1873: Notting Hill & Bayswater School opens in Norland Square.

16th September, 1873: First day at School! Miss Harriette Jones (affectionately known as Jonah) along with just one teaching assistant, open the doors to `Notting Hill & Bayswater School’. Ten girls aged 5 – 15 arrived on the first day, only one of whom had been in a school before. By Christmas that year, there were 30 girls on the roll. By 1884 and after a series of renovations, the school becomes more widely known as Notting Hill High School.

1885: The first school magazine is published and the Old Girls’ Association begins.

Excerpt from the first edition:
“Our School is twelve years old, and we begin to feel the responsibility of our age; it is time that we should render some account of ourselves, and we submit to the judgment of our readers, hoping that they will appreciate our merits and be lenient to our shortcomings.”

“There are still many people who cling to the old-fashioned idea that a woman’s ignorance only adds to her charm. It is our aim to prove, by the results of our teaching, that a girl is none the less charming because of her learning, and that, on the other hand, a thorough education gives her the solid advantage of being better fitted to fight the battle in life in whatever position she is placed.”

With the exception of the years 1917-1919, the magazine has been published every year since 1885.

1887: Cricket makes its debut with the launch of first all female team

Persuasive student Georgina Walrond, convinces Miss Jones to allow students to play cricket and they rise to victory in their debut game against Princess Helena College.

Unfortunately, when the school was offered a field at Kensington Palace for its sporting activities, cricket had to take a temporary pause because Princess Louise believed the sport was “unladylike.”

1899 – Boys in the Lower school

Four boys join the school and by the early 1920s (pictured), this figure rises to 20. They stay until 1949.

1900: Longest standing head, retires after 27 years

Miss Harriet Jones retires. The longest serving of all Notting Hill’s Heads to date, Miss Jones leaves a thriving school of 400 pupils.

1900: First item of uniform introduced: a hatband

A red hatband with the initials `NHHS’ embroidered on it was the first step towards an eventual Notting Hill uniform.

1905: Drill in the Hall

1910: The Notting Hill High School Song is introduced

… following a competition launched by Miss Steele (the Head at the time) with a prize of £2.2s! Open to past and present girls of Notting Hill High School, Emma Curney Salter, an alumn, wins the prize. This song is often sung by our Junior School students in their assemblies today!

1911: The GPDST tries to stop the Boar’s Head Procession

Notting Hill appears to have been the only girls’ school in the country to adopt the tradition of the Boar’s Head Procession and accompanying carol which, in 1911, the GPDST deemed inappropriate for a girls’ school and attempts a sabotage! This fails and this tradition is upheld and continues to this day – each Christmas.

1913-14: Hockey Team

1914: School Houses introduced to bring elder girls into touch with younger ones.
The original houses were named after three benefactresses of the school – Gurney, Shirreff and Eccles.

1915: Netball Team

1922: The School leases 3 Lansdowne Road, Notting Hill, as a boarding house

Although there had been boarders as far back as 1907, this was the first formal arrangement for girls who wanted to stay at school. One of the boarders in 1926 was Diana Churchill, daughter of Sir Winston.

1926: Creation of The Berryman Bursary Fund

Nora Banks was the first recipient of a bursary to attend Notting Hill School – she later became a teacher herself. The original fund itself was created by parents and governors of the school. This spirit of philanthropy continues today.

1927: A new look for tennis!

1931: The big move to Ealing and creation of Notting Hill & Ealing High School

Swelling numbers and the lack of space in Notting Hill necessitated a move to Ealing. The move took place over the Christmas holidays and teaching started in January 1931. The Prep School remained in Notting Hill and a new Junior School was established in Ealing.

1934: Redlands acquired – this becomes the Junior School

The School managed to purchase Redlands (a building behind the high school) and was able to close the Prep in Notting Hill and house everyone in Ealing.

1933: The Library

The Second World War Years

Air raid shelters were built under the Senior School and a reinforced concrete shelter was built near the Junior School. Boarding accommodation for 25 girls was set up in Redlands to help families during the war and when night raids increased, the girls had to sleep in the shelters under the Senior School. During daylight raids, lessons were held in the shelters under the school. Lighting was provided by storm lanterns and candles.

In 1944, girls spent so much time in the shelters that the school day was split because there was not enough accommodation for the whole school. Younger girls had their lessons in the morning and older girls after lunch.

1945: Skipton House is purchased

The school had outgrown its accommodation and needed more space for classrooms. The house next door was purchased and was used by the lower forms.

1959: Outside Skipton

Getting ready to go on an outing to Gumshell!

1962: Class of ‘62 with Ms Johnson

1973: Centenary celebrations

The whole school attended a Thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral, travelling on a dedicated Central Line train. Several other events took place during the year including a prize giving at which the special guest was the Duchess of Gloucester and the guest speaker was alumna, Dame Harriette Chick.

2004: New facilities introduced with the launch of the West Wing

The `West Wing’ is built enabling the introduction of a 25 metre indoor pool, a dedicated music recital hall, recording studio, music practice rooms, new classroom space and new art studios.

2010: Sixth Form Centre opens

2013: The ‘Big Build’ and 140th birthday

An exciting £15 million project at the heart of the Senior School sees the addition of several impressive new facilities for the school including the creation of a multi-function hall, a four-court sports hall, a spectacular dance studio, a 100-seat theatre and a three floor glass fronted atrium.

March 2018: Junior School is named The Sunday Times Best Prep

Feb 2019: Launch of first Film Festival

A three day festival dedicated to championing women in film is launched. A team of 10 students also launch a campaign #SETtheExample. Dame Harriet Walter and TV star Mel Giedroyc are amongst the celebrities involved in this exciting initiative.

Feb 2020: Awarded for Creativity by Times Education Supplement

The School receives this prestigious award for its Da Vinci Programme

March 2020: Covid-19

As the global pandemic takes its hold and remote learning becomes possible, students across the School deepen their community spirit making PPE for hospital staff while in December that year, a school-wide initiative led by Sixth Former, Hannah Safi, results in over 850 letters of gratitude distributed to NHS staff in Ealing hospital – some penned by girls as young as 6.

October 2020: Girls’ School of the Year

Awarded Girls’ School of the Year by Independent School Parent Magazine.

May 2021: Senior School of the Year

Awarded Senior School of the Year by the Times Education Supplement.

July 2021: Shortlisted for Sporting Achievement

The School makes the shortlist for Sporting Achievement by Independent School Parent Magazine.

January 2022: Launch of Saturday BUDS

The launch of BUDS – a new Saturday enrichment programme working with primary schools in Ealing. Every month students from several primary schools within Ealing spend a fun-filled Saturday morning at Notting Hill & Ealing High School in a series of activities aiming to build understanding and develop skills. More on this initiative can be found in our Partnerships section.