Sarah Allen Olney (12 May 1842 – 10 September 1915) was a

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headmistress. She was the founding head at two schools. She was first head of

Blackheath High School Blackheath High School is a private day school for girls in Blackheath Village in southeast London, England. It was founded in 1880 as part of the Girls' Day School Trust; the Senior School occupied a purpose-built site in Wemyss Road for ov ...

and she left there to join with her sister, Rebecca Olney, to create "The Eves".

Life

Olney was born in

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. She was one of at least six children. Her parents were Jane Ann (born Carpenter) and Henry Allen Olney. Her father was a solicitor and her mother owned a private school in the west of England. She had a talent for languages which was assisted by her European travels. When she was back in Britain she passed the

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's higher local examinations and the external LLA examination. Blackheath High School Wemyss Rd in 1896

Her sister Rebecca was employed as a headmistress at

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by the Girls' Public Day School Company (GPDSC) and in 1879 they employed Sarah as her assistant head teacher. When the GPDSC opened another school in Blackheath in 1880 Sarah was appointed as head of that school. She joined other GPDSC notable head teachers Mary Alger, Harriet Morant Jones, Dorinda Neligan and Ada Benson. Her school opened with just under 70 pupils and in the next six years the school's role increased to over 250. Sarah, Rebecca (sometimes called Rita) and the GPDSC were allowing girls to receive a good education. The Olneys were amongst the thousands who signed their support for women's suffrage when parliament was petitioned in 1885. In 1886 Sarah and Rebecca decided to start a more exclusive school which they named "The Elms". Sarah was replaced as head by Florence Gadesden. It was based in Hampstead and Sarah was the head teacher. The school attracted pupils from the nearby GPDSC school which "burnt their bridges" with their previous employers. In 1889 the school had a short move to

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as two years later the school with its day and boarding students moved to a new building on Crossfield Road "the Hall". In 1894 she reported to the Bryce Commission who were a looking at education. She spoke on behalf of the Private Schools Association about the advantages of private enterprise who kelp education innovative and competitive. She feared that national education would lead to falling standards. She did note that well to do parents were not keen on their daughters taking exams, but she entered them for exams as they were important. In 1905 the Olneys school was sold to the Revd. D. H. Marshall, who moved his school there, renaming it the Hall school, and continued the girls' school at Buckland Crescent. The Olney sisters retired together. Olney died in

Ormea Ormea is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southeast of Cuneo. Ormea borders the following municipalities: Alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" ...

in Italy in 1915.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olney, Sarah Allen 1842 births 1915 deaths People from Saltash Heads of schools in London