Our History

The Haberdashers’ Aske’s School

1961 to present day

Butterfly Lane Elstree

Habs in Elstree

The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Company purchased Aldenham House with sixty-one acres of land from the British Broadcasting Company in 1959 for the sum of £31,000 with the intention of building a new school for boys to replace the existing school in West Hampstead. 

The origin of the school was in the 17th century when it was founded by Robert Aske (1619 to 1689) a Freeman of the Haberdashers’ Company in London.  Aske had no children and when he died he left over £31,000 in trust to the company for the provision and maintenance of a hospital to be built in Hoxton, London, for twenty old impoverished freemen of the company and food, board and education for twenty freeman’s sons.  The hospital opened in 1695 and the school in 1697; the chaplain and master was the Reverend Thomas Wright MA. 

Boys entered the school between the ages of nine to twelve and they left at fourteen or fifteen to take up apprenticeships.  Classes were from 8 - 11 am and 1 - 4 pm in winter and 7 - 11  am and 1 - 5 pm in summer.  Lessons were composed of reading, writing, arithmetic, music and religious instruction.  Holidays were given Saturday afternoons, Christmas, Easter and Saints days.  St Katherine was adopted as the patron saint of the Haberdashers’ Company upon its formation in 1371 and the school followed the tradition in recognising each 25th November as St Katherine’s Day. 

Early in the 19th century the masters took to educating private fee-paying pupils in order to enhance their meagre salary.  In 1827 the school was rebuilt with improved accommodation for the boys and a separate block for the old men.  Lessons had widened and included ‘merchants’ accounts and geography and by 1866 they included french, latin, geometry and algebra.  At this time the Charity’s income was £4,000.  In comparison Manchester Grammar School had an income of £2,994 for 250 free places of day boys. 

A body of commissioners for endowed schools (Taunton Commission) proposed that secondary schools should provide First, Second and Third grade schools with Third grade as the most urgent.  These provided education to children of artisans and small shop-keepers and charged fees of not more than £4 pa.  Shortly after girls were admitted into the Charity’s schemes and in 1885 a new school was built in Hatcham which took 200 boys and 200 girls, later enlarged. 

At Hoxton the old men were pensioned off and their block demolished.  The school was enlarged and took 300 boys and 300 girls.  It was officially opened by the Duke of Connaught on 5 June 1895 which was henceforth regarded as Founder’s Day.  The new headmaster was Mr R W Hinton BA.  Boys entered the Prepatory School at 8eight or nine and the main school at ten or eleven years or at twelve or thirteen if they came from an elementary school.  The curriculum widened further to include technical drawing, book-keeping, shorthand and history.  In addition there was a band, athletic, cricket and swimming clubs, a weather recording unit, a savings bank, a museum and a library.  All this established the school as a superior Third grade school which attracted many fee-paying children.  However, eighteen of the thirty new entrants were poor children who came from board schools and many left before the age of fifteeen.  The first boy to gain a degree was F G Pepper in 1889. 

By 1890 the neighbourhood of Hoxton had changed and was regarded as a criminal area.  The boys’ Eton collars and jackets attracted the animosity of the local slum children and fee-paying families had moved away.  The governors considered that the school was no longer adequate in its location or its facilities and looked for another site in order to raise its social and educational standing.  Consequently, land was purchased at West Hampstead and in 1898 the Hoxton premises were sold to the London County Council for £21,000.  The boys moved to temporary accommodation in Cricklewood and the new school opened in 1902 with Mr Hinton continuing as headmaster. Two other masters moved with the school: Mr Stokes until 1919 and Mr Russell until 1926 when they retired.  Only 96 boys transferred and in 1903 just six of these remained in an intake of 312 new boys.  The magazine Skylark was founded in 1903, its name an allusion to the school’s semi-rural surroundings.

The school had new links with the local authorities and fees were fixed between £4 and £8 pa.  Boys were allowed to stay until they were age seventeen and the school had moved up to Second Grade Status.  By 1905 the intake was 451.  The school adopted an official hymn, a prayer and a psalm and a school song - Forward, Straight Forward - with words by Mr Hinton and music by Mr Russell.  1906 Mr Meadows gave house names of Swifts, Crows, Magpies and Eagles.  By 1908 a new block was built to help accommodate a roll of 598.  Mr Hinton retired in 1909 because of ill health and Mr Spilbury took his post.  He retired through ill health too and was replaced by Mr Wagstaff in 1910.  The school became a First Grade school.  Fees were fixed at £6 - £12 pa and the boys stayed until they were nineteen years which allowed them to proceed directly to university.  Mr Wagstaff re-organised the houses into Mr Russell, Mr Jobling, Mr Meadows, Mr Calvert, Mr Strouts and Mr Henderson.  Prefects were appointed for the first time in 1912.

World War I extended the Cadet Corps in favour of athletics.  Mr Wagstaff retired to Norfolk in 1919 and his successor was the Reverend Kemp who put the cadets on a house basis and introduced a trophy for academic achievement.  In 1922 he became a member of the Heads Conference and the school called itself a public school changing from Association to Rugby Football. 

In 1924 Chase Lodge at Mill Hill, London, NW7 was purchased to provide extended facilities for sport.  In 1937 the Old Boys’ Association, founded in 1888, opened a sports ground with a pavilion in Croxdale Road, Boreham Wood.  During these years the school uniform arose out of the football colours in 1919 which were dark blue blazers, blue and white ties with caps in winter and straw boaters in summer.  The older boys wore suits or black jackets and pin-striped trousers.

In World War II the government took over most of the school site.  The Sixth Form block remained and most boys went to Chase Lodge.  Mr Kemp retired through ill health in 1940 and Second master Dr Abson took his place until 1945.  Second master Mr Oliver was acting head until Dr Taylor was appointed in 1946 and widened the curriculum further. 

Under the terms of the 1944 Education Act the school had Direct Grant Status.  This meant that it received a grant from the Ministry of Education in return for admitting scholarship boys.  This resulted in rising pupil numbers and in 1947 the prep. department moved to Chase Lodge to allow for new buildings to be erected for a roll that was to rise to 1000 in the following years.  The split site of the existing school, inadequate facilities and change in local conditions at West Hampstead led the governors to look for a new site at Elstree.

Early postcard of Aldenham House

The Hampstead premises were sold to the London County Council and the new buildings were opened at Elstree by the Lord Mayor of London on 11 October 1961.  A boarding house was set up in Aldenham House and Dr Taylor acquires a ‘Willis’ organ for the school.  Mr Keith Cheyney was appointed as the school’s first full-time librarian and Mr Irvine-Smith organised general studies.  Mr Rolfe was the transport officer who arranged coaches to transport staff and pupils to school.  Other masters included Mr Grossman, Mr Pask, both retired in 1964, Mr Lewin - 1968 and Mr Barling - 1982.  The prep. department was given a building of its own and the school had an indoor swimming pool and extensive playing fields.

The school was extended in 1968 which allowed for a new library and this was opened by Princess Margaret who was an Honoury Freeman of the Haberdashers’ Company.  In 1971 Mrs Margaret Thatcher, then Secretary of State for Education, opened new maths, drama, history and science blocks.

In 1973 the roll was over 1,300.  Dr Taylor retired and was succeeded by Mr M Gowan.  The arrival of the Girl’s school from Acton in 1974 resulted in mixed general studies.  In 1976 the TW Taylor music school was opened.  In 1977 there were two squash courts and 1978 a climbing wall for cadets.  A year later the Sixth Form common room was equipped with a cafeteria and in 1980 Princess Margaret opened the Bates dining hall.  In 1983 a new prep. block was constructed, the Sime Prepatory Block, and the old building was transformed to equip the Design Centre.  Aldenham House ceased to accommodate boarders and was adapted to provide a chapel and offices for administration.

The labour government 1974 -1979 phased out the Direct Grant system so the governors decided to revert to full independence and set up a Bursary scheme. Later the conservative government introduced an Assisted Places Scheme in which the school participated. In 1992 the Bourne Building was constructed housing computer labs., a school library, a careers area and classrooms. It, too, was opened by Princess Margaret :

In August 2001 the fees were £8,250 pa for the main school and £7,650 for the prep with additional charges for music lessons.  Mr Dawson was headmaster between 1988 to 1995 and was succeeded by Mr Jeremy Goulding until 2001.

If anyone from Habs reads this - please update us with the last twenty years at your school!