Hendon School
Encyclopedia
Hendon School is a mixed comprehensive
secondary school
in the London Borough of Barnet
. It specialises in languages, offering Japanese
amongst others to its students.
. It serves an area that is generally more affluent than average but has some pockets of deprivation, as interpreted in comparison to national averages according to Ofsted
. The student population is culturally diverse, multi-faith and multi-lingual, with more than half of students speaking languages other than English as their first language. The proportion of students eligible for free school meal
s is above the national average. The school is designated as a Language College
and has specialist educational facilities for deaf
students and for autistic
students. The school has been over-subscribed for the past 4 years.
onwards, successful City people wanted to live in pleasant countryside within range of London. Finchley Manor House had a long succession of such owners. Most such grand houses have now vanished: Hendon School now occupies the site where the famous 16th-century mapmaker John Norden
lived, and only a pond survives from the park of Greenhill.
The County School, Hendon
opened as a fee-paying school of 350 pupils in September 1914, just a month after the outbreak of the First World War. By 1927 the field at the back of the school was levelled and trees planted, and in 1929-1930 the building of the Gymnasium was started. In 1931 the intake of pupils rose from a two form entry to a three form entry, and by 1932-3 the extension on the north side of the original school building was finished to enable accommodation of 480 pupils. In 1936 former pupil Harold Whitlock
planted an oak tree
sapling in front of the entrance to the Gymnasium after being awarded a Gold Medal for the 50km walk, by Adolf Hitler
at the Berlin Olympic Games
.
, the London Borough of Barnet suggested the amalgamation of Hendon County Grammar School, situated in Golders Rise, with St David’s County Secondary School for Boys, in St David’s Place, West Hendon
. Hendon Grammar School Choir released commercial recordings with Owen Brannigan
, with traditional British songs.
claiming falsely that it was no longer a viable institution, but by 1988-9 the school had survived the threat and was awarded Grant-maintained status
by the Conservative Government. Hendon became a foundation school
with the changes to state funding of education which were brought about by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998
.
Extensions to the new buildings close to the perimeter on the south side of the site took place during the 1990s to provide extra room for the Maths and Music departments. The school currently has an eight form intake with approximately 1,300 pupils, 120 teachers and 30 ancillary staff as well as a Saturday School for Languages with 200 pupils and 11 teachers.
, Edgware
with 267 boys. In January 1964 it amalgamated with Brent Secondary Modern School on its site in Sturgess Avenue, West Hendon. Brent Modern School, a mixed school, had opened on 7 January 1936 having been formally inaugurated the previous October by Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
, the daughter of Queen Victoria
. In readiness for the joining of the Barnfield and Brent schools, new buildings were erected in St David’s Place, and the two adjacent sites became one school named St David’s after its location. Originally it was to be named The Grahame-White School after Claude Grahame White
, the famous English aviator who had established Hendon Aerodrome
, but permission by his family was declined.
, the school is in the bottom third of Barnet schools.
Comprehensive
Comprehensive may refer to:*Comprehensive layout, the page layout of a proposed design as initially presented by the designer to a client*Comprehensive school, a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in the London Borough of Barnet
Barnet
High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England. It is a suburban development built around a twelfth-century settlement and is located north north-west of Charing Cross. Its name is often abbreviated to Barnet, which is also the name of the London...
. It specialises in languages, offering Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
amongst others to its students.
Overview
Hendon School is a large, mixed comprehensive school with 1,296 pupils on roll, including approximately 200 sixth form students. The school is situated just off the A502 and North Circular RoadA406 road
The A406 or the North Circular Road is a road which crosses North London, UK, linking West and East London. It, together with the South Circular Road, forms a ring road through the inner part of Outer London...
. It serves an area that is generally more affluent than average but has some pockets of deprivation, as interpreted in comparison to national averages according to Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
. The student population is culturally diverse, multi-faith and multi-lingual, with more than half of students speaking languages other than English as their first language. The proportion of students eligible for free school meal
Free school meal
A Free School Meal, provided to a child or young person during a school break, is paid for by Government. For a child to qualify for a Free School Meal, their parent or carer must be receiving particular qualifying benefits as stated by Government...
s is above the national average. The school is designated as a Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
and has specialist educational facilities for deaf
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
students and for autistic
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
students. The school has been over-subscribed for the past 4 years.
Foundation
From the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
onwards, successful City people wanted to live in pleasant countryside within range of London. Finchley Manor House had a long succession of such owners. Most such grand houses have now vanished: Hendon School now occupies the site where the famous 16th-century mapmaker John Norden
John Norden
John Norden was an English cartographer, chorographer and antiquary. He planned a series of county maps and accompanying county histories of England, the Speculum Britanniae...
lived, and only a pond survives from the park of Greenhill.
The County School, Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
opened as a fee-paying school of 350 pupils in September 1914, just a month after the outbreak of the First World War. By 1927 the field at the back of the school was levelled and trees planted, and in 1929-1930 the building of the Gymnasium was started. In 1931 the intake of pupils rose from a two form entry to a three form entry, and by 1932-3 the extension on the north side of the original school building was finished to enable accommodation of 480 pupils. In 1936 former pupil Harold Whitlock
Harold Whitlock
Hector Harold Whitlock was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 50 kilometre walk.Whitlock won his first national title in 1933. Two years later, he set a new world record for a 30-mile walk, finishing in 4 hours, 29 minutes, 31.8 seconds...
planted an oak tree
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
sapling in front of the entrance to the Gymnasium after being awarded a Gold Medal for the 50km walk, by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
at the Berlin Olympic Games
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
.
Hendon County Grammar School
By 1955 the school had 600 pupils and 320 staff, resulting in a necessary extension on the east side of the main building, which included a new Hall, Dining Hall and Kitchens. This was officially opened in 1961. In the late 1960s, when plans for the reorganisation of secondary education were passed by ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, the London Borough of Barnet suggested the amalgamation of Hendon County Grammar School, situated in Golders Rise, with St David’s County Secondary School for Boys, in St David’s Place, West Hendon
West Hendon
West Hendon is a place in the London Borough of Barnet.-History:West Hendon was a settlement within that part of the ancient parish of Hendon known as the Hyde, and is now a part of the London Borough of Barnet. It was formally known, from 1878–1890, as New Hendon, a small railway development on...
. Hendon Grammar School Choir released commercial recordings with Owen Brannigan
Owen Brannigan
Owen Brannigan OBE was an English bass, known in opera for buffo roles and in concert for a wide range of solo parts in music ranging from Henry Purcell to Michael Tippett...
, with traditional British songs.
Hendon School
In 1971 this merger took place and Hendon County Grammar School became Hendon Senior High School and St David’s County Secondary School for Boys was renamed Hendon Junior High School. It was not until 1978, when all the new buildings on the Hendon County site were finished, that the whole school became completely integrated on one site and called by its present name Hendon School. During 1987-8 the school was threatened with closure by the London Borough of BarnetLondon Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
claiming falsely that it was no longer a viable institution, but by 1988-9 the school had survived the threat and was awarded Grant-maintained status
Grant-maintained school
Grant-maintained schools were state schools in England and Wales between 1988 and 1998 that had opted out of local government control, being funded directly by a grant from central government...
by the Conservative Government. Hendon became a foundation school
Foundation school
In England and Wales, a foundation school is a state-funded school in which the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools....
with the changes to state funding of education which were brought about by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998
School Standards and Framework Act 1998
The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was the major education legislation passed by the incoming Labour government of Tony Blair.This Act:* imposed a limit of 30 on infant class sizes....
.
Extensions to the new buildings close to the perimeter on the south side of the site took place during the 1990s to provide extra room for the Maths and Music departments. The school currently has an eight form intake with approximately 1,300 pupils, 120 teachers and 30 ancillary staff as well as a Saturday School for Languages with 200 pupils and 11 teachers.
Former St David's County Secondary School pre-1971
On 1 October 1929, Barnfield Senior Boys’ School opened in Silkstream Road, Burnt OakBurnt Oak
Burnt Oak is a suburb predominantly in the London Borough of Barnet south of Edgware, although parts of it fall within Brent and Harrow.The name Burnt Oak was first used in 1754 and from then until the 1850s referred to no more than a field on the eastern side of the Edgware Road...
, Edgware
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
with 267 boys. In January 1964 it amalgamated with Brent Secondary Modern School on its site in Sturgess Avenue, West Hendon. Brent Modern School, a mixed school, had opened on 7 January 1936 having been formally inaugurated the previous October by Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
The Princess Louise was a member of the British Royal Family, the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and her husband, Albert, Prince Consort.Louise's early life was spent moving between the various royal residences in the...
, the daughter of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. In readiness for the joining of the Barnfield and Brent schools, new buildings were erected in St David’s Place, and the two adjacent sites became one school named St David’s after its location. Originally it was to be named The Grahame-White School after Claude Grahame White
Claude Grahame White
Claude Grahame White was an English pioneer of aviation, and the first to make a night flight, during the Daily Mail sponsored 1910 London to Manchester air race.-Early life:...
, the famous English aviator who had established Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in Hendon, north London, England that, between 1908 and 1968, was an important centre for aviation.It was situated in Colindale, seven miles north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became "the Charing Cross of the UK's international air routes", but for the...
, but permission by his family was declined.
Academic results
Like many schools in the Barnet LEA, Hendon School achieves good GCSE results. However at A levelGCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
, the school is in the bottom third of Barnet schools.
Notable alumni
- Morgan FisherMorgan FisherMorgan Fisher is an English keyboard player / composer, and is most known for being a member of Mott the Hoople in the early 1970s. However, his career has covered a wide range of musical activities, and he is still highly active in the music industry...
(musician/photographer) 1961-68 - Carl MartinCarl MartinCarl Clarke Martin is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Crewe Alexandra.-Personal:Carl and twin brother Callum both had good career prospects in football having played since a young age and having football run in the family. Carl went to Hendon School, North London...
- Harry MellingHarry Melling (actor)Harry Edward Melling is an English actor best known for playing Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films.He is the grandson of Patrick Troughton, who starred as the Second Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who from 1966 to 1969...
- Michael ObioraMichael ObioraMichael Obiora is an English actor and writer.-Career:Michael Obiora was born on 8 October 1986 in North-West London to Nigerian-Igbo parents...
- James WardJames Ward (tennis)James Ward is a British tennis player, and British no. 2 behind Andy Murray. As of 22 August 2011 he is ranked 139 in the ATP singles rankings and 234 in doubles...
- Antony CostaAntony CostaAntony Daniel Costa is an English singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the boyband Blue.-Career:One of Costa's earliest television roles was as a pupil in Steven Moffat's sitcom Chalk...
Hendon County Grammar School
- Bernard Braine, Baron Braine of WheatleyBernard BraineBernard Richard Braine, Baron Braine of Wheatley, PC was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was educated at Hendon County Grammar School, and served with the North Staffordshire Regiment in the Second World War, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel...
, Conservative MP from 1983-92 for Castle PointCastle Point (UK Parliament constituency)Castle Point is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.It was created in 1983, primarily...
, from 1955-83 for South East EssexSouth East Essex (UK Parliament constituency)South East Essex was a parliamentary constituency in Essex in the East of England...
, and from 1950-5 for BillericayBillericay (UK Parliament constituency)Billericay was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.It returned Conservative MPs at every election except 1966....
, and Father of the HouseFather of the HouseFather of the House is a term that has by tradition been unofficially bestowed on certain members of some national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the term refers to the oldest member, but in others it refers the longest-serving member.The...
from 1987-92 - Ashleigh BrilliantAshleigh BrilliantAshleigh Ellwood Brilliant is an author and syndicated cartoonist living in Santa Barbara, California, USA. He is best known for his Pot-Shots, single-panel illustrations with one-line humorous remarks, which began syndication in the United States of America in 1975...
(writer & cartoonist) 1947-52 - Sir Philip CohenPhilip CohenSir Philip Cohen FRS FRSE is a British researcher, academic and Royal Medal winner. During the 1990s he was Britain's third most cited professor and has been described by Professor Garry Taylor of the University of St Andrews as "one of the world’s top scientists"...
, Royal Society Research Professor since 1984 at the University of DundeeUniversity of DundeeThe University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
, and President from 2006-8 of the Biochemical SocietyBiochemical SocietyThe Biochemical Society is a learned society in the United Kingdom in the field of biochemistry, including all the cellular and molecular biosciences.-Structure:...
(1956-63) - Robert EarlRobert EarlRobert Earl may refer to:* Robert Earl * Robert Earl * Robert Earl * Robert Earl , Chief Judge of the NY Court of Appeals 1870 and 1892...
, founder of the Planet HollywoodPlanet HollywoodPlanet Hollywood, a restaurant inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood, was launched in New York on October 22, 1991, with the backing of Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.-History:...
chain - Prof Mark FreedlandMark FreedlandMark Freedland is professor of employment law at the University of Oxford and a fellow and tutor of St John's College.On 1 October 2005, he commenced a special Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship in which he is working towards a re-framing of the law of personal work contracts in the context of...
, Professor of Employment Law since 1996 at the University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(1956-63) - Prof Harvey GoldsteinHarvey GoldsteinHarvey Goldstein is a British statistician known for his contributions to multilevel modelling methodology and software, and for applying this to educational assessment and league tables....
, Professor of Social Statistics since 2005 at the University of BristolUniversity of BristolThe University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
(1951-8) - Robin JacobRobin Jacob (director)Robin Jacob is an English director, editor, producer, writer, and cinematographer.-Biography:He attended Bell Lane Primary School where he was taught Drama by Anna Scher who later went on to set up The Anna Scher Theatre in Islington. Thereafter Robin went on to Hendon County Grammar School,...
, film director - Peter MandelsonPeter MandelsonPeter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
, Baron Mandelson of Foy in the County of Herefordshire and of Hartlepool in the County of Durham, Labour MP from 1992-2004 for HartlepoolHartlepool (UK Parliament constituency)Hartlepool is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.- Boundaries :...
(1965-72) - Gerald RatnerGerald RatnerGerald Irving Ratner , is a British businessman. He was formerly chief executive of the major British jewellery company Ratners Group...
(1961-6) (expelled at 16, without taking any exams, for telling the headmaster at a teacher's funeral that he should not bother leaving the cemetery) - Harold WhitlockHarold WhitlockHector Harold Whitlock was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 50 kilometre walk.Whitlock won his first national title in 1933. Two years later, he set a new world record for a 30-mile walk, finishing in 4 hours, 29 minutes, 31.8 seconds...
, won a gold medal for the 50km walk at the 1936 Summer Olympics1936 Summer OlympicsThe 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in Berlin - Frank WilliamsFrank Williams (actor)Frank Williams is an English actor.Williams was educated at Ardingly College. He starred in The Army Game and as the Vicar in Dad's Army. In 1970, he starred in the short-lived sitcom As Good Cooks Go...
, played the Reverend Timothy Farthing in Dad's ArmyDad's ArmyDad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...