[1] It is named in honour of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first woman to gain a medical qualification in the United Kingdom.

EGA, Vittoria and Beacon High became self-standing community schools with new articles of governance made by the local authority on 12th December 2023.

The former First Lady visited the school again in December 2018 where she spoke to an audience of 300 students as part of her book tour.

[10] Joined by a panel of former pupils and the school's Executive Headteacher Jo Dibb, she delivered an inspirational message of hope for the future[11] and the importance of education.

Her visits and her TED talk are described in her memoir Becoming (published November 2018[12]) and described in her own voice for the Radio 4 serialisation of the book.