Last Friday, 17 November, staff, students, alumnae, parents and friends came together to mark the founding of our school with a tradition that dates back centuries.
Led by our two Head Girls Maddie and Muznah, over 700 students aged 7 to 18, including eight students dressed in traditional attire, processed from the Welsh Back to Bristol Cathedral for a special service.
The day was originally called Founders’ Day; a Red Maids' School tradition to celebrate its founder, John Whitson. His crypt is in St Nicholas Church and every year our Head Girls lay a wreath on his tomb before proceeding through the city centre to the Cathedral.
Students in the first few rows of the Senior School procession are dressed in traditional Red Maids’ boarder attire, a red cape and bonnet, which is a nod to Whitson, who as a merchant imported red dye to the city and on founding the school, said that the students should be 'apparelled in red'.
In 2016 following the school’s merger with Redland High, Founder's Day became Founders' Commemoration Day, and the important occasion now recognises the founders of both our schools; Whitson, Reverends T G Rose and Urijah Thomas.
It is always a wonderful occasion commemorating our pioneering founders. We are proud that hundreds of years on, we continue to celebrate them and realise their vision of offering an outstanding and forward-thinking education for girls.
A big thank you to all our parents, alumnae and friends who came to support us with our march; it was wonderful to have you join us for such a special morning.
To find out more about our school and how our distinguished history has shaped what we stand for today, please click HERE.
