Richard Hale School is an 11–18 boys' comprehensive school located in Hertford in the south east of England. In the 2014–2015 academic year, the school had over 1,000 pupils including students attending the sixth form, which is also open to girls.
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History
The school was founded as "Richard Hale's School" on 16 April 1617 by the affluent merchant Richard Hale, who wished to "erect a grammar school for the instruction of children in the Latin tongue and other literature in the town of Hertford". The original school building was in use for 313 years from 1617 to 1930, and still stands near to All Saints' Church. For most of its life the school was known as the "Hertford Grammar School" until 1967, when it was renamed to coincide with the 350th anniversary.
New buildings were built in 1977, the gym was built in 1978 and the Sixth form centre from 2009 to 2011. It became a science college in 2003, a foundation school in 2008, and converted to academy status on 1 July 2013. A new sports hall was also built, opened by former pupil Oliver Skipp in 2022.
Overview
Houses
Hale gave his name to one of the five original houses of the school. The remaining four were named after the school benefactors Francis Earl Cowper KG and Richard Benyon Croft; and former pupils Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Page, DSO and bar, and the evolutionary biologist Alfred Russel Wallace. These five houses remained for several decades until a sixth house called "Kinman" was added to the growing school, named after the headteacher Major George Kinman who organised the school's move in 1930. This house was for the boys who were previously in an overflow form, and not grouped together with their other house mates. House competition is an integral part of school life at Richard Hale, with competitions taking place not only on the sports fields, but on the stage in both music and drama.
Music
Students learn instruments and play in its bands and choirs. The music department puts on concerts every year. In January 2017 the concert band and school choir performed at St. Paul's Cathedral in London as part of the school's 400th anniversary.
Science
The school is a science academy. On 26 April, the school successfully sent a balloon up to the edge of space.
Notable former pupils
Ant Anstead, television presenter and motor specialist
Alex Davey ex-Chelsea now playing in the United States, footballer
Josh Dean (politician), MP for Hertford and Stortford (UK Parliament constituency)
Mike Fibbens, swimmer
Rupert Grint, actor
Billy Lunn and his brother Josh Morgan, musicians of The Subways
Rob Playford, Drum & Bass DJ, record producer and label owner
Oliver Skipp, Leicester City and England U21, footballer
Harry Toffolo, Norwich, Swindon, Lincoln Huddersfield Town, Nottingham Forest footballer
Mark Williams, former Liberal Democrat MP for Ceredigion 2005-2017
Hertford Grammar School
Sir Roy Anderson, Rector of Imperial College London and a notable epidemiologist
Sir Ernest Birch, colonial administrator
Nicholas Bell, English-Australian actor
Prof John Cannon CBE, Professor of Modern History at Newcastle University from 1976 to 1992
Air Vice-Marshal Leslie William Cannon CB CBE, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Pakistan Air Force from 1951 to 1955
Rt Rev Richard Chartres, Bishop of London from 1995 to 2017
Michael Dobbs, author and screenwriter
Hugh F. Durrant-Whyte FRS, engineer and academic
John Fincham FRS FRSE (1926–2005), botanist, geneticist, professor, author and editor
John Flack, Bishop and Anglican representative to the Holy See, and Bishop of Huntingdon from 1997 to 2003
David Gentleman, illustrator, and prolific designer of Royal Mail stamps
John Gladwin, Bishop of Chelmsford since 2004
Geoff Hamilton, television presenter and gardener
Captain W. E. Johns, author of the Biggles series
James Judd, conductor
Andrew Karpati Kennedy, author and literary critic
Richard Hale's School
Bernard Hale (d. 1663), clergyman, academic, and benefactor