Channing School
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Channing School is an independent day school for girls at Highgate Hill in
Highgate Highgate is a suburban area of N postcode area, north London in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden, London Borough of Islington, Islington and London Borough of Haringey, Haringey. The area is at the north-eastern corner ...
,
North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames and the City of London. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshi ...
. Channing School is a member of the
Girls' Schools Association The Girls' Schools Association (GSA) is a membership association for the heads of independent and state girls' schools in the United Kingdom. It is a constituent member of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), and works with the Association ...
. The junior school is for pupils aged four to twelve and includes the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), in April 2015, awarded Channing School the highest possible judgements in each category inspected, saying 'The quality of the pupils' achievements and learning is exceptional'. The ''
Good Schools Guide ''The Good Schools Guide'' is a guide to British schools, both state and private. The guide's contributors are predominantly parents, but include researchers and former headteachers. It uses a conversational tone. Selection of schools is made ...
'' called the school "A sheltered, isolated school in a beautiful setting, less pressured than many London girls' schools but still getting excellent results and producing self-assured young women."


History

Channing School, originally called Channing House, first opened in 1885 in Sutherland House under the Revd. Robert Spears and was endowed by the Misses Matilda and Emily Sharpe, the daughters of
Samuel Sharpe Samuel Sharpe, or Sharp (1801 – 23 May 1832), also known as Sam Sharpe, was an enslaved Jamaican who was the leader of the widespread 1831–32 Baptist War slave rebellion (also known as the Christmas Rebellion) in Jamaica. He was procla ...
, primarily for the daughters of Unitarian ministers, and named after
William Ellery Channing William Ellery Channing (April 7, 1780 – October 2, 1842) was the foremost Unitarianism, Unitarian preacher in the United States in the early nineteenth century and, along with Andrews Norton (1786–1853), one of Unitarianism's leading theolo ...
. Robert Spears later became the first minister of Highgate Unitarian Church. There was assistance for six pupils by private benefactions. After a year, numbers had risen to about 90 pupils and by 1925 to about 125. Ivy House, higher up the hill, was leased for dormitories and offices in 1885. In the same year the school also leased the
semi-detached A semi-detached house (often abbreviated to semi) is a single-family Duplex (building), duplex dwelling that shares one common party wall, wall with its neighbour. The name distinguishes this style of construction from detached houses, with no sh ...
West View, immediately below Sutherland House and extended the frontage of both in 1887. In 1901 West View was bought, the other half of the semi-detached property, Slingley, was bought in 1921. This was done under the authority of Robert Mortimer Montgomery, who had been a Governor of the school since 1906, and became its chairman in December 1920.Walter H. Burgess, Unitarian Historical Society, ''Transactions of the Unitarian Historical Society'' (1949), Vol. 16–17, p. 154-155. The neighbouring building, Hampden House was acquired in 1925 and in 1930 the adjacent Arundel House; these two forming another pair of semi-detached houses. Fairseat, leased with two acres of land, was used from 1926. A hall was opened in 1927 and from 1931 the school became known simply as Channing School. Channing was badly damaged by a
parachute mine A parachute mine is a naval mine dropped from an aircraft by parachute. They were mostly used in the Second World War by the Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. During the War, Montgomery oversaw the temporary relocation of the school and its pupils to the West Country, his last major effort before resigning from the chairmanship in 1944. Haigh House was built in 1954 to replace the damaged and bombed out buildings. In 1943 a Junior School opened at 12 Southwood Lane which was sold in 1955 when the junior school moved to Fairseat. There were 250 girls in 1950 and 390 in 1975.


Buildings

The Junior School (also known as Fairseat) was the home of
Sir Sydney Waterlow, 1st Baronet Sir Sydney Hedley Waterlow, 1st Baronet, (1 November 1822 – 3 August 1906) was a British philanthropist and Liberal Party politician, principally remembered for donating Waterlow Park to the public as "a garden for the gardenless". Life He ...
, who donated the park next door to the public after he died. There is a statue of him on the highest point in the park (just behind Fairseat's Tennis Courts) which shows him holding a key which is said to be the key to the park which he is offering to the public. The Senior School has four buildings: Brunner House, Haigh House, Founders Hall and a complex completed in 2015 housing a Sixth Form Centre and a Sports Hall, with Fitness Suite. Founders Hall, once the Old Hall, was re-opened in February 2008 after renovations split the hall into two floors to extend the Sixth Form Centre. In 2014 Founders' Hall was renovated again to house a Music School with soundproofed practice rooms, a studio and teaching rooms. An upper floor was added to Brunner House in 2003, and constitutes staff offices and classrooms which double as the form rooms of year groups 7 to 9. Haigh House has the Science department, Art department, Mathematics department, ICT department, and dark room. The Mathematics department takes the place of the old dormitories, as the school was once a boarding school. A performing arts centre that seats 300 was completed in 2017.


Grounds

Channing Junior School's (Fairseat) Grounds are part of Sir Sydney Waterlow's park. In 2018 a large veteran Cedar of Lebanon had to be chopped down because it was infected with a fungus. Channing also has a cottage (It is called ' the Fairseat Cottage'), chicken coop, adventure playground and tennis courts. The School also owns a large expanse of grass on Stanhope Road where summer sports are played and the Channing Fireworks are held.


Notable alumni

* Susie Boyt, journalist and author * Elsie Chamberlain,
Congregational Church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...
minister and radio broadcaster *
Caroline Cox, Baroness Cox Caroline Anne Cox, Baroness Cox, (born Caroline Anne McNeill Love; born 6 July 1937) is a cross-bench member of the British House of Lords. She is also the founder of an organisation called Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART). Cox was create ...
, businesswoman and politician *
Carly Fiorina Cara Carleton "Carly" Fiorina (; ; born September 6, 1954) is an American businesswoman and politician, known primarily for her tenure as chief executive officer (CEO) of Hewlett-Packard (HP) from 1999 to 2005. Fiorina was the first woman to le ...
, businesswoman and politician *
Hatty Jones ''Madeline'' is a 1998 family comedy film adaptation of the children's book series and animated television series of the same name. The film starred newcomer Hatty Jones as the titular character with Frances McDormand and Nigel Hawthorne in suppor ...
, lead actress in ''Madeline'' (1998) * Kathleen Lloyd Jones, garden designer * Valerie Leon, actress and model * Rona MacKie, dermatologist * Catherine Neill, pediatric cardiologist * Kathryn Parsons, tech entrepreneur * Catherine Pickstock, philosophical theologian *
Fanny Rowe Frances Mabel Morton (née Rowe, 26 June 1913 – 31 July 1988) was an English stage, film and television actress. Early years Rowe was born in Preston, Lancashire, the daughter of a parson, and educated at Channing School For Girls in Hig ...
, actress * Princess Sarvath El Hassan, Jordanian royal * Margaret Stanley-Wrench, poet *
Victoria Starmer Victoria, Lady Starmer (; born 1973 or 1974), is a British occupational health administrator and former solicitor. She is the wife of Keir Starmer, who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour P ...
, wife of Prime Minister
Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He previously ...
and former solicitor Among notable staff, physicist Gladys Mackenzie taught at the school before her academic career.


Pastoral care

Girls are placed in four houses: * Sharpe- Named after Channing's co-founders, Emily and Matilda Sharpe. * Spears- Named after the Rev. Robert Spears – co-founder of Channing * Waterlow- Named after Sir Sydney Waterlow Bt, a philanthropist and politician, remembered for donating Waterlow Park in Highgate to the public as a “garden for the garden less”. His former house, Fairseat, is now the home of the Junior School. * Goodwin- Named after a prominent Highgate family. Girls participate in activities within these groups including Sports Competitions.


References


External links


School Website


{{authority control Private girls' schools in London Educational institutions established in 1885 Member schools of the Girls' Schools Association Private schools in the London Borough of Haringey 1885 establishments in England