Dorothea and her sisters then were among the earliest students at the newly opened Queen's College, Harley Street, London.

[3] At the end of 1856, she left Queen's College, dissatisfied with its administration, and in January 1857 became head of the Clergy Daughters' School, Casterton, Westmorland (founded in 1823 by William Carus Wilson at Cowan Bridge).

There Beale's insistence on the need of reforms led to her resignation the following December, although many changes in the management of the school were made the next year.

[1] While seeking fresh work Beale taught mathematics and Latin at Miss Elwall's school at Barnes, and compiled her Students' Text-Book of English and General History from B.C.

[1] On 16 June 1858 Miss Beale was chosen out of 50 candidates to be principal of the Ladies' College, Cheltenham, the earliest proprietary girls' school in England.

In 1865 she gave evidence before the endowed schools inquiry commission, the seven other lady witnesses including Buss[4] and Miss Emily Davies.

[5] However, to give teachers in training the benefit of a year at Oxford, Beale purchased in 1892 for £5,000, Cowley House, Oxford, which was opened as St Hilda's Hall of Residence for Women in 1893, and was in 1901 joined with the Cheltenham training college as St Hilda's Incorporated College.

[1] In 1880, mainly with a view to supplying a link between past and present pupils, Beale founded The Cheltenham Ladies' College Magazine, and remained its editor until her death.

On 26 October 1889, the Guild started in Bethnal Green the Cheltenham Settlement, which continues as St Hilda's East Community Centre, a house built by past and present pupils and opened on 26 April 1898.

As an earnest churchwoman of high church principles guided through life by deep religious feeling, Beale instituted at Cheltenham in 1884 Quiet Days – devotional meetings for teachers – generally at the end of the summer term, when addresses were given by distinguished churchmen.

[1] Outside her college work Beale associated herself with nearly every effort for educational progress, and with local philanthropic institutions.

The body was cremated at Perry Barr, Birmingham, and the ashes buried in a small vault on the south side of the Lady Chapel of Gloucester Cathedral.