Abbey Grove School is a fictitious run-down comprehensive school in Hertfordshire's Watford or Tring. It is situated in a low-income neighborhood. The books that feature the school are set in the 1980s. In 1987, the first novel written by Kenneth Oppel was published under the title Abbey Grove. It focused on the life of Oliver Tate, who attends Abbey Grove School with his brother Andy. The book was followed by two other novels written by the same author and featuring the O'Tates: Out of Bounds (1988) and Breaking Point (1991). Oppel also wrote a series of novels set in Abbey Grove School during the 1970s. They include The Last Chance (1973), A Place for Charlie (1974), and A Very British Coup (1976). The character of Abbey Grove School has been adopted by various organizations for promotional purposes. In 1987, an independent school in London called Abbey Grove School was established by former members of Oakfield College. It closed down after only a few years due to poor finances. In 1998, another school named after Oppel's fictional school appeared in Hertfordshire. This time it was a state secondary school located in Bishop's Stortford. The school lasted only one year before it closed down again.