Royal Masonic School for Girls

The Royal Masonic School for Girls was founded in 1788 by the Italian-born surgeon and Freemason Chevalier Bartholomew Ruspini for the express purpose of educating the daughters of Masonic widows and orphans — a charitable enterprise endowed by the United Grand Lodge of England that has provided continuous girls' education for 238 years. The school operated initially in central London before moving in 1934 to its present 315-acre rural campus at Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. The Rickmansworth campus is dominated by the immense 1934 Wreford Watson Spence buildings — at the time the largest purpose-built girls' school buildings in Europe and still one of the most architecturally substantial school campuses in England.

The school today educates around 928 pupils ages 2-18 with a substantial boarding population. The Headmaster is Kevin Carson. The school is a member of the GSA and the Boarding Schools Association and is inspected by the ISI. While the historic Masonic charitable connection remains — significant fee remissions are available through the Royal Masonic Trust for the daughters of Freemasons and Masonic widows — the school operates today as a broad-access independent open to all academically able girls regardless of family Masonic connection.

The school's academic profile is strongest in the sciences, mathematics, modern languages and music. The 315-acre rural campus provides extensive sports facilities — lacrosse, netball, hockey and athletics — and a strong outdoor pursuits programme. The school operates a substantial bursary programme via the Royal Masonic Trust, providing a level of fee remission unusually generous for a UK independent girls' school as a function of the underlying Masonic charitable endowment.