It is a bastion of female learning, an elite boarding school perched dramatically over the English Channel, that prides itself on nurturing the character of its girls as much as its enviable educational achievements.
But Roedean’s reputation for gentility and decorum is now under threat because of a bitter squabble between its trustees and a group of former pupils that has – allegedly – spilled over into physical confrontation.
At its core are said to be fears among some old girls that boys could be allowed into the school for the first time in its 135-year history – a prospect that has sparked a series of explosive rows that have led to high-level legal action between the factions.