BISHOP Wordsworth’s School (BWS) in Salisbury has welcomed its first cohort of female students into its sixth form for more than 90 years.

Previously the school did not admit girls into its sixth form but instead had a collaboration with South Wilts Grammar School where students were taught across the two school sites.

The head of sixth form at BWS, Zoe Lambard, said the girls were “breaking new ground”, adding: “I’m very excited, I’ve always worked at mixed schools.

“It is fantastic, it is a real opportunity to develop and change but keeping the same culture which is lovely. It is much more reflective of the society we live in.”

The girls, who officially started their studies on Monday, say they were “scared” but also “excited” to be the first female cohort at the school for 93 years.

One student said: “I feel excited really. It is the start of a new journey.”

Another student, speaking about her reasons for choosing to study at Bishops, said: “The environment when we went to the opening evening we just felt everyone wanted to be here and strove to be the best version of themselves. It is a community everyone wants to be a part of.”

One of the students also said: “There is more of a community to Bishops. I feel that it has its own history and is quite well-rooted in Salisbury.”

There are 40 girls, which makes up about 25 per cent of the Year 12 cohort, with capacity to welcome more female students.

Mrs Lambard said: “It is a really good number so the girls don’t feel outnumbered but also it gives us a chance to get everything right and look after them properly.”

In a letter issued to parents back in 2018 by BWS said the main reasons for the change in the arrangement with South Wilts was because of “unbalance” in favour of BWS with the current collaboration between the school and South Wilts Grammar School and the change would “avoid the complexity” of operating across two schools.

It also said it would give “more flexibility” with terms dates, timetabling and the length of the school day.

BWS headmaster Stuart Smallwood said: “The last girls left BWS in the summer of 1927, when SWGS was set up on Stratford Road. The link between the Salisbury grammars worked for two nearly decades, but also prevented us from innovating here at Bishop’s. From this September for example we have had the freedom to change the timetable, length of lessons and the timing of the school day, none of which would have been possible in the recent past.

“Students joining the Bishop’s Sixth Form will benefit from everything that we have to offer – fantastic teaching, a first rate environment for learning, a strong sense community and extraordinary extra-curricular breadth. We aim to prepare our students – girls and boys – for their futures and also give them the chance to prove themselves in leadership roles while they are here with us in the Cathedral Close.”