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The Chalet School #52
Redheads at the Chalet School
Number 52 in the Chalet School Series.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
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About the author
Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
171 books113 followersElinor M. Brent-Dyer was born as Gladys Eleanor May Dyer on 6th April 1894, in South Shields in the industrial northeast of England, and grew up in a terraced house which had no garden or inside toilet. She was the only daughter of Eleanor Watson Rutherford and Charles Morris Brent Dyer. Her father, who had been married before, left home when she was three years old. In 1912, her brother Henzell died at age 17 of cerebro-spinal fever. After her father died, her mother remarried in 1913.
Elinor was educated at a small local private school in South Shields and returned there to teach when she was eighteen after spending two years at the City of Leeds Training College. Her teaching career spanned 36 years, during which she taught in a wide variety of state and private schools in the northeast, in Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and finally in Hereford.
In the early 1920s she adopted the name Elinor Mary Brent-Dyer. A holiday she spent in the Austrian Tyrol at Pertisau-am-Achensee gave her the inspiration for the first location in the Chalet School series. However, her first book, 'Gerry Goes to School', was published in 1922 and was written for the child actress Hazel Bainbridge. Her first 'Chalet' story, 'The School at the Chalet', was originally published in 1925.
In 1930, the same year that 'Jean of Storms' was serialised, she converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1933 the Brent-Dyer household (she lived with her mother and stepfather until her mother's death in 1957) moved to Hereford. She travelled daily to Peterchurch as a governess.
When her stepfather died she started her own school in Hereford, The Margaret Roper School. It was non-denominational but with a strong religious tradition. Many Chalet School customs were followed, the girls even wore a similar uniform made in the Chalet School's colours of brown and flame. Elinor was rather untidy, erratic and flamboyant and not really suited to being a headmistress. After her school closed in 1948 she devoted most of her time to writing.
Elinor's mother died in 1957 and in 1964 she moved to Redhill, where she lived in a joint establishment with fellow school story author Phyllis Matthewman and her husband, until her death on 20th September 1969.
During her lifetime Elinor M. Brent-Dyer published 101 books but she is remembered mainly for her Chalet School series. The series numbers 58 books and is the longest-surviving series of girls' school-stories ever known, having been continuously in print for more than 70 years. One hundred thousand paperback copies are still being sold each year.
Among her published books are other school stories; family, historical, adventure and animal stories; a cookery book, and four educational geography-readers. She also wrote plays and numerous unpublished poems and was a keen musician.
In 1994, the year of the centenary of her Elinor Brent-Dyer's birth, Friends of the Chalet School put up plaques in Pertisau, South Shields and Hereford, and a headstone was erected on her grave in Redstone Cemetery, since there was not one previously. They also put flowers on her grave on the anniversaries of her birth and death and on other special occasions.
Elinor was educated at a small local private school in South Shields and returned there to teach when she was eighteen after spending two years at the City of Leeds Training College. Her teaching career spanned 36 years, during which she taught in a wide variety of state and private schools in the northeast, in Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and finally in Hereford.
In the early 1920s she adopted the name Elinor Mary Brent-Dyer. A holiday she spent in the Austrian Tyrol at Pertisau-am-Achensee gave her the inspiration for the first location in the Chalet School series. However, her first book, 'Gerry Goes to School', was published in 1922 and was written for the child actress Hazel Bainbridge. Her first 'Chalet' story, 'The School at the Chalet', was originally published in 1925.
In 1930, the same year that 'Jean of Storms' was serialised, she converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1933 the Brent-Dyer household (she lived with her mother and stepfather until her mother's death in 1957) moved to Hereford. She travelled daily to Peterchurch as a governess.
When her stepfather died she started her own school in Hereford, The Margaret Roper School. It was non-denominational but with a strong religious tradition. Many Chalet School customs were followed, the girls even wore a similar uniform made in the Chalet School's colours of brown and flame. Elinor was rather untidy, erratic and flamboyant and not really suited to being a headmistress. After her school closed in 1948 she devoted most of her time to writing.
Elinor's mother died in 1957 and in 1964 she moved to Redhill, where she lived in a joint establishment with fellow school story author Phyllis Matthewman and her husband, until her death on 20th September 1969.
During her lifetime Elinor M. Brent-Dyer published 101 books but she is remembered mainly for her Chalet School series. The series numbers 58 books and is the longest-surviving series of girls' school-stories ever known, having been continuously in print for more than 70 years. One hundred thousand paperback copies are still being sold each year.
Among her published books are other school stories; family, historical, adventure and animal stories; a cookery book, and four educational geography-readers. She also wrote plays and numerous unpublished poems and was a keen musician.
In 1994, the year of the centenary of her Elinor Brent-Dyer's birth, Friends of the Chalet School put up plaques in Pertisau, South Shields and Hereford, and a headstone was erected on her grave in Redstone Cemetery, since there was not one previously. They also put flowers on her grave on the anniversaries of her birth and death and on other special occasions.
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August 22, 2022Mostly with the Chalet School books I have read them before, sometime, some decade. I HAVE NEVER READ THIS BEFORE. THIS, I WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED.
uh. Flavia Letton is coming to school under the name of Flavia Ansell, in a sneaky way involving a secret handover at a railway station. Her father, Detective Inspector Letton, has been threatened with harm against his family by the latest gang of criminals he's put away, so his only child is being sent to boarding school in Switzerland where no one can find her. I do kind of like this as a plot! I actually want to steal it!
But. But, you cannot write a detective story, one with revolvers and criminal gangs, at the same time as a late-stage instalment in a long-running series about a Swiss girls' boarding school. You cannot write both of those books at the same time. You can't have a girl KIDNAPPED AND DRUGGED by a criminal gang for SIX DAYS returned safely and then... scolded for being out of
bounds? You can't have a shoot-out - a shoot-out!! - in Miss Annersley's office (in her OFFICE!) and then finish the book with the Christmas pageant! you cannot do this!
But she can, and she does, and there we go. I think this is a very bad book, if wildly entertaining for many non-intentional reasons. What I actually do find fascinating is that the series itself is getting long in the tooth just as there are, finally, indications of the outside world creeping in. People use words like "secondary modern" and "atom bomb". Girls - not Chalet School girls, but girls, somewhere - are described as being interested in boys. Detective Inspector Letton - presumably well-paid in his profession - mentions that he might not be able to afford a Swiss boarding school for his daughter, with the indication that it's a bit of an anachronism anyhow. And I find it very interesting that the last time Brent-Dyer tried to do this plot it worked *perfectly*. Elisaveta, Crown Princess of Belsornia (Ruritania) in anonymity at the Chalet School, until her conniving cousin tried to kidnap her! That worked perfectly, because that was 1927, in pre-war Austria; it was another world. Which all feels fascinating, even if this book wasn't good.
uh. Flavia Letton is coming to school under the name of Flavia Ansell, in a sneaky way involving a secret handover at a railway station. Her father, Detective Inspector Letton, has been threatened with harm against his family by the latest gang of criminals he's put away, so his only child is being sent to boarding school in Switzerland where no one can find her. I do kind of like this as a plot! I actually want to steal it!
But. But, you cannot write a detective story, one with revolvers and criminal gangs, at the same time as a late-stage instalment in a long-running series about a Swiss girls' boarding school. You cannot write both of those books at the same time. You can't have a girl KIDNAPPED AND DRUGGED by a criminal gang for SIX DAYS returned safely and then... scolded for being out of
bounds? You can't have a shoot-out - a shoot-out!! - in Miss Annersley's office (in her OFFICE!) and then finish the book with the Christmas pageant! you cannot do this!
But she can, and she does, and there we go. I think this is a very bad book, if wildly entertaining for many non-intentional reasons. What I actually do find fascinating is that the series itself is getting long in the tooth just as there are, finally, indications of the outside world creeping in. People use words like "secondary modern" and "atom bomb". Girls - not Chalet School girls, but girls, somewhere - are described as being interested in boys. Detective Inspector Letton - presumably well-paid in his profession - mentions that he might not be able to afford a Swiss boarding school for his daughter, with the indication that it's a bit of an anachronism anyhow. And I find it very interesting that the last time Brent-Dyer tried to do this plot it worked *perfectly*. Elisaveta, Crown Princess of Belsornia (Ruritania) in anonymity at the Chalet School, until her conniving cousin tried to kidnap her! That worked perfectly, because that was 1927, in pre-war Austria; it was another world. Which all feels fascinating, even if this book wasn't good.
August 9, 2016
I get the impression the cover illustrator read the relevant chapter, but may not have been a committed Chalet fan. We've not had brown and flame as the uniform for about five years. Don't dwell on the cover - go straight to the opening scene, Copper and her stepfather on the train, which is one of EBD's best starts ever.
In the last book, 'Jane', Va wrote a play in which a 'missing' character was identified by her long fair hair. This incredible stretch of the imagination may have been what inspired EBD for 'Redheads', in which a criminal gang is searching for the daughter of a police detective, and all they know about her appearance is that she has red hair. Now, you would have thought the criminal gang might have made more effort to find out some other identifying characteristics, or perhaps obtain a photo, but no: they track down the school and then start checking out the red haired pupils whenever they are off on an expedition. High drama ensues.
The high drama bits are actually reasonably well done (given that, as this is Chalet School Land, it's fairly clear nobody is actually going to get killed); EBD had decided to write a thriller and a thriller this is going to be, dammit, with revolvers and blood and everything!
Unfortunately, as it's a thriller set in the Chalet School, we also have to have the Christmas play, and what's more we get it twice - summarised in detail before the first read-through, and then described in detail when it's actually performed. But to make up for this, we do get to go into the study and hear what Miss Annersley says when she's dispensing justice. Often we are just told 'What Miss Annersley said to X, X never cared to think about/never told anybody/nobody else ever knew' - but this time we're there for the major ticking off. About time too. It's a pretty good one. Other headteachers who need to tick off a pupil for being abducted, take note.
As usual, the complicated explanation of who is related to who and why it all happened is almost impenetrable. EBD delights in these, and there's at least one more to come.
I did wonder, reading the episode with the snake, whether EBD was pulling off a clever literary trick at this point. Len has to make sure the snake is completely gone because otherwise it can go on twitching (and therefore presenting danger) after it's dead. Oho, is this a reference to Inspector Letton not getting the whole gang behind bars, so he thought he'd dealt with them when in fact they were still presenting danger? Probably not. But it's EBD - you never know.
In the last book, 'Jane', Va wrote a play in which a 'missing' character was identified by her long fair hair. This incredible stretch of the imagination may have been what inspired EBD for 'Redheads', in which a criminal gang is searching for the daughter of a police detective, and all they know about her appearance is that she has red hair. Now, you would have thought the criminal gang might have made more effort to find out some other identifying characteristics, or perhaps obtain a photo, but no: they track down the school and then start checking out the red haired pupils whenever they are off on an expedition. High drama ensues.
The high drama bits are actually reasonably well done (given that, as this is Chalet School Land, it's fairly clear nobody is actually going to get killed); EBD had decided to write a thriller and a thriller this is going to be, dammit, with revolvers and blood and everything!
Unfortunately, as it's a thriller set in the Chalet School, we also have to have the Christmas play, and what's more we get it twice - summarised in detail before the first read-through, and then described in detail when it's actually performed. But to make up for this, we do get to go into the study and hear what Miss Annersley says when she's dispensing justice. Often we are just told 'What Miss Annersley said to X, X never cared to think about/never told anybody/nobody else ever knew' - but this time we're there for the major ticking off. About time too. It's a pretty good one. Other headteachers who need to tick off a pupil for being abducted, take note.
As usual, the complicated explanation of who is related to who and why it all happened is almost impenetrable. EBD delights in these, and there's at least one more to come.
I did wonder, reading the episode with the snake, whether EBD was pulling off a clever literary trick at this point. Len has to make sure the snake is completely gone because otherwise it can go on twitching (and therefore presenting danger) after it's dead. Oho, is this a reference to Inspector Letton not getting the whole gang behind bars, so he thought he'd dealt with them when in fact they were still presenting danger? Probably not. But it's EBD - you never know.
October 21, 2012
Firstly, I think, I have to clarify the five star rating of this book. When it comes to Redheads, it is necessary to rate it on a wholly different level to the rest of the series. Whilst it's nowhere near the stunning The Chalet School in Exile in terms of quality, where Redheads scores high is on all round (and splendidly silly) amazingness.
This is an amazing book and it's one that sort of defies 'normal' critique. It's the one where Brent-Dyer decided to write about criminal gangs, nefarious plots, and all round bad people. It's a concept she may have got away with earlier in the series whilst at the peaks of her powers but bearing in mind Redheads comes towards the end of the series and in the middle of an all round drop in quality, Redheads becomes a slightly hysterical and giddy experience.
Flavia (I do *love* her name) Letton has joined the Chalet School and is our new girl of focus. She's joined the school under the name of Flavia Ansell, and had to leave behind her beloved stepfather in a hush hush loose lips sink ships sort of manner. It's not the only unusual thing about this term; there's a strange American woman stalking the school with a fixed interest in all the redheaded girls, and somebody's after Flavia in particular...
It is a different angle to take in the series and it's one that never quite sits well with the gentle real-world-ignoring that the Chalet School had slipped into at this point. It's hard to read this book seriously at times but it's one that very rarely lets up on pace. It's as if Brent-Dyer decided on this angle and then sort of went 'oh whatever' when she got halfway through and decided to throw everything to the wall in the hope that it stuck.
Redheads is such an oddity in the series (We'll change her surname! That'll do it! That'll make them look for the other redheaded girl called Flavia at a school in Switzerland! It's such a common first name!) that it's sort of both madly refreshing and sort of joyous to read at a point in the series that is flirting all to seriously with Althea Joins the Chalet School level quality.
This is an amazing book and it's one that sort of defies 'normal' critique. It's the one where Brent-Dyer decided to write about criminal gangs, nefarious plots, and all round bad people. It's a concept she may have got away with earlier in the series whilst at the peaks of her powers but bearing in mind Redheads comes towards the end of the series and in the middle of an all round drop in quality, Redheads becomes a slightly hysterical and giddy experience.
Flavia (I do *love* her name) Letton has joined the Chalet School and is our new girl of focus. She's joined the school under the name of Flavia Ansell, and had to leave behind her beloved stepfather in a hush hush loose lips sink ships sort of manner. It's not the only unusual thing about this term; there's a strange American woman stalking the school with a fixed interest in all the redheaded girls, and somebody's after Flavia in particular...
It is a different angle to take in the series and it's one that never quite sits well with the gentle real-world-ignoring that the Chalet School had slipped into at this point. It's hard to read this book seriously at times but it's one that very rarely lets up on pace. It's as if Brent-Dyer decided on this angle and then sort of went 'oh whatever' when she got halfway through and decided to throw everything to the wall in the hope that it stuck.
Redheads is such an oddity in the series (We'll change her surname! That'll do it! That'll make them look for the other redheaded girl called Flavia at a school in Switzerland! It's such a common first name!) that it's sort of both madly refreshing and sort of joyous to read at a point in the series that is flirting all to seriously with Althea Joins the Chalet School level quality.
May 26, 2025
‘No, don’t move. Keep on looking out of the window. Now listen! You understand that you must use your proper name. I know you’ve always been called Flavia Letton, but from now on you are Flavia Anstell.’
From the beginning of this book, we are not in the world of the usual Chalet story. Flavia Anstell joins the Chalet School because her stepfather wants to keep her safe from the criminals who want revenge on him - but of course said criminals find her and we are in the world of a thriller. What lengths will they go to to track her down? It’s a gripping read, and EBD makes the threat of violence surprisingly real. The school is almost a backdrop to the book - we hardly see anything of Rosamund Lilley as Head Girl, sadly. Flavia is an attractive central character and EBD gives us some very realistic reactions from the staff to the dangerous situation they have been landed with. Not a bad book at all, but I’m glad this was not the direction EBD took for the rest of the series.
From the beginning of this book, we are not in the world of the usual Chalet story. Flavia Anstell joins the Chalet School because her stepfather wants to keep her safe from the criminals who want revenge on him - but of course said criminals find her and we are in the world of a thriller. What lengths will they go to to track her down? It’s a gripping read, and EBD makes the threat of violence surprisingly real. The school is almost a backdrop to the book - we hardly see anything of Rosamund Lilley as Head Girl, sadly. Flavia is an attractive central character and EBD gives us some very realistic reactions from the staff to the dangerous situation they have been landed with. Not a bad book at all, but I’m glad this was not the direction EBD took for the rest of the series.
May 22, 2023
This is one of the later books in the Chalet School series. In it the girls use biro pens and it mentions Citreon cars.
This is the story of Flavia who is sent to the school for her protection, as her step-father is worried that a criminal gang are wanting to harm her. Initially Flavia doesn't know anything about the reason she's been sent to a foreign boarding school, then as some suspicious people are seen around the school Flavia is told of the danger so she can better protect herself.
This is a similar storyline to one earlier in the series when Princess Elisaveta goes to the school and is kidnapped. If the story had been more different then I would've given it 4 stars.
Easy to read and definitely a good example of the series.
This is the story of Flavia who is sent to the school for her protection, as her step-father is worried that a criminal gang are wanting to harm her. Initially Flavia doesn't know anything about the reason she's been sent to a foreign boarding school, then as some suspicious people are seen around the school Flavia is told of the danger so she can better protect herself.
This is a similar storyline to one earlier in the series when Princess Elisaveta goes to the school and is kidnapped. If the story had been more different then I would've given it 4 stars.
Easy to read and definitely a good example of the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2023
Flavia Letton is surprised when her stepfather suddenly arranges for her to go to the Chalet School, and insists that she use her real father's surname, Ansell, instead. In addition, her striking red hair must be cut. He can't explain in detail, only that she could be in danger. But Flavia isn't the only redhead at the Chalet School . . . .
Personally, I'm not sure this book is entirely suitable for the target audience, since it involves murder, kidnapping, drugs, and more. But it is extremely exciting and very hard to put down. And, as always, the school teaches lessons that aren't found in schoolbooks.
Personally, I'm not sure this book is entirely suitable for the target audience, since it involves murder, kidnapping, drugs, and more. But it is extremely exciting and very hard to put down. And, as always, the school teaches lessons that aren't found in schoolbooks.
October 11, 2025
One of the few Chalet School books I had never read before.
A very odd book and I am glad this wasn’t one of the first CS books I discovered as it might have given me the wrong impression of the series.
EBD’s attempt at writing a 1960s thriller /ripping yarn , only loosely connected to the school.
Although Joey and Miss Annersley reminisce about episodes in The Princess at the Chalet School being similar the two books don’t stand up to comparison, as ‘Princess’ was a Ruritanian book which did fit in the the setting in 1930’s Austria.
Don’t start with this book if you are new to the Chalet School books.
A very odd book and I am glad this wasn’t one of the first CS books I discovered as it might have given me the wrong impression of the series.
EBD’s attempt at writing a 1960s thriller /ripping yarn , only loosely connected to the school.
Although Joey and Miss Annersley reminisce about episodes in The Princess at the Chalet School being similar the two books don’t stand up to comparison, as ‘Princess’ was a Ruritanian book which did fit in the the setting in 1930’s Austria.
Don’t start with this book if you are new to the Chalet School books.
August 4, 2021
The Chalet school series is attractive to me because it paints an idyllic picture of a school and its gentle day to day life. Many of the series deal with outlandish and adventerous happenings but the bulk of the texts tend to simply be the day to day happenings of the school community. This example is not as successful as many of the others because the balance is wrong. There is too much here of the mystery story which makes it far less successful.
September 8, 2021
This is often mentioned as the worst book of the series. Do people really dislike it so much? It's derivative, sure, but at least it's not another take on "new girl can't speak German" - or not mostly.
Admittedly Miss Annersley blaming Val for getting herself kidnapped rings like a cracked bell to modern ears, but that's Chalet morality for you.
Admittedly Miss Annersley blaming Val for getting herself kidnapped rings like a cracked bell to modern ears, but that's Chalet morality for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2026
I’m pretty sure it was only one book ago that the Authorial Voice reprimanded a form for writing a play that was far too melodramatic to be believable. Clearly EBD had no intention of taking her own advice.
November 6, 2019
I haven't read this for a very long while, and really enjoyed it
August 2, 2024
Another missing entry in my quest for Chalet School completion - the unusual school year thrills and spills along with an incredibly ludicrous gangster storyline, which includes a kidnapping.
December 18, 2017
One of the more exciting Chalet School books. Fifty-second in the original hardback series, this volume was first published in 1964.
Flavia is the new girl sent to school, and as we quickly learn the reason is to keep her safe from a criminal who wants revenge on her stepfather. There's a gripping climax after an enjoyable book that was difficult to put down at times.
Inevitably dated, and one has to suspend reality here and there... but definitely recommended to fans of the series.
Flavia is the new girl sent to school, and as we quickly learn the reason is to keep her safe from a criminal who wants revenge on her stepfather. There's a gripping climax after an enjoyable book that was difficult to put down at times.
Inevitably dated, and one has to suspend reality here and there... but definitely recommended to fans of the series.
June 21, 2014
I only read this book as an adult and enjoyed it. I think in some ways I would have got more out of it as a child because as an adult I can just see that this is Elinor's attempt to dramatise her books a bit more. The early books in the chalet series have drama and adventure but it is always fun and relevant. This book feels like she wanted to write a mystery book and slot it into her chalet series. I still really enjoyed it and recommend it but am very glad it comes later in the series so readers hopefully don't get it too early.
May 20, 2009
Flavia, whose father is a police inspector, is sent to the Chalet School to keep her safe from his enemies. Does this work? Of course not!
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