St Leonards School is a

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

private boarding and

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children are given instruction during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compared to a regular s ...

for pupils aged 4–19 in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Founded in 1877 as St Andrews School for Girls Company, it adopted the St Leonards name upon moving to its current premises, the site formerly occupied by the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

’ St Leonard's College, in 1883. The school emerged from the St Andrews Ladies' Educational Association which was established in 1868. One of the school's founders was Lewis Campbell, chairman of the college council for many years and a

Classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

professor at St Andrews University who advocated for higher education for women. Consequently, from its earliest days, the college's senior students were encouraged to prepare to matriculate and enjoyed close links with various courses offered at the University of St Andrews; in 1892, the ''Fifeshire Journal'' asked its readers: "Who is to enjoy the proud distinction of being the first matriculated girl-student of St Andrews?" St Leonards remained an all-girls school until 1999, upon which it became fully

. As an IB World School, St Leonards offers the

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...

's Primary Years, Middle Years, Career-related and

Diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offi ...

programmes alongside the English-system

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 ...

/ IGCSE. It is one of only two schools in Scotland to teach an IB curriculum throughout.

History

The school was established in 1877 by the St Andrews School for Girls Company whose

Articles of Association In corporate governance, a company's articles of association (AoA, called articles of incorporation in some jurisdictions) is a document that, along with the memorandum of association (where applicable), forms the company's constitution. The ...

were drawn up on the lines of Bristol's

Clifton College Clifton College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in the city of Bristol in South West England, founded in 1862 and offering both boarding school, boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18. In its early years, unlike mo ...

, the public school for boys. The school's administrative and commercial ventures utilised the company's name until at least 1894. Madeline Daniell, the educationalist and campaigner for women's right to higher education, was one of two founding secretaries of the Company. Dame Louisa Lumsden was appointed the School's first Headmistress in 1877. The belief of the school was that "a girl should receive an education that is as good as her brother's, if not better" and Lumsden was "determined to establish a veritable Eton for girls". Although her role as principal ended in 1882, her connection to the school remained strong for "forty-five years": During her time as a member of staff of the University of St Andrews' University Hall and in the years after, "Miss Lumsden returned many times to St Leonards to give lectures". The school was, until 1894, operating primarily as a senior school, the

junior school A junior school is a type of school which provides primary education to children, often in the age range from 8 and 13, following attendance at an infant school, which covers the age range 5–7. Since both infant and junior schools provide pri ...

remaining informally structured until after that date. In 1884, ground was feued ranted from the

to the school which had also commenced the lease of a field from the university for recreational use. In 1894, Old Tom Morris laid out a 9 hole

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

for the girls at St Leonards. To ensure that the teaching of

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

to the girls at the school was rigorous, in 1885, Dame Frances Dove, the principal, employed Thomas Purdie, Professor of Chemistry at St Andrews University as an external examiner for the school's senior students. From its earliest decades, the school's

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 ...

ers "had the pleasure of attending lectures" in various subjects including

Political Economy Political or comparative economy is a branch of political science and economics studying economic systems (e.g. Marketplace, markets and national economies) and their governance by political systems (e.g. law, institutions, and government). Wi ...

and

Music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

at the University of St Andrews whilst others attended the university's Gifford Lectures. In 1999, St Leonards Sixth Form and St Katharines Prep School opened their doors to boys for the first time; the school soon became completely co-educational.

St Katharines and St Leonards-New Park

St Katharines School was the original prep school of St Leonards. It was established in 1894 "in connection with and under the same council as St Leonards School". It made full use of St Leonard's campus and facilities while retaining a degree of autonomy. In March 2002 it was announced that the prep school would be relocated to the main building and renamed St Leonards Junior and Middle Schools. Following a further announcement in March 2005, St Leonards Junior and Middle schools merged with New Park School, also located in St Andrews, operating as one unit under the name St Leonards-New Park. In June 2011 it was announced that the Junior School would be known in future as St Leonards Junior School. At the same time, work commenced on a £2.5m redevelopment of the junior school. Today, St Leonards is an all-through, coeducational school, from Year 1 through to Year 13.

Lacrosse

The school is believed to be the first place in the world to have played

women's lacrosse Women's lacrosse (or girls' lacrosse), sometimes shortened to lax, is a field sport played at the international level with two opposing teams of ten players each (12 players per team at the U.S. domestic level). Originally played by indigenous ...

after it was introduced by Louisa Lumsden in 1890.

St Leonard's Chapel

Situated in the grounds of the school is St Leonard's Chapel, owned by the University of St Andrews. Regulations outlined by the University of St Andrews stipulate that "funerals for both

alumni Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

of the university and members or former members of St Leonards School may take place in the university's St Leonard's Chapel". Weekly Compline takes place in the chapel at 10pm on Thursday nights during the University term.

Academics

At St Leonards, year groups are named following the system used in England and Wales (Year 1 to Year 13). Years 1–7 form the

Junior School A junior school is a type of school which provides primary education to children, often in the age range from 8 and 13, following attendance at an infant school, which covers the age range 5–7. Since both infant and junior schools provide pri ...

, Years 8–11 the Senior School and Years 12–13 the

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 ...

. The IB's Primary Years Programme (PYP) is taught from Years 1–6, while the IB's Middle Years Programme (MYP) is introduced in Year 7 and continues through Year 9. Therefore, the MYP overlaps across the Junior and Senior years. In Year 10, pupils begin a two-year course in preparation for their

/ IGCSE exams at the end of Year 11. Students are given a degree of choice as to which subjects they take, however a number remain compulsory: English, Maths, Science and a foreign language. As an alternative to the above for pupils who join the school in Year 11, St Leonards offers a one-year Pre-IB course. These students sit IGCSE exams only. In Years 12–13, St Leonards pupils may undertake one of two programmes: the

IB Diploma Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry int ...

(DP) or the IB Career-related Programme (CP). A large majority choose the DP, with the latter being available for those who would prefer a more vocational qualification. Academic study is still very present for CP students alongside the practical aspect, as this programme incorporates at least two DP courses. The average IB Diploma points score for St Leonards pupils from 2015 to 2019 is 33/45, compared to a global average of 29/45 points for the same period. St Leonards has been recognised as the "Top Independent Secondary School Sixth Form in Scotland for IB/A Level Results" in 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 2019, St Leonards was named "Top Independent Secondary School in Scotland" by The Sunday Times Parent Power guide. Almost all St Leonards graduates go on to university. Approximately one third of the graduating class studies in Scotland, one third studies elsewhere in the United Kingdom and the remaining third studies overseas.

Headmistresses and headmasters

For the first 124 years, (when the school was an all-girls school) the Head of St Leonards was always a woman. The first Headmaster was appointed in 2003. * 1877–1882: Dame Louisa Lumsden * 1882–1896: Dame Frances Dove * 1896–1907: Julia Mary Grant * 1907–1921: Mary Bentinck-Smith * 1922–1938: Katharine Howard McCutcheon * 1938–1955: Janet A. Macfarlane * 1956–1970: Janet S. A. Macaulay * 1970–1987: Martha Hamilton (Mrs R Steedman) * 1988–2000: Mary James * 2001–2003: Wendy Bellars * 2003–2008: Robert A. J. Tims * 2008 – April 2021: Michael Carslaw *April 2021 – August 2021: Dawn Pemberton-Hislop (Acting Headmistress) *From August 2021: Simon Brian

Fees

School fees at St Leonards for the 2020–2021 academic year ranged from £9,552 to £15,474 for day pupils and £24,651 to £37,452 for boarders. These fees include tuition, lodging for boarders, meals (lunch for day pupils, full-board for boarders) as well some textbooks and the majority of extra-curricular activities. However, there are some additional extras not included and charged at a supplementary rate. The school does offer financial assistance to a limited number of Senior and Sixth Form pupils who demonstrate sufficient financial need – covering up to 100% of fees. While St Leonards does award scholarships to pupils who've demonstrated excellence in a variety of fields, the scholarship is based on merit and does not result in a reduction of fees.

Notable alumni

Former St Leonards pupils are known as St Leonards Seniors. St Leonards organises various reunions and events for Seniors in St Andrews and select cities around the world, while also providing online networking tools. * Betty Archdale – early barrister; pioneer of women's education in Australia * Helen Archdale –

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

, suffragist and journalist * Elspeth Barker – author of "O, Caledonia!", formerly married to

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

George Barker * Wilhelmina Barns-Graham – leading abstract painter, based in St Ives,

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

* Susan MacTaivsh Best -

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

host * Hilda Bruce – zoologist, discoverer of the

Bruce effect The Bruce effect, or pregnancy block, is the tendency for female rodents to terminate their pregnancies following exposure to the scent of an unfamiliar male. The effect was first noted in 1959 by Hilda M. Bruce, and has primarily been studied ...

* Agnata Butler (née Ramsay) – classicist, among the first generation of women to take the

Classical Tripos The Classical Tripos is the taught course in classics at the Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge. It is equivalent to '' Literae Humaniores'' at Oxford University. It is traditionally a three-year degree, but for those who have not previ ...

examinations 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 ...

* Hazel Byford, Baroness Byford DBE – Shadow Minister for Food and Rural Affairs * Jean Hunter Cowan – artist * Jackie Forster (Jacqueline Moir Mackenzie) –

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, TV personality,

and

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

campaigner * Louisa Garrett Anderson – medical pioneer, social reformer, suffragist * Fiona Gaunt – television actor, mother of Genevieve Gaunt * Elizabeth Girling –

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

veteran, political activist and charity campaigner * Kitty McKane Godfree –

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

Ladies' Singles Champion, 1924 and 1926 * Margaret Haig Thomas (Lady Rhondda) – founder of political magazine '' Time and Tide'' * Betty Harvie Anderson (Baroness Skrimshire) –

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

and peer * Anji Hunter – former Director of Government Relations,

10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street in London is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister of the United Kingdom. Colloquially known as Number 10, the building is located in Downing Street, off Whitehall in th ...

* Christina Keith (1889–1963) – academic and author * Kristin Linklater –

vocal coach A vocal coach, also known as a voice coach (though this term often applies to those working with speech and communication rather than singing), is a music teacher, usually a piano accompanist, who helps singers prepare for a performance, often al ...

to many well-known

actors An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, based at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

* Anne Macaulay (née Russell) –

musicologist Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic si ...

and

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

* Chrystal Macmillan –

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

and

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...

* Catherine Marshall – suffragist and

* Elizabeth Mavor – writer * Anna McElligott – musician * Max McElligott – lead singer of Wolf Gang * Kathleen Ollerenshaw DBE – mathematician and educationalist * Tessa Ransford – founder of the Scottish Poetry Library * Louise Robey – actress, singer, model * Sally Shaw, professor of sport managements in New Zealand * Rosabelle Sinclair – honoured in U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame,

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

* Dr. Alice Stewart (née Naish) – pioneering

epidemiologist Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population, and application of this knowledge to prevent diseases. It is a cornerstone ...

* Josephine Stewart Leading sports person, early Lacrosse and lifer at St Leonards * Stella Tennant – supermodel * Penny Thomson – film producer and former Director of

Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), established in 1947, is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all titles are World, international, European or UK Premieres), in al ...

* Fiona Watson – UN official killed in the Canal Hotel bombing,

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

* Audrey Withers – editor of '' Vogue'' from 1940 to 1960 * Eleanor Acland - British

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

politician, suffragist, and novelist.

References

External links

* *

Education Scotland Education Scotland () is an Executive agencies of the Scottish Government, executive agency of the Scottish Government, tasked with improving the quality of the country's Scottish education system, education system. Education Scotland is respon ...

St Leonards School
* Good Schools Guide
St Leonards School
* Tatler Schools Guide
St Leonards School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Leonards School Boarding schools in Fife Charities based in Scotland Education in St Andrews Educational institutions established in 1877 Private schools in Fife International Baccalaureate schools in Scotland Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference Primary schools in Fife Secondary schools in Fife Women's lacrosse 1877 establishments in Scotland