and two chairmen. Pupils The basic admission requirements, at the outset, were reflected in the school's name. A motion to include the word "necessitous" was defeated, but the school's aims were nevertheless charitable. Daughters of needy officers were admitted at £12 per annum, significantly below cost. Other families paid more. In about 1889, for financial reasons, the committee decided to admit granddaughters of officers and, with the highest fees, daughters of civilian gentlemen. Most fathers were commissioned officers, but a few rose from the ranks. The normal age for admission was ten to fifteen. Girls were expected to be able to read and write, and be in good health. Parents were encouraged to send their girls young. It was considered difficult to help them, if they had received only a haphazard education, as they grew older. Pupils were required to leave at age eighteen, except under special circumstances. The leaving age was relaxed as academic achievement and admission to university became more important, but the rule was not formally abolished until 1949. The school was initially only open to Protestant families. This restriction prevented the school from obtaining a grant from the Royal Patriotic Fund to assist with its foundation, but was not lifted until 1920. A significant number of places were taken by girls who had lost their fathers. In 1901, during the Boer War, 54 out of 120 pupils were fatherless. During the early decades of the school, girls came from all over the empire. A particularly large group was those born in India, whether to officers of the Indian Army or British Army units stationed there. When the Indian Army was disbanded in 1947, the school lost an important source of financial support. After the return from Longleat, the school agreed in principle to accept some pupils sponsored by local education authorities; very few came. In 1949, a few day girls were admitted for the first time. A ratio of 20 day girls to 250 boarders was thought appropriate to maintain the character of the school. Notable alumni A number of former pupils became notable in later life: Sheila Gish (1942-2005), actress. Nina Hamnett (1890-1956), painter and illustrator. Jean Nunn (1916–1982), civil servant. Caroline St John-Brooks (1947-2003), journalist and educationalist. Ella Constance Sykes (1863-1939), traveller and writer. Cecil Woodham-Smith (1896-1977), biographer and historian. Notes References External links The Royal School Association Educational institutions established in 1865 Girls'