City of London School for Girls (CLSG) is a girls' independent school located in the Barbican Estate complex in the City of London, United Kingdom. It is sister school of the City of London School (a boys' school) and the City of London Freemen's School (a co-educational school). Educational institutions are often categorised along several dimensions. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... An independent school is a school which is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operation and is instead operated by tuition charges, gifts, and perhaps the investment yield of an endowment. ... A small part of the Barbican, showing flats and café area Shakespeare Tower, one of the residential towers The Barbican Estate is a residential estate in the City of London, in an area densely packed with commerce and finance. ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state Constituent country Region Greater London Status City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor John Stuttard  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - City  1. ... The red-brick City of London School beside the River Thames. ... City of London Freemens School, commonly known as CLFS and locally known as Freemens, is an independent co-educational school located at Ashtead Park in Surrey, England. ...

History

The school was founded by William Ward in 1894. It was his conviction that girls should be given a broad and liberal education with an emphasis on scholarship and despite having no daughters of his own, he left a third of his fortune to the City of London to fund the foundation of a girls' school, a £20,000 legacy for the Corporation of London. The school now receives financial support from the City Livery Companies as well as banks and other City firms. Links with the City of London remain strong - the City administers the school and the Board of Governors is appointed by the Court of Common Council. The school has strong links with its brother school - the City of London School is just a ten-minute walk away. There have been several people named William Ward, including: William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley, sometime Governor-General of Australia William Ward the Serampore missionary (see Joshua Marshman, and William Carey ) for more details William Ward, Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Georgia Battalion, who was executed at the Goliad Massacre during... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Coat of arms of the City of London as shown on Blackfriars station. ... Livery Companies are trade associations based in the City of London. ... The red-brick City of London School beside the River Thames. ...

The school celebrated its 110th Anniversary in 2004-2005, under the title of 'Women in Leadership'. It celebrated its 111th Anniversary in 2005-2006, under the same title. It celebrated its 112th Anniversary in 2006-2007 under the title of 'International Women in Leadership'. The girls who attend are commonly referred to as 'City girls'.

General

The school is for girls aged 7 to 18. Most pupils enter aged 7 ("7+" for the Prep School), 11 ("11+"), or 16 ("16+", for Sixth Form), although casual vacancies arise occasionally. The school's capacity is roughly 680 pupils. As its success rises, applications to the school continue to climb and new classrooms are being continually created, including by moving the school nurse out of her office. A preparatory school, or prep school in the United Kingdom, and previously in the British Empire and so the Commonwealth in current English usage, is an independent school designed to prepare a student for fee-paying, secondary independent school (public school). ... England, Wales, Northern Ireland The sixth form, in the English, Welsh and Northern Irish education systems, is the term used to refer to the final two years of secondary schooling (when students are about sixteen to eighteen years of age), during which students normally prepare for their GCE A-level...

Fees are currently £3,855 a term (2006) for the senior school exclusive of school lunches, and entrance is by examination. (The Prep Department is the same, but includes school lunches). The school remains relatively ethnically and socially diverse, although not as diverse as other leading London schools in both the state and independent sectors. The word term refers to either a word unit or a time unit with specified boundaries or limits. ...

Academic

The school has an excellent academic reputation and leading league table results. In 2005, the school came first in The Sunday Times table of Prep Schools, and 2nd and 3rd respectively in many published tables of GCSE and A-level results. The current headmistress (the ninth in "City's" history) who drove the school up the league tables (despite often saying that she does not believe them to be of value) has announced her retirement, with the current academic year being her last. However, she has become a figurehead of the school, interacting very little with the students due to her commitment in 'Women in Leadership'. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ... “GCSE” redirects here. ... The A-level, short for Advanced Level, is a General Certificate of Education qualification in the United Kingdom, usually taken by students during the optional final two years of secondary school (Years 12 & 13, commonly called the Sixth Form), or at a separate sixth form college or further education college...

Extracurricular

The school's success gives it the reputation of a hot house, however, the school also encourages extracurricular activities. The arts are popular, appropriately enough for a school located across a lake from the Barbican Arts Centre. Furthermore, teachers are encouraged to go 'beyond the syllabus', exploring wider issues to nurture girls in areas that are not examined. Set within the heart of the City of London, the school is unique, in terms both of its location and its social mix. Barbican Arts Centre and lakeside terrace Interior - concert hall foyer; library and gallery above The Barbican Arts Centre is an arts venue at the eastern edge of the Barbican Estate in the City of London, England. ...

Music lessons are available to individuals or groups, and the school has successful Junior and Senior Orchestras, Junior and Senior Choirs, a gospel choir, a barbershop group and a swing band.

In 2005, City held its first ever drama festival; a fortnight of productions and workshops. Sports are another strength at City, with clubs and squads in abundance. The school has a swimming pool, a lecture theatre and an indoor gym with climbing wall. Debating is another popular activity, with participation in public speaking events such as Model United Nations and European Youth Parliament. A Model United Nations Conference in Stuttgart, Germany in action. ... The European Youth Parliament (EYP; in French, Parlement Européen des Jeunes, PEJ) is a non-profit, politically unaffiliated organization, which encourages European youth to participate in European politics. ...

Trips and visits are common, and City girls are offered language exchanges to France, Spain, Germany and China, as well as other travelling opportunities through schemes such as World Challenge, which has seen girls go recently to Venezuela. Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions have been confined to the UK since 2001, when student Amelia Ward was killed whilst abseiling on a Duke of Edinburgh trip in South Africa. The logo of the Duke of Edinburghs Award. ...

Pastoral

The school is secular, yet has mildly Christian traditions, with twice weekly hymns and an annual Carol Service in the neighbouring St Giles' Church. There is a weekly Jewish assembly, as well as a Not Necessarily Jewish Society, an Asian Society and an African/Afro-caribbean society.

The House System

City has a relatively new house system which consists of 4 houses. Each girl is allocated a house when they enter the school. House competitions range from House Drama, House Music, House Quiz and Sports Day. The 4 houses are: Fleet - after Fleet Street, Tudor, St. Bride - after St.Bride church on Fleet Street, Ward - after William Ward, the founder of the school.

Future Plans

There are currently plans in the pipeline for a new extension to the school in the form of a Sixth Form Block and an all-weather playing field, as the school continues to grow - the 2000 intake swelled from the usual 60-70 girls per year to 90+.

The current headmistress is Dr Yvonne Burne, who is shortly to retire. The new headmistress will be Miss Diana Vernon, who will join the school in September 2007.

Notable Alumnae

• Sahar Hashemi, entrepreneur
• Claire Rayner, b.1931, journalist
• Dido, b.1971, pop singer
• Claudia Winkleman, b.1972, TV presenter
• Sophie Winkleman, actress
• Romola Garai, b.1982, actress
• Mary Nighy, actress
• Georgina Mace, Conservation scientist
• Ellen Miles, b. 1909, British spy during WWII
• Emily Leon, b.1908,architect
• Davina Bentley, b.1983, comedian
• Poorna Harjani, b. 1988. activist

Sahar Hashemi co-founded Coffee Republic (a chain of coffee shops in the United Kingdom) with her brother, Bobby Hashemi in 1995. ... Claire Rayner (born Claire Berenice Berk to Jewish parents in London on January 22, 1931) is a British journalist best-known for her role for many years as an agony aunt. ... Dido (born Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong,[1] December 25, 1971) is a British BRIT Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated singer and songwriter who performs under a nickname her mother gave her in childhood. ... Claudia Anne I. Winkleman [1] (born 15 January 1972) is an English TV presenter and journalist. ... Sophie Winkleman Sophie Winkleman (b. ... Romola Garai. ... Mary Nighy (born in 1984 in London, England) is a British actress and the daughter of Bill Nighy and Diana Quick. ... Professor Georgina Mace CBE FRS is Professor of Conservation Science and Director of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College, London. ...

External links

• City of London School for Girls web site