The site on which State House Girls’ High school stands was once a European hospital. The building of the hospital consisted of the present main administration block. The sisters’ mess was the present teacher’s houses, which are adjacent to the main gate to State House.
To make room for a school in January 1954 the hospital was moved to become the present day Nairobi hospital. The school was then started and was called the New Girls’ Secondary School. What was left of the hospital acted as a European Dispensary and for some time the school and the dispensary existed side by side.
At the end of 1955 the school was split into two, New Girls’ Secondary School and Highland school in Eldoret (now called Moi Girls’ School). The whole student body together with the headmistress and some equipment moved to Eldoret.
From 1956, the new student body consisting of boys’ and girls’ was started. The school was renamed to Delamere High School – Delamere was one of most striking European Settlers in Kenya. The school continued catering for boys’ and girls’ education for about two years when in 1958, the boys moved to a new school which was called Delamere Boys’ School (now called Upper Hill High School).
For about 10 years the school was known as Delamere Girls’ School. In 1967, it assumed the name State House Road Girls’ High School which later changed to the present name State House Girls High School omitting the word “Road”.
Earlier on, in 1961 the school’s administration had come under a Board of Governors. In 1973, the school was taken over by the Kenyan Government thus becoming a fully maintained government school.
From its foundation up to the early sixties the school remained exclusively for European girls. With the approaching independence the school opened its doors to other races both in the student composition and the teaching staff.
The first two Asian Girls were admitted in form one in 1962. These were Parviz Shirin Manji (1/1/1962) and Gwaderi Shamshad (15/1/1962). Unfortunately, Parviz died one year later in late September 1963 at H.H.Aga Khan Platinum Jubilee Hospital medical ward bed number:14 from heart hemorrhage while Gwaderi cleared her O – level and went to England.
The first African girls were admitted in 1964. These were Jessica Ngoya(Jan 1964) whose father Mr. H.W. Ngoya was Webuye division educational officer and Wamaitha Margaret Philomena (September 1964). Jessica went on to become the school’s first African prefect (1965) and eventually the first African head girl of the school in June 1966. Jessica Ngoya went on to become a lecturer at the University of Addis Ababa.
The first Chinese girl was admitted in 2011. Tian Ao Zhong (22/2/2011) is from Boye Middle School, Boye County, Boarding city, Hebei province in China. The first Asian teacher came in 1966 and shortly but progressively more and more Asian and African girls joined as more Europeans left Kenya after independence.
The first African headmistress was Mrs. M. W. Maina who replaced Miss McDonald. The school has and is still open to all races in Kenya and nationalities.
Apart from human development there has been a spectacular development in physical amenities. The school has expanded, adapted and improved.
In 1983-84 through the sponsorship of His Excellency the former and 2nd President of Kenya His Excellency Hon. Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi and his spirit of Harambee the first boarding block was built where in 1985 the first 360 borders moved in. A new boarding block was added in 2004 to mark the Golden Jubilee of the school.
The school has an excellent swimming pool built in the late sixties and was first opened on Wednesday 24, July , 1968, school hall and kitchen opened in 1964 by Miss Margaret Kenyatta; the daughter to the first president of Kenya, laboratories for sciences, home science and computers.
The school also has a modern library built in 2004. Currently, the school is six streamed but because of the rising number of girls seeking to pursue their secondary education here, the school is in the process of expanding to a seven streamed school.
CURRICULUM
The school is offering a broad base and expansive curriculum suitable for the competitive world. They are:
* English * Kiswahili * French
* German * Mathematics * Biology
* Chemistry * Physics * History
* Geography * C.R.E * Business studies
* Computer studies * Art and Design * Agriculture
* Home science * Music * Physical Education
* I.R.E
CO- CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Swimming club, hockey club, interact club, French club, Rangers clubs, Drama club, Journalism club, Music club, Tennis club, Christian Union, Young Christian Society, Muslim Club, Hi-Y Club, Herig Club, Football Club, Rugby Club, SDA club, Model UN Club, Environmental club, etc.