La Sagesse School

La Sagesse School was a 3–18, Roman Catholic, private school for girls in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. It was established in 1906 and closed in 2008. It occupied Jesmond Towers, a Grade II* listed building^[2] and was located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

La Sagesse School
The school in 1964 with a group of nuns sitting in front of the entrance
Location
The Towers, Jesmond Newcastle upon Tyne , Tyne and Wear , NE2 3RJ England
Coordinates	54.9985°N 1.6062°W / 54.9985; -1.6062
Information
Type	Private school
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Established	1906 (1906)
Closed	2008 (2008)
Local authority	Newcastle City Council
Oversight	Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
Department for Education URN	108539 Tables
Headteacher	Linda Clark[1]
Gender	Girls
Age range	3–18
Capacity	262[1]
Website	www.lasagesse.org.uk
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name	La Sagesse School, Jesmond Towers
Designated	17 December 1971
Reference no.	1024954

History

Jesmond Towers was built to a gothic design in the early 19th century.^[3] In 1869 it was bought by Charles Mitchell and his wife, Anne, who made it their family home.^[4] Their son, who was a great art enthusiast, displayed important paintings in the lounge.^[3] In 1890 Anne's sister, Emily, who was in a state of depression following the death of her husband, threw herself from the battlements of Jesmond Towers and is said to haunt the building: she is referred to as the "Pink Lady".^[3]

Following Anne's death in 1899, her son, Charles William Mitchell, inherited the house and, following Charles William's death in 1903, the Mitchell family moved to Pallinburn, near Ford, Northumberland. Jesmond Towers was acquired by the Filles de la Sagesse (Daughters of Wisdom in English) in 1912.^[a][3]

The school established its own board of governors and rented the building from the Daughters of Wisdom. However the school faced increasing competition from other local private schools (e.g. the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle particularly once the Royal Grammar School began admitting girls in all years in 2008) and when the Daughters of Wisdom decided to treble the rent in 2008, the governors decided to close the school.^[5]

In 2009 Freddy Shepherd (a Newcastle United F.C. shareholder) acquired the site for development and in 2013, sold the house to Jeff Winn, a solicitor, who secured that part of the site as part of a joint purchase with David Wilson Homes.^[6][7][8]

Notable alumnae

• Gillian Allnutt (b. 1949), poet^[9]
• Jo Beall (b. 1952), academic^[10]
• Joanna Pickering, actress, writer, activist and model^[11]
• Linden Travers (1913–2001), actress^[12]
• Denise Welch (b. 1958), actress and television presenter^[13]
• Susan Williams (b. 1967), junior minister^[14]

Notes

1. The Daughters of Wisdom established many schools including one in Low Fell in 1906 before they bought Jesmond Towers.^[3]

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Tyne and Wear