Helen Sheldon

Helen Maud Sheldon (15 October 1859 – 16 May 1945) was a British headmistress of Sydenham High School and an educationist.

Life Sheldon was born in Handsworth in 1859 where her father was the vicar. She had two brothers who survived and four sisters. Her parents Ann (born Sharp) and John Sheldon arranged for their daughters to attend Handsworth Ladies' College and remarkably three of the girls went on to higher education in Cambridge. and two others to Girton College. Her brother Gilbert was paralysed as a child but became a successful writer. Helen studied mathematics at Girton and took the tripos but she was not awarded a degree (because she was not a man). The first head had been Ms. I Thomas.

Sheldon made changes at her new school. She created the school's first orchestra. She introduced the idea of senior girls becoming prefects and she divided the school into houses. Sheldon's family had left her money and she used some of this to offer her school interest free loans. A minor addition was a school pavilion that was created from an old tram, but the major additions was to the school grounds. Using the money she lent to the school, the campus was increased by the purchase of adjoining land. Sheldon retired in 1917, and she was succeeded by Ms. A. F. E. Sanders.

Sheldon died in 1945 in Holloway.