St George's School, Harpenden

St George's School, Harpenden (also known as St George's), is a non-selective state day and boarding school in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England, educating students of both sexes between the ages of eleven and eighteen, with an emphasis on its Christian ethos. It was founded in 1907 as one of Britain's first mixed-sex boarding schools. The school has International School status. The School was named as The Sunday Times 'Comprehensive School of the Year' in 2019. Its Ofsted rating as of 2025 is outstanding in all categories In 2022, the School was ranked as the 122nd best secondary state school in the country based on combined GCSE attainment and A-Level point scores. History The school was founded in 1907 by Reverend Cecil Grant, having relocated his school southwards from Keswick, Cumbria in the Lake District to the site of the previous school. In 1898 Grant, who was interested in co-education, was appointed the first headmaster of the newly reopened Keswick School. Along with Bedales School the school was the first co-educational day/boarding school in England. After a number of years, difficulties with the local authority and lack of a chapel prompted a move. The Harpenden site was discovered by one of the masters, a new limited company was formed and Grant together with 59 boys and girls and many of the staff moved there. The new school where pupils could live in an atmosphere closely related to family life, based on sound Christian principles was officially opened on 21 June 1907. The Harpenden site had previously been home to a boarding school for 100 boys founded by Rev. Wix in 1887. A chapel was added in 1891 and a swimming pool in 1894. The school experienced a drop in numbers, with several masters and pupils leaving, and closed in 1904. The site was briefly leased to a branch of the United Services College. In 1916 Grant founded a separate Montessori unit for pupils from 2 to 8 years of age. The initial location is unclear, but in 1924 moved to Kingston Lodge, adjacent to the school grounds. (Kingston Lodge later became Goddard House is now the music school.) In 1932 the school was renamed to St George's Children's House to attract larger numbers. Its business interests were formally merged with the main school from 1949. In 1955 it broke ties with St George's and moved to Gorselands near Harpenden common. Grant retired in 1936 and A. H. Watts took over as headmaster, leading the school through the war years. Houses of the school were named after both men as well as Monk and Goddard, old Georgians who had died in the First World War. Names of the boarding houses: Crosthwaite, Keswick and Skiddaw come from locations near the Cumbrian school. The Cinema Museum in London holds film of the school, its sports day, processions and activities from 1949. In 1967 the school became under the control of Hertfordshire County Council, initially as a Grammar School and then as a Voluntary Aided School in the mid-1970s. This period saw a large expansion of the school with many new buildings and numbers expanding to 800. On 1 July 2012 St George's became an academy, funded by the new St George's School Harpenden Academy Trust. It continues to be supported by the Cecil Grant Founder's Trust, a charity set up after Grant's death in 1946. The St. George's motto Levavi Oculos (Aim Higher) appears on the uniform badges. It derives from their School Hymn, Assurgit, which is sung in Latin. Levavi Oculos means "I have lifted up mine eyes" and alludes to Psalm 121, beginning "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help; my help cometh even from the Lord, who hath made Heaven and Earth." In the sense of "I have raised my sights" this is equivalent to the English motto Aim Higher, which appears over one archway at the front entrance of Keswick House. Christian ethos Admission to the school for day students is based mainly on location of students' homes, with students coming from many of the surrounding towns and villages. Regular attendance at a local church is required; however, the school itself is non-denominational and does not receive funding from any religious group or church. The school is centred on a late-nineteenth-century chapel, which is led by a resident chaplain and supported by a part-time organist. House System In 1972, the House System is introduced in St Georges School. The houses are named after several old students and headteachers. Goddard - Red, named after Lister Goddard, who is an old pupil, and died in WW1 Grant - Green, named after Cecil Grant who founded the school. Monk - Blue, named after Bertram Monk who fought in WW2 and died while attempting to capture a machine gun. Watts - Yellow, named after Dr Watts who was a priest and the second headmaster of the school. Academics In 2019 St George's was ranked third in examination results in the country for state schools and rivals some of the private schools. Its academic Sixth Form has the third highest progress score in the county, beating almost all local Independent Schools (Including St Alban's School and Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School). In 2014 it received an Outstanding Ofsted rating. It has a Progress 8 measure of 0.95 which is well above average. In 2025, it received another outstanding Ofsted rating. Extra-curricular activities The school music department (via on-site tuition company Musicale) offer peripatetic instrumental tuition for all woodwind, string and brass instruments as well as classical and jazz piano, guitar, drums and voice. Regular concerts take place in the chapel and the old library. During the autumn term each year, the Music Department collaborate with the Drama and Performing Arts Department to produce a whole school production. The Drama Department also host an 'Inter-House Drama Festival', which is adjudicated by a professional actor, and a lower-school drama production. In 1939 St George's School won the first National Schools Sevens tournament and has continued this Rugby success producing Rugby Sevens and Rugby Union internationals. The Rugby teams continue this legacy today producing many England Under-18 and Under-16 Rugby Players. The school is notable for having first fielded the English national players Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje, alongside two other members of England's rugby union team (as of 2019). In 1948 D Usherwood became the 14th recorded cricketer to take all 10 wickets for 0 runs (10–0) at any level of the game worldwide, playing for the U12s team. Until September 2019, house points cumulated via means of various events would form an overall tally and the winning house be awarded the Chapman Cup. The Chapman Cup has since been renamed the Endeavour Cup. The school offers many lunchtime and after-school clubs such as Warhammer . Boarding Keswick and Crosthwaite House provide boarding accommodation for girl and boy boarders respectively. St George's was one of the first schools in Britain to provide mixed-sex boarding education. Skiddaw house provides boarding services for those of either sex in sixth form. Notable alumni Distinguished alumni of the school, known as 'Old Georgians', include: References Further reading Storrie, Paddy (2004). Here I Am: Send Me. Harpenden, Hertfordshire: St. George's School. External links St George's School website