Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The school was founded by William Ward (1797-1881) of Brixton who was a prosperous manufacturer. Upon his death in 1881, Ward bequeathed £20,000 to the City of London for building and maintaining a high school for girls. An act of parliament, Ward's City of London School for Girls Act, received the Royal Assent in 1885 and a site was chosen in the City of London at Carmelite Street.
In 1892, a scheme was drawn up by in the High Court of Justice 'For the establishment of a High School for Girls...by the 'Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London'. The scheme set out that the Mayor Aldermen and Commons of the City of London 'shall exercise a general control over the Institution, and shall make such Rules and Regulations, for the conduct and management thereof'.
The school's first head mistress was Miss Alice Blagrave and the school was officially opened on 13 September 1894 with 53 students enrolled. By 1937, the school became overcrowded as enrolment increased to 360 students. In 1939, the school was extended into a building on Tudor Street. The expansion allowed an increase in accommodation to 400 students.
During the Second World War staff and pupils were evacuated to Ashtead, Surrey in September 1939 and then to Keighley, Yorkshire from October 1940 until 1943. The school re-opened in Carmelite Street in September, 1943.
In 1962, plans were made for the school to be moved to the proposed new Barbican development. A ceremony was held on 29 March 1965 for the laying of first foundation stone and the school was officially opened by HRH Princess Alexandra on 19 November 1969.
The school celebrated its centenary in 1994 with a visit from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who opened a new part of the building.
The first school leaver's decided to start an Old Girl's Association and on 29 July 1896, the first general meeting took place. The City of London Old Girl's Association also known as CLOGA, organises events such as school reunions and enables former students to maintain relationships with each other. It also raises scholarship funds for prospective students. The Old Girl's had a large reunion party as part of the schools centenary celebration, 1994 and about 600 former students attended. In the same year, the Old Girl's produced a cabaret about the history of the school entitled 'An Historical Extravaganza - The Talk of the City'.