Ricards Lodge High School - A Brief History

A Brief History

The Wimbledon day commercial school for girls opened in 1924 and was originally housed in the technical college in Gladstone road. Girls entered at 14 which was then the minimum school leaving age followed by a two year course in business studies and general subjects. The numbers were limited to 120 girls and under the enthusiastic leadership of the first mistress, Humphrey, the school became so well known all over Surrey that the competition for places became keen. Humphrey died suddenly in 1930 and the following year Turnbull was appointed in her place and became the youngest Head mistress in Surrey with the smallest school.

In 1934 a one year course in secretarial work for girls was started along with plans to provide the school with better accommodation. The plans were thwarted by the coming of war and the school was forced to move to limited accommodation in Morden Farm school then to Morden junior school, and finally to rooms in the new arts school in Merton Hall Road.

The war years were difficult ones for the school some girls left for safer areas, lessons often had to be given in the air raid shelters and some girls walked miles to get to school. The head girl walked six miles daily. At the end of the war efforts were made to relocate the school and Ricards Lodge was found. Alterations to the school uniform had been made and the girls started wearing scarlet ties, the colour had been the schools colour from the beginning and the red P.E shirt is still worn today.

In 1965, the year of the first C.S.E examinations, Wimbledon became part of the new London Borough of Merton and Surrey county council ceased to be responsible for education in the area.

In 1975 the school moved into what is now the old part of the current school building, this includes the lodge, the current gym, Manor house and the Language department. The current technology department was added after 1975 but before the "park" block which is joined by a link and contains the current Art Music Drama and Humanities department.

The new block is composed of two floors whiles the old contains four, the two buildings are linked with one link and a pedestrian bridge that joins the second floor corridors from both sides.

The school also has a sports hall extended from the old gym, several tennis courts, an Astroturf and an open field where sports day is held. The building of the new sixth form meant that two of the several tennis courts had to be scrapped.

Ricards Lodge is also a comprehensive arts school teaching drama, dance and Music to a competent degree. The school has hosted the regional performances of "Stand up for Shakespeare "in 2009 and the cast of "Pericles: Prince of Tyre" went on to perform at the Courtyard Theatre in May 2009.

There are currently on average of 1200 pupils in the school, split into 8 tutor classes: R, C, A, D, S, L, G, E within different years.

The school was last inspected by Ofsted back in 2007, and awarded an overall grade of 2 (good) with the capacity to be 1 (outstanding). The full report is available on the school website site. In addition the RE department was inspected by Ofsted in March 2009 as part of a nationwide survey and was graded as good with good capacity to improve.

Sixth form provision is provided in partnership with Rutlish high school for boys as RR6. Facilities are split and located at the premises of both schools; students are expected to have a schedule at both schools, with a variation of both courses. This aims to combine both the arts award at Ricards and the specialist maths and ICT skills of Rutlish to give the students a better opportunity at both subjects.