Marking a half-century of welcoming girls, and its award of Co-Educational School of the Year 2025, Alleyn’s reflects on a decision that transformed the school and showed that pupils learn best when they learn together
Educational progress is rarely linear. More often, it advances through moments of conviction, when institutions choose to look beyond convention and respond to the needs of the society they serve. At Alleyn’s, one such pivotal moment arrived 50 years ago.
Founded in 1619 and inspired by the philanthropic vision of Edward Alleyn, the school has long seen education as a force for public good. Edward Alleyn’s belief in access, aspiration and community benefit shaped the educational landscape of Dulwich, and that progressive vision has continued to inform Alleyn’s values and decisions ever since.
This academic year, the school marks a defining modern milestone in the 50th anniversary of becoming fully co-educational. The anniversary coincides with Alleyn’s being named Co-educational Independent School of the Year at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2025 – recognition of five decades of experience and leadership in inclusive all-gender education.
“It was a decision rooted not in fashion, but in principle – a belief that education should reflect the world young people inhabit”
Alleyn’s journey towards co-education began in September 1975, when the first girls joined the Lower Sixth. One year later, Alleyn’s welcomed its first fully mixed intake into the First Year (Year 7), thus embedding co-education across the school.
It was a decision rooted not in fashion, but in principle – a belief that education should reflect the world young people inhabit, and that pupils learn best when they learn alongside one another. Half a century on, that conviction has been widely affirmed.
According to the Independent Schools Council, 83% of independent schools are now fully co-educational. This shift reflects today’s widely held belief that mixed gender learning environments foster confidence, mutual respect and social development to prepare pupils for life beyond school.
At Alleyn’s, the positive impact of co-education is evident, not only in ethos, but in outcomes. In 2025, 81% of A level students achieved A* or A grades, with 41% of all exams awarded the top A* grade. These results reflect academic excellence, but also a culture in which pupils are united by a shared sense of belonging. Each pupil is encouraged to flourish as an individual within a connected community, supported and inspired by peers who have diverse talents, interests and perspectives.
Life was very different back in 1975, and for those who experienced the earliest years of co-education, the transition was both challenging and transformative. Entering what had long been a male-dominated environment required resilience as well as confidence. Yet for so many of those pioneering girls, the experience proved deeply formative.
Rowena Ceccaroni (Dutton’s 1982) recalls an environment that valued breadth and excellence alike. “At Alleyn’s, students who excelled in sport, drama, and music were admired just as much as those who shone academically. Everyone was encouraged to explore their individual talents while supporting others in overcoming their weaknesses,” she has recalled.
“Each pupil is encouraged to flourish as an individual within a connected community, supported and inspired by peers”
The pace of change at Alleyn’s has often been measured not just in policy, but in people. In 1982, the school appointed its first female School Captain, Katherine McQuail, a moment that was both symbolic and quietly radical. Reflecting on its significance at the time, she said: “It has taken 100 years for a girl to be appointed School Captain. It would not surprise me if it took a second hundred years before we have a woman as Head and perhaps a third before we have one as Archbishop of Kent”.
In fact, Alleyn’s moved considerably faster than Katherine McQuail predicted. In 2019, the school appointed its first female Chaplain, an important step in broadening representation within pastoral and spiritual leadership. This was followed, in January 2021, by the appointment of Jane Lunnon as Alleyn’s first female Head. Widely respected within the sector for her clarity of vision and principled advocacy for co-education, Lunnon’s appointment marked a further milestone in a story defined by steady, purposeful evolution.
Together, these moments reflect a wider commitment to ensuring that leadership at Alleyn’s increasingly mirrors the diversity of the pupil body. In doing so, the school has reinforced the principle that representation matters, not only in the classroom, but across every level of school life.
Today, the ethos forged over five decades of co-education continues to shape daily life at the school. Jane Lunnon describes co-education as fundamental to Alleyn’s identity. “We remain committed to making this school a space where everyone has opportunity and a voice. I am proud of the way our pupils respect each other, work together and enjoy each other’s company. That commitment to co-education prepares them for life beyond school, cultivating respect, equality and understanding.”
The 50th anniversary of co-education at Alleyn’s is seen by its first female Head as both a moment for reflection and reaffirmation. It is a celebration of what has been achieved over the past half century, and a renewed conviction that all pupils benefit – and learn best – when they learn together.
Alleyn’s alleyns.org.uk
Further reading: Roots – Hurtwood House on breaking the mould
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