By Arwen Ford
1876 – Brighton Girls was founded. Our school was the tenth school set up by the GDST. The first Headmistress was a groundbreaking woman by the name of Edith Creak. She was 20 years old and had graduated from Oxford University.
1880 – the school was moved from its original site and relocated to what we now know to be ‘The Temple’ where Temple Times gets its name from. This happened because the school was so popular that they had to up-size the building.
1950-1960 – this was a time when the role of women in education changed. This meant that Brighton Girls’ education had to change – the school moved from sewing and cookery to maths and science. We began to study Shakespeare and went on field trips.
2019-2020 – The official renovation of Brighton Girls began and the Hive was transformed from previously being an old, misused space that connected to the library. This was all under the hand of our previous Headmistress, Rosie McColl.
2026 – the present day: the current headteacher is Mrs Shead.
Notable Alumnae:
Throughout its long history, the school has educated numerous trailblazing women who have made significant societal contributions, including:
The Martindale Sisters: Louisa Martindale became a pioneering surgeon, breast cancer treatment specialist, and founder of the New Sussex Hospital for Women. Her sister, Hilda Martindale, served as an early female Inspector of Factories.
Elisabeth Beresford: Author of children’s books and creator of the famous animated family, The Wombles.
Dr Rosemary Coogan: Astronomer and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, and overall just really cool!
Suzy Menkes, OBE: Journalist and fashion critic – with countless honours to her name, Suzy is the world’s most famous fashion journalist.
