Dunottar School is an independent school in Reigate, Surrey, England, established in 1926.

History

The school was established in 1926 by Jessie Elliot-Pyle in Brownlow Road with three pupils, and was named after Dunnottar Castle in Scotland. She gave it the motto Do ut Des, which is translated as I give that thou may'st give. She chose for the school's crest a pelican mother nurturing her young. In 1933, the school moved to the High Trees Estate in a mansion called "High Trees" which had been built by Walter Blanford Waterlow, fourth mayor of Reigate, in 1867. In 1874, Waterlow remarried his younger brother's widow, Maria Waterlow (née Cross), mother of Sir Ernest Albert Waterlow. Additions had been made to the mansion in about 1908. In 1961, it changed from private ownership to being owned by a charitable trust. In 1975, it joined the Association of Governing Bodies of Girls' Public Schools, which is now called the Girls' Schools Association.

Dunottar School

In March 2014 the school became part of United Learning and announced that it would become a co-educational school for ages 11 to 18 from September 2014. In early 2018, the school launched a partnership with Surrey Cricket to create a Surrey Cricket Development and Performance Centre at Dunottar. Other recent developments include a £2.2 million Sixth Form Centre, opened in April 2019, and the £4.5 million construction of The Castle Theatre and Performing Arts Centre, completed in January 2021.

Dunottar School

Location

The school premises is a grade II listed building, and the grounds are adjacent to Redhill Common. The nearest railway station is Earlswood.

Dunottar School

Notable former pupils

Gillian Avery, children's novelist and literary historian

Sue Hamilton, archaeologist

Kate Maberly, actress and musician

Polly Maberly, actress

Vivien Noakes, biographer, editor and critic

Joanna Trollope, author

References

External links

School Website

Profile at the Good Schools Guide

Profile on ISBI

ISI Inspection Reports

United Learning

Educational institutions established in 1926

Private schools in Surrey

Member schools of the Girls' Schools Association

Grade II listed buildings in Surrey

1926 establishments in England

Reigate

United Learning schools