Malvern St James

Malvern St James School
Location
Avenue Road Malvern , Worcestershire , WR14 3BA England
Coordinates	52°06′37″N2°19′03″W / 52.11035°N 2.31756°W / 52.11035; -2.31756
Information
Type	Private day and boarding
Motto	Currently "Empowering Girls, Empowering Futures" the school has begun phasing in broader language such as "A Proud Past, Bold Future, Empowering Every Pupil" to reflect the inclusion of boys.
Religious affiliation	All Faiths
Established	1893 as "Malvern Girls' College"
Founder	Miss Greenslade and Miss Poulton (Malvern Girls' College)
Department for Education URN	117018 Tables
Head	Vacant
Gender	Co-Educational
Age	3to 18
Enrolment	270 (of a possible 450)
Houses	Benhams, Austen, Poulton, and Greenslade
Colours	Navy Blue and Sky Blue
Publication	The MSJ Chronicle, The Review (formerly Looking Ahead), OGA News: The official magazine of the Old Girls’ Association
fees	£3,069 - £19,765(per term)
Website	http://www.malvernstjames.co.uk/

Malvern St James School is an independent day and boarding school. It is located in Great Malvern, Worcestershire, England. First founded in 1893 as Malvern Girls' College, it adopted its current name in 2006 following a merger with St James's School.

Originally established as a girls' school, the institution, following a period of operating deficits between 2021 and 2023, transitioned to a co-educational model in September 2025. This change moved the school moved from a charitable trust to a for-profit model after its acquisition by the Galaxy Global Education Group.^{[ clarification needed ]}

The school provides education across three departments: a Prep Department (ages 3–11), Senior School (ages 11–16), and a Sixth Form (ages 16–18).

History

Two original schools

Malvern Girls College

Malvern Girls' College was founded in 1893 by Miss Greenslade and Miss Poulton. it was first located in College Road; in 1919 it moved to buildings of the former Imperial Hotel. In 1934, a major extension including an assembly hall was built. Further extensions included the Hatfield building in the 1960s, the Edinburgh Dome in 1977 and The Science Education Centre in 1998. ^[1]

St James's School and The Abbey School

St James's School was founded in the south of England by twin sisters Alice and Katrine Baird in 1896 and moved to the large mansion of Lord Howard de Walden in West Malvern in 1902. ^{[1] [2]}

The Abbey School was founded in Blockley, Worcestershire and moved to Malvern in 1897 and to Malvern Wells in 1908. ^[1] Two of the Baird sisters, Diana and Alice, ran the two houses for students: the Junior House, for the girls aged 11–14, and the Senior House for girls above 14. ^[2] "The Miss Bairds were remarkable: five spinster sisters all over six feet tall and all to be Head Mistresses." ^[2] The girls wore a simple uniform: white cotton shirts, navy blue coats and skirts. ^[2] "There were no 'O Levels' or 'A Levels' in those days, and exams were not taken seriously. 'Citizenship' was what the Miss Bairds were most anxious to instill; it must be admitted with considerable success--many girls were later notable for lives of public service." ^[2]

Mergers

In 1979 the two schools merged on the West Malvern campus of St James and the resulting school was named St James's & The Abbey. In 1994 Lawnside School, which was founded around 1856, ^[3] merged with St James's & The Abbey School and the school was renamed St James's. ^[1] In 2006, Malvern Girls' College merged with St James's School and was refounded as Malvern St James (MSJ). ^[1]

Recent ownership change and regulatory issues

In February 2025, Malvern St James ended its status as an independent charitable trust and was acquired by the Galaxy Global Education Group (GGEG). The Chinese group, founded by Shangmei Gao, has also taken on several other UK institutions, including Plymouth College and Durham High School. ^[4]

On 21 March 2025, the school announced that it would accept boys for the first time in September 2025 and become a co-educational school. ^[5]

In March 2025, an inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) found that Malvern St James had failed to meet regulatory standards regarding fire safety. ^[6] As a result of this, the inspectorate concluded that the school did not meet the required standards for "leadership and management" and "pupils' physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing" at the time of the visit. ^[6]

In early 2026, the school announced a period of organizational restructuring, citing a "challenging economic climate." This followed the mid-academic year departure of headmaster Gareth Lloyd, who took early retirement in January 2026 ^[7] after two years in the role. Frances King was subsequently appointed as interim headmistress. As part of the restructuring process, the school opened a voluntary redundancy window for all staff. ^[8] A spokesperson for the school clarified that these redundancies were not targeted at specific individuals and refuted claims that managerial positions had been transferred to other partner institutions within the Galaxy Global Education Group. ^[9]

Examination set text error

In May 2019, Malvern St James received national media coverage after students sitting a Cambridge IGCSE English literature exam discovered they had been taught the wrong set text. Pupils had prepared for Michael Frayn’s Spies, but no questions on the book appeared on the exam. A spokesman for the Department of Education said:

What happened at St James is an issue of concern and the department is considering appropriate next steps to get assurance about the school’s procedures. ^[10]

Headmistress Olivera Raraty issued a public apology ^[11] and applied for "special consideration" from the exam board to ensure students were not disadvantaged. The incident was widely reported by outlets including the BBC, ^[12] The Times ^[13] and The Independent. ^[14]

Boarding and houses

Boarding and Pastoral Care Malvern St James provides full, weekly, and flexible boarding options. ^[15]

The school historically operated four houses (Benhams, Austen, Poulton, and Greenslade)^{[ citation needed ]}

Architecture

The Imperial Hotel

Main building – the former Imperial Hotel

Following the collapse of the spa industry, many of the hotels were acquired for use as private boarding schools, and education became the basis of Malvern's economy; the Imperial Hotel was purchased by the school in 1919. ^[16] The former hotel is directly opposite Great Malvern railway station, with its dedicated (now derelict) tunnel to the basement of the building, which is clearly visible from both platforms of the station. The red brick and stone Imperial Hotel, which had been the largest in Malvern during the town's heyday as a spa in the second half of the 19th century, is still one of the largest buildings in Malvern and was built in 1860 by the architect E. W. Elmslie. ^[17] He also designed the Great Malvern railway station, the Council House and The Grove in Avenue Road in 1867, originally to be his private residence, which in 1927 became part of the Lawnside School. The Imperial was the first hotel to be lit by incandescent gas.^{[ citation needed ]} It was equipped with all types of baths and brine was brought specially by rail from Droitwich. In 1934 the building was extended with the addition of the York Hall, officially opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. ^{[16] [18]}

The Edinburgh Dome

The Edinburgh Dome

The school campus has a listed sports hall – The Edinburgh Dome, opened by the Duke of Edinburgh.^{[ citation needed ]} It consists of a round, green, balloon-shaped building, containing squash courts, a gym area and a games area, surrounded by a moat. Based on an innovative roof construction by Dante Bini, the Binishell (or Parashell), it was built in 1977 by architect Michael Godwin and consultant engineer John Fabe. It has been designated a Grade II listed building. ^[19]

Fees

As of the 2023-24 academic year, fees at the school range from £2,915 to £15,410 per term. ^[20]

Alumnae

See also: Category:People educated at Malvern St James

Malvern St James Girls' School

• Hon. Beryl Cozens Hardy OBE (1911-2011) first British woman to chair the committee of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from 1972-1975
• Marion Greeves, MBE (1894-1979) the first woman to be elected to the Senate of Northern Ireland ^[21]
• Jennifer Kirby, television and stage actress
• Iskra Lawrence, model, activist, and one of the BBC's 100 Women
• Catrina Leung, television actress, singer-songwriter and model

Dame Barbara Cartland - former pupil

Malvern Girls' College

• Mary Hayley Bell (1911 – 2005), playwright and author of Whistle Down the Wind
• Barbara Cartland (1901 – 2000), novelist
• Jane Davidson, minister for environment and sustainability in Wales from 2007 to 2011
• Melanie Dawes, economist and civil servant
• Imogen Edwards-Jones, author of 'Hotel Babylon'
• Dorothy Fernando (1907 – 1981), Sri Lankan painter
• Manya Harari (1905 – 1969), ^[22] Russian born British translator of Russian literature and the co-founder of Harvill Press
• Peggy Jay (1913 – 2008), politician and campaigner, attended briefly ^[23]
• Anna Kavan (1901 – 1968), novelist, author and painter
• Dorothy King, archaeologist and author
• Elizabeth Lane (1905 – 1988), first female high court judge
• Caroline Lucas, MP, leader of the Green Party 2008–2010 ^[24]
• Frances Lynn, English journalist
• Sara Murray, British entrepreneur and businesswoman
• Donna Ong, Singapore-based artist
• Joanna Van Gyseghem, actress
• Tania Long (1913 – 1998), German-born Canadian/American WWII journalist

Lawnside

• Phyllida Lloyd, Director of "Mamma Mia"

St James’s, West Malvern

• 

  Penelope Lyttelton, Viscountess Cobham - former student

  Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (1901-2004) ^[2]
• Penelope Lyttelton, Viscountess Cobham, businesswoman
• Dame Clara Furse, chief executive (retired) of the London Stock Exchange
• Penelope Leach, childcare expert

The Abbey School

• Professor Ursula Martin, computer scientist

Notable staff

• Rear Admiral Rodney Sturdee, bursar of Malvern Girls' College, 1972–1985 ^[25]

Academic results

In 2024, 40% of A-level grades were A*–A, and 80% of GCSE entries were graded 9–6. This followed 2023 results where 31% of A-levels were A*–A. During the 2020 and 2021 periods of teacher-assessed grading, the school reported significantly higher top marks, with A*–A grades reaching 75% in 2021. ^{[26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31]}

References

1. "History | Malvern St James Girls' School". www.malvernstjames.co.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
2. Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alice (1983). The Memoirs of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (Hardcover ed.). London: Harper Collins. p. 43.
3. Mowbray, Chris (12 February 1994). "Sun sets on school that rose out of the Empire: Chris Mowbray reports on the demise of a 140-year-old institution". The Independent (UK). Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
4. "More UK independent schools join Galaxy Global Education Group". studytravel.network. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
5. "Important Update". Malvern St. James School. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
6. "Malvern St James fire safety lapse taints report". Worcester News. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
7. "Boarding school head 'takes early retirement' halfway through school year". Malvern Gazette. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
8. "Staff at boarding school offered redundancy amid 'challenging economic climate'". Malvern Gazette. 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
9. "Staff at boarding school offered redundancy amid 'challenging economic climate'". Worcester News. 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
10. "DfE's concerns over exam mistake school". Worcester News. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
11. "School apologises after exam book mix-up". Malvern Gazette. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
12. "Malvern St James Girls' School taught wrong exam book". BBC News. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
13. Editor, Rosemary Bennett, Education (16 May 2019). "Hard Times for GCSE girls who studied wrong book". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 25 December 2025.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
14. "Prestigious private school pupils discover during exam they have been taught wrong book". The Independent. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
15. "Boarding - Malvern St. James School". 15 May 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
16. Smith, Brian S. (1964). A History of Malvern. Leicester University Press, reprinted by 1978 by Alan Sutton. p. 256. ISBN   0-904387-31-3.
17. "Hotel "most magnificent in the kingdom"". Malvern Gazette. 10 August 2012. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
18. Phillips, Grace W. (1980). Smile, Bow, & Pass on: A Biography of an Avant-garde Headmistress, Miss Iris M. Brooks, Malvern Girls' College, 1928-1954. Saint Michael's Abbey Press. ISBN   9780950715209.
19. Hogg, Simon, (2009) Grade II listing for Edinburgh Sport Dome, Malvern Architects Journal. Retrieved 12 January 2010
20. "Fees and Bursaries | Malvern St James Girls' School". www.malvernstjames.co.uk. 10 May 2024.
21. Currell, Melville (1974). Political woman. London, UK: Rowman and Littlefiend. p. 165. ISBN   9780874715644.
22. P. J. V. Rolo, "Harari, Manya (1905–1969)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, January 2011.
23. "Peggy Jay". The Telegraph. 23 January 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
24. "History | Malvern St James Girls' School". www.malvernstjames.co.uk.
25. Rear Admiral Rodney Sturdee: Flag Officer Gibraltar 1969 72 (obituary) in The Times, 5 November 2009, accessed 17 April 2020 (subscription required)
26. StudyLink, Britannia (23 June 2021). "Malvern St James Girls' School - Reviews, Rankings And More". Britannia StudyLink Malaysia: UK Study Expert. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
27. StudyLink, Britannia (23 June 2021). "Malvern St James Girls' School - Reviews, Rankings And More". Britannia StudyLink Malaysia: UK Study Expert. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
28. "Excellent A Level Results for 2021 Leavers".
29. "Excellent GCSE Results 2021".
30. "News - Malvern St James Girls' School". www.malvernstjames.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
31. "News - Malvern St James Girls' School". www.malvernstjames.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2021.

Further reading

• Dixey, Mary; Stewart, Duseline (1996). The wonderful world of Lawnside: the history of a Malvern School c.1852–1994. Malvern: Lawnside Old Girls' Association.
• Hurle, Pamela (1993). Malvern Girls' College – A Centenary History. Chichester: Philimore & Co. Ltd. ISBN   0-85033-853-0.

• Blumenau, Ralph (1965). A History of Malvern College. MACMILLAN; ST.MARTIN'S P. ASIN: B0000CMFA4

External links

• Malvern St James official website
• Malvern Girls' College at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
• Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)
• Malvern St James Girls' School profile at The Good Schools Guide

See also

List of independent schools in the United Kingdom