Our history

Our history

Founded by Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1842 as the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Woldingham is one of the oldest girls’ schools in the UK. Initially based in Acton, the school later moved to Roehampton and in 1946 moved to our current home at Marden Park. Initially a full boarding school, Woldingham now has a well-balanced mix of boarders and day girls.

Woldingham celebrated our 180th anniversary in the 2022-23 school year. To mark this important milestone, we enjoyed a range of events including a series of academic talks, and published a short history of the school. In the spirit of Woldingham’s founders to make a lasting legacy, over the year students provided 180 hours of service to give back to our local community.

Our future

A pioneer of all-girls' education, Woldingham will celebrate its 185th anniversary in 2027. As we look to the future, we firmly believe in the continuing value of an all-girls educational environment, where girls can be themselves, develop passions for subjects without distraction and achieve outstanding results. Our rich history as a boarding and day school promotes diversity, inclusion and a forward-thinking mindset. We continue to invest in and embrace technology to provide the best possible academic opportunities and prepare our students for their digital futures.

The strength of our community, both past and present, is all-encompassing and we are delighted that so many of our alumnae choose to 'give back' to support current and future generations of Woldingham girls to look to their futures with courage and confidence.

Our unique location in the heart of the Surrey countryside, so close to London and transport networks, is key to our continuing success and we continue to invest in our facilities and infrastructure to ensure the school thrives and develops in an ever-changing and demanding world.

Sr Mary Hinde, Head 1972-1985, said "Our school has no future unless it has a past and, you, as part of that past must take it into the future."

Our future