Ladies' College

Infobox UK school
name = Ladies' College
type = Selective
gender = Girls
head_label = Headmistress
head = Mrs Jo Riches
colours = Green and white
established = 1872
street = Les Gravees
city = St Peter Port
county = Guernsey
website = http://web.ladiescollege.sch.gg
website_name = web.ladiescollege.sch.gg
houses = Brock, Carey, Durand and de Sausmarez
publication = Ilex

Ladies' College is a private single sex secondary school in Guernsey, Channel Islands. Despite catering solely for girls in the early years, in the sixth form lessons are shared with the school's boys' counterpart Elizabeth College, with the girls and boys being given a small window of time between lessons to walk to the respective school. This arrangement was begun in 1999 and has functioned continuously since. The school has a high reputation for their high standard of academic as well as sporting achievements.

As an independent school, the majority of pupils are fee-paying; however the States of Guernsey awards scholarships annually on the basis of eleven plus results. Students of Melrose, the primary school section of Ladies' College, are not permitted to take the eleven plus, and therefore must be fee-paying students if they are to attend the college.

The admissions department has recently installed a new system whereby children from states schools can also apply.

History

The Ladies' College was founded in 1872 to provide an academic education based on Christian principles for girls in Guernsey. An early example of the pioneering movement in women’s education, it drew much of its inspiration from Cheltenham Ladies' College. The College values its links with the past and preserves traditions such as that of wearing red carnations on Speech Day - a custom that dates from 1904. The vision of our founders still meets the needs of young women in the modem world. We seek to uphold the academic aspirations and the qualities of leadership, enterprise, perseverance and social responsibility that are our inheritance.

For over 125 years the Ladies' College has played a leading role in the education of girls in Guernsey. The College rapidly outgrew its first home and, for 85 years, occupied buildings in the Grange, St Peter Port, which now house the Island's Education Department offices. From 1907 onwards a number of places have been reserved each year for state-funded pupils and demand for places at the College has continued to rise.

In 1949, the Island's Government, The States of Deliberation made Melrose House available for the Infant and Junior classes in order to create more space at the College for senior pupils. In 1962, the Ladies' College was re-constituted as a grant-aided school. The old school buildings were handed over to the Education Council and the States built a new school for the Senior College in the grounds of Melrose House and took responsibility for the future capital development of the Ladies' College. Since 1962, the College has operated as an autonomous grant-aided school under the supervision of its own Board of Governors and the Education Council. The unique status of the Ladies' College draws from both the independent and the maintained traditions of English education and hopes to exemplify the best of both.

Houses

There are four school houses. Brock, Carey, Durand and de Sausmarez, commemorating the names of families who have been benefactors to the College and distinguished in their service to the Island. From the beginning of Year 3 in the Junior Department, all girls are members of a House and daughters of former Ladies' College pupils are normally placed in the same House as their mothers were. Leadership in the Houses comes largely from the senior girls who are elected to the offices of House Secretary, Captain and Treasurer. The Houses are responsible for raising money for charity, organising team sports and other House competitions throughout the year. House points are accumulated or lost by individual members of each House and the Cock House Trophy, awarded at the end of the academic year, is a tribute to the efforts that all the girls in the House have made according to their talents and abilities.

Each House has an emblem; a shell for Brock, a swan for Carey, an eagle for de Sausmarez and a lion with a crown for Durand. In addition, the Houses are identified by four colours; red for Brock, white for Carey, blue for de Sausmarez and green for Durand.

Uniform

Uniform is simple and the girls are encouraged to look neat and tidy. There are different styles of uniform for Melrose, the Senior School and the Sixth Form but the school blazer is worn by students of all ages and provides a common identity for all College students.

Admissions

In Year 7, the College admits up to 72 pupils. Approximately one third are from Melrose one third are Special Place Holders, selected by means of the 11+ for a States-funded place, and one third are additional fee-payers. From Year 7 to Year 9 all girls follow the National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 and, in addition, are introduced to Latin and German. A weekly programme of Personal, Social and Health Education, and from Year 9, Careers Guidance completes the curriculum. In Years 10 and 11 nearly all girls study ten GCSEs. Science is taught as three separate subjects and is compulsory, as are English, English Literature, Mathematics, French and from 2008, ICT. There is a wide choice of optional subjects.

References

*