In celebration of Local and Community History Month, this May the girls at St. Philomena’s will be learning about the fascinating history of the school.

The aim of the month is to increase awareness of local history, encourage members of the community to participate and promote history in general. Although some people may not be aware of this event, there are actually activities happening all across the UK such as library exhibitions and local lectures. Popularity of Local Community & History Month increases from year to year.

President of the Alumnae Society at St. Philomena’s, Emma Brittain, said: “Local and Community History Month is a great chance for us to learn about the school. I have actually really enjoyed looking through all the old pictures, and I’ve learnt so many things about the school that I had no idea about.”

Students at St. Philomena’s are lucky enough to be located in an area with plenty of history. Surrounding the school is the War Memorial, Carshalton Ponds and the Water Tower. As well as this, the Honeywood Museum offers an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge about the history of the local area.

The girls are taught about the history of St. Philomena’s in their first year at the school, but Local and Community History Month will allow them to learn more about how much it has changed over the years.

The main building on the property was once Carshalton House, a grand manor house built in the early eighteenth century by Edward Carleton. It was the home of the noted physician, Dr. John Radcliffe until his death in 1714.

Founded in 1893 by the Daughters of the Cross, St. Philomena’s school started off as a boarding school, and the first headteacher was Sister Mary Winefride. With an extensive gallery of original photos on offer for the girls to look at, it is incredibly amusing to see what their school looked like nearly 125 years ago.

Interesting facts about the history of St. Philomena’s include:

  • The uniform was not always brown!
  • There used to be a convent where the nuns lived, which has now been turned into classrooms.
  • Horse riding used to be on the PE curriculum.
  • Boys used to be accepted into the school (As shocking as it may seem!)

Caitlin Charles, St. Philomena's High School