City Woman To Teach Princess At School

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30188, 20 July 1963, Page 2

City Woman To Teach Princess At School

A former Christchurch woman, Miss Joan Ormerod, is to be Princess Anne’s form mistress at Benenden School, Kent, an independent boarding school for girls with 315 boarders and 40 teachers. A London message says Princess Anne, who will be 13 in August, will start at the school in the autumn term. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh chose the school and saw the headmistress, Miss Elizabeth Clarke, at Windsor Castle a short time ago. Princess Anne will be the first daughter of a British Sovereign to be educated other than by private tutors.

Miss Ormerod. who was born in Opawa in 1913 and educated at Rangi-ruru School, taught music in Christchurch for some years and with her sister Judith, now Mrs A. B. Grant, of Bryndwr, gave a number of duo-pianoforte recitals. Miss Ormerod went to Britain in 1939 to further her studies at the Royal Academy of Music. Later, she taught music at three schools. Her mother is Mrs J. N. Ormerod. of Straven road. Fendalton. For the last six years Princess Anne has shared lessons with two friends at Buckingham Palace. Now she is to share a dormitory with possibly seven other girls, make her own bed and help round the table at meal times •‘Normal Pupil"

Miss Clarke, who is 48. told newspapermen: “I was given to understand ‘hat the Queen washes her daughter to be treated as a normal pupil here.”

She will be addressed by staff as "Princess Anne, - ’ but by other pupils as simply ‘Anne."

She did not have to pass the school’s entrance examination. Miss Clarke said her tutors had assured her Princess Anne had reached a standard where she would be able to keep up with the school's normal work. Princess Anne will start in the lower fifth form. Her subjects will be English, history, geography, French, Latin, mathematics, biology, physics, domestic science and dancing. She will also be able to combine her favourite pastimes —horse riding swimming and tennis—with her school work Breakfast at the school is at 730 a.m. with lessons starting just after 9 a m Morning school ends at 12.55 p.m. giving the Princess 10 minutes to get ready for lunch. She will sit down at 1.5 p.m. at one of the long tables for eight to 10 girls in the school’s huge dining room. She will have to take turns with others at the table to fetch the food. After lunch, lessons do not start until 4.40 p.m. and continue until 440 p.m. This is for all weeks days except Thursday, where there are lessons immediately after lunch

After supper at 7.20 p.m. Princess Anne, will help to lay the breakfast tables. In the evenings there are social meetings and sometimes the house mistresses give talks. Saturday afternoons are free.

On Sundays the girls have the choice between early communion at Benenden parish church and morning service at 11 o’clock. Evening service at the church at 6.30 pm is compulsory "Thrilled And Pleased"

The girls at the school were told at prayers this morning of the arrival of a new pupil ”1 think they were all verythrilled and pleased,” said the headmistress’s secretary. Miss Dorothy Gregory.

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She added: "There are no special arrangements being made for the Princess, although naturally we are all very delighted that our school has been chosen for her." One pupil, Nicola Mackenzie. aged 16. said: “We all started gasping when we heard. We were simply thrilled. For once we shall not mind returning to school after the term holidays.” Blue Uniform Princess Anne will wear a uniform coat and skirt of navy blue in the winter and bright blue in the summer With it she will wear a cloak and hood which is lined with her house colour. The school has no motto or uniform badge, but its aims are to evolve a decent Christian philosophy of life: to develop good citizens: to teach girls to work properly; to cultivate self-discipline: and to help girls turn out “nice people with decent manners.” Four Men On Staff Benenden is staffed mostly by women teachers, but has four men on the staff. The school is divided .into houses with 45 to 50 girls to each house. Princess Anne will be in Guildford house under Miss Cynthia Gee as house mistress. Benenden opened in 1923 and during World War Ttvo it was evacuated and used as a military hospifal. The present school building, with its rich oak panelling and carved staircases, was erected in 1960. It is just ovej 50 miles from London and situated in 200 acres of park and woodland in the Weald of Kent. The annual school fees are being raised next term from £4BO to £525.