1911-1925: Miss Major

Miss Major is remembered for her soft Irish voice, strength, charm and wit. Like Miss Creak, she studied at Cambridge and was a former head of a GPDST school, but she had more professional experience. Her aim was to conserve tradition whilst modernising the curriculum and updating teaching methods.

One of her first acts was to employ a PE mistress, Miss Nichols, who came to the school on the condition that a playing field be created. By 1911, hockey and netball teams were well established and in 1912 KEHS competed in its first House Swimming Gala. It was Miss Major and Miss Nichols who together created the four houses of KEHS:

Beaufort: with the portcullis, the symbol of Edward VI's great grandmother, Margaret
Bordeaux: the title of Richard II in whose reign the Gild of the Holy Cross was founded
Seymour: after Edward's mother Jane, whose emblem was the phoenix
Tudor: after Edward's own house

A collection of house trophies began and colours were introduced. One of these was the Fry Cup, anonymously donated in recognition of Margery Fry, the first female bailiff. Miss Major also introduced school uniform, which was originally black and white.