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Since 1875, EHS has been shaped by the vision and dedication of its headmistresses. Each brought her own strengths to the role - whether guiding us through challenging times, championing new subjects and opportunities, or ensuring every girl felt empowered to reach her full potential.
Explore their stories below and discover the women who have led EHS across 150 years.
1875 – 1895
The founding Headmistress of EHS, Miss Cooper was determined to keep the school at the forefront of education. In 1882, she travelled to the USA to visit 60 educational establishments, producing a detailed report that remains in the school archives. Seven years later, her friend Lewis Carroll visited EHS for a performance of Alice, gifting French, German, and Italian editions of his book to the library. Many letters between the two are still preserved today.
1895 – 1899
Educated in Scotland with a London BA, achieved at Edinburgh and Liverpool, Miss Japp introduced boarding with a boarding house in neighbouring Augustus road. She was keen on health and fitness, introducing hockey which was played on the present playing fields in Richmond Hill Road. She also introduced items of school uniform particularly the gym-tunic with box pleats in navy blue which was very popular with the girls as it allowed much more freedom than the long skirts and tight bodices of the time. Miss Japp left in 1899 to marry a clergyman and live in Scotland. She continued to keep in touch with EHS until her death in 1931.
1899 – 1924
Miss Tarleton Young was very much the Edwardian lady from an aristocratic family. A graduate in modern languages from Girton College Cambridge, she encouraged girls to aspire to further their education at Oxford and Cambridge and during her headship a steady stream of girls achieved this aim. Her involvement in Edgbaston society led to the appointment of the new University of Birmingham's first Principal Sir Oliver Lodge as President of the School Council. She was obviously a very inspiring teacher but also inspired her staff, many of whom went on to headship. It was under Miss Tarleton Young that the school was first inspected and recognised by the Board of Education bringing it into line with the new State Secondary schools. During her headship, the colour green was introduced into the uniform particularly a school blazer.
1924 – 1931
Miss Collier introduced overseas school trips, with pupils visiting the Louvre and Avignon. This was the beginning of EHS’s long tradition of international educational travel.
1931 – 1953
Arriving at a time of low morale, Miss Casswell brought energy, discipline, and warmth. A keen chemist, she modernised science teaching, hiring the school’s first physics teacher at a time when the subject was seen as a male domain. She increased both staff and curriculum time for science, laying the foundation for today’s strong STEM provision. She also led the school through the challenges of World War II, her rousing speeches lifting spirits in difficult times.
1954 – 1967
The defining event of Miss Hopkins’s headship was the school’s move to a new building – a six-year process of planning, moving, and settling in. She transformed music at EHS, growing the number of instrumental pupils from one to 150, and established a proper Careers Advisory Service. Lively and sociable, she also championed creative approaches to language learning.
1967 – 1987
Miss Belton led during a time of social change, adapting to the rise of the modern teenager. Following the reduction of the voting age to 18, she introduced political engagement for Sixth Formers, bringing in speakers from political parties and the press. She oversaw the construction of the Sixth Form block and created the prefect system to give girls leadership experience, ensuring the school offered an environment that bridged the gap between school and college life.
1987 – 1997
Mrs Horsman, the first married Headmistress, a classics graduate of Cambridge and formerly Head of a state secondary school. Mrs Horsman modernised the curriculum and changed the form names to bring the school in line with other independent and state schools. She also ensured that all the departments in the school benefitted from extended facilities. She was keen to expand the roles of staff and develop the pastoral care of the girls, introducing Heads of Year posts and enlarged the Senior Management Team.
July 1997 – January 1998
Miss Howarth, a former EHS pupil, returned to the school in September 1983 as second in the Physical Education Department, having previously lectured at Birmingham University and Anstey College of Physical Education. She progressed through the ranks at EHS, serving as Head of PE, then Senior Teacher, before being appointed Acting Deputy Head. She later served as Acting Head during the transition between Mrs Horsman’s departure and Miss Mullenger’s appointment.
1998 – 2005
Miss Mullenger’s lively, extroverted personality infused EHS with renewed energy. She championed the arts, overseeing the construction of the Octagon and expanding drama and music opportunities, including the introduction of Theatre Studies at GCSE and A level. Known for her entertaining assemblies and personal approach – she learned every pupil’s name – she left a legacy of a vibrant extra-curricular culture.
2006 – 2019
Dr Weeks, graduated from Birmingham University with a doctorate in Biochemistry and joined EHS from the headship of an independent school in Bristol. She encouraged the development of the sciences, teaching chemistry and continuing the trend for girls to go on to study medicine and biomedical sciences. Major developments included the restructuring of the front of the senior school with new classrooms, new entrance hall and new sixth form accommodation on two floors and extending the prep school to provide a new library, art room and reception areas.
She developed the cultural side of the school in sport and drama, the school staging several productions of well-known musicals. She emphasised the importance of pastoral care and continued the reputation of the school as being a happy and caring community where every individual is valued.
2019 – Present
A graduate of Exeter College, Oxford, where she read Theology, Mrs Macro is an inspiring and accomplished educational leader, and a passionate believer in the power of girls-only education. Since becoming the 11th Headmistress of EHS in September 2019, she has guided the school confidently through the challenges of the pandemic, uniting the community around shared values of kindness, care and fun. Her strong emphasis on independent learning has led to consistently positive outcomes and excellent results throughout the school.
Beyond the classroom, she is a keen runner, having completed the Milton Keynes Marathon in 2018, and an enthusiastic reader with a particular fondness for Jane Austen’s Emma. Known for her commitment to affirmation and aspirational thinking, she lives by the mantra that “positivity is possibility”, a philosophy that underpins her leadership and resonates throughout the school.
