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College History

Our 150th anniversary, celebrated in 2003/4, is the latest milestone in an illustrious history. Since The Cheltenham Ladies' College first opened its doors to pupils in February 1854 there has been much to experience, celebrate, record and collect.

Our Principal from 1858-1906 was Miss Dorothea Beale, whose name has become synonymous with that of College. Numbers grew so much under her leadership that College had to move from its original location to its present position, the site of the original Cheltenham spa. Today, under the leadership of our tenth Principal, highly developed and greatly expanded facilities are enjoyed by the College community of the 21st century.

We retain a great respect for our history and we are fortunate at College to have a rich resource of archive material generously donated over the years and preserved by our Archive Department. Visitors to College can view some of our collection by visiting the archive display room where a permanent exhibition in the form of a walk-though maze tells the history of College in words and pictures.

Please contact College Archives if you would like further information or a copy of our leaflet "The Cheltenham Ladies' College - A Brief History and Guide" or our own shop (called Bookstation) to obtain a copy of the new history of College entitled "Cheltenham Ladies" by author Gillian Avery.

College works closely with our association of former pupils, known as Guild. Many former pupils have recently returned to College to attend the successful decade reunions organized as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations. We were delighted when HM The Queen visited College in March 2004 to officially open the newly developed lower quadrangle area by St. George's Archway. This area, now known as the Queen Elizabeth II Quadrangle, houses the wonderful Guild Amphitheatre made possible through a generous donation by Guild to mark the 150th.

Information regarding Guild can be viewed in the dedicated section of this website or by visiting the association's own website, www.clcguild.org.

News

Vicky Tuck – Telegraph Articles

Vicky Tuck – Telegraph Articles

Please see the links below for the latest Telegraph articles written by Vicky Tuck. 05 February 2010, 11 January 2010, 11 December 2009, 12 November...

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Antarctic Explorer

Antarctic Explorer

On Saturday 27 February Felicity Aston, freelance travel writer and adventurer, delivered a sensational speech to the girls in Year 9. She told us ab...

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RS CONFERENCE

RS CONFERENCE

On Wednesday 3rd February, Cheltenham Ladies’ College held an RS Conference in the Princess Hall. It was based on ethics and morality, a key topic wi...

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Evensong at Coventry Cathedral

Evensong at Coventry Cathedral

On a chilly Saturday in February the College Choir embarked upon a trip to sing Evensong at Coventry Cathedral. Most of us were expecting a tradition...

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Notre Voyage à Paris

Notre Voyage à Paris

Early on Thursday 4th February a group of SFC2 French students set off from Cheltenham for a long weekend in Paris. On arrival in Paris we settled int...

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