Talbot Heath School

50.731°N 1.901°W / 50.731; -1.901

Talbot Heath - Independent School for Girls
Address
Rothesay Road Talbot Woods, Bournemouth , Dorset , BH4 9NJ England
Information
Type	Private Day and Boarding School
Motto	‘Honour before Honours’
Religious affiliation(s)	Church of England
Established	1886
Department for Education URN	113945 Tables
Head Teacher	Tracy Harris
Gender	Girls
Enrollment	550 pupils (Girls 3-18)
Website	talbotheath.org

Talbot Heath School is a selective, private day and boarding school for girls aged 3–18 located in Talbot Woods, Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The school was founded as Bournemouth High School in 1886 by founding headmistress Mary Broad.^[1] Talbot Heath was originally a Church of England School.^[2]

History

The school was bought by Mary Broad and Miss Thresher as a going concern from its owner in 1885. The school opened under new management in January 1886 with thirty pupils.^[3] The school was called Bournemouth High School and it intended to supply a liberal education for reasonable fees to the daughters of the middle classes. Broad converted from a non-conformist to the Church of England at this time. Miss Thresher left in 1889 when she married and Mary Broad was solely in charge.^[4]

Cicely Frideswide Stocks, headmistress from 1924

Broad was known for doing what she thought was right, ignoring criticism and tradition. Her pupils were taken on nature walks, they used dumbbells, played hockey and cricket and they were taken on trips abroad.^[4] Broad took advice from Frances Buss who had created the North London Collegiate School in 1850. Broad hoped that her school could be as successful. Buss told her to not appoint a board of governors as they would hold back plans for new buildings. She eventually ignored this advice as she was not feeling well in 1898. She made a substantial endowment of the school and she gained management assistance. As Buss predicted there were no new substantive school buildings for twenty years.^[3] Students at the school under Broad's headship included the sculptor Helen Margaret George^[5] and the writer and film critic Dilys Powell.^[6]

Broad retired in 1924 and her place was taken by Cicely Frideswide Stocks and she introduced eight houses that were named after notable seamen. She also had physics labs built.^[4]

Talbot Heath Headmistresses

In 1935 "Talbot Heath School" was moved to new buildings designed by Hubert Worthington.^[7] There was a new hall and gym and within the first few months it was opened by Dr William Temple who was then the Archbishop of York. Mary Broad was in attendance together the headmistress Cicely Frideswide Stocks and other invited guests.^[7]

During the war, girls from St Anne's Catholic School in Southampton joined the school as they were moved to safety. This school was open throughout the war.^[4]

Notable former pupils

See also: Category:People educated at Talbot Heath School

• Frances Ashcroft
• Natalie Clein
• Fanny Cradock^[8]
• Eunice Crowther
• Nicole Faraday
• Helen Margaret George^[5]
• Dilys Powell^[6]
• Kate Royal
• Pat Smythe
• Irene Spry^[9]
• Jennifer Vyvyan
• Shirley Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby^[10]
• Virginia Wade^[11]

References

1. "The history of Talbot Heath Boarding School for Girls & Archive". Talbot Heath. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
2. "Welcome from the Head - Talbot Heath Independent School for Girls". Talbot Heath. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
3. Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (23 September 2004). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. ref:odnb/51849. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/51849. Retrieved 21 January 2023. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
4. "Pictures: The school that shocked Victorian Bournemouth: Talbot Heath turns 130". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
5. Kovinick, Phil; Yoshiki-Kovinick, Marian (1998). An Encyclopedia of Women Artists of the American West. University of Texas Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-292-79063-6.
6. "University Intelligence". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 3 June 1924.
7. "Archbishop of York opens Talbot Heath School". Bournemouth Times and Directory. 28 June 1935. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
8. him, me & (6 October 2017). "Talbot Heath Pupil Stars in BBC's Cookery Showdown". Girls' Schools Association. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
9. "IRENE SPRY FONDS archives" (PDF). Canada archives. 1958. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
10. "StackPath". www.talbotheath.org. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
11. Grasso, John (2011). Historical dictionary of tennis. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-7490-9. OCLC 746928063.