Harrow’s John Lyon School to welcome girls from 2021

Having educated boys from Harrow and surrounding areas since 1876, the John Lyon School will welcome its first girls as pupils into Year 7 from September 2021, the School’s 145th anniversary year.

The introduction of girls to study alongside boys comes at an exciting time for John Lyon. In January the School received the best possible outcome from its full Educational Quality inspection, with a rating of ‘Excellent’ for both pupils’ academic standards and their personal development.

The school is full, attracting pupils who aspire to achieve excellence. Exam results are high. Activities beyond the classroom – on the sports field, in the concert hall and on the stage – show great strength and breadth.

And as the School approaches its 150th anniversary in 2026, it has pledged to significantly increase the funding of bursaries, meaning more local children will benefit from a John Lyon education.

The decision to introduce girls into Year 7 in 2021 is based on demand from parents and prospective parents, as well as a desire for John Lyon to fully reflect the community it serves.

John Lyon Head, Miss Katherine Haynes, said: “John Lyon has a rich history and tradition, yet we are a proudly modern, forward-thinking and ambitious school. Situated on the edge of the pre-eminent global city, London, in a borough that is constantly changing and evolving, we see our ability to adapt to meet the needs of our community as a core strength.

“Our recent school inspection noted a community that “exudes an ethos of inclusivity”. The broad diversity of John Lyon’s pupils reflects this community, with the single exception that to date we have only educated boys. When our School was founded in the 19th century girls simply weren’t educated in the same way as boys but almost 150 years later we are in a position to be able to extend this education and rich heritage to both boys and girls.

“As we approach our 150th anniversary it is especially pleasing to announce our ambition for a large increase in our bursary provision. With means-tested bursaries as well as academic, sport, music and drama scholarships, we envisage more than one-third of our 600 pupils will benefit from reduced school fees. John Lyon, the man after whom we are proudly named, was a philanthropist whose legacy has been a fine education for many thousands of young people. It is good to be able to build on that legacy.

“The School believes that as a high-achieving senior day school educating both young men and women from all backgrounds in the heart of a vibrant North West London, we can look to the future with confidence that standards will increase further, opportunities for pupils will grow, and John Lyon will continue as a leading place of learning for generations to come.”