Birkenhead High School

Infobox Secondary school

name = Birkenhead High School
motto =
established =
type = selective all-female Private school/secondary school GDST
affiliations = Private school
founder =
headmistress = Mrs Evans
enrolment =
grades = 7–11, and Sixth Form
colours = Black and White
campus =
city = Oxton
state = Wirral
County = Merseyside
country = England
website = http://www.gdst.net/birkenheadhigh/

Birkenhead High School is currently an independent academically selective private girls' school on the Wirral in the North West of England. The school is currently owned by the GDST (Girls' Day School Trust) based in London.

History

The High Schools Company opened Birkenhead High School for Girls in 1884 in a building on Village Road in Oxton, Birkenhead. In 1901 it was purchased by the Girls’ Public Day School Company (GPDSC). The school moved into 86 Devonshire Place in September 1905. In 1918 the school acquired 31 Devonshire Place to be the home of the junior school. During World War Two the girls were evacuated to Shrewsbury High School. [cite book
last =Magnus
first =Laurie
title =The Jubilee Book of the Girls' Public Day School Trust, 1873-1923
location =Cambridge
publisher =Cambridge University Press
date =1923
page =166-167 ] [cite book
last = Girls’ Public Day School Trust
title = The Girls’ Public Day School Trust 1872-1972
date =1972
page =33-36]

Academy Status

Parents of pupils at the school were informed in September 2007 that the school was to become an all-ability non-selective state-funded city academy with the GDST as the founding sponsor. It will no longer charge fees and abandon selection in September 2009. Unlike grammar and other selective schools, there will be no longer be selection based on ability but in replacement fair banding will be used to ensure intake of the full range of academic ability. The school's particular specialisms are planned to be Music and Mathematics. These plans were formally announced by Lord Adonis on Tuesday 2nd October 2007 in Bournemouth. [cite web
last = BBC News
title = Private school to become academy
publisher = BBC
date = 2 October 2007
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7023850.stm
accessdate = 2008-05-02] . In response to this decision to become a non-selective city academy and the consequent abandonment of the planned merger between the schools, the neighbouring Birkenhead School became fully co-educational in September 2008, stating that it had "the desire to play our role in providing a selective and independent choice for all children on Wirral, whether boys or girls". Subsequently it has commenced a £2m investment to support its co-educational future and deal with increased numbers. [cite web
last = Birkenhead School
title = Co-educational School
publisher = Birkenhead School
date = 2 May 2008
url = http://birkenheadschool.co.uk/news/coed.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-02]

Notable Alumnae

* Patricia Routledge, actress. [cite web
title = Patricia Routledge
publisher = British Musical Theatre
date =
url = http://www.musical-theatre.net/html/unsungheroines/patriciaroutledge.html
accessdate = 2008-04-29]
* Dame Frances Yates, historian. [cite encyclopedia
last = Trapp
first = J. B
title = Yates, Dame Frances Amelia (1899–1981)
encyclopedia = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
publisher = Oxford University Press
date = 2004
accessdate = 2008-04-29 ]
* Dame May Curwen, administrator. [cite encyclopedia
last = Hartley, Cathy
first = Leckey, Susan
title = Curwen, Dame May(1889–1973)
encyclopedia = A Historical Dictionary of British Women
publisher = Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group
date = 2003
accessdate = 2008-06-12 ]
* Dr Sheila Shribman, doctor, national clinical director for children. [cite web
first = Sheila
title = Shribman, Dr Sheila
publisher = National Health Service
url = http://hearing.screening.nhs.uk/getdata.php?id=4788&PHPSESSID=7e163593ec21eebb8617360bff247d3e
date =
accessdate = 2008-06-12 ]
* Jane Platt, chief executive, National Savings and Investments. [cite web
title = 'I learnt I could beat the boys'
publisher = BNET UK
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_199701/ai_n9643976
date =
accessdate = 2008-06-12 ]
* Nicola Horlick, fund manager [cite web
title = 'I learnt I could beat the boys'
publisher = BNET UK
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_199701/ai_n9643976
date = 1997
accessdate = 2008-06-12 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.gdst.net/birkenheadhigh/ School website]