Presdales School

Academy in Ware, Hertfordshire, England

51°48′11″N 0°01′51″W / 51.80297°N 0.03086°W / 51.80297; -0.03086InformationTypeAcademyMottoAchievement For AllEstablished1906Department for Education URN137985 TablesOfstedReportsHeadmasterM WarrenGenderGirlsAge11 to 19Enrolment1065Former nameWare Grammar School for GirlsWebsitehttp://www.presdales.herts.sch.uk

Presdales School is a girls' secondary school with academy status, located in Ware, Hertfordshire in the East of England. The school also operates a coeducational sixth form. The current headmaster is M Warren, who took the post in 2016.

History

It was founded as Ware Grammar School for girls in 1906 at nearby Amwell House, and moved to its present site of Presdales House in 1964. It became a comprehensive in 1975.^[1]

It was awarded specialist college status three times by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, namely as: a Language College, in 1995; an English and Music College, in 2003; and as a Mathematics & Computing College, in 2009.^[2] The school converted to academy status in April 2012.

Presdales made the news in December 2020 when its plan to switch to remote learning for the last week of the autumn term was thwarted by Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, who threatened to use legal powers to make the school stay open. The intention had been to keep staff and students isolated and safe from the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic ahead of Christmas.^[3]

Notable former pupils

Kacey Ainsworth, actress who played Little Mo Mitchell from 2000-06 in EastEnders
Nicola Fibbens, Olympic swimmer, who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics
Hannah Fry, mathematician and broadcaster^[4]
Jane Gandee, Headmistress since 2010 of St Swithun's School, Winchester^[5]
Bianca Gascoigne, British glamour model and television personality
Grace Harvey, British paralympian who won silver in the 2020 Tokyo games

Ware Grammar School for Girls

Tessa Blackstone, Baroness Blackstone
Ann Dummett (née Chesney), Director from 1984-87 of the Runnymede Trust
Kim Wilde, 1980s singer and DJ

References

^ Presdales School, A Brief History
^ Presdales School, Academy Specialisms
^ "Coronavirus: minister threatens headteacher over pre-Christmas online lessons". The Guardian. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
^ "Presdales School & Sixth Form . Ware . Hertfordshire". www.presdales.herts.sch.uk. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
^ Jane Gandee

External links

Presdales School official website

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