The Mount School is a private Quaker day and boarding school for girls ages 3–18, and a co-ed Junior School, located in York, England. The school was founded in 1785, and the current Head is Anna Wilby. The Mount School is one of seven Quaker schools in England. In 2020, it was the first girls' school in the North of England to become an All-Steinway School. The school is also a member of the Girls' Schools Association and the Independent Schools Council.
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History
The school, under the name Trinity Lane (or York) Quaker Girls' School, was founded in 1785 by Yorkshire Quaker, Esther Tuke, wife of William Tuke.
In 1831, Esther and William's grandson Samuel Tuke, along with William Alexander, Thomas Backhouse and Joseph Rowntree, moved the school to Castlegate House with Hannah Brady registered as the superintendent (1831–42). She was followed by Elizabeth Brady (1842–47), Eliza Stringer (1847–1853), and Rachel Tregelles (1853–1862), who oversaw the move of the school to its current premises, The Mount, in 1856.
In 1866, Lydia Rous returned from her work with the Underground Railroad during the American Civil War to become the new superintendent, eventually retiring in 1879.
From 1890 to 1902, Lucy Harrison was identified as the headmistress of The Mount; Harrison endeavoured to bring many of the conventions of the school in line with contemporary norms at the time, particularly those surrounding health and wellbeing.
From 1946 to 1966, Margery Willoughby was the head teacher.
Traditions
The Mount School has many long-standing traditions, including a game event called Games in the Dark which takes place on Bonfire Night. Year 11 students arrange a treasure hunt challenge for the younger students to take part in and it often involves many pranks. College-aged pupils traditionally present two events to the school, one at the end of each term, respectively, the College I Pantomime and the Leavers' Play, at which previous head girls are presented with gifts by their successors.
Curriculum
In 2012, the school introduced the PeaceJam Ambassadors programme into the school curriculum. The school has "pillars of excellence" in the subject areas of sciences, maths, history, music, sports, art, drama and foreign languages.
Sports
The Mount has yearly activities in orienteering and fencing, netball, hockey and swimming in the winter, rounders, tennis and athletics in the summer. College girls are able to choose the sports, lacrosse and whether or not to use a fitness suite.
Creative arts
The Mount is an All Steinway School Extracurricular creative art groups include both Senior and Junior Orchestra, Senior and Junior Choir, a Wind group and a Swing Band for woodwind and brass instruments. The school follows the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) syllabus and there is usually a school and college play performed every year.
Accolades
In The Times League Table, the school is ranked 2nd by A-level results in the York area. In the Yorkshire Post, the school was ranked in the A-level results table for Yorkshire in 2012.
Notable alumnae
Isobel Barnett, Scottish radio and television personality
Virginia Beardshaw CBE, Founder Fellow of the King's Fund Institute
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, astrophysicist
Kate Bellingham, BBC technology presenter and engineer
Laura Busson, BBC Radio 2 Commissioning Executive
Dame A. S. Byatt, author
Ruth Cadbury, politician
Margaret Crosfield, palaeontologist, one of the first 13 female fellows of the Geological Society of London in 1919.
Dame Judi Dench, actress
Dame Margaret Drabble, author
Audrey Evans, paediatric oncologist, co-founder of the Ronald McDonald House Charities
Professor Ruth Finnegan, social anthropologist
Mary Sturge Gretton, historian and magistrate
Jean Henderson, lawyer and Liberal Party politician
Rachel Howard, artist
Noni Jabavu, South African writer and journalist
Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman, former Conservative MP
Rose Neill, BBC Broadcaster