Founded in 1885, the school moved to its present site in 1898. It has a splendid position between Brighton and Rottingdean, above cliffs and overlooking the sea in the South Downs National Park. It is a purpose-built school with attractive and very well-equipped buildings on a large estate of which about 40 acres are given to playing fields and leisure activities, with farm land beyond. One of the most distinguished schools in Britain, it is well run and its large and well-qualified staff permits a staff:pupil ratio of about 1:7. A broad and balanced educational programme is provided; standards are very high and examination results excellent. A link with Sussex University allows sixth-form mathematicians to take undergraduate modules alongside their sixth-form work. Great emphasis is placed on careers advice and the teaching of leadership skills. Extremely strong in art, music, drama and performing arts and virtually all pupils are involved. A wide range of games and sports is available and high standards are achieved. There is a high commitment to local community services. The school has an outstanding record in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme and the Young Enterprise Business Scheme.
Pupils: Total age range 11-18, 375 girls (120 day, 255 boarding). Entrance: Main entry ages 11, 12, 13 and 16. Common Entrance and own tests used; interviews for all. Wide range of interests and skills looked for; no religious requirements. Small (but growing) number of entrants from state schools. Pupils come from a large number of prep schools.
Scholarships and exhibitions, including academic, music, art, sport, performing arts and sixth form. Also some bursaries. Parents not expected to buy textbooks until sixth form.
25% live within 30 miles; 40% live overseas.
Headmistress: Mrs Frances King, in post from 2008. Educated at the universities of Oxford (theology) and London (philosophy and religion); also MA in philosophy and ethics, MBA in school leadership. Previously Headmistress at Heathfield St Mary's, and taught at a co-educational comprehensive and a number of girls’ schools.Teaching staff: 41 full time, 74 part time. Annual turnover 16%. Average age 45.
GCSE: 54 pupils in upper five, all gaining at least grade C in 8+ subjects (94% included English, maths, a science, a humanity and a modern language). A-levels: 69 in upper sixth, passing an average of 4.5 subjects, with a final point score of 394.
100% of sixth form leavers go on to a degree course (3% after a gap year), 8% to Oxbridge. 58% take courses in medicine, dentistry, maths, science and engineering, 36% in arts, languages, humanities and social sciences, 6% in other vocational subjects.
GCSE, AS and A-levels. 25 AS/A-level subjects. Sixth form: Most sixth formers take 4 subjects at AS-level, 3 at A-level; maths, economics and sciences popular. Key skills in ICT and communication taught but not examined. Languages: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Mandarin offered to GCSE, AS and A-level. Regular exchanges (France, Germany and Spain). ICT: Taught both as a discrete subject and across the curriculum (ICT or computing offered at AS/A-level). Ratio computers to pupils 1:4 (open access); all networked and with email, intranet facilities and filtered, monitored access to internet. All senior pupils take a skills-based ICT course and ECDL.
Music: Over 70% of pupils learn a musical instrument; instrumental exams can be taken as well as GCSE, AS and A-level. Musical groups include symphony orchestra, 2 choirs, jazz band, string orchestra, 2 training ensembles, numerous chamber groups. Many concerts, recitals etc in school and at eg St John's Smith Square and annual community oratoria in Brighton Festival Fringe; tours to eg Prague, Luxembourg. Drama and dance: Drama GCSE and A-level offered; Trinity Guildhall, ESB and LAMDA exams may be taken. Majority of pupils are involved in school and house/other productions. Typically 2 pa accepted for drama/theatre related courses at university. Dance GCSE offered, sometimes A-level; RAD ballet and ISTD vocational modern, jazz and tap exams may be taken (extra-curricular). Art and design: On average, 27 take GCSE, 20 take AS-level, 10 A-level. Design (including computer graphics), ceramics, textiles and fine art are offered at AS and A-level, photography as sixth-form option. Portfolios can be geared towards architecture. Pupils regularly gain places at top art colleges and architecture schools.
Sport: Hockey, netball, swimming, dance, tennis, rounders, gymnastics, athletics compulsory to age 12; lacrosse, badminton, basketball, trampolining squash, golf added later. Upper fifth and sixth form: PE and games include aerobics, archery, basketball, karate, cricket, volleyball, squash, yoga, work in fitness suite, golf, riding, fencing, ten-pin bowling, rock climbing. Hockey, netball, cricket national and county players, various ages. Sports tours organised. Activities: Pupils take bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh's Awards. Over 30 clubs, including debating and political societies, Project Physics, community service.
Uniform: School uniform worn except in the sixth form. Houses and prefects: Competitive houses. Head of school, officers and prefects (appointed by Head, staff and sixth form), house prefects (elected by school). Sixth-form committee and school council. Religion: Christian. Compulsory Anglican-based morning chapel three times a week and Sunday chapel, except for members of other faiths; Roman Catholics attend own church and Jewish girls may have tuition from local Rabbi. Social: Joint musical events, debates, quizzes, dances with local boys' schools. Occasional organised trips to France, Germany, Spain; annual skiing holiday. Sixth form allowed to bring own bike to school. Meals self-service. School bookshop, tuckshop and stationery store. No alcohol allowed.
All rules, and penalties for breaking these, are clearly defined in the Student Handbook issued to each girl each year.
Upper fifth and sixth form have own study bedroom. 4 houses of approx 70 for girls; separate sixth-form house. Resident qualified sister, 2 visiting doctors. Central dining rooms. Upper sixth may cook own food some of the time. Half term plus 2-3 exeats termly; others by arrangement with housemistress. Visits to local town allowed - escorted for younger girls.
is run by Ms Sasha Glynn, President, Old Roedeanians' Association c/o the school; sashaglynn@gmail.com.
Baroness (Lynda) Chalker, Sally Oppenheimer (politicians); Verity Lambert (actress and director); Sarah Miles, Noel Dyson, Honeysuckle Weeks (actresses); Dame Cecily Saunders (founder of hospice movement); Rhona Mitra (actress and presenter); Yang-Mai Ooi (novelist); Emma Brown (film director); Elizabeth Longford (author); Katherine Whitehorn, Nancy Banks-Smith (journalists); Tanya Streeter (free diving); Philippa Tattersall (first woman commando Green Beret).
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