Marie Bethell Beauclerc was a pioneer in the teaching of Pitman's shorthand and typing in Birmingham, England. In 1888 she was the first woman to be appointed as a teacher in an English boys' public school, at Rugby School. The Phonetic Journal, September 1891 and the journal, Birmingham Faces And Places, September 1892, both credit her with being the first female reporter in England.

The Blue Coat School is a preparatory school in Birmingham, England for children aged 3 to 11. It has 15 acres of gardens and playing fields. There are two sections to the school - Pre-Prep and Prep. The school opened in November 1722, originally as a free boarding school for poor and orphaned children.