Sarah Bonnell School is a secondary school for girls, in Stratford, London. One of the oldest girls schools in England, Sarah Bonnell has a proud tradition of educating young women. Throughout the last three centuries Sarah Bonnell School has catered for girls' education and has maintained an excellent standard of behaviour and learning. Founded in 1769, the school carries the name of Sarah Bonnell, a far-sighted woman who thought it was important to educate girls in a time when the idea of equal rights for women was seen as revolutionary. In her will, Sarah Bonnell left £3,500 to build a school to educate young women.
History
A charity school The first school was housed in a building opposite West Ham Church. It was known as Mrs Bonnell's School and comprised of one schoolroom, one teacher and 40 girls. All the girls' uniforms were paid for by the school. The Vicar of West Ham Church chose which girls would be allowed to attend the school and also the woman teacher, who had to be "of good character". The school was run by a Board of Trustees. An independent school By 1834, there were 140 pupils. In 1873 the name of the school was changed to West Ham High School for Girls and moved into a new building in West Ham Lane. It now became an independent, fee-paying school and boys up to the age of 10 years were also admitted. There were still 40 free places for poor girls, so that the school could continue to receive the funds from Sarah Bonnell's will. Later in 1905 it moved to a large, impressive building in The Grove in Stratford. A grammar school During the 1920s the school stopped being an independent school. In 1938 George Lansbury, a former Labour M.P, opened the new school library. During the Second World War the school was evacuated out of London, first to Brentwood and then to Truro in Cornwall, to protect against the aerial bombing of the East London docks. In 1944 the school once again used our founder's name to become Sarah Bonnell Grammar School and moved, this time to St. George's Road, Forest Gate. Girls had to pass the 11-plus examination to gain a place at this Grammar School. A comprehensive and specialist language school In 1972 comprehensive education was introduced in Newham and the school gained the title Sarah Bonnell Comprehensive School. It moved to its present site in Deanery Road, taking over the buildings that had previously been called Deanery High School for Girls and Stratford Green Secondary School. In 2003 the school became a specialist Language College. The school continues to maintain the links with Sarah Bonnell's endowment for girl's education, through the Sarah Bonnell Foundation and Governors, who support the school. We are proud to think that we are still carrying out the spirit of her will. Every year we allocate a special day to celebrate Sarah Bonnell's birthday and we also take flowers to her memorial in Walthamstow.
