In 1863 Major-General Abbott and his wife founded a small school in Lucknow for European and Anglo-Indian girls. This School, which was far from a flourishing institution, passed into the hands of the Martin Charities when it was decided to take it over and put it under the care of the College. No provision had been made in the will of the Founder for the formation of a girls’ School in Lucknow though he had definitely made arrangements for a girls’ School at Calcutta and Lyons. It was not therefore, possible to utilise the funds of the College for this purpose, but there was money available under the ‘Female Education Fund’ which the Trustees put at the disposal of the new school.

The Committee which assembled on 3rd June 1869 passed the following resolution:

That the Visitor and Governors of La Martiniere College, Lucknow take over charge of the Lucknow Girls School, in anticipation of the sanction of the High Court of Calcutta, and of the Trustee, to the revised scheme forwarded to the Trustee, 18th May, 1869.

The institution will be located in the Moti Mahal premises, the whole of which will be ultimately placed at the disposal by the local agency. The rent will be Rs.240/-monthly and there will be some necessary expenses on the garden. But the buildings are in many ways suited for the purpose, and are, anyhow, the best available at Lucknow. And so the La Martiniere Girls School came into being, with Mr.W.Robinson, officiating Principal of La Martiniere College as Hony.Secretary and Miss Dixon the first Lady Superintendent. The results of the amalgamation were immediately felt. From 18 on the roll of the Lucknow Girls’ School, the numbers immediately jumped to 48. By 1871 the Secretary was able to report:

The Lucknow Martiniere Girls’ School, springing from small beginnings, now promises, with care, to do credit to the name it bears. The number of girls was now 71. In this year the school was transferred, first to the Fursat Manzil and later to the Khurshed Manzil the moated castle originally built and owned by the Nawabs of Oudh. According to the rules it was still under the general directions of the Governors of the College, but their deliberations were assisted, and its domestic and internal economy were watched over, by a sub-committee of ladies, whose interest and assistance were of great value.From 1871 to 1876 rent was paid for the buildings, but on the 30th October 1876, the Secretary to the Governing body of La Martiniere Girls’ School applied to the Chief Commissioner of Oudh: for the gift of the Khurshed Manzil from Government to the Governors of the Lucknow Martiniere, for the use of the Martiniere Girls’ School, on the condition that the estate with all alterations in the building that might have been made in the interim should be made over to the Government in the event of the School being at any time abolished.

The Chief Commissioner was pleased to comply with the above request and the Governors of the School on the 27th November 1876 acquired possession of the Khurshed Manzil, which was formerly known as the "32nd Mess House." This house had already become famous in Mutiny annals. It was here that Lord Roberts, then a Lieutenant, had planted the Union Jack during the advance on the Residency; it was here that Havelock, Outram and Campbell had met when the last named, relieved the garrison in November 1857.

The Trustees sanctioned vast changes in the building to suit it for a girls’ school. Over Rs.30,000 was sanctioned in the first year from the Female Education Fund, while in 1878 a further Rs.20,000 was spent on extensive repairs. During these latter repairs the girls lived in Dila Ram Kothi, kindly lent by the Maharaja of Balrampur. Further improvements came in the years that followed. In 1895 the Hospital, Kitchens, covered way, and most important of all, the New Building were built. This provided additional dormitories, class rooms and music rooms.

One of the biggest draw backs in the early years was the frequent change in the Lady Superintendents. Uniformity in system was maintained through the Secretary, who for a number of years was the Principal of the College. Then in 1908 Mrs.Teasdale was invited to accept the post of Hony.Secretary besides being the Lady Principal. This marked the end of the administrative connection with the Boys College. The School has had its ups and downs. On one occasion it had to close at least three months before the winter vacation owing to a serious outbreak of cholera while on another it closed down early as part of the roof had given in. The enrolment in 1947 was 220. But whereas numbers in the boarding house continued to diminish on account of repatriations and withdrawals of children bound for the U.K. at the end of the War, the Day-Scholar enrolment showed an increase ; this was because the prescribed numbers of Indian pupils admissible in European Schools was raised to 40%. The strength of staff in 1947 was 22 members. basketball, hockey, Tennis, Badminton and dancing were favourite recreational pursuits. The 1950s and 60s saw the installation of playground apparatus, the construction of the swimming pool, science block and boundary wall.; along with staff and servants quarters. Sports and P.T. displays, swimming and athletics meets, basketball and badminton matches were arranged on a regular basis. On the academic and social front, inter House debates, elocution contests, competitions in General Knowledge, film shows and concerts all became part of the curriculum. The progress of the Girls School can be measured by an analysis of the performance in its Centenary year. Of the 22 girls who appeared for the ISC all passed with 14 firsts, 6 second and 2 third divisions. There is no doubt the School has achieved the purpose for which it was brought into being and the girls’ might well be proud of the name they own and of the motto of La Martiniere, ‘Labore et Constantia.’