The 'School Birthday' is a tradition that has been celebrated for nearly one hundred years.

It began in 1931 when a ceremony involving cakes and candle-lighting was enacted. The following year the Surrey Comet recorded that “52 people lighted 52 candles on a cake over 52 inches long. Miss Watson reminded the girls that their chemistry lessons taught them that although the candles burnt themselves out, that was not the end, for they diffused gases which continued and, although benefactors, friends and scholars passed on and were perhaps lost to view or memory, the influence of the school through them continued.”

At the time, the School was raising money for new premises to move out of the crowded St James’ Road school which had not enough room to teach the 360 girls cookery and housewifery: “The girls can learn Greek, but they cannot learn cooking.” Eventually their dream came true and they moved into new premises in the Richmond Road in 1937 with room for 450-500 girls and proper facilities for science and domestic subjects including laundry.