Whether you are waiting for your ‘A’ level results or waiting for your telegram from the Queen, the King’s High School Old Girls’ Association is here for you!

The OGA was founded in 1902, and continues to this day as voluntary organisation administered by, and for, old girls and former staff of the school.

We currently have over 2,050 members.

The committee is chaired by the President (our headmistress, Mrs. Elizabeth Surber), and administered by a secretary (Mrs. Polly Beidas) and treasurer (Miss Ruth Court) with a committee of about twelve others. We also have honorary Vice-Presidents, who need no introduction, and are Miss Leahy, Miss Greenwood, Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Russell. Our staff representative is Mrs. Catharine Walker from the current PE staff.

Ilex

We have a substantial input into the school's annual Ilex magazine. The OGA section at the back of the magazine includes old girls' news, recent achievements, births, marriages, and obituaries. (If you’ve ever wondered what happened to one of your classmates, you may well find out in the Ilex OGA section. Similarly, your classmates may be wondering what has happened to you. Please email the OGA secretary with your news at secoga@sky.com, or write to Mrs. Polly Beidas c/o the school). Please click here to find out more about the Ilex.

Keep in touch

The OGA has helped to renew many friendships and foster reintroductions of old girls who have lost touch over the years. Recently we helped reunite two lots of old girls who hadn’t seen each other for over fifty years. Write to the secretary, Mrs. Polly Beidas, at secoga@sky.com, or c/o the school to see if she can help put you back in touch with an old friend.

OGA Annual Lunch

Our main social event of the year is the OGA Annual Lunch. We’ve changed this in recent years from an evening dinner, giving you the chance to tour the school (the old buildings you remember, and the new buildings you can marvel at), in daylight. This takes place on a Saturday in the spring, and allows you to come back into school and wander round alone, with old friends, or with sixth form guides. In addition to a lovely buffet lunch, there is ample opportunity to chat to friends you haven’t seen for years, or the ladies (and, for more recent leavers, gentlemen) who taught you. Sometimes we have a guest speaker associated with the school, and sometimes Mrs. Surber and her girls give illustrated talks about KHS nowadays.

AGM

This gives all our members the opportunity to have a say in the running of the OGA, to stand for election to the committee (we are always looking for new committee members), and to suggest ideas for future events. It takes place on the day of the Annual Lunch, and all members are welcome. To suggest items for debate, contact the secretary, Mrs. Polly Beidas, via the school or by email on secoga@sky.com.

Social gatherings

In addition to the Annual Lunch (see above) and helping the Development Office with ‘Decade Days’ and the London gathering (which the OGA used to hold annually until the 1960s, and has just been revived), the OGA holds occasional social events such as garden open evenings and recitals.

Annual notice

All OGA members receive the Annual Notice in the Autumn Term, and it usually coincides to go out with the Ilex. Members not ordering an Ilex receive the photocopied OGA section of the Ilex, as well as the Annual Notice itself. In 2009 this was over thirty pages of old girls’ news and information. Members may also opt to receive their Annual Notice electronically.

Prizes

The OGA awards annual prizes at the school’s Speech Day.

Sports fixtures

Mrs. Catharine Walker, an old girl of the school on the PE staff, has masterminded some recent old girls’ netball fixtures. If you are keen to play netball, hockey or tennis beyond your schooldays, please email Catharine on c.walker@kingshighwarwick.co.uk or write to her c/o the school.