Deepdean School for Girls

Deepdean Logo

> "*As Daisy and I stepped through the front door into the dingy entrance hall, I knew that this was the only reality - the big clock and the dinner gong and the chipped, ugly staircase going up to the dorm rooms, every mark and dent and rip in the wallpaper familiar.*
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> ‘Good old Deepdean,’ said Daisy grandly, staring about at it. ‘Home at last!’*"*
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> ― Hazel Wong, Top Marks for Murder[source]
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**Deepdean School for Girls** is a private English secondary boarding school for girls in Gloucestershire, England.

## Establishment

Deepdean was founded in 1886 by the Founder who purchased the piece of land which caught her eye when she was walking through Oakeshott Woods.

## Reputation

Deepdean was originally known as a prestigious school reserved for only the wealthiest families, but gained much unwanted attention in the spotlight after the complex murder of a teacher called Miss Bell, and also after the bonfire night murder and the murder during the Anniversary celebration dinner.

## Deepdean’s Macabre History

In addition to being the location of a number of murders, it was also known for its ghost tales. In Murder Most Unladylike, the girls were told of the ghost Verity Abraham, the girl who committed ‘suicide’. In The Case of the Deepdean Vampire, a couple of ghost tales were mentioned, such as a drowned young girl in the pond, a mistress that starved herself to death, and a ‘werewolf’ prowling around the school grounds. There were also rumours about Camilla Badescu being a blood-sucking vampire.

## Consequences of the Murder of Miss Bell

The murder of Miss Bell caused almost all the mistresses to leave Deepdean, except Mamzelle, Mr MacLean, and Miss Lappet.  The previous headmistress Miss Griffin was replaced by Miss Barnard, a seemingly younger and kinder woman.  The school was trying their best to cover up the tragedy that happened before, but failed to do so when they were faced with the Bonfire Night murder, and nearly fell apart in the Anniversary Weekend murder.

## Structure

It is separated into the Old Wing and the New Wing. There used to be an underground tunnel leading from the Old Wing to the Hall, so girls could go to prayers without getting wet from the rain, but the tunnel was blocked off and abandoned when the New Wing was built, because the New Wing connected the Old Wing and the Hall. The school has a 'House', which is the dormitories that all the students stay in, connected to it up a hill, via path. The campus is situated beside Oakeshott Woods. It is fully equipped with a gym, playing fields, House, San (their medical room), hall, form rooms, South Lawns, science labs, etc.

## Staff

* Miss Barnard - Headmistress
* Miss Lappet - History and Latin mistress
* Mr MacLean - Reverend
* Mademoiselle Renauld, “Mamzelle” - French mistress
* Miss Runcible - Science mistress
* Miss Morris - Music and Art mistress
* Miss Dogdson - English mistress
* Miss Talent - Games mistress
* Mrs Minn,”Minny” - Nurse
* Mr Jones - Handyman
* Matron - Matron
* Mrs Jean Rivers - Head of the School Council
* Miss Griffin - Headmistress (formerly)
* Miss Bell - Science mistress (formerly)
* Miss Parker - Maths mistress (formerly)
* Mr Reid “The One” - Music and Art master (formerly)
* Miss Tennyson - English mistress (formerly)
* Miss Hopkins - Games mistress (formerly)

## Deepdeanites

### Students

* Daisy Wells
* Hazel Wong
* Lavinia Temple
* Rebecca Martineau
* Kitty Freebody
* Amina El Maghrabi
* Clementine Delacroix
* Sophie Croke-Finchley

* Betsy North

* Binny Freebody
* The Marys

* Rose Pritchett
* Jose Pritchett

* Martha Grey
* Alma Collingwood

* Ella Turnbull
* Lallie Thompson-Bates
* Camilla Badescu
* Amy Jessop

* Charlotte Waiting

### Alumni

* Henrietta Trilling
* Virginia Overton
* Belinda Vance

* Florence Hamersley
* Lettice Prestwich
* Una Dichmann
* Enid Gaines
* Margaret Dolliswood

* Pippa Daventry
* Alice Murgatroyd
* Astrid Frith
* Heather Montefiore
* Emmeline Moss
* Jennifer Stone
* Elsie Drew-Peters
* Eloise Delacroix

* Cordelia Thompson-Bates
* Sukie Dow
* Artemis Turnbull

### Former Students

* Verity Abraham
* Elizabeth Hurst

* Emily Dow

## References

1. ↑ https://robin-stevens.co.uk/map-of-deepdean/