1. History

2. The School
    School nomenclature  Admission to the School  Academic achievement  St Catherine Parents’ Guild 

3. Headmistresses

4. Old Girls

5. References

6. Publications

7. External links

Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls is an independent day school in Elstree, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as "Habs" (or "Habs Girls" to distinguish it from the neighbouring Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School). The school was founded in 1875 by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London.

History

In 1690, Robert Aske gave the Haberdashers Company £20,000 to set up a hospital and home for 20 elderly men and a school for 20 boys at Hoxton, just north of the City of London. The school came decidedly second to the home for elderly men. There were no new boys between 1714 and 1739 because the foundation was short of funds. The Hospital was rebuilt during 1824–26 and the foundation was reorganised in 1873 when four schools were established: two at Hoxton, and two at Hatcham, New Cross in south-east London. Boys and girls were taught separately at each site. All four schools opened in 1875, the Hoxton schools offered a basic English education and the Hatcham schools covered a wider syllabus. In 1891, Hatcham girls moved to new premises half a mile away, while Hatcham boys took over the girls’ buildings.

Early in the 20th century, new sites for the Hoxton schools were purchased in Cricklewood (always referred to as Hampstead) for the Boys and Acton for the Girls. Both these schools became Direct Grant in 1946 and then fully independent, day, fee-paying schools in 1976. The need for expansion saw the Boys’ School move again to Elstree, Hertfordshire in 1961, followed by the Girls in 1974.^[1]

The previous site of the girls' school, in Acton, became the Japanese School in London.^[2]

The School

School nomenclature

The Senior School is divided into the Middle School and Upper School. In the Middle School, the years are known as Lower 4, Upper 4 and Lower 5 corresponding to years 7, 8 and 9. In the Upper School, years 10 and 11 are known as Middle 5 and Upper 5. There are usually 5 forms in each senior year group. They are identified by variants of the letter A in different alphabets, including A, Æ|Aesc, Aleph, Alpha and Aske after Robert Aske.

The sixth form years (years 12 and 13) are known as Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth. There are usually 8 or 9 forms in each year of approximately 12 pupils in each form.

Admission to the School

Admission to the school is famously competitive. The school provides financial assistance with fees; the majority of support available from the Haberdashers' Aske's Charity helps those in most need. A number of scholarships are also awarded for academic or musical excellence.

Academic achievement

97% of girls achieve grades A* to B at A Level,^[3] and over 99% achieve A* - B at GCSE.^[3]

St Catherine Parents’ Guild

The Guild, of which all parents at the school are automatically members, is a link between parents and school. The Guild was formed in December 1979, by Headmistress, Mrs Sheila Wiltshire. The Guild Committee is made up of parents and staff representatives. Appointments to the Committee are made by the Headmistress. Form representatives liaise between the Guild Committee and the main body of parents.

Headmistresses

The current headmistress is Biddie O'Connor, MA who returned to the school in September 2011. O'Connor was a deputy head at the school between 1998 and 2002.

• 2005 – 2011 Elizabeth Radice, MA
• 1991 – 2005 Penelope Penney, BA
• 1974 – 1991 Sheila Wiltshire, OBE, BSc
• 1969 – 1973 Jessie Gillett, BA
• 1944 – 1968 Eileen Harold, MA
• 1920 – 1943 Dorothy Sprules, MA
• 1904 – 1919 Margaret Gilliland, MA
• 1888 – 1903 Edith Millar
• 1875 – 1888 Elizabeth Powell

Old Girls

Former pupils are referred to as Old Girls. Their alumni association is called Haberdashers' Aske's Old Girls' Club (HAOGC) which was created on 6 May 1904 by Headmistress, Miss Margaret Gilliland. In 2014, they celebrated their 110th anniversary at St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Notable Old Girls:

• Laura Aikman, actress (Class of 2004)
• Emily Arbuthnott, tennis player (Class of 2016)
• Elizabeth Ashley, first female Medical Officer to qualify to serve on HM submarines (Class of 2004)^[4]
• Linda Bennett OBE, fashion designer and entrepreneur (Class of 1981)
• Margaret Bent, musicologist (Class of 1959)
• Luciana Berger, Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree (Class of 1999)
• Bidisha, arts critic, broadcaster and author (Class of 1996)
• Florence Birchenough, member of the first female Olympic team (1894-1973) (Class of 1911)^[5]
• [https://www.lynneshelby.com/ Lynne Bispham], author (Class of 1976)
• Margery Blackie, homeopath to Queen Elizabeth II (1898-1981) (Class of 1916)^[6]
• Philippa Boardman MBE, one of the first female ordained priests (Class of 1981)^[7]
• Frances Bourne, mezzo-soprano (Class of 1993)
• Hilda Buckmaster, politician and naval officer (1897-1993) (Class of 1916)
• Nica Burns OBE, theatre producer (Class of 1973)
• Linda Cardozo OBE, Professor of urogynaecology (Class of 1969)
• Veronica Castang, actress (1938-1988) (Class of 1956)
• Julie Chakraverty, youngest female director of a FTSE-100 company in 2013^[8] (Class of 1989)
• Mary Coules, one of the first female journalists, Reuters (1985-1957) (Class of 1912)^[9]
• Barbara Craig, archaeologist and classicist (1915-2005) (Class of 1933)
• Claire Dalby, botanical artist (Class of 1963)^[10]
• Amanda Davies, CNN Sportscaster (Junior School)
• Sophie Deen, children’s author (Class of 2001)
• Muriel Dodwell, one of the first women actuaries (1894-1953) (Class of 1914)^[11]
• Vanessa Feltz, TV personality and radio broadcaster (Class of 1979)
• [https://www.gov.uk/government/people/tamara-finkelstein Tamara Finkelstein], senior civil servant, Department of Health (Class of 1985)
• Francesca Fraser, finalist in BBC Young Musician of the Year 1986 (recorder)^[12] (1972-2008) (Class of 1990)
• Charlotte Green, radio broadcaster (Class of 1974)
• Olivia Hajioff, violinist (Class of 1990)
• Michele Hanson, Guardian journalist and author (1942-2018) (Class of 1961)^[13]
• Mary Hocking, author (1921-2014) (Class of 1939)^[14]
• Vera Houghton CBE, campaigner (1914-2013) (Class of 1931)
• Shelina Zahra Janmohamed, author (Class of 1992)
• Mabel Lethbridge, writer and the youngest person to be awarded an O.B.E. for her services in the Great War (Class of 1914)
• Karen Liebreich MBE, author, historian and gardener (Class of 1978)
• Mabel Lister, one of the first female racing drivers (1895-1959) (Class of 1912)^[15][16]
• Dominique Lloyd-Walter, squash player (Class of 1999)
• Melissa Nathan, journalist and author (1968-2006) (Class of 1986)
• Mary Norwak, cookery writer (1929-2010) (Class of 1941)^[17][18]
• Ann Oakley, author and academic (Class of 1962)
• Talulah Riley, actress (Class of 2004)
• Caroline Ryder, writer (Class of 1995)
• Ritula Shah, journalist and radio presenter (Class of 1985)
• Gaurika Singh, youngest competitor at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who represented Nepal in swimming. She won her heat in the Women's 100m backstroke event.
• Daphne Slater, actress (1928-2012) (Class of 1944)
• Eloise Smith, fencer at 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney (Class of 1995)

References

Publications

• HR Dulley, The Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls: The First 125 Years (2000). Published by Gresham Books Limited. {{ISBN|0-946095-40-X}}

External links

• http://www.habsgirls.org.uk/
• http://www.haberdashers.co.uk/index.php?p=schoolsElstree

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