St Helen's School

St Helen's School London is a private day school for girls aged three to eighteen in Northwood, North West London. It is associated with the Merchant Taylors' Company and works in close collaboration with the local Merchant Taylors' School in a range of areas.

History
St Helen's School was founded by May Rowland Brown in 1899. Having been trained as a teacher at Cambridge Training College for Women, she began to teach at Northwood College, which at the time, refused to take in any students that were connected with trade. Whilst still at Northwood College, a group of local businessmen persuaded her to start another school, and at the age of 25, she founded Northwood High School, later named St Helen's School.

Facilities
St Helen's school occupies a twenty-two acre greenfield site. The Senior school, Junior School and Little Saints occupy separate buildings within the site with their own specialised facilities for their students. A new Junior School building opened in September 2016.

There are science laboratories, art rooms, a drama studio, a language laboratory, computer rooms, a recital hall and a library.

Sports Complex
In July 2004, phase I of the sports complex was completed and was opened by Steve Parry, Olympic bronze medalist. It consists of a 25m swimming pool and a fitness suite. Phase II was finished in summer 2006. This includes the multi-gym, dance studio, treatment rooms and observation areas. In 2005, the new swimming pool was used by the female celebrity competitors from The Games television programme for training.

In December 2006, the final phase II of the sports complex was also completed and was opened by Olympic silver medalist, Roger Black.

The Centre was opened in 2014 and provides space for drama, music and gymnastics as well as a recording studio.

House system
The house system was established in 1927 with three houses named Scott, Shackleton and Bruce. Two of the houses were named after Antarctic explorers – Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton, with Bruce named after the Himalayan explorer Brig. Gen. Charles Bruce. A fourth house, Bonington, also named after a Himalayan explorer, has since been added.

The houses have now been changed to Seacole (Bruce), Kahlo (Scott), Brontë (Shackleton), and Franklin (Bonington).

Each year the House Cup is awarded to the house with the most points, which can be earned through commendations, Sports Day, House Arts and other achievements.

In 1999, to mark the centenary, Junior School adopted a new house system consisting of 3 houses. The Houses, nominated by the Junior School students, were named after pioneering women in history. Later in 2012 the fourth house was added, named after the American female pilot Amelia Earhart.

Curriculum
Pupils in Middle School (Years 7–9) follow a broader version of the National Curriculum. Upper School pupils (Years 10–11) take English Language and Literature, Mathematics, the Sciences, and at least one Modern Foreign Language and one Humanity course. Students take both GCSE and IGCSE courses, with core subjects studied at IGCSE. Sixth Formers sit A Levels.

St Helen's has regularly performed well in GCSE and A Levels examination league tables. In 2009 candidates achieved a 100% pass rate, all A*-C grades. In 2010 they achieved a 99% pass rate with 96% receiving all A*-B grades. In 2015, the school achieved some of its best results to date with 53% of entries graded A* and 84% graded A*-A. The pass rate was 99%.

Notable former pupils
Arts and entertainment


 * Patricia Hodge, OBE, actress in BBC sitcom Miranda
 * Penny Johnson, Director of the Government Art Collection
 * Joan Eardley, painter
 * Helen Grace, actress
 * Rachel Petladwala, actress
 * Dame Ingrid Roscoe, art historian

Business
 * Paula Nickolds, former Managing Director of John Lewis

Sport


 * Jessica Gordon Brown, Commonwealth Silver Medalist for Olympic Weightlifting

Journalism and media
 * Penny Marshall, journalist
 * Caroline Daniel, journalist
 * Magenta Devine, journalist & TV presenter
 * Luisa Baldini, former BBC News correspondent

Law
 * Barbara Calvert, barrister and first woman to become a Head of Chambers
 * Barbara Mills, former Director of Public Prosecutions

Military
 * Daphne Blundell, former Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service