Founded in 1853, Cheltenham Ladies’ College was established to provide “a sound academic education for girls”.
Initially, there were just 82 pupils, almost all of whom were day girls. In 1858, Dorothea Beale was appointed as Principal. Only 27 years old at the time, Miss Beale would go on to devote nearly 50 years of her life to College and it was under her leadership that the school began to prosper.
Today, College continues to develop and follow in the innovative and pioneering footsteps of Miss Beale. In preparing pupils to navigate and shape a complex and changing world, we recognise not only the importance of delivering academic excellence, but also of supporting and challenging the girls’ opinions, promoting independence and global diversity within our community, and nurturing a culture of tolerance, compassion and resilience.
These qualities are key to empowering pupils to thrive, both as they live and work alongside their friends and peers at College, and as they go on to lead successful and fulfilling lives beyond.
We unashamedly put the wellbeing of our girls on an equal footing with their academic achievements and we are proud to develop intellectually curious, self-motivated and enthusiastic young women.
