St George's School, Ascot


St George's School, Ascot is an independent boarding and day school in Ascot, Berkshire, England. It was founded as a boys' school and later became a girls' school.

History

The school was founded in 1877 as a boys preparatory school. Among its former pupils was the famous British war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In 1904 it became a finishing school for girls, opened by Miss Pakenham-Walsh. In 1923 Miss Anne Loveday took over the school. In 1927 the school was recognised by the Department of Education. In 1932 the swimming pool was built and in 1943 the sports facilities were extended with tennis courts and games field. From 1939 to 1945 the school functioned during the war and air raid shelters were made to give protection.

Facilities

The grounds comprise 30 acres of fields, woods, streams and heathland and the brick buildings have an elevated position with good views. The school is close to Windsor Great Park and opposite the Ascot Racecourse, only 5 minutes' walk from Ascot High Street.
The Duke of York opened the Sue Cormack Hall, a multi-purpose hall, on 4 September 2002. The Sue Cormack Hall has a large theatre and gallery that can seat 300 people. The Hall also has a large drama studio and a reception foyer.

Academics

In the 2009 GCSEs, 71% of its candidates achieved all A*-A grades. The following year, the school had one of the highest achievers in the Ascot area who was awarded 13 A*s and 96% achieved 5 or more A*-C grades.

Houses

Each girl is assigned to one of the four houses upon entry. Throughout the year, inter-house competitions are held to promote camaraderie and teamwork.
HouseColour
Alexander
Becket
Churchill
Darwin

Boarding

Around half the girls are boarders. They are grouped by years and housed in three dormitories: Markham, Knatchbull and Loveday.

Extracurricular activities

The arts

The majority of students learn musical instruments. The school has a variety of musical groups including: choirs, woodwind. strings, jazz group and orchestra. Many students are involved in school productions and in house productions.

Athletics

All students must participate in the following sports and activities: netball, lacrosse, gymnastics, tennis, swimming, rounders, athletics and squash. Students may choose to participate in football, badminton, volleyball, table tennis, fitness, fencing, ballet, aerobics, modern stage, tap and basketball.

Notable former pupils

;Former boys' school