The Kingsley School

This article is about a school in Leamington Spa. For the school in North Devon, see Kingsley School, Bideford.

The Kingsley School is an independent girls' day school situated in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, just to the north of the town centre. It educates girls from 3 to 18; the co-educational Preparatory School also takes boys up to the age of 11.^[1] From September 2025 it will begin its transition to become fully co-educational.

Kingsley School
Address
Beauchamp Hall, Beauchamp Avenue Leamington Spa , Warwickshire , CV32 5RD England
Coordinates	52.2942°N 1.5377°W / 52.2942; -1.5377
Information
Type	Other Independent School
Motto	Esse quam videre (be what you seem to be)
Established	1884
Founder	Rose Kingsley
Local authority	Warwickshire
Department for Education URN	125775 Tables
Headteacher	Sarah Howling
Gender	Girls
Age	3 to 18
Colour(s)	Blue
Publication	1884 Magazine
Website	http://www.thekingsleyschool.co.uk

The senior school occupies an adapted and extended Victorian manor house. On the opposite side of the road the Junior School can be found. The nearby sixth form centre is self-contained, although retains the friendly atmosphere of the main school. The playing fields occupy a site on the outskirts of the town. It was founded as a Church of England school, and now welcomes pupils of all faiths and of none.^[2]

History

The school was founded as Leamington High School as a girls' school in 1884 by Rose Kingsley, daughter of the writers Frances and Charles Kingsley.^[3] The founding Girls' Public Day School Company head was Florence Gadesden who was a graduate of Girton College. She moved on after two years leaving the school well established.^[4]

The school moved to its present site in 1922, and took its present name in 1949.^[5]

Headteachers

• 1884–1886: Florence Gadesden^[4]
• 1886–1909: Mary Huckwell^[6]
• 1909–1916: Anne Loveday
• 1916–1932: Lilias Milroy
• 1932–1961: Dorothy Sweet
• 1961–1977: Nesta Jones
• 1977–1988: Cynthia Fairhurst
• 1988–1997: Margaret Webster
• 1997–2010: Christine Mannion-Watson
• 2010–2020: Heather Owens^[6]
• 2020–2022: Christina McCullough
• 2022–December 2023: James Mercer-Kelly
• January 2024–present: Sarah Howling^[7]

References

1. "Prospectus" (PDF).
2. "The Kingsley School". Girls' Schools Association. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
3. "White Star Lines–Titanic Connections at the ABL–Rose Kingsley and the S S Shannon | Armstrong Browning Library & Museum". blogs.baylor.edu. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
4. Sondheimer, Janet (23 September 2004). "Gadesden [Gadsden], Florence Marie Armroid (1853–1934), headmistress". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 1 (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/48569. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
5. "History: The Kingsley School". Retrieved 3 February 2021.
6. School leaflet about heritage
7. "New Headteacher at The Kingsley School – Dr Sarah Howling". The Kingsley School. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2024.

External links

• Official Web Site
• Independent Schools Inspectorate Report