Badminton School

Last updated

Badminton School
Badminton School logo.png
Badminton School Lodge, Bristol (geograph 3207215).jpg
The school lodge and gates
Address
Badminton School
Westbury Road

,
BS9 3BA

England
Coordinates 51°29′08″N2°37′04″W / 51.48557°N 2.617705°W / 51.48557; -2.617705
Information
Type Private boarding and day school
Motto Latin: Pro Omnibus Quisque, Pro Deo Omnes
(Each for all, and all for God)
Established1858;166 years ago (1858)
FounderMiriam Badock
Local authority Bristol City Council
Department for Education URN 109337 Tables
HeadteacherJessica Miles [1]
Gender Girls
Age4to 18
Enrollment550
Capacity550
Houses
  • Badock
  • Baker
  • Burke
  • Murray
  • Rendall
  • Webb-Johnson (Webb-J)
Alumni Old Badmintonians
Website www.badmintonschool.co.uk

Badminton School is an independent, boarding and day school for girls aged 4 to 18 years situated in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, England. Named after Badminton House in Clifton, Bristol, where it was founded, the school has been located at its current site since 1924 and consistently performs well in the government's league tables, particularly at A-Level. [2] In 2008 the school was ranked third in the Financial Times top 1,000 schools. [3] In the 2023 A-Levels, the school saw 48.5% of its candidates score A*/A. [4]

Contents

According to the Good Schools Guide , "The secret of the school's success is in its size and a good deal of individual attention." [5]

School history

Bristol UK location map.svg
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Badminton School
Badminton School, Bristol

Miriam Badock established a school for girls in 1858 at Badminton House in Clifton, Bristol. [6] By 1898 it had become known as Miss Bartlett's School for Young Ladies. [7]

The school developed a broad curriculum, and extracurricular activities, including sports, were encouraged which was unusual for the time. The school grew steadily in size, and in 1924 moved to the present site, under the headship of Beatrice May Baker (1876–1973). Baker, known as BMB, [8] was fundamental in shaping Badminton's ethos and had a deep personal influence on individual pupils. [9] She encouraged the girls to be aware of world affairs and internationalism. [10] A pioneer in many educational fields, she established Badminton as a much-admired progressive school. [11] She insisted on the rights of young people to freedom of expression and encouraged a questioning approach to learning: "in chapel 'Jesus often had to share the stage with Lenin'". [12] The international outlook she pioneered continues today.

In 1958, the school celebrated its centenary with the opening of a new Science Centre by Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Dame Sybil Thorndike was president of the school at that time, and a new cantata called "The Crown of the Year" by Michael Tippett was specially commissioned to mark the event.

By the late 1960s, the progressive aspects of the school had all but vanished (Royston Lambert speech at Exeter University, 19 November 1971) [13] and it had become a standard independent academic school.

Old Badmintonians

Alumnae of the school are known as Old Badmintonians.

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References

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  2. "Badminton School". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  3. "FT.com – In depth – FT top schools". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  4. "Badminton School: Reviews, Rankings, Fees, And More". Britannia UK.
  5. "Badminton School, Bristol – The Good School Guide". goodschoolsguide.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 May 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  6. Watson, Nigel (2008). Badminton School: The First 150 Years.
  7. "Our History". Badminton School. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
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