The Church Schools Company
On 25 April 1887, a headmistress named Miss A. Morton arrived at Haydon Place in Guildford to open a new school for girls and was greeted with the words: ‘There ain’t no one come yet, ma’am.’ She had two pupils by the end of her first week. With backing from the Church Schools Company over the following months, the school took root. It moved to its permanent home on London Road in 1893 and has been educating girls continuously for over 135 years.
The Church Schools Company evolved through several incarnations – it became the United Church Schools Trust and later merged into United Learning, the educational group that now oversees both independent and state schools. Guildford High School remains one of the jewels in the group's portfolio, consistently ranked among the top girls' schools in England for academic performance.
Academic Strength
Results are exceptional. The school regularly features in the upper reaches of national league tables, with a strong record of Oxbridge and medical school offers. But Guildford High has always resisted the temptation to define itself solely by exam results. The co-curricular programme is extensive: over 100 clubs and societies, a full sports programme, and particularly strong provision in music, drama, and STEM subjects.
The junior school takes girls from age four, feeding into the senior school at eleven. This continuity – many girls spend 14 years at the school – creates a strong sense of community and allows long-term academic and personal development that is difficult to replicate in schools with a single entry point.
The Setting
The school sits on London Road in central Guildford, a short walk from the High Street and the railway station. A dedicated sports centre opened in 2006, adding a competition-standard swimming pool, sports hall, and fitness suite. Around one in five leavers secures a place at Oxford or Cambridge. Celia Imrie, the actress known for Calendar Girls and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, was educated here, as was Justine Roberts, who founded Mumsnet. From Miss Morton's two pupils to over 1,000 girls – the school has come a considerable way.
