Queen Anne's School

Queen Anne's School is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18, situated in the suburb of Caversham just north of the River Thames and Reading town centre and occupying a campus. There are around 450 pupils. Nearly half are boarders. Some stay seven nights a week; others stay during the working week (weekly boarders) or two, three or four nights a week (flexi boarders). Saturday morning lessons were replaced in 2009 by a programme of optional sport, hobbies and extended learning activities, including rowing, horse riding, textiles and first aid. The school awards scholarships in academic subjects, sport, music, art and drama at ages 11 and 13 and at sixth form entry. Queen Anne's is a member of the Girls' Schools Association and the Boarding Schools' Association. Queen Anne's was chosen as one of Tatler magazine's Top 225 prep and public schools 2010. History In 1698 eight merchants founded the Grey Coat Hospital, a Christian foundation. In 1706 the foundation received a royal charter from Queen Anne. In 1874 Grey Coat Hospital became a girls' school. The Grey Coat Hospital Foundation used part of its endowment to buy a mansion in Henley Road in Caversham which became Queen Anne's School in 1894. The site was previously occupied by Amersham Hall School. The social history of the school is described in detail in a 2008 book by Daniel Talbot, former head of history, 'The Scarlet Runners: A Social History of Queen Anne's, Caversham'.