Once a Paulina...: A History of St Paul's Girls' School

The formal opening of St Paul's Girls' School (London) in April 1904, after many years of forethought and preparation, was acclaimed in the press as a significant event in the development of girls' education. With remarkable rapidity the School established the outstanding reputation which it retains to this day. In this achievement the School has been particularly fortunate in its High Mistresses. The founding head, Miss F.R. Gray, set a demanding standard. At once innovative and conventional, she epitomised the Victorian pioneer of women's education. The author describes, with plenty of anecdotes, the particular contribution of Miss Gray, and her successors, to the school. But staff and pupils play an equally important role in the story. First-hand reminiscences and vigorous opinions - not always uncritical - bring the narrative to life. The architecture is another defining feature of the School. Text and illustrations describe the original conception, its execution and subsequent buildings in the context of their architectural period. By an author who knows the school from the inside, the book is both informative and entertaining. The text is enhanced by numerous photographs and other images of life in the school over the century.