Norton School

Comprehensive school in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, England

51°59′21″N 0°13′09″W / 51.98922°N 0.21921°W / 51.98922; -0.21921InformationTypeComprehensiveEstablished1905Closed2002Local authorityHertfordshireDepartment for Education URN117513 TablesOfstedReportsGenderCoeducationalAge11 to 18

Norton School was a secondary school in Letchworth, Hertfordshire that was founded in 1905 and which closed in 2002 following a period of being in special measures. It has since been partially demolished and redeveloped as a collection of housing and apartments by Miller Homes.^[1]

History

Originally named Norton Road School, the school was designed by Raymond Unwin. It was built in a quadrangle with a courtyard for open-air teaching and to allow plentiful light and movement of air. These principles were later to become standard in school design but were very innovative at the time.^[2]

Over the decades since its foundation, Norton School saw great expansion as pupil numbers grew, with various teaching blocks being added to accommodate these increasing numbers.

In its last year the school's thirty-two staff comprised thirteen staff on temporary contracts and nine from overseas - eight from South Africa and one from Jamaica. Fifteen of the staff joined the school in September 2001.^[3] In its final year Norton School was taken over by The Knights Templar School in neighbouring Baldock, and was renamed 'The Knights Templar School in Letchworth'. At this time the Norton School uniform of a sweat shirt was replaced with the Knights Templar uniform of jacket (with school badge) and school tie.

Following closure, pupils primarily transferred to The Knights Templar School, while others transferred to the nearby Highfield School and Fearnhill School.

Former Headmasters

C.A. Pease, BA (1905-1917)
J.H. Haysman, JP (1917-1949)
Edgar John, BA (1949-1975)
Peter Wall, MA (1976-1995)
Keith Wadsworth (1995-1999)
Amanda Roberts (2000-2001)
Peter Chapman MA (2001-2002), Headmaster of The Knights Templar School, with Associate Head Amanda Roberts (2001-2002)

Notable former pupils and staff

Shaun Hutson the horror writer attended the school
Glenn Christodoulou, Chairman of the Crimean War Research Society, taught at the school (1981-1989)
Dr Chris Howard OBE, former Head of History at the school and former Headteacher at the Lewis School in Pengam and President of NAHT Wales (2009)

References

^ "miller @ letchworth". Retrieved 13 April 2008.
^ Norton Road School on the First Garden City Heritage Museum website
^ 'School could close for lack of good teachers', The Guardian 22 March 2002

External links

'School could close for lack of good teachers', The Guardian 22 March 2002

Schools in Hertfordshire

Primary
Icknield Walk First School King James Academy Royston Little Munden Primary School Samuel Ryder Academy Simon Balle All-through School Templewood Primary School Districts: Dacorum Hertsmere Three Rivers Watford

Secondary
Adeyfield Academy Ashlyns School The Astley Cooper School Barclay Academy Barnwell School Beaumont School Birchwood High School Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School The Bishop's Stortford High School The Broxbourne School Bushey Meads School Chancellor's School Chauncy School Croxley Danes School Dame Alice Owen's School Elstree Screen Arts Academy Fearnhill School Freman College Future Academies Watford Goffs Academy Goffs-Churchgate Academy The Grange Academy Haileybury Turnford The Hemel Hempstead School The Hertfordshire and Essex High School Hertswood Academy The Highfield School Hitchin Boys' School Hitchin Girls' School Hockerill Anglo-European College John F Kennedy Catholic School The John Henry Newman School The John Warner School King James Academy Royston Kings Langley School The Knights Templar School Laureate Academy The Leventhorpe School Longdean School Loreto College The Marlborough Science Academy Marriotts School Monk's Walk School Mount Grace School Nicholas Breakspear School The Nobel School Onslow St Audrey's School Parmiter's School Presdales School The Priory School Queens' School Richard Hale School Rickmansworth School Ridgeway Academy Robert Barclay Academy Roundwood Park School St Albans Girls' School St Clement Danes School St George's School St Joan of Arc Catholic School St Mary's Catholic School St Mary's CE High School St Michael's Catholic High School Samuel Ryder Academy Sandringham School The Sele School Simon Balle All-through School Sir John Lawes School Stanborough School, Welwyn Garden City The Thomas Alleyne Academy Townsend Church of England School Tring School Verulam School Watford Grammar School for Boys Watford Grammar School for Girls Westfield Academy Yavneh College

Secondary

Independent (preparatory)
Aldenham School Aldwickbury School Edge Grove School Heath Mount School Lochinver House School Lockers Park School Merchant Taylors' Prep School Westbrook Hay School

Independent (senior)
Abbot's Hill School Aldenham School Beechwood Park School Berkhamsted School Bishop's Stortford College Haberdashers' Boys' School Haberdashers' Girls' School Haileybury and Imperial Service College Immanuel College The King's School Merchant Taylors' School Purcell School Queenswood School The Royal Masonic School for Girls St Albans High School for Girls St Albans School St Christopher School St Columba's College St Edmund's College St Francis' College St Margaret's School Sherrardswood School Stanborough School, Watford Tring Park School for the Performing Arts

Independent (senior)

Special
The Collett School Falconer School Independent: Egerton Rothesay School

Defunct
Brondesbury-at-Stocks Cavendish School Chrysalis School Greneway Middle School The Heathcote School Langleybury Meridian School Norton School Princess Helena College Royal Caledonian School Royal Masonic School for Boys Rudolf Steiner School The Watford UTC Wynyard School