Sarah Allen Olney

Sarah Allen Olney (12 May 1842 – 10 September 1915) was a British headmistress. She was the founding head at two schools. She was first head of Blackheath High School and she left there to join with her sister, Rebecca Olney, to create "The Eves".

Life Olney was born in Saltash. She was one of at least six children. Her parents were Jane Ann (born Carpenter) and Henry Allen Olney. Her father was a solicitor and her mother owned a private school in the west of England. She had a talent for languages which was assisted by her European travels. When she was back in Britain she passed the University of St Andrews's higher local examinations and the external LLA examination.

Her sister Rebecca was employed as a headmistress at St John's Wood by the Girls' Public Day School Company (GPDSC) and in 1879 they employed Sarah as her assistant head teacher. When the GPDSC opened another school in Blackheath in 1880 Sarah was appointed as head of that school. Her school opened with just under 70 pupils and in the next six years the school's role increased to over 250. Sarah, Rebecca (sometimes called Rita It was based in Hampstead and Sarah was the head teacher. The school attracted pupils from the nearby GPDSC school which "burnt their bridges" with their previous employers. In 1889 the school had a short move to Belsize Park Gardens as two years later the school with its day and boarding students moved to a new building on Crossfield Road "the Hall". Olney died in Ormea in Italy in 1915.