The History
of the School
The Girls' Public Day School Trust was formed in 1872 with the direct intention of providing high schools for girls in towns where there was the necessary financial support. It was decided to establish the first two schools, which were to be public and non-denominational day schools, in West London. There was not provision in the west at that time and North London was already served by the North London Collegiate and Camden schools. In January 1873, the Trust opened Chelsea High School (later Kensington and Chelsea) and, nine months later, Notting Hill and Bayswater High School.
It was intended that Notting Hill and Bayswater would serve the area north of Hyde Park. It took over premises in Norland Square which had been built for a boys' school in 1867. The building consisted of a basement cloakroom, a hall and at least one room. The first headmistress was Miss Harriet Morant Jones; she was born in 1833 and had had a school in Guernsey. Little else about her background is known but she made her mark at Notting Hill. She began with one assistant and ten children. She retired in 1900 leaving a school of 400 girls and 20 teachers and a steady stream of Cambridge, Oxford and London University entrants.
The premises in Norland Square, despite some acquisition of neighbouring properties, became increasingly unsuitable and in 1930 it was decided to move to Ealing. Already there were a number of girls travelling from Ealing to Notting Hill. The existing headmistress resigned and a new headmistress oversaw the move. Jessie Margaret Hunter McCaig was forty and had a first in modern languages from Edinburgh University. According to all reports, staff and pupils, she was formidable.
Notting Hill opened at its Ealing premises at the beginning of 1931. The site of the school included one of the large houses common to the area which had previously accommodated a school. This house was converted to form the centre of the new school - entrance hall, headmistress's study, library and some classrooms. The panelling from the old school hall was transported from Norland Square and re-erected around the entrance hall and the exterior of the headmistress's study; the oak furniture was transferred to the library. Recent remodelling has transformed the interior but there are still features of the original hall and rooms and the entrance steps remain the same as in 1931.
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