St George's School, Edinburgh
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye
Non-denom
1888
Dame Sarah Mair
Carol Chandler-Thompson
3 to 18
720
6 school houses: Argyll, Buccleuch, Douglas, Lindsay, Moray and Strathmore
Red, navy, white
The Chronicle
History[edit]
The history of the school is an important part of the story of the Edinburgh Association for the University Education of Women and their drive to create university education for women in Scotland. The first meeting had taken place in 1866 before involving Mary Crudelius, Madeline Daniell and Sarah Mair.[6] Their aim was to get women into Edinburgh University and Walker became the "chief intellect and administrator".[7] In 1876, the ELEA decided to improve the pre-university stage of women's education and advertised classes in St. George's Hall to help women pass university entrance level qualification. They also developed correspondence courses for women who could not attend classes,[8]
In 1885 Mary Russell Walker was recalled from the Maria Grey Training College to Edinburgh[7] to lead the St George's Training College which would train the first women secondary school teachers in Scotland. Mary was made the head of the college and when St. George's High School for Girls was formed in 1888 she became its head as well.[7] The first fifty students started in October 1888 using a building in Melville Street.[9] The school was the first Scottish day school for girls which taught students all the way up to university entrance level. Girls from St. George's were among the first female graduates of Edinburgh University.[7]
In 1912 the school took its first board students[10] and the following year St George's Training College became part of the school. By 1920 it had fifty trainee teachers.[11]
In 1939 the training college facility closed.[11] During the second world war the army had the use of the school building whilst the students went south. Hallrule Hall in Bonchester Bridge became the school's temporary home from 1939 to 1942. When the students returned the building had to be renovated.[12]
Activities include:
Boarding[edit]
The girls from the ages of ten to eighteen live in Houldsworth House on the campus on the edge of the school grounds. The student Head of Boarding is elected by the boarders. The school has around 50 boarders, about 7% of the number of pupils.[25] The boarders form an integral part of the school and are made up of approximately 50% UK and 50% international students.[10] St George's School celebrated the centenary of boarding at the school in 2012.[26]