Loughborough High School

Coordinates: 52°45′56.07″N 1°12′15.59″W / 52.7655750°N 1.2043306°W / 52.7655750; -1.2043306

Loughborough High School is a selective, independent school for girls in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It is one of three private schools known collectively as the Loughborough Endowed Schools, along with Loughborough Grammar School for boys and Fairfield Preparatory School. All three of the Endowed Schools are autonomous, and yet they share the same vision and educational ethos, supported by a united board of governors. Founded in 1850, it is believed to be one of the country’s oldest grammar schools for girls.

History

Founding

The Loughborough Endowed Schools were founded after Thomas Burton, a prosperous wool merchant from Loughborough, willed money for priests to pray for his soul upon his death in 1495; these priests went on to found the boys school that would become Loughborough Grammar School. It was not until 1850 when the boys school moved to a new site to the south of Loughborough town centre and it became more socially acceptable to educate women that the foundation was extended to girls and hence LHS was founded.

The school celebrated its bicentenary in 2000, when it was visited by HRH The Princess Royal.

School Hymn

Loughborough Endowed Schools school hymn entitled "Our Father by whose servant(s)" was created specifically for LES by Old Loughburian George Wallace Briggs and in more recent times has also been adopted as a school hymn by several other schools. The servant in the song refers to Thomas Burton, and the "Five Hundred Years Enduring" verse 2 (originally "Four Hundred Years Enduring") is unique to the founding year of Loughborough Endowed Schools.

Campus

LHS is based on a multi-acre campus on the south side of Loughborough town centre; the three Endowed Schools are adjacent to one another, laid out along Burton Walks. The main bulk of the LHS part of the campus faces onto a central quadrangle. The east-side of the quad, closest to the main access of Burton Walks, is occupied by what is the oldest building but seems to be nameless, being referred to as the 'Main building', and housing the administrative aspects of the school including the Headmistress' study and also the Cope library (formerly the dormitory when the school accepted boarders). This building continues around the north side but here contains the great hall, art studios, technology rooms and a lecture theatre. Attached to the end of this building are the Cloisters and Rokeby which largely comprise classrooms and a sixth form common room. Within the centre of the quad is a large patch of grass that up until recent years was used as two grass tennis courts. Other general classroom buildings facing the quad are the Chesterton Building to the west and the Charles Block to the south. The drama building is to the south, and in addition on the other side of Burton Walks, the 2006 newly built Loughborough Endowed Schools Music School, a separate 'school' shared between all three of the endowed schools as a separate music facility.

Also on the other side of Burton Walks (often known as "The Walks") are the gymnasium, science building, dining hall and astroturf pitches, the latter of which is also shared with the rest of the Loughborough Endowed Schools. Most of the buildings situated on the Burton Walks are primarily owned by the Loughborough Endowed Schools Campus with Fairfield Preparatory School located at the mouth, along with the gate house often occupied by the resident LGS deputy headmaster and the Loughborough Endowed Schools Carpark. At the End of Burton Walks is a T-Junction with LGS located to the left and LHS located to the right. Spreading the walks (situated between both of the schools) are several school houses which house several members of the teaching faculty, including the headmistress of LHS and the headmaster of LGS. A myth within both of the schools is that in between school hours, those within the ages of 10 to 16 are not allowed to fraternise with members of the opposite sex nor be seen within 6 inches of each other along the Burton Walks thus maintaining the all-boy and all-girl school divide.

Pupils

LHS is an all-girls School, educating those from the ages of 11 to 18, however there are some joint lessons in the sixth form with the all-boys LGS. In the past it was (like the present Grammar School) also a boarding school, however in recent years all female boarding has gradually ceased.

Academics

Candidates sit an entrance examination to gain admission to the school, usually at the age of 10, so as to enter Upper Third (year 7) at the age of 11. There is also a 13+ exam, for those wishing to enter at Upper Fourth (Year 9), and a 16+ exam for girls wishing to enter at Sixth Form level (Year 12.)

Girls are entered for GCSE examinations in Upper Fifth (Year 11,) AS-levels in Lower Sixth (Year 12) and A2-levels in Upper Sixth (Year 13.) Girls usually take 9/10 subjects for GCSE, 4 for AS-level and 3 for A-level, as well as General Studies.

Extracurricular activities

Music and Drama

The Construction of a new Music School by the Endowed Schools in 2006 enabled a greater level of co-operation than had previously been possible. Two orchestras, a choir and a number of swing/jazz bands are amongst the ensembles run at the Music School, and these perform regularly at school concerts and elsewhere. The Endowed Schools Big Band and Concert Band have competed nationally at the English Concert Band Festival, and these bands also tour abroad regularly.

Girls from the High School also regularly appear in joint dramatic productions, usually at the 182-seat Drama Studio, located within the Queen's Building at the Grammar School. The showing of 'High School Musical' performed by the leavers of 2012 was perhaps the most successful production to date, winning huge acclaim from staff and students alike.

Sport

The school has excellent sporting facilities. Teams in hockey, netball, cross country and athletics compete to national level and regularly win leagues and championships. Badminton, rounders, football, rugby, tennis, lacrosse, golf and swimming are also taught.

Other

The school runs an active Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme and a number of clubs and societies run regularly, including a Debating Society and a School Magazine. The school also plays Bridge to an extremely high level, and has produced numerous players who have represented the UK in international competitions.

The school engages in regular charity fund-raising events, including non-uniform days and concerts.^[1]

House system

The school operates a house system; every girl is placed in one of four houses:

• Burton (Yellow)
• Hastings (Green)
• Storer (Blue)
• Fearon (Purple)

The houses are named after notable people within the founding of both the Endowed Schools and the social architecture of Loughborough town centre. Burton after Thomas Burton the founder of the Loughborough Endowed Schools and Hastings after Henry Hastings, 1st Baron Loughborough. Storer after Johnathan Storer who in 1713 founded a charity conveying cottages and land in Loughborough to eleven trustees allowing the purchase of wheat to make bread and clothing, which was distributed to poor people living in the town. And finally Fearon for Archdeacon Henry Fearon who in 1870 financed the oldest edifice in Market Square, the drinking fountain, allowing Loughborough to gain its first piped water supply. It is a total mystery as to how these girls are placed, but areas where they live are thought to be a factor. The house system provides internal competition in a number of sporting disciplines as well as extracurricular activities including music and drama. Each house in addition to the Housemaster/Head of House, possess both a House Captain, a Games Captain and a House Secretary.

Notable former pupils

Old Girls of Loughborough High School include:

• Dorothy Hartley (1893–1985) historian.
• Dorothée Pullinger (1894–1986), engineer.
• Sheila Rodwell (1947–2009), aka Sheila Bingham, nutritional epidemiologist.
• Victoria Barnsley OBE, (1954-) CEO and Publisher of HarperCollins UK and International
• Charlotte Smith (1964-), broadcaster.
• Sarah Clackson (1965–2003), Coptologist.
• Jessica Lee (1976-), Conservative MP for Erewash
• Hester Finch (b. 1980), Painter
• Alice Bowe (b. 1980), Garden Designer, Broadcaster and Writer

References

External links

• Loughborough High School