Perse School for Girls

The Perse School for Girls

Perse Girls
Established	1881
Type	Independent school
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Church of England
Headmistress	P M Kelleher
Students	circa 700
Location	Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England
Colours	Blue
Website	www.perse.cambs.sch.uk

The Perse School for Girls is an independent, fee-paying day school for girls aged 7–18 and boys aged 16 – 18 situated near the centre of Cambridge, England.

The Perse Girls', as it is known, has a strong reputation for academic excellence (see GCSE results 2004) ^[1]

History

The Perse School for Girls was founded in 1881 by Miss Street and one of the six houses is named after her, and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2006. The name of Dr Stephen Perse, a fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (who died in the 1600s) is associated with the school. The other five school houses are Cattley, Clark, Kennett, Pollock, and Rose, with the aforementioned Street. Each has its own colour - respectively, royal blue, yellow, red, white, green and light blue.

Curriculum

There is a large range of opportunities for learning at Perse Girls. Students learn French and Spanish from year 4, and can choose to learn German, Italian or Russian from year 8. For GCSE, there are many options available. Students are expected to take either 10 or 11 GCSEs and can choose to take GCSEs in History, Geography, Religious Education, German, Italian, Russian, Art, Drama, Design and Technology, Music, Latin, and Greek, and take an ECDL in ICT. Students also take a common core of seven subjects which are Mathematics, English Language, English Literature, French or Spanish, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Physical Education and RE continue as non-examination courses. PE is available to take as a GCSE in year 11.

Site

The school site occupies a city "block", three sides bordered by residential streets and the fourth by the University of Cambridge Department of Chemistry. The school recently redeveloped the school hall, dining room and library.

The Perse Girls Junior School (7-11) occupies a site close to the main secondary school.

In September 2008, the school established the co-educational Stephen Perse Sixth Form college in Shaftesbury Road, which offers the International Baccalaureate as well as A levels.

Students and Facilities

There are currently approximately 730 students, with 140 in the Junior School and 110 in the Sixth Form. There are four classes in years 7, 8, 10 and 11, but 5 classes in year 9. There are two classes in years 3 to 5, with 3 classes in year 6. The site includes a brand new dining room, hall, library, visual arts centre and a new sick bay, with renovations in other classrooms. All classrooms contain interactive whiteboards. There is a class 3 listed gymnasium on site too, as well as four ICT rooms which are available to use before school, at lunch time and after school. The school has just had an inspection and has had outstanding reports back.

The school also contains a fenland nature reserve, astroturf playing fields and a pavilion.

The Student forum offers students the chance for their views to be heard. The student forum meets one every half term to discuss issues that are affecting the lives of the students. This enables the school to know what issues the students want addressed.

Extracurricular activities

The Perse School for Girls holds the British Council International School Award in recognition of the work the school undertakes with schools in Finland, Hungary, Portugal, Italy, France, Russia, Spain, Germany and Japan.

Several Perse Girls teams compete regionally in hockey, rounders, netball and tennis and several students compete at National level in their chosen sports. In 2002, the school's equestrian team won the National Show Jumping Competition at Hickstead.

Music is also an important part of the school. Individual instrumental teaching is available on a range of instruments and concerts throughout the year are held, sometimes in the University of Cambridge's West Road Concert Hall. A special service and evensong for the school's 125th birthday was held in King's College Chapel. There is a range of orchestras and bands for students to join, which perform in concerts regularly throughout the year.

As well as normal sports such as hockey and netball, there are opportunities to be instructed in rowing, judo, cricket, football, gymnastics, badminton and volleyball.

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (January 2008)

Ronald Searle has suggested that the Perse School for Girls was an inspiration for his St. Trinian's novels, alongside the Cambridge High School which is no longer in existence.

Famous beauty and style icon Jessica Stewart is said to have gone to Perse Girls as a young woman.

Notable alumnae

• Margery Allingham (1904-1966), writer
• Anne Atkins, novelist, broadcaster and journalist
• Vicki Butler-Henderson (b. 1972), racing driver and TV presenter
• Stephanie Cook (b. 1972), modern pentathlete, 2000 Olympic gold medallist
• Christine Hamill (1923-1956), mathematician
• Sharon Hunt (b. 1977), equestrian and 2008 Olympic medal-winner
• Bridget Kendall (b. 1956), BBC diplomatic correspondent ^[2]
• Nicola Lindsay, novelist, broadcaster and actor
• E. Jennifer Monaghan, reading educator and historian of literary education
• Philippa Pearce (1920-2006), children's author^[3]
• Jean Rhys (1890-1979), writer
• Angela Rumbold (b. 1932), politician
• Rosalind Runcie, pianist and wife of the Archbishop of Canterbury
• Phyllis Starkey (b. 1947), MP, biomedical researcher
• Meriol Trevor (1919-2000), writer
• Kathleen Haddon, writer
• Catasha Kin, writer and editor, Erotic Review

See also

• Perse School

References

External links

• The Perse School for Girls — official website

Coordinates: 52°11′49″N 0°7′33″E / 52.19694°N 0.12583°E / 52.19694; 0.12583