Talbot Heath School is a selective,

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 ...

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. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

for girls aged 2–18 located in Talbot Woods,

Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

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. The school was founded as Bournemouth High School in 1886 by founding headmistress Mary Broad. Talbot Heath was originally a Church of England School.

History

The school was bought by Mary Broad and Miss Thresher as a going concern from its owner in 1885. The school opened under new management in January 1886 with thirty pupils. The school was called Bournemouth High School and it intended to supply a liberal education for reasonable fees to the daughters of the middle classes. Broad converted from a non-conformist to the Church of England at this time. Miss Thresher left in 1889 when she married and Mary Broad was solely in charge. Broad was known for doing what she thought was right, ignoring criticism and tradition. Her pupils were taken on nature walks, they used dumbbells, played hockey and cricket and they were taken on trips abroad. Broad took advice from Frances Buss who had created the

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in 1850. Broad hoped that her school could be as successful. Buss told her to not appoint a board of governors as they would hold back plans for new buildings. She eventually ignored this advice as she was not feeling well in 1898. She made a substantial endowment of the school and she gained management assistance. As Buss predicted there were no new substantive school buildings for twenty years. Students at the school under Broad's headship included the sculptor Helen Margaret George and the writer and film critic

Dilys Powell Elizabeth Dilys Powell (20 July 1901 – 3 June 1995) was a British film critic and travel writer who contributed to ''The Sunday Times'' for more than 50 years. Powell was known for her receptiveness to cultural change in the cinema and coin ...

. Broad retired in 1924 and her place was taken by Cicely Frideswide Stocks and she introduced eight houses that were named after notable seamen. She also had physics labs built. Talbot_Heath_Headmistresses

In 1935 "Talbot Heath School" was moved to new buildings designed by

Hubert Worthington Sir John Hubert Worthington (4 July 1886 – 26 July 1963) was an English architect. Early life Worthington was born at Alderley Edge, near Stockport, the youngest son of architect Thomas Worthington. He was educated at Sedbergh School fr ...

. There was a new hall and gym and within the first few months it was opened by Dr William Temple who was then the Archbishop of York. Mary Broad was in attendance together the headmistress Cicely Frideswide Stocks and other invited guests. During the war, girls from St Anne's Catholic School in Southampton joined the school as they were moved to safety. This school was open throughout the war.

Notable former pupils

* Frances Ashcroft *

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* Eunice Crowther *

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* Helen Margaret George * Dorothea Gray *

* Kate Royal * Pat Smythe * Irene Spry * Jennifer Vyvyan *

Shirley Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby (''née'' Catlin; 27 July 1930 – 12 April 2021) was a British politician and academic. Originally a Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP), she served in the Labour cabinet ...

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References

{{authority control Schools in Bournemouth Private schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Educational institutions established in 1886 1886 establishments in England Girls' schools in Dorset Boarding schools in Dorset