Primary schools in Watford
Encyclopedia
This article provides brief details of primary schools in the borough of Watford
in Hertfordshire
, England
, United Kingdom
.
Some Watford children attend schools in the neighbouring boroughs of Three Rivers
and Hertsmere
.
All of the state-funded primary schools in Watford are co-educational.
There are two Roman Catholic schools in the borough, both of which are voluntary aided school
s.
The remaining schools are all non-faith community school
s.
The Local Education Authority
is Hertfordshire County Council
.
There are still some linked pairs of infant school
s and junior school
s, with the infant school covering Reception and Key Stage 1
(Years 1 and 2) and the junior school covering Key Stage 2
(Years 3 to 6).
However most have been amalgamated in a single Junior Mixed Infant (JMI) school or (equivalently) primary school.
In the mid-19th century, the only schools in Watford were Mrs Fuller's Free School (established in 1704), by now in a poor state, and St Mary's National School
s (separate schools for boys and girls, founded in 1841).
They were joined in 1859 by British school
s, initially in Red Lion Yard and later moving to Sotheron Road (girls) and Beechen Grove (boys).
Another set of National schools, attached to St Andrew's Church, were founded in 1860.
The Free School closed in 1882, and its endowment contributed to founding the Watford Endowed Schools, which provided secondary education and charged fees.
St Mary's National Schools closed in 1922, and the site is now occupied by the multi-storey Church car park.
The Watford school board
was established in 1883, and was chaired by Edward Mitchell Chater throughout its existence.
The British schools and St Andrew's national schools became board schools the following year.
The first new schools built by the board were the Watford Fields Schools, now known as the Field Schools.
The infants school moved to its present site in 1981.
The British boys' school closed in 1897, with the opening of Fearnly Street School, renamed Victoria School in 1903.
The St Andrew's national schools continued until 1922.
Following the Education Act 1902
, the school board was abolished in 1903, and control of the schools passed to the Hertfordshire County Council
.
The original Chater Schools, named after Edward Chater, consisted of two separate buildings on the site now occupied by the infants school, with juniors entering from Southsea Avenue, and infants from Harwoods Road.
The schools were rebuilt in 1988, with the junior school moving to the site of the former Victoria School.
Bushey and Oxhey Infant School was originally founded as Oxhey Village School, taking its current name when it was rebuilt and enlarged in the 1970s. It is linked with Bushey Manor Junior School (see Primary schools in Hertsmere
).
Central Primary School occupies a Grade II listed building built in 1884 to house the Watford Grammar School for Boys, which moved to West Watford in 1912. Watford Grammar School for Girls
resided in the smaller building next door in the same period. The buildings then housed the Watford Central School
until its move to Bushey
in 1950 to become Bushey Grammar School, one of the predecessors of Queens' School
. (The legend "Higher Elementary Schools", in terracotta tiles on the front of the building, replaced the earlier "Watford Endowed Schools" at the time of the Central School.)
The school badge is based on that of the Watford Central School, which featured a crosslet fitchy and a scallop, details from the arms of Capell (Earl of Essex
) and Villiers (Earl of Clarendon
) respectively, though the crosslet has since been altered to a sword.
A proposal to open a one-form entry Muslim
school in Tolpits Lane, West Watford has been approved by Hertfordshire County Council
and passed to the Department for Children, Schools and Families
for a final decision.
The Watford school board also built two schools (both since closed) in North Watford: a Callowland Boys' School (1892, 51.6689°N 0.3991°W) and Alexandra Mixed School (1901, 51.6727°N 0.4002°W).
The higher elementary department of Alexandra School later became a secondary modern school
in Bushey, the other predecessor of Queens' School
.
Berrygrove Primary School replaced Meriden Primary, Garston Infants and Lea Farm Junior (formerly Garston Junior) Schools.
The Cassiobury schools lie within the affluent Cassiobury
estate, and are heavily oversubscribed, with 4 applicants per place.
The junior school has the highest Key Stage 2
results in Watford, and half of the pupils typically go on to Watford Grammar School for Boys and Watford Grammar School for Girls
.
The schools' badge features an earl
's coronet
over the arms of the Capell family (Earls of Essex
), owners of the original Cassiobury
, which included the site of the modern estate.
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School is the oldest Roman Catholic school in Watford, started by the Dominican sisters as St Vincent's, a board school in Beechen Grove.
In 1893 the school moved to a new building (now Grade II listed) adjacent to Holy Rood church in central Watford, taking its new name from the church in 1896.
It taught pupils up to the age of 14 until the opening of St. Michael's Catholic High School
in 1955, when it became a primary school.
After many decades of overcrowding, the school moved to its present site in 1969.
Knutsford Primary School lost its original school building in a fire in November 1999. After three years in temporary accommodation in the school fields, the school moved into a new building on the original site in 2002. The school is oversubscribed, with 3.5 applicants per place.
The Nascot Wood schools, within the affluent Nascot Wood
area, are the most oversubscribed in Watford, with nearly 5 applicants for each place.
The area was formerly part of the Cassiobury Park estate of the Earls of Essex
.
The school badge, an earl
's coronet
over a monogram
"SX", was the mark of the 5th Earl, George Capell-Coningsby (1757–1839).
Parkgate Junior School was originally a boys' school, becoming mixed in August 1921.
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Some Watford children attend schools in the neighbouring boroughs of Three Rivers
Primary schools in Three Rivers
This page provides brief details of primary schools in the borough of Three Rivers in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom.All the state-funded primary schools in Three Rivers are co-educational....
and Hertsmere
Primary schools in Hertsmere
This page provides brief details of primary schools in the borough of Hertsmere in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom.All the state-funded primary schools in Hertsmere are co-educational....
.
All of the state-funded primary schools in Watford are co-educational.
There are two Roman Catholic schools in the borough, both of which are voluntary aided school
Voluntary aided school
A voluntary aided school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust owns the school buildings, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school...
s.
The remaining schools are all non-faith community school
Community school
The term "community school" refers to types of publicly funded school in England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to a school that serves as both an educational institution and a centre of community life. A community school is both a place and a...
s.
The Local Education Authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
is Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England, the United Kingdom. It currently consists of 77 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, which has 55 councillors, 17 Liberal Democrats, versus 3 Labour...
.
There are still some linked pairs of infant school
Infant school
An Infant school is a term used primarily in the United Kingdom for school for children between the ages of four and seven years. It is usually a small school serving a particular locality....
s and junior school
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
s, with the infant school covering Reception and Key Stage 1
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 1 is the legal term for the two years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 1 and Year 2, when pupils are aged between 5 and 7. This Key Stage normally covers pupils during infant school, although in some cases this might form part of a first or...
(Years 1 and 2) and the junior school covering Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2 is the legal term for the four years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, when pupils are aged between 7 and 11. The term is applied differently in Northern Ireland where it refers to pupils in Year 5, Year 6 and...
(Years 3 to 6).
However most have been amalgamated in a single Junior Mixed Infant (JMI) school or (equivalently) primary school.
Central Watford, West Watford and Oxhey
| Name | Faith Faith school A faith school is a British school teaching a general curriculum but with a particular religious character or has formal links with a religious organisation. It is distinct from an institution mainly or wholly teaching religion and related subjects... |
Type | Opened | Intake | DCSF Department for Children, Schools and Families The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education... number |
Ofsted Office for Standards in Education 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 .... number |
Web | Coordinates Geographic coordinate system A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromet | – | Primary | 40 | 2385 | W | 51.6417°N 0.3882°W | ||
| Bushey and Oxhey | – | Infant | 1881 | 60 | 2117 | W | 51.6474°N 0.3800°W | |
| Central | – | Primary | 1950 | 30 | 2116 | W | 51.6558°N 0.3920°W | |
| Chater | – | Infants | 1909 | 60 | 2122 | W | 51.6538°N 0.4086°W | |
| Junior | 2120 | W | 51.6538°N 0.4030°W | |||||
| Field | – | Infants | 1891 | 60 | 2124 | W | 51.6509°N 0.3931°W | |
| Junior | 2123 | W | 51.6495°N 0.3936°W | |||||
| Holywell | – | Primary | 60 | 2349 | W | 51.6441°N 0.4181°W | ||
| Laurance Haines | – | Primary | 1972 | 60 | 2398 | W | 51.6470°N 0.4075°W | |
| St Anthony's | RC Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity... |
Primary | 1974 | 30 | 2428 | W | 51.6477°N 0.4201°W |
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
s (separate schools for boys and girls, founded in 1841).
They were joined in 1859 by British school
British and Foreign School Society
The British and Foreign School Society offers charitable aid to educational projects in the UK and around the world by funding schools, other charities and educational bodies...
s, initially in Red Lion Yard and later moving to Sotheron Road (girls) and Beechen Grove (boys).
Another set of National schools, attached to St Andrew's Church, were founded in 1860.
The Free School closed in 1882, and its endowment contributed to founding the Watford Endowed Schools, which provided secondary education and charged fees.
St Mary's National Schools closed in 1922, and the site is now occupied by the multi-storey Church car park.
The Watford school board
School board (England & Wales)
School boards were public bodies in England and Wales between 1870 and 1902, which established and administered elementary schools.School boards were created in boroughs and parishes under the Elementary Education Act 1870 following campaigning by George Dixon, Joseph Chamberlain and the National...
was established in 1883, and was chaired by Edward Mitchell Chater throughout its existence.
The British schools and St Andrew's national schools became board schools the following year.
The first new schools built by the board were the Watford Fields Schools, now known as the Field Schools.
The infants school moved to its present site in 1981.
The British boys' school closed in 1897, with the opening of Fearnly Street School, renamed Victoria School in 1903.
The St Andrew's national schools continued until 1922.
Following the Education Act 1902
Education Act 1902
The Education Act 1902 , also known as Balfour's Act, is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom affecting education in England and Wales. At the time of passage of the Act, the Conservative Party was in power...
, the school board was abolished in 1903, and control of the schools passed to the Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England, the United Kingdom. It currently consists of 77 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, which has 55 councillors, 17 Liberal Democrats, versus 3 Labour...
.
The original Chater Schools, named after Edward Chater, consisted of two separate buildings on the site now occupied by the infants school, with juniors entering from Southsea Avenue, and infants from Harwoods Road.
The schools were rebuilt in 1988, with the junior school moving to the site of the former Victoria School.
Bushey and Oxhey Infant School was originally founded as Oxhey Village School, taking its current name when it was rebuilt and enlarged in the 1970s. It is linked with Bushey Manor Junior School (see Primary schools in Hertsmere
Primary schools in Hertsmere
This page provides brief details of primary schools in the borough of Hertsmere in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom.All the state-funded primary schools in Hertsmere are co-educational....
).
Watford Grammar School for Girls
Watford Grammar School for Girls is an academy for girls in Watford in Hertfordshire, UK.Despite its name, the school accepts girls of all abilities, although a proportion are selected for academic or musical aptitude....
resided in the smaller building next door in the same period. The buildings then housed the Watford Central School
Central school
In the English education system, central schools were selective secondary education schools between the more prestigious grammar schools and the secondary schools.Central schools were first established following the 1918 Education Act....
until its move to Bushey
Bushey
Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. Bushey Heath is situated to the south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow.-History:...
in 1950 to become Bushey Grammar School, one of the predecessors of Queens' School
Queens' School
Queens' School, near Watford, Hertfordshire, is a state funded secondary school.It is currently designated a Specialist Sports and Science College.-History:The story of Queens' begins with two schools in Watford in the early 20th century....
. (The legend "Higher Elementary Schools", in terracotta tiles on the front of the building, replaced the earlier "Watford Endowed Schools" at the time of the Central School.)
The school badge is based on that of the Watford Central School, which featured a crosslet fitchy and a scallop, details from the arms of Capell (Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex is a title that has been held by several families and individuals. The earldom was first created in the 12th century for Geoffrey II de Mandeville . Upon the death of the third earl in 1189, the title became dormant or extinct...
) and Villiers (Earl of Clarendon
Earl of Clarendon
Earl of Clarendon is a title that has been created twice in British history, in 1661 and 1776. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1661 for the statesman Edward Hyde, 1st Baron Hyde...
) respectively, though the crosslet has since been altered to a sword.
A proposal to open a one-form entry Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
school in Tolpits Lane, West Watford has been approved by Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England, the United Kingdom. It currently consists of 77 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, which has 55 councillors, 17 Liberal Democrats, versus 3 Labour...
and passed to the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
for a final decision.
North Watford and Garston
| Name | Faith Faith school A faith school is a British school teaching a general curriculum but with a particular religious character or has formal links with a religious organisation. It is distinct from an institution mainly or wholly teaching religion and related subjects... |
Type | Opened | Intake | DCSF Department for Children, Schools and Families The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education... number |
Ofsted Office for Standards in Education 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 .... number |
Web | Coordinates Geographic coordinate system A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alban Wood | – | Primary | 30 | 3981 | W | 51.6972°N 0.4003°W | ||
| Beechfield | – | Primary | 30 | 2020 | W | 51.6759°N 0.4076°W | ||
| Berrygrove | – | Primary | 2005 | 90 | 3980 | W | 51.6834°N 0.3854°W | |
| Cassiobury | – | Infants | 1968 | 60 | 2354 | W | 51.6670°N 0.4220°W | |
| Junior | 2132 | W | 51.6684°N 0.4225°W | |||||
| Cherry Tree | – | Primary | 30 | 2432 | W | 51.6815°N 0.4040°W | ||
| Coates Way | – | JMI | 1972 | 30 | 2433 | W | 51.6945°N 0.3793°W | |
| Holy Rood | RC Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity... |
Primary | 1885 | 60 | 3985 | W | 51.6814°N 0.4258°W | |
| Kingsway | – | Infants | 1938 | 60 | 2395 | W | 51.6887°N 0.4076°W | |
| Junior | 2133 | W | 51.6888°N 0.4060°W | |||||
| Knutsford | – | Primary | 1939 | 60 | 2130 | W | 51.6708°N 0.3870°W | |
| Leavesden Green | – | JMI | 30 | 2407 | W | 51.6921°N 0.4085°W | ||
| Nascot Wood | – | Infants | 1971 | 60 | 2991 | W | 51.6705°N 0.4092°W | |
| Junior | 2389 | W | 51.6703°N 0.4106°W | |||||
| Orchard | – | Primary | 1958 | 30 | 2115 | W | 51.6805°N 0.4132°W | |
| Parkgate | – | Infants | 1907 | 60 | 2126 | W | 51.6783°N 0.3917°W | |
| Junior | 2125 | W | 51.6750°N 0.3936°W |
The higher elementary department of Alexandra School later became a secondary modern school
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
in Bushey, the other predecessor of Queens' School
Queens' School
Queens' School, near Watford, Hertfordshire, is a state funded secondary school.It is currently designated a Specialist Sports and Science College.-History:The story of Queens' begins with two schools in Watford in the early 20th century....
.
Berrygrove Primary School replaced Meriden Primary, Garston Infants and Lea Farm Junior (formerly Garston Junior) Schools.
The Cassiobury schools lie within the affluent Cassiobury
Cassiobury
Cassiobury is a residential area of Watford in Hertfordshire, England.It is formed by two areas of housing: one to the north-east of Cassiobury Park and the other to the south...
estate, and are heavily oversubscribed, with 4 applicants per place.
The junior school has the highest Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2 is the legal term for the four years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, when pupils are aged between 7 and 11. The term is applied differently in Northern Ireland where it refers to pupils in Year 5, Year 6 and...
results in Watford, and half of the pupils typically go on to Watford Grammar School for Boys and Watford Grammar School for Girls
Watford Grammar School for Girls
Watford Grammar School for Girls is an academy for girls in Watford in Hertfordshire, UK.Despite its name, the school accepts girls of all abilities, although a proportion are selected for academic or musical aptitude....
.
The schools' badge features an earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
's coronet
Coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. Unlike a crown, a coronet never has arches.The word stems from the Old French coronete, a diminutive of coronne , itself from the Latin corona .Traditionally, such headgear is – as indicated by the German equivalent...
over the arms of the Capell family (Earls of Essex
Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex is a title that has been held by several families and individuals. The earldom was first created in the 12th century for Geoffrey II de Mandeville . Upon the death of the third earl in 1189, the title became dormant or extinct...
), owners of the original Cassiobury
Cassiobury Park
Cassiobury Park is the principal public open space in Watford, Hertfordshire, in England. It comprises over and extends from the A412 Rickmansworth Road in the east to the Grand Union Canal in the west....
, which included the site of the modern estate.
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School is the oldest Roman Catholic school in Watford, started by the Dominican sisters as St Vincent's, a board school in Beechen Grove.
In 1893 the school moved to a new building (now Grade II listed) adjacent to Holy Rood church in central Watford, taking its new name from the church in 1896.
It taught pupils up to the age of 14 until the opening of St. Michael's Catholic High School
St. Michael's Catholic High School
St. Michael's Catholic High School is located in the town of Watford, Hertfordshire. A Section 5 Ofsted inspection in October 2007 and a Section 48 Inspection by the Archdiocese of Westminster in November 2007 both judged the school as outstanding. In September 2010, headteacher John Murphy was...
in 1955, when it became a primary school.
After many decades of overcrowding, the school moved to its present site in 1969.
Knutsford Primary School lost its original school building in a fire in November 1999. After three years in temporary accommodation in the school fields, the school moved into a new building on the original site in 2002. The school is oversubscribed, with 3.5 applicants per place.
The Nascot Wood schools, within the affluent Nascot Wood
Nascot Wood
Nascot Wood is a small area of Watford, Hertfordshire. It is one of the most affluent areas of Watford in particular Nascot Wood Road, as many houses in Nascot Wood range from £700,000 up to £3,000,000....
area, are the most oversubscribed in Watford, with nearly 5 applicants for each place.
The area was formerly part of the Cassiobury Park estate of the Earls of Essex
Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex is a title that has been held by several families and individuals. The earldom was first created in the 12th century for Geoffrey II de Mandeville . Upon the death of the third earl in 1189, the title became dormant or extinct...
.
The school badge, an earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
's coronet
Coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. Unlike a crown, a coronet never has arches.The word stems from the Old French coronete, a diminutive of coronne , itself from the Latin corona .Traditionally, such headgear is – as indicated by the German equivalent...
over a monogram
Monogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series of uncombined initials is properly referred to as a...
"SX", was the mark of the 5th Earl, George Capell-Coningsby (1757–1839).
Parkgate Junior School was originally a boys' school, becoming mixed in August 1921.