James Allen's Girls' School
Encyclopedia
James Allen's Girls' School, or JAGS, is an independent day school
situated in Dulwich
, South London
, England
. It has a senior school for 11–18 year old girls, a prep school for 7–11 year old girls (James Allen's Preparatory School — JAPS), and a pre-preparatory school — JAPPS — for 4–7 year old girls.
, which also includes Dulwich College
and Alleyn's. It was founded by a Master of Dulwich College
, James Allen, in 1741, as a free reading school for the local poor. James Allen was born on 4 May 1683 in Hornsey
(a village which was later absorbed into north London
) but later moved to Sussex. His father, also James Allen, drowned in an accident in 1690, after which his mother, Elizabeth, moved the family to Westminster and remarried.
By 1701, James Allen was a clerk in the Cursitors' Hall, the clerical branch of the Court of Chancery. In 1712, he became the Warden and later Master of the College of God's Gift at Dulwich. Allen believed that there ought to be a school where poor boys could learn to read and write, and girls to read and sew. He purchased the freehold of six houses in what is now Kensington Church Street, the annual rental of which provided income for the school. The Reading Schools opened on 25 June 1741 in Dulwich Village
, with two mixed classes of children between six and ten years of age. Tuition was free. Entry was restricted to the children of poor families living within a one mile radius of Dulwich.
James Allen died on 28 October 1746, leaving a bequest to his school to secure its future down the centuries. The final part of his legacy was used to establish the Scholars' Fund in 1997.
By 1814, the school was expanding rapidly. It had been renamed the Dulwich Free School. In 1842, the boys were removed to become the nucleus of Alleyn's School
nearby. The remaining girls were the first pupils of JAGS as a single sex school, as it is now.
The school moved to its present building in September 1895, and has undergone continued development since. Recently, the old swimming pool has been converted into a dining hall and four new classrooms and some Drama rooms have been built. JAGS usually has a four class entry at 11+ (sometimes 5), with some 750 girls in the senior school and over 1,000 in the three schools combined. Staff is mixed female and male.
The school prides itself on its high academic standard and the quality of its artistic, sporting and cultural provision. It ranks high in national school league tables, normally inside the country's top 20 schools scheme. The Southwark Schools' Learning Partnership
is a collaboration of eleven schools, eight state and three independent, a sharing of ideas for teachers and pupils.
The Dulwich Decorative and Fine Arts Society meets in JAGS' sixth form lecture theatre.
Prior to 1990 the four houses were J, A, G, and S, and prior to that there were six houses, named after prominent eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Dulwich figures: Bourgeois, Cartwright, Carver, Desenfans, Linley and Whitfield. Francis Bourgeois
was the business partner of Noël Desenfans and co-founder of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, and William Linley
, a musician, bequeathed paintings to the gallery.
The houses compete annually for the Quarmby Shield, donated by chair of governors David Quarmby in 1989.
Most of the charity events in the school are organised on a House basis, and there are various competitions during the year from which points towards the house shield can be earned. Houses compete termly in Inter House sports such as swimming, hockey, tennis, rounders and netball. All girls from years 7–13 participate in these games. There is also an annual House Music competition in which forms in years 7–9 perform a dance and the music to a song of their choice. Recently, the school have introduced House Drama, House Art and House Dance with the initial idea of giving everyone a chance to perform in different ways.
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
situated in Dulwich
Dulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has a senior school for 11–18 year old girls, a prep school for 7–11 year old girls (James Allen's Preparatory School — JAPS), and a pre-preparatory school — JAPPS — for 4–7 year old girls.
Jags History
The school is part of The Dulwich Estate the foundation established by Edward AlleynEdward Alleyn
Edward Alleyn was an English actor who was a major figure of the Elizabethan theatre and founder of Dulwich College and Alleyn's School.-Early life:...
, which also includes Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
and Alleyn's. It was founded by a Master of Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
, James Allen, in 1741, as a free reading school for the local poor. James Allen was born on 4 May 1683 in Hornsey
Hornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
(a village which was later absorbed into north London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
) but later moved to Sussex. His father, also James Allen, drowned in an accident in 1690, after which his mother, Elizabeth, moved the family to Westminster and remarried.
By 1701, James Allen was a clerk in the Cursitors' Hall, the clerical branch of the Court of Chancery. In 1712, he became the Warden and later Master of the College of God's Gift at Dulwich. Allen believed that there ought to be a school where poor boys could learn to read and write, and girls to read and sew. He purchased the freehold of six houses in what is now Kensington Church Street, the annual rental of which provided income for the school. The Reading Schools opened on 25 June 1741 in Dulwich Village
Dulwich Village
Dulwich Village is an area of Dulwich in South London's SE21 postcode area in England. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark."Dulwich Village" is also the name of one of the High Streets in the area. Residents in Dulwich Village have to pay ground rent to the Dulwich Estate a landowning...
, with two mixed classes of children between six and ten years of age. Tuition was free. Entry was restricted to the children of poor families living within a one mile radius of Dulwich.
James Allen died on 28 October 1746, leaving a bequest to his school to secure its future down the centuries. The final part of his legacy was used to establish the Scholars' Fund in 1997.
By 1814, the school was expanding rapidly. It had been renamed the Dulwich Free School. In 1842, the boys were removed to become the nucleus of Alleyn's School
Alleyn's School
Alleyn's School is an independent, fee-paying co-educational day school situated in Dulwich, south London, England. It is a registered charity and was originally part of the historic Alleyn's College of God's Gift charitable foundation, which also included James Allen's Girls' School , Dulwich...
nearby. The remaining girls were the first pupils of JAGS as a single sex school, as it is now.
The school moved to its present building in September 1895, and has undergone continued development since. Recently, the old swimming pool has been converted into a dining hall and four new classrooms and some Drama rooms have been built. JAGS usually has a four class entry at 11+ (sometimes 5), with some 750 girls in the senior school and over 1,000 in the three schools combined. Staff is mixed female and male.
The school prides itself on its high academic standard and the quality of its artistic, sporting and cultural provision. It ranks high in national school league tables, normally inside the country's top 20 schools scheme. The Southwark Schools' Learning Partnership
Southwark Schools' Learning Partnership
The Southwark School's Learning Partnership is a collaboration of eight schools—five state and three independent—in Dulwich, based in Southwark, a borough of south London, England...
is a collaboration of eleven schools, eight state and three independent, a sharing of ideas for teachers and pupils.
The Dulwich Decorative and Fine Arts Society meets in JAGS' sixth form lecture theatre.
Jags Houses
JAGS currently has four houses:- Bettany, named after Caroline Bettany, one of the early headmistresses of JAGS
- Clarke, named after famous botanist Lilian ClarkeLilian ClarkeLilian Clarke was a botany teacher at James Allen's Girls' School in Dulwich, South London from 1896 to 1926, where she developed botanical gardens, which became known as 'The Botany Gardens'.-Early life and education:...
who taught at the school and planted their botanical gardens in 1896 - Desenfans, named after Margaret Desenfans, the wife of Noël Desenfans, who founded the nearby Dulwich Picture GalleryDulwich Picture GalleryDulwich Picture Gallery is an art gallery in Dulwich, South London. England's first purpose-built public art gallery, it was designed by Regency architect Sir John Soane and opened to the public in 1817. Soane arranged the exhibition spaces as a series of interlinked rooms illuminated naturally...
- Holst, named after the composer Gustav HolstGustav HolstGustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
, who was music master at the school for sixteen years, and after whom the school's main hall is also named.
Prior to 1990 the four houses were J, A, G, and S, and prior to that there were six houses, named after prominent eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Dulwich figures: Bourgeois, Cartwright, Carver, Desenfans, Linley and Whitfield. Francis Bourgeois
Francis Bourgeois
Sir Peter Francis Bourgeois was an English-Swiss landscape painter and court painter to George III. He lived with his French partner Noel Desenfans and Desenfans's Welsh wife Margaret Morris. The three lived together in a house in Charlotte Street, London...
was the business partner of Noël Desenfans and co-founder of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, and William Linley
William Linley
William Linley was one of 7 musical siblings born to Thomas Linley the elder and his wife Mary Johnson.He joined the British East India Company and was in India 1790-5 and 1800-5, holding a writership at their College in Madras. He retired from the company in 1810 and devoted himself to singing,...
, a musician, bequeathed paintings to the gallery.
The houses compete annually for the Quarmby Shield, donated by chair of governors David Quarmby in 1989.
Most of the charity events in the school are organised on a House basis, and there are various competitions during the year from which points towards the house shield can be earned. Houses compete termly in Inter House sports such as swimming, hockey, tennis, rounders and netball. All girls from years 7–13 participate in these games. There is also an annual House Music competition in which forms in years 7–9 perform a dance and the music to a song of their choice. Recently, the school have introduced House Drama, House Art and House Dance with the initial idea of giving everyone a chance to perform in different ways.
School magazine
Originally started in 1926, the school magazine committee involves up to forty of the senior pupils in year 12 in writing, and there are three or four student editors who take responsibility for working with a designer on its production. The magazine is published in the autumn term.Notable former pupils
Dates given are the years of birth and death, if known:- Juliet Hoglett, philanthropist and chat show host.
- Dharshini DavidDharshini DavidDharshini David is an English economist and broadcaster. After working at HSBC and the BBC and Tesco PLC she became a business correspondent and presenter for Sky News.-Biography:Born and raised in London, England, of Sri Lankan Tamil ancestry...
, economist and broadcaster - Anita BrooknerAnita BrooknerAnita Brookner CBE is an English language novelist and art historian who was born in Herne Hill, a suburb of London.-Early life and education:...
, Booker Prize winning author (1928–) - Muriel W. G. Smith, who compiled the first National Apple Register. Former employee of MAFFMinistry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodThe Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and from 1919 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries...
- Frances Line, former Controller of BBC Radio 2 and the person credited with creating the radio name Pop Go The Beatles.
- Lisa St Aubin de TéranLisa St Aubin de TeránLisa St Aubin de Terán is an award-winning English novelist, writer of autobiographical fictions, and memoirist.Lisa St Aubin de Terán was born in 1953 and brought up in Clapham in South London. She attended the James Allen's Girls' School...
(briefly ), author (1953–) - Judith CookJudith CookJudith Cook was an anti-nuclear campaigner, historical novelist, journalist and lecturer in theatre at the University of Exeter...
, Secretary to the British Ambassador to Ireland, killed by an IRA car bomb (1951–1976) - Shani AndersonShani AndersonShani Anderson was born on 7 August 1975 in St Vincent and was a resident of Catford, London.She competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 4x100m relay and the 100m....
, GB Athlete (1975–) - Alakina MannAlakina MannAlakina Mann is an English actress. She has had a few roles, such as playing Anne in The Others and also appeared in the 2003 movie Girl with a Pearl Earring as Cornelia Vermeer...
, actress (1990–) - Lucy BoyntonLucy BoyntonLucy Boynton is an English actress. She attended Blackheath High School, and now attends James Allen's Girls' School. She is the daughter of Graham Boynton, the Group Travel Editor of the Telegraph Media Group and Adriaane Pielou, a travel writer.-Career:Her first professional role was as the...
, actress (1994–) - Catherine ShepherdCatherine ShepherdCatherine Margaret Shepherd is an English actress and writer, with a career spanning radio, theatre, film and television.She was educated in South London at the James Allen's Girls' School...
, actress, daughter of actor Jack Shepherd (1975–) - Charlotte RitchieCharlotte RitchieCharlotte Ritchie is an English actress and member of the classical crossover band All Angels.Ritchie joined the National Youth Music Theatre aged eleven and performed in a touring production of Pendragon in Japan, as well as appearing in summer productions in London, Devon and Edinburgh with the...
, member of the classical/pop group All AngelsAll AngelsAll Angels are a British classical crossover group formed in 2006, consisting of Daisy Chute, Rachel Fabri, Melanie Nakhla andCharlotte Ritchie....
. - Sudi Pigott, food writer (1960–)
- Jill Quantrill, charity worker
- Shadia Syed, TV presenter on ATN BanglaATN BanglaATN Bangla is a Bengali language digital cable television channel. It transmits from its studio in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The channel is transmitted in South Asia, the Middle-east, Europe, and North America. The channel offers a wide variety of programming including news, movies, dramas, talk shows,...
and quiz show contestant - Alison StephensAlison StephensAlison Stephens was an English classical mandolin player and film musician.Stephens was born in Bickley, Kent, and educated at James Allen's Girls' School and Haileybury and began playing the mandolin at the age of seven, inspired by her father, who had played the instrument during the Second...
, mandolin player/composer (1970–2010) - Maya Lester, barrister (1974-)
- Sally HawkinsSally HawkinsSally Cecilia Hawkins is an English actress. Her performance as Poppy in the 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky won her several international awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy...
, film actress,(Mike Leigh's 'Happy-Go-Lucky'; 'Made in Dagenham') Silver Bear Award and Golden Globe winner, star of TV adverts, numerous radio programmes including Ed Reardon's WeekEd Reardon's WeekEd Reardon's Week is a sitcom on BBC Radio 4 recorded semi-naturalistically in the style of a radio drama. It concerns the story of a curmudgeonly 50-something writer described in the show's publicity material as an "author, pipesmoker, consummate fare-dodger and master of the abusive email"...
on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the... - Daisy HaggardDaisy Haggard-Family:The daughter of film director Piers Haggard and his wife Anna Slovsky, she was raised and educated in Dulwich, South London at the James Allen's Girls' School.-Career:...
, actress (1978–) - Beth Willis (producer)Beth Willis (producer)Beth Willis is a British television producer, although she has worked as a script editor on Agatha Christie's Poirot and The Amazing Mrs Pritchard....
, TV producer (1977–)
School partnerships
| Country | School Name | Partner since | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
Germany  |
Nicolaus-Cusanus-Gymnasium Nicolaus-Cusanus-Gymnasium Bergisch Gladbach The Nicolaus-Cusanus-Gymnasium is a public high school in the German city Bergisch Gladbach. The school is named after the German church law academic, philosopher, bishop and cardinal Nicholas of Cusa.... Bergisch Gladbach Bergisch Gladbach ' is a city in the Cologne/Bonn Region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis .-Geography:Bergisch Gladbach is located east of the river Rhine, approx... |
Last visit from Germany: 18 June 2011 to 24 June 2011. Last stay in Germany: April 7, 2011 to April 13, 2011. |