The Camden School for Girls (CSG) is a comprehensive

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

for girls, with a co-educational

sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

, in the

London Borough of Camden The London Borough of Camden () is a London boroughs, borough in Inner London, England. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the former Metropolitan boroughs of the Cou ...

in north

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. It has about one thousand students of ages eleven to eighteen, and specialist-school status as a

Music College A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...

. The school has long been associated with the advancement of

women's education Female education is a catch-all term for a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education (primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular) for girls and women. It is frequently called girls ...

History

Founded in 1871 by the suffragist

Frances Mary Buss Frances Mary Buss (16 August 1827 – 24 December 1894) was a British headmistress and a pioneer of girls' education. Life The daughter of Robert William Buss, a painter and etcher, and his wife, Frances Fleetwood, Buss was one of six of their ...

, who also founded

North London Collegiate School North London Collegiate School (NLCS) is a private day school for girls in England. Founded in Camden Town, it is now located in Edgware, in the London Borough of Harrow. Associate schools are located in South Korea, Jeju Island, Dubai, Vietnam ...

, the Camden School for Girls was one of the first girls' schools in England. Although not a fee-paying school by then, girls in the mid-20th century wore a traditional uniform of dark green, with blue and green striped ties. The blazer badge showed a type of ancient sailing ship called a 'buss' to commemorate the founder's surname, with the motto "Onwards and Upwards". No entry exams were held, in its pre-comprehensive era; however, entrance was by interview.

Evacuation in the Second World War

352 girls were evacuated to

Uppingham School Uppingham School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school for pupils 13–18) in Uppingham, Rutland, England, founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson, the Archdeacon of Leicester, who also established Oakham School. ...

in September 1939, but it did not work as hoped. So, on Thursday 19 October 1939 the girls were moved to

Grantham Grantham () is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road. It lies south of Lincoln, England ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

to be educated at

Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School (KGGS) is a grammar school with academy status for girls in Grantham, Lincolnshire, established in 1910. It has over 1000 pupils ranging from ages 11 to 18, and has its own sixth form. History KGGS was fou ...

, but 450 girls were intended to have been evacuated;

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

, Conservative prime minister from 1979–90, was one of the girls at the Grantham school. The music teacher

Grace Williams Grace Mary Williams (19 February 1906 – 10 February 1977) was a Welsh composer, generally regarded as Wales's most notable female composer, and the first British woman to score a feature film. Early life Williams was born in Barry, Vale o ...

, a Welsh composer, arrived with the Camden school, and composed pieces while at Grantham. Zoologist Hilda Mabel Canter, of the

British Phycological Society The British Phycological Society, founded in 1952, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom promoting the study of algae. Members interests include all aspects of the study of algae, including both natural biodiversity and applied uses. ...

, was one of the 352 girls evacuated. Girls from Grantham were taught in the classrooms in the mornings and the Camden girls were taught in the afternoon. The Camden school moved to

Stamford High School, Lincolnshire Stamford High School, founded in 1877, was an independent school for girls in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. It was a sister school to the boys' Stamford School. In 2023, the two schools were merged to form one co-educational Stamford Sch ...

in March 1941, having stayed in Grantham for five terms. The girls stayed in

Stamford, Lincolnshire Stamford is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population at the 2011 census was 19,701 and estimated at 20,645 in 2019. The town has 17th- and 18th-century stone buildings, older timber ...

for seven terms, leaving in summer 1943. Stamford people were quite unaccustomed to city dwellers and local people noticed the distinctive green school uniform.

Grammar school

One of its most formative headmistresses, Doris Burchell, took on the school in the post-war years and developed it in both science and music, overseeing new building on the site. The Sir John Cockcroft science wing was built from funds raised by many means, including a series of Celebrity Concerts held at the school and involving many eminent musicians. The school was damaged in the war but rebuilt in 1957, the architect being John Eastwick-Field

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

. In 1973, the assembly hall roof collapsed following deterioration of its roof beams due to problems with the high-alumina cement concrete used.

Comprehensive

It became a

comprehensive school A comprehensive school is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is restricted on the basis ...

in 1976, although only year by year. It was not fully comprehensive until 1981.

Academic performance

A 1999

Office for Standards in Education The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament of the U ...

(Ofsted) report called it "a unique and very effective school in many ways". Another, written in March 2005, said it was an "outstanding school with excellent features", and the most recent report said that it "rightly deserves the outstanding reputation it has among parents and in the community". Its

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 ...

results are excellent, and its

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 ...

results are the best in the Camden LEA outside the private sector.

Notable former pupils

The following people were educated at the Camden School for Girls. Some of them only attended the sixth form. *

Sally Beamish Sarah Frances Beamish (born 26 August 1956) is a British composer and violist. Her works include chamber, vocal, choral and orchestral music. She has also worked in the field of music, theatre, film and television, as well as composing for ch ...

(born 1956), composer *

Johnny Borrell Jonathan Edward Borrell (born 4 April 1980) is an English guitarist and singer, currently the frontman of the rock band Razorlight, of which he is the only consistent original member. Early life and career Borrell was born in Sutton, London. H ...

(born 1980), musician *

Sarah Brown Sarah Brown may refer to: * Sarah Brown (athlete) (born 1986), American middle-distance runner * Sarah Brown (cook), British pioneer vegetarian television cook * Sarah Brown (model) (1869–?), pseudonym of Marie Roger, French artists' model in 1890 ...

(born 1963), PR consultant, wife of

Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Previously, he was Chancellor of the Ex ...

Max Davidson
Town vs gown: north London
''The Daily Telegraph'', 6 September 2008. *

Sara Annie Burstall Sara Annie Burstall (2 November 1859 – 26 March 1939) was a Scottish born writer on education and the second headmistress of the Manchester High School for Girls. Life Burstall was born in Aberdeen in 1859. Her father, Henry, had a number of ...

(1859–1939) *

Bessie Carter Bessie Beatrice Carter (born 25 October 1993) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Prudence Featherington on the Netflix series ''Bridgerton'', as well as Evie Wilcox on the BBC television series ''Howards End'' (2017) and Vi ...

(born 1993), actress *

Julia Cleverdon Dame Julia Charity Cleverdon (born 19 April 1950)Dame Jul ...

(born 1950), charity worker *

Charlotte Coleman Charlotte Ninon Coleman (3 April 1968 – 14 November 2001) was an English actress best known for playing Scarlett in the film ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' (1994) and Jess in the television drama ''Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'' (1990)''.' ...

(1968–2001), actress, ''

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit ''Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'' is a novel by Jeanette Winterson published in 1985 by Pandora Press. It is a coming-of-age story about a lesbian who grows up in an English Pentecostal community. Key themes of the book include transition from ...

'', expelled at the age of 16Valentine, Penny
"Obituary: Charlotte Coleman"
''The Guardian'', 19 November 2001. *

Athene Donald Dame Athene Margaret Donald (née Griffith; born 15 May 1953) is a British physicist. She was Professor Emerita of Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge, and former Master of Churchill College, Cambridge. Outside the university, ...

(born 1953), Professor of Experimental Physics at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

Julia Donaldson Julia Catherine Donaldson (; born 16 September 1948) is an English writer and playwright, and the 2011–2013 Children's Laureate. She is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, ...

(born 1948), author *

Lily Donaldson Lily Monica Donaldson (born 27 January 1987) is an English model. She was featured on the cover of American Vogue's May 2007 issue as one of the "World's Next Top Models" and was recognized by Vogue Paris in 2009 as one of the top 30 models of ...

(born 1987), model *

Catching Flies Catching Flies (born George King, 1991) is an English musician, DJ and record producer from London, England. His sound has been described as sitting on the "smooth, mellow side of electronic music" somewhere "between Flying Lotus and Bonobo" an ...

(born 1991), musician *

Nubya Garcia Nubya Nyasha Garcia (born 1991) is a British jazz musician, Saxophone, saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Early life and education Garcia was born in 1991 in Camden Town, London, the youngest of four siblings, to a Guyanese people, Guyanese ...

(born 1991), jazz musician *

Georgia Gould Georgia Gould (born January 5, 1980) is an American professional mountain bike and cyclocross competitor, and Olympian (2008, 2012). She has earned five career national championships – four in cross-country mountain bike in 2006, 2010, 2011 ...

(born 1986), Labour Party politician, leader of

Camden London Borough Council Camden London Borough Council, also known as Camden Council, legally The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Camden, is the local authority for the London Borough of Camden in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one o ...

Eileen Greenwood Eileen Constance Greenwood RE (26 May 1915 – 23 June 2008) was an English artist, printmaker, and art teacher, specializing in etching and aquatint. She is also rarely known by her maiden name of Eileen Messenger. The daughter of Harold Messen ...

(1915–2008), artist, printmaker, and art teacher *

Tamsin Greig Tamsin Margaret Mary Greig (; born 12 July 1966) is a British actress. She is known for both dramatic and comedic roles. She played Fran Katzenjammer in the Channel 4 sitcom '' Black Books'', Dr Caroline Todd in the Channel 4 sitcom '' Green W ...

(born 1967), actress *

Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle Halliwell-Horner (''née'' Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, author, and actress. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which ...

(born 1972), singer,

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...

* John Hassall (born 1981), musician,

The Libertines The Libertines are an English Rock music, rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât (vocals/guitar) and Pete Doherty (vocals/guitar). The band, centred on the songwriting partnership of Barât and Doherty, included John Hassall ...

Julia Hobsbawm Julia Hobsbawm OBE (born 15 August 1964) is a British writer and public speaker. Early life Born in 1964 in London, England, Julia Hobsbawm is the daughter of historian Eric Hobsbawm and music teacher Marlene Schwarz, both European emigres. ...

(born 1964), PR, author and networking engineer *

Edith Humphrey Edith Ellen Humphrey (11 September 1875 – 25 February 1978) was a British inorganic chemist who carried out pioneering work in co-ordination chemistry at the University of Zurich under Alfred Werner. She is thought to be the first British wo ...

(1875–1978), inorganic chemist, thought to be the first British woman to obtain a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

in chemistry. *

Daniel Kaluuya Daniel Kaluuya (; born 24 February 1989) is an English actor. His work encompasses both screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Daniel Kaluuya, his accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, two British Academy ...

(born 1989), Oscar-winning actor and comedian *

Kate Kellaway Kate Kellaway (born 15 July 1957) is an English journalist and literary critic who writes for ''The Observer''. Early life The daughter of the Australians Bill and Deborah Kellaway, she is the older sister of the journalist Lucy Kellaway. B ...

(born 1957), journalist for ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' * Lucy Kellaway (born 1959), writer and journalist for ''

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 ...

'' *

Beeban Kidron Beeban Tania Kidron, Baroness Kidron, (born 2 May 1961), is a British politician and a filmmaker. She is an advocate for children's rights in the digital world and has played a role in establishing standards for online safety and privacy across ...

(born 1961), former film director (including of ''

Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit ''Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'' is a novel by Jeanette Winterson published in 1985 by Pandora Press. It is a coming-of-age story about a lesbian who grows up in an English Pentecostal community. Key themes of the book include transition from ...

''), and peer in

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

Sally Laird Sally Ann Laird (2 May 1956 – 15 July 2010) was a British editor and translator who specialised in Russian literature. Education Laird was born in the London Borough of Barnet and attended Camden School for Girls. She was a student of Russian ...

(1956–2010), editor, writer and translator *

Lilian Lindsay Lilian Lindsay, CBE, Society of Antiquaries of London, FSA (née Murray) (24 July 1871 – 31 January 1960) was a dentist, dental historian, librarian and author who became the first qualified female dentist in Britain and the first female presi ...

(1871–1960), first woman with a British qualification in dentistry, having graduated from the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The RCSEd has five faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical and healthcare specialities. Its main campus is locate ...

in 1895 *

Jodhi May Jodhi May (born 8 May 1975) is an English actress. Starting her career as a child actress, she is the youngest recipient (age 12) of the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, for '' A World Apart'' (1988). Her other credits include '' ...

(born 1975), actress *

Natascha McElhone Natascha Abigail Taylor (born 14 December 1971), known professionally as Natascha McElhone (), is an English actress. In film, she has starred in the action thriller ''Ronin (film), Ronin'' (1998), the psychological comedy-drama ''The Truman Sho ...

(born 1969), actress * Fiona Millar (born 1958), journalist and education campaigner *

Deborah Moggach Deborah Moggach (née Hough; born 28 June 1948) is an English novelist and screenwriter. She has written nineteen novels, including '' The Ex-Wives'' (1993), ''Tulip Fever'' (1999; made into the 2017 film of the same name), ''These Foolish T ...

(born 1948), novelist and screenwriter *

Ellie Rowsell Ellie Rowsell (born Ellen Ciara Rowsell, 19 July 1992) is an English singer and musician from North London. She is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the Mercury Prize winning indie rock band Wolf Alice. She has a soprano voice. Early life Row ...

(born 1992), lead singer and guitarist in

Wolf Alice Wolf Alice are a Rock music, rock band from London. Formed in 2010 as an acoustic duo made up of singer Ellie Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie, Wolf Alice have also featured bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey since 2012. Wolf Alice playe ...

Anna Shaffer Anna Maureen Barth Shaffer (born 15 March 1992) is an English actress. She gained prominence through her roles as Romilda Vane#V, Romilda Vane in the Harry Potter (film series), ''Harry Potter'' films (2009–2011) and Ruby Button in the E4 (T ...

(born 1992), actress *

Marianne Stone Marianne Stone (23 August 1922 – 21 December 2009) was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone app ...

(1922–2009), actress, notably in ''

Carry On Carry On may refer to: Film * ''Carry On'' (film), a 1927 British silent film * ''Carry On'' (franchise), a British comedy media franchise *''Carry-On'', a 2024 American action thriller film Music Albums * ''Carry On'' (Chris Cornell album) * '' ...

'' films *

Cleo Sylvestre Cleopatra Mary Palmer (née Sylvestre; 19 April 1945 – 20 September 2024), known professionally as Cleo Sylvestre, was a British actress. She was the first black woman ever to play a leading role at the National Theatre in London, and the fir ...

(born 1945), actress, first black woman to play a lead at the National Theatre * E. G. R. Taylor (1871–1966), geographer and historian *

Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. Emma Thompson on screen and stage, Her work spans over four decades of screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Emma Thompson, her accola ...

(born 1959), actress *

Sophie Thompson Sophie Thompson (born 20 January 1962) is a British actress. She has worked in film, television and theatre and she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of ''Into the Woods''. She has been nominated for ...

(born 1962), actress *

Lowri Turner Lowri Gwyneth Turner is a British former fashion journalist and television presenter, who works as a private nutritional therapist and clinical hypnotherapist. Early life Turner was born in 1964 in London, to Welsh parents Mervyn and Shirley ...

(born 1964), presenter & journalist *

Arabella Weir Arabella Helen Weir (born 6 December 1957) is an American-born British comedian, actress and writer. She played roles in the comedy series ''The Fast Show'', ''Posh Nosh'' and ''Two Doors Down (TV series), Two Doors Down'', and has written sev ...

(born 1957), actress, comedian and author

Fictional pupils

Prudence Harbinger Prudence at Number 10 is a fictional diary wishing to be the private thoughts of Prudence Harbinger, former (United Kingdom) Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Director of Media Liaison, but actually written for publication in British newspaper ''The ...

, fictional character in ''

The Sunday Telegraph ''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, first published on 5 February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings. It is the sister paper of ''The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Tele ...

'', created by Laurence Marks and

Maurice Gran Maurice Bernard Gran (born 26 October 1949 in London, England) is an English writer and one half of scriptwriting duo Marks and Gran. He co-wrote the sitcoms '' The New Statesman'', '' Birds of a Feather'' and '' Goodnight Sweetheart'' with La ...

Notable former teachers

Carol Handley Carol Margaret Handley (née Taylor; 17 October 1929 – 21 June 2024) was a British educator who was headmistress of Camden School for Girls (1971–1985) and president of the Classical Association (1996–1997). Handley was later a classics ...

née Taylor - Classics teacher, Headmistress (1971-1985) Pat Easterling
"Handley, Eric Walter (1926–2013)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2017. * Annie E. Ridley - governor

References

External links

EduBase
{{DEFAULTSORT:Camden School For Girls 1871 establishments in England Camden Town Educational institutions established in 1871 Girls' schools in London Secondary schools in the London Borough of Camden Voluntary aided schools in London