Situated in the thriving town of Berkhamsted in the west of Hertfordshire, northeast of London, Berkhamsted School enjoys a prestigious history.

It was founded in 1541 by John Incent, Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral. King Henry VIII granted the Dean a licence allowing the School up to 144 pupils. The School annually celebrates its foundation in a service in the church of St Peter during October.

Since then, the school has formed a chequered history, apparently based largely on the aptitude of the headmaster. For example, Thomas Dupré, who took over as headmaster in 1805, refused to teach students anything but Latin and Greek.

Famous past pupils include the author Graham Greene, Sir Hugh Greene (brother of Graham), who was appointed Director General of the BBC and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail single-handed non-stop around the world.

The school suffered greatly in World War I, losing 235 past pupils. As public school boys, many automatically entered the services at elevated rank, at which a greater proportion of men died.

In 1888, Berkhamsted School for Girls was founded, amalgamating with Berkhamsted School in 1997 to form Berkhamsted Collegiate School. Today, the school educates some 1460 pupils, under the leadership of Dr. Pricilla Chadwick, who has led a distinguished career in education and who has attained the position of chair at the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) for 2005. The chairman of the Governors, Mr Peter Williamson, is president of the Law Society for the period 2003-4.

Notable Old Berkhamstedians

• Richard Field (1561–1616), clergyman and theologian
• Sir Algernon Methuen (1856–1924), founder and owner, Methuen & Co, publishers, 1889–1924
• Clementine Churchill, Baroness Spencer-Churchill (1885–1977), wife of Winston Churchill
• Clifford Allen, 1st Baron Allen of Hurtwood (1889–1939), politician and peace campaigner
• Sir Donald Fergusson (1891–1963), Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries , 1936–1945, and Ministry of Fuel and Power , 1945–1952
• A. K. Chesterton (1899–1973), fascist, and first Chairman, National Front, 1967–1971
• H. W. Tilman (1898–1977), mountaineer and sailor
• F. S. Smythe (1900–1949), mountaineer and author
• Hubert Hastings (1902–1986), Editor, Architectural Review , 1927–
• Claud Cockburn (1904–1981), writer and journalist
• Graham Greene (1904–1991), author
• Sir Peter Quennell (1905–1993), writer and editor
• R. A. Skelton (1906–1970), cartographical historian
• Sir Colin Buchanan (1907–2001), town planner
• Sir Hugh Greene (1910–1987), Director-General of the BBC, 1960–1969
• Sir Kenneth Cork (1913–1991), accountant, and Lord Mayor of London, 1978–1979
• Margot Jefferys (1916–1999), Professor of Medical Sociology, Bedford College, London, 1968–1982
• Victor Silvester, Jr. (1924–1999), clarinettist and band leader
• Paul Sieghart (1927–1988), law reformer
• Mark Boxer (Marc) (1931–1988), cartoonist and magazine editor
• Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (born 1939), yachtsman

External links

• Berkhamsted Collegiate School. The school's main web site.
• Berkhamsted School Remembrance. Information about Berkhamsted School during the Great War.
• Berkhamsted Collegiate School Interactive Planner. An interactive planning service showing school events.