History (new) - The Kingsley School

Our History

Originally named ‘Leamington High School’, The Kingsley School was founded on 23rd September 1884 by Rose Kingsley, daughter of the famous clergyman and writer, Charles Kingsley. Rose believed passionately that boys and girls should have access to the same educational opportunities.

The School’s original location was in the town centre and moved to Beauchamp Hall in 1922. This building, built of Cotswold stone, remains the nucleus of school life even though other local houses have also been acquired to accommodate our Preparatory School and Sixth Form. These unique town-centre buildings have a character of their own and they endow the School with the friendly and supportive feeling that sets Kingsley apart. They help in providing the individual educational provision that Kingsley can offer.

We are immensely proud of the school’s history and the strong academic record it has sustained for 140 years in Leamington. View some of our key milestones in the timeline below.

2025

From September 2025, we will be extending co-education from the Prep School, welcoming boys into the Senior School and Sixth Form. Boys will initially be integrated into Years 7 and 12.

2015

Julie Gibson, RAF’s first female pilot guest speaker at Summer Prize Giving.

2014

Historic Houses – house names changed and garden party to mark 130 years. Commemorative musical piece ‘O’ Speak written by Warwick composer Jonathan Clark.

2013

First female commanding officer in Afghanistan, Colonel Bethan Targett, guest speaker at Summer Prize Giving.

2009

New garden created to celebrate 125 years

1995

A new all-purpose hall at the bottom of the garden was built. It was opened in 1998 and has become the space where the community can come together as one to communicate, celebrate and congratulate.

1992

New sports pavilion built at sports fields

1990

The ‘Kingsley 95 Fund’ reaches goal to build a new school hall

1989

Cedar and Dilke Houses combined to form Junior School

1988

Current Sixth Form premises bought

1988

Central heating and electric bells installed. End of term handshaking and wearing of hats for senior girls abolished.

1985

Playground provided “where cricket and other games have been enjoyed to substantial advantage of the work of the school”.

1984

100 years old. 100th Birthday Pageant.

1977

Miss Jones retires as Headmistress

1962

Lord Leigh offers Stoneleigh Abbey to be used for fundraising events, continuing a long association with the Leigh family. Lord Leigh was the first Chair of Governors, and his daughter Cordelia Leigh was a Governor for many years.

1961

Miss Sweet retires after 29 years as Headmistress. Sir Anthony and Lady Eden open the new wing of Beauchamp Hall, with two labs and a staff room upstairs and the domestic science room and cloakrooms downstairs (later converted into two more classrooms)

1959

75th Jubilee

1952

Susan Partridge won the Italian Lawn Tennis Championships

1940

Miss Sweet drives to Coventry after the bombing to check on girls’ welfare. Kingsley accommodates girls from bombed schools. Staff and students sleep upstairs to ‘Fire Watch’. Cellar is used as an air-raid shelter. Houses knit for the Forces, support the Red Cross ‘penny a week’ fund and collect articles for prisoners-of-war parcels. Kingsley supports ‘Friends of Coventry Cathedral’.

1934

Fifty Years Jubilee

1932

Dorothy Sweet becomes Headmistress

1929

Art room and new classroom built. Over 300 girls enrolled.

1925

First school visit to Paris

1922

Beauchamp Hall site bought. Over 250 girls enrolled.

1921

School orchestra begins.

1920

Over 200 girls enrolled.

1919

L.H.S. won first prize for decorated car in peace procession

1917

Chemical laboratory fitted up

1915

House system begins

1911

Domestic science department started

1905

Botanical laboratory formed

1901

Old Girls’ Union and Debating Society formed.

1894

Sixth Form constituted

1893

Pupil Ivy Merridew obtained more distinctions in Cambridge Junior than any other girl in England.

1888

Gymnasium opened by Dr Jowett (cost £388 and £42 8s for appliances).

1887

Reference library begun “for use of mistresses and older girls.”

1884

The Kingsley School is Founded

Kingsley School Archives

For many years Rebecca Dyson, who first came to Kingsley as Head of History, has been the keeper of the school archive (down in the cellar), caring for the mass of paper, magazines, digital records and thousands of photographs and other school memorabilia. Her knowledge of the school’s history, right up to the present day, is unparalleled.

In this part of the website, we include some key images, which we hope will be of interest.

If you have any stories, images or items of interest for this part of the website or for the school archives, Rebecca Dyson would be delighted to hear from you:

Mrs Rebecca Dyson
Kingsley Archives
The Kingsley School
Beauchamp House
Beauchamp Avenue
Leamington Spa CV32 5RD
E-mail: alumni@kingsleyschool.co.uk