A PRIVATE girls’ school has denied it has plans to allow boys for the first time in its 135 year history.

Roedean School in Brighton has provided exclusively female education since it was founded in the 19th century.

It was established to prepare girls for the rigours of newly opened University of Cambridge women’s colleges Girton and Newnham.

However, following reports in the national press, the school has denied claims that it has plans to start educating boys at its premises in Roedean Way, Brighton.

A school spokeswoman told The Argus that it would be “impossible” to accept male students at the school due to its Royal Charter.

To further promote the School and to enhance its status as a leading independent school for girls a petition was made to King George VI to grant the School a Royal Charter of Incorporation.

The School was granted a Royal Charter on December 14, 1938.

The Royal Charter laid down the new Corporation’s objects and byelaws.

The objects included “a School for Girls in which they may receive a sound education including physical and moral training.”

Roedean said it would therefore violate their Charter if they were to become co-educational school.

The byelaws stipulated how the School would be governed. Traditions enshrined in the charter are safeguarded by 3,300 governors.

All Governors are either Old Roedeanians or members of the Council of Trustees.

This year, the school invited year 10 pupils from schools across Brighton and Hove, including male students, to participate in lessons that would stretch them beyond the national curriculum including genetic engineering, cryptology and the psychology of crime.

Each Wednesday evening, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, 14 boys and 39 girls from local secondary schools visited Roedean to settle down to language code-breaking, philosophy and stats and hard maths sessions.

Boarders’ families pay more than £31,000 a year at Roedean.