmar and Wingfield)

Facilities

The campus includes Oxley Sports Centre, which opened in 2007, with a swimming pool, a fitness suite, squash courts, badminton courts, a floodlit Astro Turf hockey pitch, a climbing wall, a bouldering wall, grass pitches and dance studio.

Notable alumnae

Alumnae are British unless otherwise stated. In alphabetical surname order: *

Maria Aitken Maria Penelope Katharine Aitken (born 12 September 1945) is an English theatre director, teacher, actress, and writer. Early life and career Aitken was born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the daughter of William Aitken (politician), ...

(born 1945), writer, producer and director *

Leonora Anson, Countess of Lichfield Leonora Mary Anson, Countess of Lichfield, (''née'' Grosvenor; born 1 February 1949) is a lady-in-waiting to Anne, Princess Royal. She is the daughter of Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, and The Hon. Viola Lyttelton. She is the form ...

(born 1949) *

Camila Batmanghelidjh Camila Batmanghelidjh CBE (; fa, کامیلا باتمانقلیچ ''Kamylā Batmanghelych''; born 1963) is an Iranian-Belgian author, psychotherapist, and former charity executive based in the United Kingdom. She was the founder of the collaps ...

CBE (born 1963), psychotherapist, founder and Director of

Kids Company Keeping Kids Company (in liquidation), formerly Kids Company, was an incorporated and registered charity, founded by Camila Batmanghelidjh in 1996 to provide support to deprived inner city children. From its original "drop-in" centre in so ...

* Rosa Beddington (1956–2001), biologist *

Nina Coltart Nina Coltart (21 November 1927 – 24 June 1997), a British psychoanalyst, psychotherapist, and essayist, was born in Shortlands, Kent, England. Her father was a medical doctor and her mother, a housewife. In 1940 she and her younger sister Gill w ...

(1927–1997), psychoanalyst and psychotherapist *

Margaret Dix Margaret Ruth Dix (1902 – 9 December 1991) was a British neuro-otologist. With Charles Skinner Hallpike, she published important research on vertigo and described the Dix–Hallpike test. Biography Dix was born in 1902 and attended Sherborne ...

(1902–1991), neurologist *

Princess Elizabeth of Toro Princess Elizabeth of Tooro (Elizabeth Christobel Edith Bagaaya Akiiki; born 1936) is the ''Batebe'' (Princess Royal) of the Kingdom of Tooro. She is a Ugandan lawyer, politician, diplomat, and model. She was the first East African woman to b ...

(born 1936), Ugandan lawyer and politician *

Diana Reader Harris Dame Muriel Diana Reader Harris (11 October 1912, Hong Kong – 7 October 1996, Salisbury, Wiltshire) was an English educator, school principal and public figure.Caroline M. K. Bowden: Harris, Dame (Muriel) Diana Reader (1912–1996). In: ''Oxf ...

(1912–1996), educator and public figure *

Princess Rahma bint Hassan Princess Rahma bint Hassan (born 13 August 1969) is a Jordanian princess. Her father is Prince Hassan bin Talal. Her mother, Princess Sarvath El Hassan. She is the cousin of King Abdullah II. Education * Primary school in Amman, Jordan. * Sh ...

(born 1969), Jordanian educator * Princess Sumaya bint Hassan (born 1971), Jordanian science activist * Deirdre Hutton DBE (born 1949), public servant *

Rajkumari Amrit Kaur Dame Rajkumari Bibiji Amrit Kaur (''née'' Ahluwalia) DStJ (2 February 1887 – 6 February 1964) was an Indian activist and politician. Following her long-lasting association with the Indian independence movement, she was appointed the first ...

(1889–1964), Indian cabinet minister *

Diana Keppel, Countess of Albemarle Diana Cicely Keppel, Countess of Albemarle, DBE (née Grove, 6 August 1909 – 6 May 2013), married Walter Egerton George Lucian Keppel, son of Arnold Allen Cecil Keppel, 8th Earl of Albemarle, as his second wife on 24 February 1931 at St Colu ...

DBE (1909–2013), youth and development activist *

Sophie Kinsella Madeleine Sophie Wickham, known by her pen name Sophie Kinsella, is an English author. The first two novels in her best-selling Shopaholic series, ''The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic'' and ''Shopaholic Abroad'', were adapted into the film ...

(Madeleine Sophie Townley), (born 1969), author *

Emma Kirkby Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, (; born 26 February 1949) is an English soprano and early music specialist. She has sung on over 100 recordings. Education and early career Kirkby was educated at Hanford School, Sherborne School for Girls in Dors ...

DBE, (born 1949) early-music soprano *

Mary Lascelles Mary Madge Lascelles (7 February 1900 – 10 December 1995) was a British literary scholar, specialising in Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, and Walter Scott. She was vice-principal of Somerville College, Oxford, from 1947 to 1960, a ...

(1900–1995), literary scholar *

Margaret Macmillan Margaret Olwen MacMillan, (born 1943) is a Canadian historian and professor at the University of Oxford. She is former provost of Trinity College, Toronto, and professor of history at the University of Toronto and previously at Ryerson Univer ...

(born 1953),

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

academic *

Santa Montefiore Santa Montefiore (; born 2 February 1970) is a British author. Early life Santa Montefiore was born Santa Palmer-Tomkinson on 2 February 1970 in Winchester. Her parents are Charles Palmer-Tomkinson, formerly High Sheriff of Hampshire, and Pa ...

(born 1970), author *

Daphne Oram Daphne Blake Oram (31 December 1925 – 5 January 2003) was a British composer and electronic musician. She was one of the first British composers to produce electronic sound, and was an early practitioner of musique concrète in the UK. As a c ...

(1925–2003), composer and electronic musician *

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson Tara Claire Palmer-Tomkinson (23 December 1971 – 8 February 2017), also known as T P-T, was an English socialite and television personality. She appeared in several television shows, including the reality programme '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me ...

(1971–2017), television personality *

E. Arnot Robertson Eileen Arbuthnot Robertson (10 January 1903 at Moor Lodge, South Holmwood, Surrey – 21 September 1961 in Hampstead, London) was an English novelist, critic and broadcaster.Nicola Beauman: 'Robertson, Eileen Arbuthnot (pseud. E. Arnot Robertson ...

(1903–1961), novelist, critic and broadcaster *

Kate Rock, Baroness Rock Kate Harriet Alexandra Rock, Baroness Rock (born 9 October 1968) is a British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords. Formerly Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party with special responsibility for business engagement, she was ...

(born 1968), politician *

Winifred Spooner Winifred Evelyn Spooner (11 September 1900 – 13 January 1933), the daughter of Major Walter B. Spooner and Annie Spooner, was an English aviator of the 1920s and 1930s, and the winner of the Harmon Trophy as the world's outstanding female av ...

(1900–1933), aviator *

Juliet Wheldon Dame Juliet Louise Wheldon DCB, QC (26 March 1950 – 2 September 2013) was a British civil servant, latterly (as of 2009) the legal adviser to Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England. From July 2000 until 2006 she was the first Britis ...

DCB, QC (1950–2013), civil servant

References

External links

School WebsiteProfile
on the

Independent Schools Council The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a non-profit lobby group that represents over 1,300 schools in the United Kingdom's independent education sector. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the busin ...

website *

Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a Non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament of the U ...

Boarding Social Care Inspectio
Reports
*

Independent Schools Inspectorate The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is approved by the Secretary of State for Education – under section 106 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 – to inspect independent schools in England. These schools are members of associations, w ...

Inspectio
ReportsIndependent Report
on The Good Schools Guide {{authority control Girls' schools in Dorset Independent schools in Dorset Educational institutions established in 1899 1899 establishments in England Member schools of the Girls' Schools Association International Baccalaureate schools in England Boarding schools in Dorset Church of England independent schools in the Diocese of Salisbury Sherborne Girls boarding schools