A HISTORIC SCHOOL

ESTABLISHED IN

1880

Blackheath High School opened the doors to its purpose-built site in Wemyss Road in the heart of Blackheath village. 68 girls studied a curriculum of English, Mathematics, French, Latin, Art, Needlework and Nature Study under the guidance of founding headmistress, Miss Allen-Olney.

1880

Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Louise officially opened the school. In the same year, Miss Olney left to start another school, and legendary headmistress Miss Gadesden arrived. BHS became the largest school in the GDST, well known for academic achievement and engagement in social service for the less fortunate.

1894

Miss Gadesden appointed the school's first professionally qualified Games mistress, and a year later, the Trust leased a playing field in Kidbrooke for the school.

1913

In keeping with the strong feminist ethos of the school, Miss Gadesden and her staff were in strong sympathy with the suffrage movement. Staff members, ex-pupils, and Miss Gadesden supported the London Society for Women's Suffrage.

1914

With the arrival of the Great War, girls knitted clothes for servicemen and packed parcels of food. The playing fields were turned into allotments and eventually requisitioned by the Army in 1916.

1919

The formidable Miss Gadesden retired and her successor Miss Gale arrived with the focus of expanding the school facilities and buildings. New netball and tennis courts and a brand new Playing Field in Kidbrooke Park Road were purchased. This is still the location of our impressive floodlit Sports Campus today.

1931

Miss Gale took over the headship of fellow GDST school Oxford High, and Miss AK Lewis, classicist and modern linguist, arrived to guide the school through challenging times.

1933

In the year that Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, BHS girls debated the proposition that the true spirit of nationalism is a menace to world peace.

1938

With tensions high in Europe and war expected imminently, girls were evacuated to a 'sister' school in Tunbridge Wells.

1944

With Tunbridge Wells under the flight path of German V1 rockets, the school relocated to a safer home in Taunton until September 1945.

1945

Miss McCauley, historian and Somerville graduate, arrived to lead the school's return to Blackheath Village. The annual Gadesden competition, which is still in existence, was a regular feature on the calendar by this point.

1960

Our girls regularly achieve superb academic results. In 1960, one third of those going to university went to Oxford or Cambridge.

1962

Miss Abraham joined Blackheath High as headmistress from sister school, Belvedere High.

1966

School opened its Sports Hall, with 40% of the cost raised by the whole school community. Social service was still an important feature of life at the school. 'Task Force' was a scheme focussed upon visiting disadvantaged children in Deptford. At this time the Senior Citizens' Party became an annual event.

1976

Blackheath abandoned their direct-grant status and became fully independent. Four years later, the introduction of the Assisted Places Scheme enabled the school to continue to admit girls whose families were less able to pay fees.

1978

Mrs Williams was appointed headmistress and the school celebrated its centenary two years later. A service of commemoration was held in Southwark Cathedral and a tapestry created, which hangs prominently in the Centenary Room at Vanbrugh Park today.

1989

Miss Musgrave was appointed as headmistress and she presided over the most dramatic development in the history of the school's estate; the Senior School's move across the Heath to Vanbrugh Park in 1994-5.

1995

Our wonderful parents' association, the BHSA, became a registered charity and continued their fantastic work supporting the school through fundraising events and activities, and contributing significantly to our lively community spirit.

2000

With the new millennium, came a new headmistress, Mrs Laws. Not only did she develop and expand the pastoral and co-curricular provision of the school, but she also focused on the superb communication and relationships with parents that now exists. A new floodlit AstroTurf pitch was built by the Trust in 2004 and the Theatre was installed at Vanbrugh Park.

2014

Arrival of Mrs Chandler-Thompson as Head and the commencement of the £18 million-pound major redevelopment of the Vanbrugh Park site.

2018

Completion of the major redevelopment of the Senior School. The girls were delighted to start the Autumn term in the all-new Senior School, now with brand new state of the art facilities - ensuring the school environment matches the excellent standard of teaching.

2020

2020 saw Blackheath High's 140th anniversary. To celebrate, the school launched the 'Year of Promise'; a year-long project devoted to sustainability and caring for our planet.