Richard Hale School

Richard Hale School is a boys' secondary school with academy status, 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 optional sixth form, which is also open to girls.

Richard Hale School
Address
Hale Road

Hertford
,
SG13 8EN

England
Coordinates51°47′33″N 0°04′40″W
Information
TypeAcademy
MottoDoctrina cvm virtvte
(Learnedness with virtue)
Religious affiliation(s)All
Established16 April 1617
FounderRichard Hale
Department for Education URN139873 Tables
OfstedReports
Chair of GovernorsBarbara Holm [1]
HeadmasterIan Hawkins [2]
GenderMale (and Coeducational 6th form)
Age11 to 18
Enrolment995
HousesCowper, Croft, Hale, Kinman, Page, Wallace
PublicationHale News
Websitehttp://www.richardhale.herts.sch.uk

History
Hertford Grammar School by Arthur Elsdon c. 1900

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.[3]

It began the transition to a comprehensive school in 1975, a process completed when the last grammar intake left in 1981. 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.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5]

Science

The school is a science academy and has an interest in the scientific development of its pupils. On 26 April, the school successfully sent a balloon up to the edge of space.[6]

Sport

The school has a tradition of rugby for boys and more recently girls. In recent years, football has become a part of the extra curricular programme. Planning permission for a new sports hall was given, however it became unaffordable so the funds were used to erect a Sixth Form Centre, which was finished in the summer of 2011. The school still wishes to build a sports hall but needs finance.

Notable former pupils

Hertford Grammar School

References
  1. http://www.richardhale.herts.sch.uk/govenors/
  2. http://www.richardhale.herts.sch.uk/staff/
  3. "School History". Richard Hale School. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  4. "RHA History". Richard Hale School. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  5. "400th Anniversary | Richard Hale School". Richard Hale School. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  6. http://www.rhasa.co.uk
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