Chalet School Head Girls in the Later Years Quiz

Answer: Jacynth Hardy

The Chalet School had to move out of Plas Howell in 'Armishire' because there was something wrong with the drains and everybody was getting ill. At the end of the Easter holidays they were offered the chance to rent the Big House on the island of St. Briavel's off the south or west coast of Wales.

It's not clear whether this was Jacynth's first term as Head Girl. The previous book, "Three Go to the Chalet School", when Gillian Culver was Head Girl, was probably set at the beginning of that academic year.

Answer: Peggy Bettany

Peggy Bettany was surprised to be appointed as Head Girl, since she felt she was too young, but there had been an unusually large number of girls who had left at the end of the previous summer term. She held the post for the three terms covered by "Peggy of the Chalet School", "Carola Storms the Chalet School" and "The Wrong Chalet School". Carola stormed the Chalet School after running away from the cruise ship and her cousin who was expecting Carola to accompany her to Jamaica.

In "The Wrong Chalet School" another unexpected pupil arrived at the School - Katharine Mary Gordon was supposed to be going to a nearby school with the same name, but her aunt had forgotten to post the letter making the arrangements.

Answer: Bride Bettany

It was not thought to be a good idea to let Peggy's younger sister, Bride, take over from Peggy, so Loveday Perowne was chosen for the term covered by "Shocks for the Chalet School". However, Loveday had to go to Argentina to claim an inheritance, so Bride took over for the last two terms of the year, covered by "Bride Leads the Chalet School" and "Changes for the Chalet School".

The changes refer to an expected move to Switzerland for the following school year.

Answer: Julie Lucy

Julie Lucy was the first Head Girl at the Chalet School's new location on the Gornetz Platz in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. "The Chalet School and Barbara", "The Chalet School Does It Again" and "A Chalet Girl from Kenya" are the three books which cover that year.
Surprisingly, following the reluctance to let Bride succeed Peggy as Head Girl, Julie's sister, Betsy, takes over as Head Girl for the second year in Switzerland covered by the books "Mary-Lou of the Chalet School", "A Genius at the Chalet School" and "A Problem for the Chalet School".

Answer: Elinor Pennell

By this stage in the series Elinor M. Brent-Dyer was usually writing one book a term, with occasional extra books set in the holidays. The three books covering Elinor Pennell's year as Head Girl were "New Mistress at the Chalet School" telling the story of Kathie Ferrars' first term at the Chalet School, "Excitements at the Chalet School" and "The Coming of Age of the Chalet School" which both concentrate on celebrations for the twenty-first anniversary of the founding of the Chalet School.

Answer: Mary-Lou Trelawney

Mary-Lou Trelawney's year as Head Girl is told in "The Chalet School and Richenda", "Trials for the Chalet School" and "Theodora and the Chalet School". All three books have what was becoming a common theme by this point in the series - a new girl arrives at the School and has some initial problems settling in, but is clearly on the way to becoming a model Chalet girl by the end of the book.

However, the new girl in "Trials for the Chalet School" had an accident at the end of the book, and was too old to return to the School once she had fully recovered.

Answer: Josette Russell

Josette Russell was the first of Madge Russell's daughters to become Head Girl since her elder sister, Sybil, was only made a sub-prefect part of the way through her last year at the School. "Ruey Richardson - Chaletian", "A Leader in the Chalet School" and "The Chalet School Wins the Trick" are the three books which cover Josette's year as Head Girl.

They follow one of the holiday stories, "Joey and Co. in Tirol", when the Maynard family meet the three Richardsons and agree to look after them while their father goes off to experiment with space exploration.

Answer: Maeve Bettany

"A Future Chalet School Girl" is the next book in the series; it is set in the summer holiday and tells the story of Melanie Lucas who has come to Switzerland since her uncle has started a new job in Geneva. She spends her holiday at the Tiernsee with the Maynards, and learns that she will be going to Chalet School in September. Maeve is the third of the four Bettany sisters to become Head-Girl. "A Feud in the Chalet School" tells of the troubles encountered when the Chalet School agreed to take in the pupils of a small school nearby which burned down just before the start of the new academic year. "The Chalet School Triplets" is mostly about Joey Maynard's eldest three girls, Len, Con and Margot. Following "The Chalet School Reunion", set in the Easter holidays, "Jane and the Chalet School" covers Maeve's last term as Head Girl.

Answer: Rosamund Lilley

"Redheads at the Chalet School" was Elinor M. Brent-Dyer's attempt at writing a thriller. Flavia Ansell, commonly known as 'Copper' partly because of the colour of her hair, was sent to the School to keep her safe while her step-father, a detective at Scotland Yard, investigated a criminal gang.

The gang kidnapped Val Gardiner, who also had red hair, under the impression that she was Flavia; when they discovered she was the wrong girl they drugged her, and put her on a train back to the Oberland with her ticket in her coat pocket. During the half term holiday red-headed Len Maynard, accompanied by the family's St. Bernard, Bruno, helped to foil an attempt to shoot Miss Annersley, the Headmistress, in her own study. With all that going on, it's probably not surprising that Rosamund Lilley left after one term as Head Girl!

Answer: Len Maynard

The remaining six books in the series cover Len Maynard's five terms as Head-Girl - the longest time any Head Girl spent in the position. In "Adrienne and the Chalet School" former Head Girl, Robin Humphries (now Soeur Marie-Cecile), rescues orphaned Adrienne Desmoines from an evil French concierge. "Summer Term at the Chalet School" tells how Joey Maynard (formerly Joey Bettany) was involved in a train crash when she was bringing a new pupil to the School, and ended up adopting a baby who was orphaned by the crash. "Challenge for the Chalet School" covers the term when Miss Annersley was away on an educational tour, and the Maths Mistress, Nancy Wilmot, took over as temporary Headmistress. "Two Sams at the Chalet School" is about two new girls, one from the USA and one from the UK, who have vaguely similar Christian names - Samantha and Samaris - and turn out to be distantly related. "Althea Joins the Chalet School" and "Prefects of the Chalet School" both cover Len's last term; Len got engaged to Reg Entwistle by the end, although she still intended to go to Oxford and get her degree before getting married.