The school was founded by the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields in 1699 as a charity. Those who ran the parish at the time, and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, were considered radical, for their notion that there should be a local school for girls as well as boys. The school was originally in Charing Cross Road, near the St. Martin-in-the-Fields church. It was known as St Martin's Middle Class School for Girls, and only later became known as St Martin-in-the-Fields High School for Girls. Parish endowments thus made possible the education of girls. The school did well and grew, in what was a populous fast-growing parish. By the early twentieth century growth was such that a bigger building with proper grounds and playing fields became necessary. The school relocated to its present site in 1928. The nearby Strand School had fifteen years earlier moved to the same area for similar reasons. St Martins' new buildings were officially opened by the then Duchess of York, wife of the futureKing George VI, better known in later decades as the Queen Mother. In 1999, her majesty Elizabeth II took part in the school celebrations of its tercentenary. The school maintains close links with its founding church inTrafalgar Square. The school has a long-standing exchange link with Anchovy High School, Anchovy, near Montego Bay, Jamaica. The school badge depicts the eponymous St. Martin of Tours. The school motto Caritate et disciplina translates as "With Love and Learning". The school remains Christian but accepts girls of all faiths.
Performance
St Martins' is in the top 5% of similar schools in England, despite having a low turnout in grades during 2011–2013. It has recently had a decline in results and the level of achievement has also suffered in the recent years. The school today serves a catchment area in which an estimated 36% receive free school meals, and where a high percentage are lone parents. Almost 90% of the school's pupils are of Caribbean or African extraction, with an estimated 27% speaking English as an additional language. St Martin's has in recent years won the Lambeth Debating competition four times in a row. It was given technology college status In 1996. St. Martin's has been awarded a Sportsmark and has been identified as an Ambassador School for Gifted and Talented Youth.
