The school that taught Margaret Thatcher so much

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Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher seated in the history classroom at Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School Credit: PA/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Margaret Thatcher attended Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School, where it is said the school gave her the foundation and inspiration for her career.

In an extract from the Grantham Journal's special edition paper, we learn one piece of advice offered to Margaret from a teacher when she attended the school as well as the speech she made when returning years later as Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Margaret was told by Miss Williams (the school's founder):

But she learned a lot more than that, always freely acknowledging the large part the school played in her life.

She referred to ‘a particularly inspiring history teacher in Miss Harding’, but said the biggest influence came from Miss Kay, the chemistry teacher.

Pictured in 1982 the year she went back to her school and gave a speech praising her teachers Credit: PA/PA Archive/Press Association Images

And it was in chemistry which she chose to specialise, for she was to pursue a career in that direction, before turning to politics.

Colleagues at KGGS remember ‘Maggie’ as a bit of a loner, who would often go on long, contemplative walks, sometimes as far afield as to Great Gonerby and back.

When she returned to KGGS in 1982, as Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher told the schoolchildren assembled in the hall:

Seen here on the far left, top row Margaret Roberts as she was known before marrying years later

To read Grantham Journal's Tribute Issue to Baroness Thatcher click here.