Cheltenham Ladies' College (CLC) is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

boarding and day school for girls aged 11 or older in

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

, Gloucestershire, England. The school was established in 1853 to provide "a sound academic education for girls". It is also a member of the

Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), formerly known as the Headmasters' Conference and now branded HMC (The Heads' Conference), is an association of the head teachers of 351 private fee-charging schools (both boarding schools ...

. The school badge depicts two martlets, inspiration for which was taken from the pigeons of the Cheltenham town coat of arms, above three stars, which are in turn above a daisy, a school symbol. In 2020, Cheltenham Ladies' College was named Southwest Independent School of the Decade by ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

and

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

''. It is listed in The Schools Index as one of the world's 150 leading schools and one of the top 30 UK senior schools.

History

The school was founded in 1853 after six individuals, including the Principal and Vice-Principal of

Cheltenham College Cheltenham College is a public school ( fee-charging boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The school opened in 1841 as a Church of England foundation and is known for its outstanding linguis ...

and four other men, decided to create a girls' school that would be similar to Cheltenham College. On 13 February 1854, the first 82 pupils began attending the school, with Annie Procter serving as the school's Principal. In 1858, upon Procter resigning from her position, the Principal's post was taken by Dorothea Beale, a prominent

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

educator who later founded

St Hilda's College, Oxford St Hilda's College (full name = Principal and Council of St. Hilda's College, Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college is named after the Anglo-Saxon saint Hilda of Whitby and was founded in 1893 as a ...

. Beale, Louisa Lumsden and Frances Dove maintained their strong links with Cheltenham's contemporary, St Leonard's School. Beale was commemorated by a Cheltenham Civic Society

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

in 2017. In 1998, it was announced that sixth-form girls at the school would be allowed to wear trousers for the first time.

Structure and academic results

The school is divided into three divisions, Lower College ( KS3), Upper College ( KS4) and Sixth Form College ( KS5). The school gives pupils a choice in what they study. A range of subject combinations is available to Upper College girls at

GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...

, and for Sixth Form girls at

A-level The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...

International Baccalaureate (IB) The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB ...

. Tutors are full-time academic members of staff and advise girls on matters relating to their academic work and progress, while the Professional Guidance Centre gives advice on career options and university applications. Most pupils go on to continue higher education. The school's academic results are high, both compared to the national average and within the independent sector. From 2014 to 2017, the school reported that over two thirds of A-level results and approximately 90% of GCSE results were A* or A grades. Since 2015, the school has been the top girls boarding school in the country for IB results for three consecutive years. In 2019, 71% of students scored A*/A for their A-level examinations while 90% scored A*/A for GCSE. In 2024, 69.5% of students scored A*/A for their A-level examinations while 85.7% scored A*/A for GCSE.

Houses

The school is made up of around 80% boarders and 20% day girls. Whether boarders or day girls, pupils are part of a junior or senior house and are supervised by a Housemistress and a team of House Staff. Girls who board live in one of eleven boarding houses. There are six junior houses for 11- to 16-year-olds, and five senior houses for sixth form girls. The junior houses are Farnley Lodge, Glenlee, Sidney Lodge, St. Austin's, St. Helen's, and St. Margaret's. At Sixth Form, all girls move to a senior house. The senior houses are Beale, Cambray, Elizabeth, Roderic and St. Hilda's. Each house is run by a housemistress and several resident staff. The housemistresses have a lighter teaching load with a full-time commitment supervising their boarders. Junior day girls have their own base in Eversleigh, where the three junior houses, Bellairs, Glengar and St Clare, are located. The senior day girl house, Bayshill, is situated in the main college site.

Co-curriculars

Over 160 co-curricular activities are available.

Music and Drama

The Music and Drama departments offer productions and concerts each year involving all age groups. Over 1,000 individual instrumental lessons take place each week. In October 2009, Sir Richard Eyre opened the school's new drama building, The Parabola Arts Centre (PAC). The building was built by Foster Wilson Architects and cost over £12.5 million, funded by donations. The school is a major sponsor of the Cheltenham Music, Literature, Jazz and Science Festivals and events are hosted at the centre annually. The PAC building was awarded the RIBA award. In 2010, Sharman Macdonald (Keira Knightley's mother) was commissioned to write the college's play. In 2016, the school also invested in a new recording studio.

Sports

In 2018, the school opened a new Health and Fitness Centre. Sports facilities include a 25-metre six-lane swimming-pool, netball courts, tennis courts, squash courts, AstroTurf fields, lacrosse pitches, a spin studio, two dance studios and two sports halls. Over 30 sports are offered, and students are encouraged to maintain their fitness and wellbeing through physical exercise. The main sports are Netball, Lacrosse and Hockey in the winter, and Tennis, Swimming and Athletics in the Summer. The school also has a well-established Rowing Club, and Equestrian and Ski teams.

Admissions

The school is one of the hardest UK private schools to get into, with competition for places at sixth form being "fierce". Entry to Cheltenham Ladies' College is by examination for girls aged 11+, 13+ and 16+ (Sixth Form), as well as occasionally at 12+ and 14+ where only a few students are admitted.

Inspections

The school was last inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in October 2014. It achieved the grade "Excellent" in all areas. In the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

secondary school ranking, Cheltenham Ladies College was placed at no. 14 in 2010 and no. 34 in 2011. The college was the top girls boarding school and 6th overall in UK rankings for the International Baccalaureate Diploma in 2017. The ''

Tatler ''Tatler'' (stylised in all caps) is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. It focuses on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper and upper-middle c ...

School Guide 2018'' notes that "confident, resilient, clever girls flourish" at the college. The '' Good Schools Guide'' described the school as "a top flight school with strong traditional values and a clear sense of purpose. For the bright and energetic all rounder this school offers an exceptional education that is both broad and deep, with endless opportunities for fun and enrichment along the way." In 2020, Cheltenham Ladies' College was named South West Independent Secondary School of the Decade by ''

and

''. The awards, published in the "Parent Power" schools guide, commend schools that have achieved academic excellence and provided an outstanding education over the previous decade.

Coat of Arms

The college was granted a coat of arms by the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

in 1931:

In popular culture

As one of the oldest and most prestigious all-girls' boarding schools in the UK, the school has often been referred to as "the girls' Eton". However, the school has worked hard to play down this reputation. In 2008

BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

made a three-part documentary series titled ''My New Best Friend'' to emphasise the importance and nature of friendship among children. The first episode tracked the journey of four young girls starting at Cheltenham Ladies' College. Cheltenham Ladies' College is mentioned in the film '' St Trinian's'' (2007) as the previous school of the main character.

List of Principals

* Annie Proctor, 1854–1858 * Dorothea Beale, 1858–1906 * Lilian Faithfull, 1906–1922 * Beatrice Sparks, 1922–1937 * Margaret Popham, 1937–1953 * Joan Tredgold, 1953–1964 * Margaret Hampshire, 1964–1979 * Joan Sadler, 1979–1987 * Enid Castle, 1987–1996 * Vicky Tuck, 1996–2011 * Gwen Byrom, 2011 (Acting) * Eve Jardine-Young, 2011–present

Notable staff

* Basil Allchin (1878–1957), organist * Winifred Lily Boys-Smith (1865–1939) * U. A. Fanthorpe (1929–2009), poet * Charlotte Laurie (1856–1933), botanist * Eleanor Mary Reid (1860–1953), palaeobotanist * Millicent Taylor (1871–1960), chemist, petitioner to the Chemical Society * Mary Watson (1856–1933), chemist *

Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

(1874–1934), composer * Agnes Tschetschulin (1859–1942), composer and violinist

Notable pupils

Guild is the association of College's former pupils.

The arts

* Ithell Colquhoun, artist, author and occultist * Enid de Chair, artist and art patron * Florence Farr, actress and mistress of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

* Katharine Hamnett, fashion designer * Damaris Hayman, actress * Cherry Healey, television presenter * Judith Ledeboer, architect and housing reformer * Leyly Matine-Daftary, modernist painter * Charlotte Reather, comedy writer and actress * Bridget Riley, artist * Talulah Riley, actress *Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, actress * Serena Scott Thomas, actress * Sophie Solomon, violinist * Amanda Wakeley, fashion designer

Politics, law and civil service

* Violet Brooke-Hunt, community organizer and volunteer in

Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...

* Elizabeth Gass, Lady Gass, Lord Lieutenant of Somerset since 1998 *Dame Cheryl Gillan, Conservative Member of Parliament and former

Secretary of State for Wales The secretary of state for Wales (), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Ki ...

* Sally Keeble, Labour Member of Parliament *

Lizzy Lind af Hageby Emilie Augusta Louise "Lizzy" Lind af Hageby (20 September 1878 – 26 December 1963) was a Swedish-British feminist and animal rights advocate who became a prominent anti-vivisection activist in England in the early 20th century. Born t ...

, speaker and writer antivivisection and feminism * Rachel Lomax, the first woman Deputy Governor of the Bank of England * Fiona Mactaggart, Labour Member of Parliament * Cicely Mayhew, UK's first female diplomat *

Gareth Peirce Gareth Peirce (born Jean Margaret Webb; March 1940) is a British solicitor and human rights activist. She has worked on a number of high-profile cases involving allegations of human rights injustices. Her work with Gerry Conlon and the Guild ...

, defence lawyer *

Amber Rudd Amber Augusta Rudd (born 1 August 1963) is a British former politician who served as Home Secretary from 2016 to 2018 and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2018 to 2019. She was a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Pa ...

, former

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...

* Liz Shore, former Deputy Chief Medical Officer * Catherine Williamson, Canterbury's first woman mayor and Irish politician

Sciences, technology, engineering

* Mary Archer, scientist and chair of the trustees of the

Science Museum A science museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, Industry (manufacturing), industry and Outline of industrial ...

Group * Prue Barron, surgeon *

Louisa Aldrich-Blake Dame Louisa Brandreth Aldrich-Blake (15 August 1865 – 28 December 1925) was a pioneering surgeon and one of the first British women to enter the world of modern medicine. Born in Chingford, Essex, she was the eldest daughter of a curate. L ...

, first female Master of Surgery * Mary Collins, immunologist * Maud Cunnington, archaeologist * Vicky Goh, radiologist, cancer imaging researcher, and medical academic * Miriam Violet Griffith, electrical engineer, technical author and pioneer of ground source heat pumps * Lillias Hamilton, doctor and author * Constance Leathart, Air Transport Auxiliary pilot in Second World War, first woman in Britain to design and fly a glider * Margaret Lowenfeld, paediatrician and child psychotherapist * Eva Luckes,

Royal Red Cross The Royal Red Cross (RRC) is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing. It was created in 1883, and the first two awards were to Florence Nightingale and Jane Cecilia Deeb ...

, OBE, Matron of The London Hospital 1880–1919, matron maker and influential nurse reformer. *Dame Clare Marx, first female President of the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

(2014–2017), Chair of the

General Medical Council The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of physician, medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the pu ...

(January 2019) * Helen Mackay, first female Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians * Liz Miller, former neurosurgeon and mental health campaigner * Jennie Pryce, quantitative geneticist * Frances Ritchie, nurse * Lucy Wills, haematologist * Helena Rosa Wright (née Lowenfeld), doctor and pioneer of family planning * Nur Amalina Che Bakri, Doctor

Journalism and authors

Hilary Andersson Hilary Harper Andersson (born 23 September 1967) is an American journalist presently working for the BBC. She has been a correspondent for ''Panorama (TV series), Panorama'' since 2006. Born in Austin, Texas, she grew up in Belgium, West Germa ...

, journalist and presenter * Phyllis Bentley, novelist and authority on the

Brontë family The Brontës () were a 19th century literary family, born in the village of Thornton, West Yorkshire, Thornton and later associated with the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The sisters, Charlotte Brontë, Charlott ...

* Theodora Bosanquet, writer, reviewer, editor, amanuensis to Henry James, director and literary editor of Time and Tide (magazine). * Rosie Boycott, journalist and former editor of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' and the ''

Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first ...

'' *

D. K. Broster Dorothy Kathleen Broster (2 September 1877 – 7 February 1950), usually known as D. K. Broster, was an English novelist and short-story writer. Her fiction consists mainly of historical romances set in the 18th or early 19th centuries. Her bes ...

, novelist *

Katharine Burdekin Katharine Penelope Burdekin (née Cade; 23 July 1896 – 10 August 1963) was a British novelist who wrote speculative fiction concerned with social and spiritual matters.John Clute, "Burdekin, Katherine P(enelope)" in The Encyclopedia of Scienc ...

, author * Amy Key Clarke, mystical poet, author and senior teacher at the school, also wrote histories of the school * Janet E. Courtney, writer * Tatiana Hambro, fashion writer and editor for Moda Operandi * Beatrice Harraden, writer and suffragette * Phoebe Hesketh, poet * Lisa Jardine, historian, author and broadcaster * Margaret Kennedy, novelist * Sue Lloyd-Roberts, television journalist * Kate Reardon, journalist * Betty Ridley, journalist * Mira Sethi, journalist * May Sinclair, writer * Caroline Spurgeon, literary critic * Robin Stevens, children's author *

Jenny Uglow Jennifer Sheila Uglow (, (accessed 5 February 2008).
(accessed 19 August 2022). born 1947) is an English biographer, his ...

, biographer * Margaret Winifred Vowles, author * Sarah Wardle, poet * Grace Wyndham Goldie, first Head of

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

News & Current Affairs

Sports

* Nina Clarkin, World number one female polo player * Poppy Cooksey, Olympic fencer * Mary Eyre, England hockey player and

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

umpire * Muriel Robb,

Champion and only person to win all national UK tennis singles titles * Jean Westwood, world champion ice dancerInterview With Jean Westwood
Skate Guard, 7 February 2015

Other

* Annette Bear-Crawford, suffragette * Tamara Beckwith, socialite * Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford, 11th Duchess of Bedford *

Mary Boyce Nora Elisabeth Mary Boyce (2 August 1920 – 4 April 2006) was a British scholar of Iranian languages and an authority on Zoroastrianism. She was Professor of Iranian Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the Un ...

, scholar of

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zoroaster, Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, ...

* Victoria Davies Randle, a socialite of Victorian

Lagos, Nigeria Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

, who served as

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

's goddaughter * Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan, Commandant of the Women's Royal Air Force and Chief Controller of the

Auxiliary Territorial Service The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS; often pronounced as an acronym) was the women's branch of the British Army during the World War II, Second World War. It was formed on 9 September 1938, initially as a women's voluntary service, and existe ...

* Dorothy Christian Hare, medical director of the

Women's Royal Naval Service The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS; popularly and officially known as the Wrens) was the women's branch of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. First formed in 1917 for the World War I, First World War, it was disbanded in 1919, then revived in ...

Jane Ellen Harrison Jane Ellen Harrison (9 September 1850 – 15 April 1928) was a British classical scholar and linguist. With Karl Kerenyi and Walter Burkert, Harrison is one of the founders of modern studies in Ancient Greek religion and mythology. She ...

, classical scholar *

Hermione Hobhouse Mary Hermione Hobhouse (2 February 1934 – 17 October 2014) was a British architectural historian and prominent preservation campaigner. Family and early life Hobhouse was born on 2 February 1934 to Sir Arthur Hobhouse and Konradin Huth Ja ...

, historian * Nicola Horlick, investment fund manager (ran away) * Beatrice Irwin (aka Alice Beatrice Simpson), actress, poet and illumination designer entrepreneur * Eve Jardine-Young, Principal of Cheltenham Ladies' College * Dorothy Pethick, suffragette * Raja Zarith Sofiah, consort of the King of Johor, Malaysia * Agnes Royden, preacher and suffragette * Anne Willan, Founder of École de Cuisine La Varenne (Paris, Burgundy & Los Angeles)

References

External links

Cheltenham Ladies' College
Official website.
Profile
on the

Independent Schools Council The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a non-profit lobby group that represents over 1,300 private schools in the United Kingdom. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the business interests of its ...

website {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheltenham Ladies' College Educational institutions established in 1853 Girls' schools in Gloucestershire Private schools in Gloucestershire Schools in Cheltenham International Baccalaureate schools in England 1853 establishments in England Boarding schools in Gloucestershire Member schools of the Girls' Schools Association