Belle Rennie

Belle Rennie born Isabella Southern "Belle" Moorhouse (17 February 1875 – 11 April 1966) was a British educationist. Her Conference of the New Ideals in Education led to the creation of Gipsy Hill College in South London, a key part of Kingston University, that spread the ideas of Montessori education and the Dalton Plan.

Life Rennie was born 1875 in Westoe. Her parents were Isabella (born Southern) and Thomas Firth Moorhouse. Her father was a manager and an analytical chemist who killed himself while doing an experiment. Her mother took the family back to her hometown of Gateshead. In about 1887 the family moved again to Harrogate where her mother married Dr Rennie. The whole family took the new surname, while their stepfather became rich looking after his patients. Her father however suffered from the workload, so they moved to Torquay where he effectively retired. Rennie needed a new principal for the college. This would lead to the Gipsy Hill College in South London,

Rennie died in Royal Tunbridge Wells in 1966.