Welham Girls School

Welham Girls School, In 1957, an aging English lady, Miss H. S. Oliphant, by the desire to create an equal educational platform for young Indian women in independent India, acquired a nawab’s small estate in Dehradun to offer shape to her dream.

There were no funds, no staff, no school buildings and no students however a vision and an indomitable spirit. She entrusted the task of setting ready for action a boarding school in dehradun for girls to Miss Grace Mary Linnell, an accomplished and respected educationist who had headed a girls’ school and college in Hyderabad. Under Miss Linnell’s guidance ‘Welham’, named after a Welsh village, progressed rapidly and soon came to symbolize the qualities of freedom, high scholastic standards and a progressive attitude, established in Indian tradition and culture.

Miss Linnell was succeeded twelve years later by Miss Saroj Srivastava, who headed the school for eighteen years. In 1988, Mrs. Shanti Varma assumed control over the reins and handed over the charge in 2000 to Mrs. Jyotsna Brar. Mrs. Padmini Sambasivam took over from Mrs. Brar in 2016.The strong sense of progression in its leadership has helped the school to uphold the value systems so profoundly entrenched in the foundation, while making strides forward in a rapidly changing world.

The Welham people group has developed from ten girls at its commencement in 1957 to its present strength of 600 girls. The alumnae of the school have carved a niche for themselves globally and within India, yet the spirit to ‘give and not consider the consequences’ remains unchanged.

The school is housed in large, airy buildings.Dormitories are partitioned among the five Houses, so as to build up a sense of having a place and team spirit. Each House is under the charge of a house mistress and a matron. Junior and Senior girls have separate hostels

School meals are carefully supervised by the staff members who take care of the mess, and efforts are made to furnish a well-balanced diet with a variety of dishes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Pork and Beef don’t feature on the menu. Both Indian and Western food is served. Fresh organic product, vegetables and milk are given each day, and extra or special food, whenever approved as necessary by the school specialist, is catered for. Teachers and students eat together at the table and the Mess Committee includes both staff and students.