Wimbledon High School - History

History

Wimbledon High School was founded by the Girls' Public Day School Trust (now known as the Girls' Day School Trust). It opened on 9 November 1880 at No 74 (now No 78) Wimbledon Hill Road with 12 students and Miss Edith Hastings as Headmistress, aged just 29. Over the next decade, the school roll grew to over 200 girls. The first lesson taught was on the subject of the apple. Soon after, the fruit was used as the emblem of the school. Every year on the school's birthday in November, pupils and staff eat apple-green cakes in memory of this.

During World War I, the school endured a difficult time. The timetable was suspended for older students as girls and teachers joined the war effort and made respirators for the troops. A fire broke out in 1917 and gutted the main building. The girls were moved to a temporary location resumed their activities. The new building was formally opened by old girl, the Duchess of Atholl, in October 1920 and included a gymnasium and two new laboratories. Through financial support from parents, the school was able to buy the Nursery Road site in 1923 from the All England Club, which had already moved to its present location in Church Road. Today, pupils are often selected to be ball girls at the Wimbledon Championships.

The school was greatly affected by the Second World War. Pupil numbers fell as London was bombarded during the Battle of Britain. Under the Education Act 1944, the school applied for and was granted "direct grant" status. It chose to become independent when the scheme was abolished during the 1970s.

A new junior school was opened in 2000, which meant that girls could now be educated at Wimbledon High from primary school all the way to sixth form. New buildings were added such as a design and technology centre and the Rutherford Centre for the Performing Arts, named after the actress Margaret Rutherford.