I have collected all of the books in the series. In the early years I had paperback editions, but then, I upgraded, until I now have a full set of first, or early editions, in dustwrappers.
I absolutley adore Brent-Dyer's books; they have never lost their magic. The characters are memorable as are the settings: the early years in the Austrian Tyrol, then Guernsey and the Welsh Coast, Hereford and then, finally, Switzerland.
Some of the books are better than others. The stand out novel, for me, is The Chalet School in Exile. Brent-Dyer dealt with the Austrian Anscluss and the impact of Nazi Germany on the lives of ordinary people, in a manner that is unparalled in literature for young people and can compete with the best of adult fiction.
Girls Gone By Publishers (GGBP) acquired the copyright to Brent-Dyer's work in 2001 and since then have published more than 30 fill-in titles as well as a number of prequels and one post series title. The fill-in books are based on a piece of research which demonstrates the "missing terms" of the series, or the terms for which Brent-Dyer didn't write a book. Many of the "missing terms" are in the Austrian Tyrol era, although new books are set throughout the whole series.
The fill-in books are written by a range of authors and are all really good. The authors write in the same authorial voice as Brent-Dyer and use the same settings and characters as the original books. It's brilliant to be able to fill in the gaps in the series.
In 2025 GGBP will be publishing a centenary edition of The School at the Chalet, as well as a new novel set in the same term as the first novel: Simone at the Chalet School.
It's amazing that 100 years after the publication of The School at the Chalet these books are still in print and being enjoyed by their legions of fans.