South Hampstead High School


South Hampstead High School is a private day school in Hampstead, north-west London, England, which was founded by the Girls' Day School Trust. It is for girls aged 4–18 with selective entry at ages 4+, 7+, 11+ and 16+.
WWW shhs.gdst.net

History

Founded in 1876, the ninth school established by the GDST with 27 pupils, until 1886, the school was led by Rebecca Allen-Olney; she left to found another school nearby with her sister Sarah Allen-Olney who was assistant head. The cross-dressing Mary Benton who had previously taught at this school returned as headmistress when morale was low; the "Brigadier-General" built up the school until in the 1920s it was claimed that half of the school's students then at university were studying scientific subjects.
From 1946 until the late 1970s, it was a girls' direct grant grammar school, with around half the intake paid for by the local council.
In January 2015, alumna Helena Bonham Carter, opened a new 7-storey building for the Senior School, designed by Hopkins Architects. In January 2020, the school unveiled a new state-of-the-art performance space, Waterlow Hall.

Staff

Headmistresses

  • Anna Paul
  • Victoria Bingham
  • Helen Pike
  • Jenny Stephen
  • Vivien Ainley
  • Jean Scott
  • Averil Burgess
  • Sheila Wiltshire
  • Prunella Bodington
  • Muriel Potter
  • Dorothy Walker
  • Mary Benton
  • Miss Allen-Olney

Former teachers

School motto

Notable former pupils