Ahead Of Its Time:
The Roedean legacy
Founded in 1885 by sisters Penelope, Dorothy and Millicent Lawrence, Roedean School was
originally known as Wimbledon House and based in Kemp Town, Brighton, with 10 pupils.
History
About
Ahead Of Its Time:
The Founding Vision
It aimed to provide ‘a thorough physical, intellectual and moral’ education with ‘as much liberty as is consistent with safety’. The founding Lawrence sisters believed that girls deserved an education which was at least as good as boys had – and articulated this in their founding vision:
– To encourage healthy and active living
– To provide a strong academic foundation
– To develop an appreciation of sport, culture and the arts
– To build independence of thought and character
– To develop skills and confidence for university and careers
– To develop a strong sense of personal and moral values
From Roedean Way To South Africa
Roedean moved to its current location in Roedean Way in 1898, where it has been situated since, except 1940-1945. During those years, the school was evacuated to Cumbria and the school site was used as a Naval Torpedo training base.
Today, Roedean continues to push boundaries. For instance, Maths and Science are the most widely taken subjects in Sixth Form, with a third of Year 13s progressing to study STEM-related subjects.
Roedean has a sister school in South Africa. The two schools were founded by the Lawrence sisters less than two decades apart, and they share the strong ethos of providing a quality education for girls.
