Walthamstow Hall
| Established | 1838 |
|---|---|
| Type | Independent day school |
| Headmistress | Jill Milner |
| Location |
Holly Bush Lane Sevenoaks Kent TN13 3UL UK Coordinates: 51°16′44″N 0°11′52″E / 51.27898°N 0.19787°E |
| Local authority | Kent |
| DfE number | 886/6054 |
| DfE URN | 119002 Tables |
| Students | 590~ |
| Gender | Girls |
| Ages | 3–18 |
| Houses |
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| Website | www |
Walthamstow Hall is an independent day school for girls in the centre of Sevenoaks, Kent, England.
Walthamstow Hall was founded in 1838 and is one of the oldest all-girl independent schools in the country. It was founded as an inter-denominational mission school and home for the daughters of Christian missionaries. It provides an 'all-through' education with a Junior School for girls aged 3–11 and a Senior School for girls aged 11–18. The school is named after the village of Walthamstow where it was founded. In 1838 the village was five miles from London. It moved to the site in Holly Bush Lane, Sevenoaks on 17 May 1882. The Junior School moved to its present site in Bradbourne Park Road following the closure of St Hilary's School in 1992.
In 1838 five little girls sat on five wooden stools made for them at the opening meeting of the school and home for missionaries' daughters in Marsh Street, Walthamstow. Mrs Foulger was a founder and benefactor of the school and created the first band of helpers to set up the school and care for the children of missionaries working in remote places including India and China. The school was the first of its kind in the country and daughters of all evangelical missionaries were received, including the Church Missionary Society until it opened its own school.
In 1837 the year before the school was founded, Victoria became queen and her position and character did much to help their cause. The 19th Century was a ground-breaking century for the recognition and education of young women. Pioneers of female education were a hard-headed, hard-working, idealistic and common sense group of middle-class, Christian women. Subjects taught included reading, writing, accounts, English, history, geography, and Latin. Languages and sciences were considered important as girls were expected to enter the missionary service in later years.
Male students were sent to The School for the Sons of Missionaries (founded in 1848 by Mr Foulger in Walthamstow, Dr Bells in Stockwell in 1852 and then Eltham College in 1912 set up under similar circumstances.
In 1873 three Walthamstow Hall pupils were entered for the Cambridge Examination for the first time. Two passed and one with honours. The next year, a student called Mary Wallis received Lady Goldsmith's Latin Prize, a distinction attained by only 15 girls in England. Between 1841–1878 girls who left Walthamstow Hall went on to live challenging lives: 57 became teachers, 37 were wives of ministers or missionaries, 18 became missionaries, 8 went into clerical work, 4 became nurses, 3 became doctors, 1 became a milliner, one a school matron and one a wood engraver.
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