PREPARATIONS are underway at Ampleforth College for the full introduction of girls in the next academic year.

Building work is about to begin on the new girls' accommodation, St Margaret's college, which will be completed in time for their arrival in September and will house 70.

The prestigious catholic boarding school welcomed its first female sixth-formers in September 2002, but now girls aged 13 to 18 will be able to attend.

Brenda Green has been appointed house mistress designate of St Margaret's, and is responsible for admission of the new girls.

"We're getting at least one a week coming to look around now," she said.

"Families who have attended through the generations want their daughters to be able to come here - and parents often want siblings to be together at school."

"The school also feels it is good for pupils to experience a mixed-sex environment in preparation for the modern-day world."

Headmaster Father Leo Chamberlain said: "It's a reaction to our times - boys and girls need to be educated together because they will work alongside one another in adulthood."

Having girls at the school has certainly made theatrical productions much easier, although old habits die hard. Father Leo described a recent school production of The Importance of Being Earnest: "The girls played their parts wonderfully, but I was shocked to realise that Lady Bracknell was played by the scrum half!"

And, on the subject of rugby, there was no gender divide when it came to cheering on the England team in the recent world cup, as boys and girls alike crowded round the television to cheer on old boy Lawrence Dallaglio in Australia.

Updated: 09:33 Monday, December 22, 2003