 In 1915 Stella became a pupil at the North London Collegiate School , then situated in Camden Town . The school , founded in 1850 by Frances Buss , was among the first in England to offer girls an academic education , and by 1915 was widely recognised as a model girls ' school . After the haphazard teaching methods of her governesses , Stella initially had difficulty in adjusting to the strict discipline of the school , and found many of its rules and practices oppressive . She shared this attitude with her contemporary Stevie Smith , the future Queen 's Gold Medal for Poetry winner , who joined the school in 1917 . Although a moderate performer in school subjects , Stella found outlets for her talents by writing stories for her fellow @-@ pupils , becoming vice president of the Senior Dramatic Club , and featuring prominently in the school 's Debating Society of which she became the honorary secretary . 
