Go Forward with Preparation , established =
1884 ( Single-sex) , type = partially selective

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

, religious_affiliation = , president = , head_label = Headmaster , head = Ian A. Cooksey , r_head_label = , r_head = , chair_label = Chairman of Governors , chair = Paul Shearring , founder = Elizabeth Fuller , specialist = , address = Rickmansworth Road , city =

Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...

, county =

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For gov ...

, country = England , postcode = WD18 7JF , local_authority = , ofsted = yes , urn = 136276 , staff = , enrolment = 1244 , gender = Male , lower_age = 11 , upper_age = 18 , houses = Bushey
Cassio
Fuller
Groves
New
Platt
Rée
Turner , colours = Green & black , publication = ''The Fullerian'' , free_label_1 = Former pupils , free_1 = Old Fullerians , free_label_2 = , free_2 = , free_label_3 = , free_3 = , website = watfordboys.org Watford Grammar School for Boys (commonly abbreviated as WBGS) is a partially selective

for boys in

in Hertfordshire, England. The school and its sister school,

Watford Grammar School for Girls Watford Grammar School for Girls (commonly abbreviated WGGS) is an academy for girls in Watford in Hertfordshire, UK. Despite its name, it is only a partially selective school, with 25% of entrants admitted on academic ability and 10% on musica ...

, descend from a Free School founded as a charity school for boys and girls by Elizabeth Fuller in 1704. Despite its name, the school accepts boys of all abilities, although approximately a third are selected for academic or musical aptitude, and brothers of existing pupils are also guaranteed places. Its results are among the highest achieved by non-grammar schools in England.

History of the Watford Grammar Schools

In 1704, Mrs Elizabeth Fuller of Watford Place built the Watford Free School for forty boys and twenty girls on her land next to the churchyard, with rooms for a Master and a Mistress. The school-house was a fine structure at the south-west corner of St Mary's churchyard, and can still be seen there. In 1708 Mrs Fuller endowed the school with a rent-charge of £52 a year. The boys were taught to read, write and cast accounts, and the girls to read English, to knit and to sew. The £52 a year was augmented with bequests, producing a revenue of £178, but the rent-charges were fixed and lost their value through inflation. Despite the help of endowments and gifts, the original

charity school Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the history of education in England. They were built and maintained in various parishes by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to ...

was in a sad state by the 1870s, when an application to the Charity Commissioners to sell part of the endowment to pay for overdue repairs led to an enquiry into the school. In 1878, the Commission forbad the school from admitting any more pupils in its current state, and asked the trustees to choose between turning the school into a public elementary school or amalgamating with a sum of £13,333/6/8d from the Platt Foundation for

Aldenham School Aldenham School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged eleven to eighteen, located between Elstree and the village of Aldenham in Hertfordshire, England. There is also a preparatory school for pupils from the ages of five to ele ...

to form a new middle class school. With some reluctance, the trustees chose the latter, and the free school closed on 10 August 1882. The 13 boys and 2 girls still at the school were placed in local elementary schools. In 1881, a scheme was presented to the Charity Commissioners, combining Mrs Fuller's foundation with a portion of the Platt foundation to form the Watford Endowed Schools, which would educate up to 200 boys and 100 girls from age 7 to 16. The fees would be £4 to £8, though there would also be a number of scholarships. The trustees of the Free School became governors of the new schools, as did three representatives of the Brewers' Company (trustees of the Platt Foundation) and the vicar of Watford. The schools' crest reflects the union of the two foundations: * On the left is the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

of John Chilcott (Elizabeth Fuller's father), which are inscribed over the door of the Free School. * On the right is the coat of arms of Richard Platt, which may also be seen at Aldenham School. The schools' motto dates from the same period, and was taken from

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...

's ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of ...

'' IX, 158: "''pugnam sperate parati''" ("look forward to the battle, being prepared"). Central Primary School, Watford

Sites were found in Derby Road for two new schools adjoining each other, one for boys and a smaller one for girls. (These buildings are now the Central Primary School.) The new boys' school was opened by the

Earl of Clarendon Earl of Clarendon is a title that has been created twice in British history, in 1661 and 1776. The family seat is Holywell House, near Swanmore, Hampshire. First creation of the title The title was created for the first time in the Peera ...

on 21 April 1884, and the girls' school the next day. They started with 69 boys and 46 girls, rising to 129 boys and 68 girls during the year. In 1903, the schools' names were changed to the Watford Grammar School and the Watford Grammar School for Girls. By 1904, the schools had outgrown their buildings, with 312 boys and 148 girls. With the help of

Hertfordshire County Council Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England, the United Kingdom. After the 2021 election, it consists of 78 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, ...

, a new girls' school was built and opened in Lady's Close in 1907, and the boys spread into the building the girls had vacated. In return, the council demanded changes in the schools' denominational character, and in 1908 a revised scheme removed the requirement that masters and mistresses belong to the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

and allowed pupils to opt out of instruction in the teachings of the Church. The leaving age was also raised to 17, and the number of scholarships increased. The building was still insufficient for the boys' school, and with assistance from the County Council the school purchased part of

Cassiobury Park Cassiobury Park is the principal public park in Watford, Hertfordshire, in England. It was created in 1909 from the purchase by Watford Borough Council of part of the estate of the Earls of Essex around Cassiobury House which was subsequentl ...

facing Rickmansworth Road to build a new school. On 23 February 1912, the boys assembled outside the Derby road buildings and walked to the new site, which was formally opened by the Earl of Clarendon on 20 March 1912.

Sixth Form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for ...

courses were introduced during the First World War. In 1924,

Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

was introduced in the boys' school and took over from

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

as the main winter sport. The schools had become increasingly reliant on the county council for building funds, and with the introduction of the

Tripartite System The Tripartite System was the arrangement of state-funded secondary education between 1945 and the 1970s in England and Wales, and from 1947 to 2009 in Northern Ireland. It was an administrative implementation of the Education Act 1944 and th ...

in 1944, the schools fully entered the maintained sector as voluntary controlled

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

s. From 1947 to 1974 Hertfordshire participated in the Fleming scheme and five boys, Archie Lang (1950), Mike Farr (1952), Michael Harding and Christopher Horne (both 1958) and Richard Holman (1959) went to Eton under the scheme. Howard Fisher, and Paul Dillingham, son of the Mayor of Watford, went to Winchester under the same scheme. The schools also phased out their preparatory or junior departments to become purely secondary schools. With the scrapping of the Tripartite System, they became comprehensive in 1975, and continued to expand. They became

grant-maintained school Grant-maintained schools or GM schools were state schools in England and Wales between 1988 and 1998 that had opted out of local government control, being funded directly by a grant from central government. Some of these schools had selective ad ...

s in 1990, controlled by their own governing bodies, independent of the

county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...

, and funded directly by the

Department for Education The Department for Education (DfE) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further and higher education), apprenticeships and wider skills in England. A Departme ...

, and in 1995 introduced partial selection. In 1999 the schools converted to

voluntary aided A voluntary aided school (VA school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation), contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. In m ...

status. The two schools maintain matching admissions policies. The selective proportion of their intake has been reduced since 1995, and currently stands at 25% academic and 10% musical aptitude. Their catchment area for selective admission reaches out about 5 miles, including some northern parts of the London boroughs of Harrow and

Hillingdon Hillingdon is an area of Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon, centred 14.2 miles (22.8 km) west of Charing Cross. It was an ancient parish in Middlesex that included the market town of Uxbridge. During the 1920s the civ ...

. The schools also give priority to siblings of current pupils. Prior to 2008, each of them also gave priority to siblings of pupils at the other school (

). In 2010 the school became one of the first schools rated 'outstanding' by

Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, incl ...

to become an

, along with the girls school. Every year there is a Founder's Day service to commemorate the charitable foundations and to celebrate Dame Elizabeth Fuller's commitment and dedication to the school. This service is carried out at St Mary's Church in Watford Town centre. In 2016 The Independent Newspaper Published a table listing Watford Grammar School for Boys as the 7th Best Comprehensive or Partially Selective in the United Kingdom.

School site

Front view, Watford Grammar School for Boys

The school is located about west of Watford town centre, just to the south of

Watford tube station Watford tube station is the terminus of a Metropolitan line branch line in the north-western part of the London Underground in Zone 7. The station opened in 1925. Location and description The station is in the Cassiobury area, on Cassio ...

and

. The long neo-Georgian main block and the adjacent Master's House are Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

s. The school was used as a location for many of the external and internal shots in the filming of '' The History Boys''. In recent years the school has built a gym, a music block (also partly owned by Hertfordshire School of Music) and a Sixth Form centre with a food technology lab, financed through fundraising and the sale of land on the northern edge of the grounds for residential development. The school's music block, the "Clarendon Muse", stands on the front lawn of the school. The building was completed in December 2007 at the cost of £5 million, and has approximately of space spread out over four floors. It is also used by the Hertfordshire School of Music in the evenings and weekends. The school's new STEM Centre for the teaching of science, technology, engineering and maths was completed in November 2017 and opened by Lord Winston, before dismantled by the students, equipment was sourced from the technology block. Funding was providing by national and local government and parental donations supported the fittings and fixtures of the buildin

Many sports are played at the New Field (shared with the Old Boys sports clubs) beside the

Grand Union Canal The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another ends in Birmingham, with the latter ...

near

House System

In the 1950s there were five houses; Bushey, North, South, Travellers and New. Fuller was added during that decade. The most recent form to be added was Rée, introduced to years 7 and 12 in September 2018. Each year in the school is divided into 8 forms, which belong to 8 different houses – the names of which are significant in the history of the school. Every year, the houses compete for the House Cup. They use the House Point system, and the house which has gained the most house points wins the House Cup. Each house point given equals to 2 pence given to a chosen charity. On average, each house would earn about £400 for charity. The points system works like this: House Point = 1 House Point Commendation = 3 House Points Half Merit = 5 House Points Merit = 10 House Points

Notable old Fullerians

Old Boys The terms Old Boys and Old Girls are the usual expressions in use in the United Kingdom for former pupils of primary and secondary schools.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While these are traditionally associated with independent schools, they are ...

of the School are known as "Old Fullerians". In chronological order: * Captain Alan Rice-Oxley DFC (1898–1961), RAF officer, World War One fighter ace *

Gerald Moore Gerald Moore CBE (30 July 1899 – 13 March 1987) was an English classical pianist best known for his career as a collaborative pianist for many distinguished musicians. Among those with whom he was closely associated were Dietrich Fischer-Di ...

(1899–1987), piano accompanist * Group Captain

Leslie Bonnet Group Captain Leslie Bonnet (22 August 1902 – 10 December 1985) was an RAF officer, short-story writer and duck-breeder, creating the Welsh Harlequin Duck, the only true Welsh duck breed. Early life Bonnet was born 1902 in Watford, Hertfords ...

(1902–1985), RAF officer, writer and originator of the Welsh Harlequin Duck *

Edgar Anstey Edgar Anstey (16 February 1907 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England – 26 September 1987 in London, England), was a leading British documentary film-maker. Anstey was educated at Watford Grammar School for Boys and Birkbeck College. He spen ...

(1907–1987), documentary film pioneer * Douglas Noel Sargent (1907–1979), 3rd Bishop of Selsby * Eric Robinson (1908–1974), BBC television music presenter-conductor *

Arthur Geoffrey Walker Prof Arthur Geoffrey Walker FRS FRSE (17 July 1909 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England – 31 March 2001) was a British mathematician who made important contributions to physics and physical cosmology. Although he was an accomplished geomete ...

, FRS, FRSE (1909–2001), mathematician * Air Vice-Marshal Robert Bateson DSO and Bar, DFC (1912–1986), RAF officer who led the raid on the

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...

headquarters in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

* Lieutenant-Colonel

Terence Otway Lieutenant Colonel Terence Brandram Hastings Otway DSO, (15 June 1914 – 23 July 2006) was an officer in the British Army, best known for his role as commander of the paratroop assault on the Merville Battery on D-Day. Early life Otway was ...

DSO (1914–2006), Commanding Officer of 9th Bn. Parachute Regiment, assaulted the Merville Battery on

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

Peter Laslett Thomas Peter Ruffell Laslett (18 December 1915 – 8 November 2001) was an English historian. Biography Laslett was the son of a Baptist minister and was born in Bedford on 18 December 1915. Although he spent much of his childhood in Oxford, ...

(1915–2001), historian * William Hurst Rees (1917–2004), leading valuation surveyor *

John David Wilson John David Wilson (8 August 1919 – 20 June 2013) was an English artist, animator and producer. He owned his own production studio, Fine Arts Films Fine Arts Films was a production studio based in Northern England and Hollywood. It was found ...

(1919–2013), artist * Air Vice-Marshal Colin Coulthard AFC and Bar (1921–2004), senior RAF officer and Air Attaché to Washington * Reverend Canon Arthur Peacocke (1924–2006), theologian and evolutionist * Richard Hughes (1926–2020), cricketer * Terry Scott (1927–1994), actor and comedian *

Uwe Kitzinger Uwe Kitzinger, CBE (born 12 April 1928) is an Oxford academic specialising in International Relations. He was the first British economist at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg from 1951 to 1956, and in January 1973 to June 1975 Political Adviser t ...

, CBE (* 1928), political analyst; Fellow,

Nuffield College Nuffield College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is a graduate college and specialises in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. Nuffield is one of Oxford's newer c ...

, Oxford (1956–1976); Foundation President, Templeton College, Oxford (1984—1991) * Don Anthony, Represented Great Britain in the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, w ...

in the

Hammer Throw The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and Javelin throw, javelin. The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that na ...

. Dedicated his life to the Olympic movement. * John Clark (1932– ), actor and director * A.D. (Tony) Nuttall (1937–2007), professor of English at

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the Englis ...

and

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

* George Walker (* 1942), director general of the

International Baccalaureate Organization The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...

David Crighton David George Crighton, FRS (15 November 1942 – 12 April 2000) was a British mathematician and physicist. Life Crighton was born in Llandudno, North Wales, where his mother, Violet Grace Garrison, had been sent because of the bombing of Londo ...

, FRS (1942–2000), professor of applied mathematics, Master of

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes ...

John Grillo John Martin Grillo (born 29 November 1942, in Watford, Hertfordshire) is an English actor. Biography Grillo was educated at Watford Grammar School for Boys and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and while there was actively involved in student theatre. H ...

(* 1942), theatre, film and television actor and playwright * John Orr (1943–2010), Professor Emeritus, School of Social and Political Studies, Edinburgh University * Sir Ian Prosser (1943– ), chairman of Bass plc, later

Six Continents Six Continents was a large British-based hotel and hospitality business which was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. History The company was formed in June 2000 when the brewing business of ...

Sir Andrew Davis Sir Andrew Frank Davis (born 2 February 1944) is an English conductor. He is conductor laureate of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Early life and education Born in Ashridge ...

(* 1944), orchestral conductor * Rt Revd John Hind (* 1945),

Bishop of Chichester The Bishop of Chichester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the counties of East and West Sussex. The see is based in the City of Chichester where the bishop's sea ...

, 2001–2012 * Knox (* 1945), musician *

Michael Rosen Michael Wayne Rosen (born 7 May 1946) is a British children's author, poet, presenter, political columnist, broadcaster and activist who has written 140 books. He served as Children's Laureate from 2007 to 2009. Early life Michael Wayne Ro ...

(* 1946), poet, writer and radio presenter,

Children's Laureate Children's Laureate, now known as the 'Waterstones Children's Laureate' is a prestigious position awarded in the United Kingdom once every two years to a "writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their fie ...

* John Taylor (1946– ),

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

and British Lions rugby player * John K. Truss (* 1947), Professor of Pure Mathematics,

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

* Peter Taylor-Gooby, OBE, FBA (1948– ), Professor of Social Policy,

University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...

; Chair,

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars s ...

New Paradigms in Public Policy Programme (2009–2011) * David Sullivan (1949– ), pornographer and former director of

Birmingham City FC Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first tea ...

, current co-chairman of

West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...

, joined the sixth form in the 1960s. *

Oliver Knussen Stuart Oliver Knussen (12 June 1952 – 8 July 2018) was a British composer and conductor. Early life Oliver Knussen was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father, Stuart Knussen, was principal double bass of the London Symphony Orchestra, and a ...

(1952–2018), composer and conductor *

Adrian Leaper Adrian Leaper (born 1953) is an English conductor. Biography Leaper studied horn and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music and for eight years was co-principal horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra. He was Principal Conductor of the ''Orquesta ...

(* 1953), orchestral conductor * Michael Thompson (1954– ), principal horn,

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, horn soloist, professor,

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke ...

Nick Bunker Nick Bunker (born November 25, 1958) is a British author, historian and a former journalist with the ''Financial Times'.'' Biography A Londoner by birth, Bunker attended Watford Boys Grammar School in Hertfordshire, England. Bunker attended Ki ...

(* 1958), author and historian. * Michael Purton, horn soloist and principal horn (1973–86), Hallé Orchestra, record producer * Charles C. Taylor (* 1959), Professor of Statistics,

* Liam Gillick (* 1964) Artist * Simon Munnery (* 1967), comedian and comedy writer *

Steve Easterbrook Stephen James Easterbrook (born 6 August 1967) is a British business executive. From March 2015 to November 2019, he was president and chief executive of McDonald's, the American fast food company. On 1 November 2019, the board of directors vot ...

(* 1967), CEO of

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

Grant Shapps Grant Shapps (born 14 September 1968) is a British politician who is serving as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy since October 2022. He previously served as Secretary of State for Transport in the Johnson governm ...

(1968– ), Chairman of the Conservative Party (2012–2015), MP for

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(2005–). * Lee "Muddy" Baker (* 1969), musician *

Martin Rossiter Martin Rossiter (born 15 May 1970) is a Welsh singer, who was lead singer of the British indie band Gene from 1993 until their break-up in 2004. He released a solo album in 2012. Career Though Gene was labelled as a Britpop band, Rossiter was ...

(1970– ), ex lead singer of 90s Brit Pop band

Gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...

David Pyatt David John Pyatt (born 26 September 1973) is a horn player from Watford, England. In 1988, aged 14, he became the then youngest winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. In 1996 Gramophone Magazine announced David Pyatt as the ...

(* 1974), horn soloist, BBC Young Musician of the Year, 1988 *

Josh Lewsey Owen Joshua Lewsey MBE (born 30 November 1976) is an English former rugby union player who represented England and the British and Irish Lions. Lewsey is a former British Army Officer. Background and early life Lewsey was born in Bromley, Lo ...

(* 1976), England rugby player *

Duncan Hames Duncan John Hames (born 16 June 1977) is a Director of Policy at Transparency International UK and a former Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Chippenham constituency in Wiltshire from 2010 to 2015. Betwe ...

(* 1977), Liberal Democrats MP for Chippenham (2010–2015) * Tim Thorpe (* 1983), Principal Horn at

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* James Smith (1985–), musician and lead singer of Hadouken! * Donald Barrell (* 1986), Saracens and England sevens star * Matthew Buckley (* 1987), actor * Chris Stark (* 1987), British radio personality * Alex Lozowski (* 1993), Rugby union player for

Saracens upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...

Notable teachers

Sir Stanley Rous Sir Stanley Ford Rous (25 April 1895 – 18 July 1986) was an English football referee and the 6th President of FIFA, serving from 1961 to 1974. He also served as secretary of the Football Association from 1934 to 1962 and was an international ...

(football referee and

FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...

president) was an assistant master (sports) 1921–1934. * Harry Rée (educationist and wartime member of the

Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its p ...

) was headmaster 1951–1962. * George Walker (director general of the

) was a chemistry teacher 1966–1968. * *

Headmasters

(since the founding of the Watford Endowed School in 1884) * 1884–1914 William Robert Carter * 1914–1922 Harold Nicholson * 1922–1938 Edward Reynolds * 1938–1951 Percy Bolton * 1951–1962 Harry Rée * 1963–1991 Keith Turner * 1991–1993 Robert Evans * 1993–1994 Neil Hart * 1994–2000 Professor Sir John Holman * 2000–2014 Martin Post * 2014–2015 Mark Allchorn (acting) * 2015–Present Ian Cooksey

Old Fullerians' Association

The Old Boys Association, formed in 1894, is known as the "Old Fullerians' Association". All former pupils and past and present teachers and governors of the school are eligible for membership. Serving teachers automatically become honorary members. The mission of the Association is to support the school and its students. This is currently achieved by raising funds for selected school projects and also by giving Old Boys opportunities to stay in touch with each other and with the school through events including the annual OFA Dinner, through newsletters and also through the very strong cricket and golf sports societies. There are a number of associated clubs and societies: *Association Football Club *Cricket Club, formed in 1947 *Golfing Society *Rugby Football Club

References

External links

Watford Grammar School for Boys websiteFriends of the SchoolOld Fullerians' Cricket Club

Fullerians Rugby Football Club
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1704 1704 establishments in England Schools in Watford Academies in Hertfordshire Boys' schools in Hertfordshire Grade II listed buildings in Hertfordshire Grade II listed educational buildings Formerly selective schools in the United Kingdom Secondary schools in Hertfordshire