St Nicholas Grammar School
| Established | 1955 |
|---|---|
| Closed | 1977 |
| Type | State grammar school |
| Headmasters |
RFE Watson (1955) LE Shearn (1976) |
| Location |
Wiltshire Lane Northwood Hills Greater London HA5 2LX England  51°35′41″N 0°24′49″W / 51.594794°N 0.413698°WCoordinates: 51°35′41″N 0°24′49″W / 51.594794°N 0.413698°W |
| Local authority | Hillingdon |
| Staff | 40-45 (full-time) |
| Students | 650 students |
| Gender | Male |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Abbotts, Kevere, Bec, Kings |
| Colours | Purple and Gold |
| Publication | St.Nicholas School Magazine (annually) |
St. Nicholas Grammar School was a grammar school, located in Northwood Hills, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, Middlesex. In 1977, it joined with the neighbouring St Mary's Grammar School for Girls to form Haydon School.
History
Approval to begin construction of St. Nicholas Grammar School was granted on 11 May 1953, and the work was undertaken by the construction firm of Holland, Hannen & Cubitts.
In 1954, two forms were established at Bourne Secondary Modern to become the nucleus of pupils, forming 2a and 2b at the new building in 1955.
The grammar school opened in 1955, and ran for 22 years. Its crest was a bishop's mitre surrounded by three money bags. The first headmaster was Robert Francis Edward Watson (8 March 1910 - 16 July 2004), who assembled the teaching staff during the late winter and early spring of 1955. He held the position until retiring at the end of term 1975.
Robert Watson was succeeded by Leslie Shearn who guided the school through amalgamation with the adjacent girls' school. In 1978, Haydon School changed the crest to a stylized stag's head.
Houses
There were four houses each with its own staff:
- Abbotts Red
- Bec Yellow
- Kevere Green
- Kings Blue
A House Assembly was held once per week, on Friday. Each house had its own colours. There were many inter-house competitions throughout the school year, the emphasis being on field sports, though there were also drama, chess and art competitions.
Facilities
There was a language laboratory, senior and junior science laboratories for chemistry and physics, a school orchestra, a library, workshops for metalwork and woodwork and several pitches for games. The playing field was shared with St. Mary's Grammar School for Girls.
Notable alumni
- Felix Dennis — publisher. Originally of Oz magazine fame
- Jake Riviera - (born Andrew Jakeman) rock n' roll manager. (Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe), co-founder of Stiff Records
- John Henderson — film and TV director. Credits include The Borrowers and Spitting Image
- Tony Hymas — musician/arranger. Worked with Jeff Beck and others for many years
- Baron Rosser — trade union leader. General Secretary of the TSSA from 1989–2004
- Gary Tibbs — musician and actor. Played bass guitar with The Vibrators, Roxy Music and Adam and The Ants
- Stuart Baird - Film editor (The Omen) and later film production and communications. Contemporary and friend of Felix Dennis.
- Christopher van Kampen - distinguished 'cellist, with the Nash Ensemble and principal with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Died 1997.
- Rick Allen - Himalayan mountaineer with several first ascents including the Mazeno Ridge of Nanga Parbat.
References
- "The Houses and school's name (by Peter Morgan and Richard Portlock)". St Nicholas Old Boys.
- Burdett, Michael. "Michael Burdett Music".
- "The St. Nicholas Grammar School Magazine, First Edition, 1956" (PDF).
- Campbell, Margeret (4 October 1997). "Obituary: Christopher van Kampen". The Independent. London.