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Haberdashers' Adams Grammar School is a selective state
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 Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...
for high-achieving boys and girls aged 11–18 with boarding for boys, located in
Newport, Shropshire Newport is a market town and Civil parishes in Shropshire, civil parish in the borough of Telford and Wrekin in Shropshire, England. It lies north-east of Telford, west of Stafford, and is near the Shropshire-Staffordshire border. The 2001 Ce ...
, offering day and boarding education. As of 2024, boarding fees are £14,553 per year for years 7-11 and £15,954 per year for Sixth Form. Haberdashers' Adams was founded in 1656 by William Adams, a wealthy member of the
Worshipful Company of Haberdashers The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, is an ancient merchant guild of London associated with the silk and velvet trades. History and functions The Haberdashers' Company received its first ro ...
(one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the
City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
). In January 2018, the school changed its name from Adams' Grammar School to Haberdashers' Adams. In July 2022, the school announced that it would become fully co-educational, starting from September 2024.


History

Haberdashers' Adams was founded in 1656 by
Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
William Adams, a wealthy
City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
merchant and
haberdasher __NOTOC__ In British English, a haberdasher is a business or person who sells small articles for sewing, dressmaking and knitting, such as buttons, ribbons, and zippers; in the United States, the term refers instead to a men's clothing st ...
, who was born in Newport. Adams had no children and never married, so therefore decided to leave a bequest for the foundation of the school, which was first opened on 25 March 1656, during the politically unstable and volatile period of the
English Interregnum The Interregnum was the period between the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 and the arrival of his son Charles II of England, Charles II in London on 29 May 1660, which marked the start of the Stuart Restoration, Restoration. During the ...
. Having received permission from
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...
to found the school, Adams sought to further ensure the school's continued existence by appointing the Master and Wardens of the
Haberdashers' Company The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, is an ancient guild, merchant guild of City of London, London associated with the silk and velvet trades. History and functions The Haberdashers' Company ...
as
governors A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
in perpetuity. As one of the few schools founded during the Interregnum period, the school's articles of foundation were reconfirmed by Act of Parliament in 1660 ( 12 Cha. 2. c. ''12''), upon the Restoration of the Monarchy; a copy of which is held in the school archives. Adams endowed the school with a large agricultural estate at Knighton in
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...
, providing income for future generations; as a result of this, Knighton was exempt from all land taxes until 1990. The school was endowed with 1,400 books soon after its foundation, which at the time represented one of the largest school
libraries A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
in England. Only seven of these books are still in the school's ownership, with the rest having been sold at various times when the school has suffered financial hardship. The Knighton estate was eventually sold off in several portions over the course of the twentieth century, and the proceeds of the final sale were used by the Haberdashers' Company to purchase Longford Hall as a boarding house for the school. Haberdashers' Adams developed slowly, and did not expand beyond its original building, now known as ''Big School'', until the turn of the last century, when ''Main School'' (also known as the ''S-Block'') was built in the 1920s. Over the course of the next 90 years Adams' expanded rapidly, acquiring a number of buildings on Lower Bar in Newport for use as boarding houses; this in turn greatly expanded the school's town centre site. In the 1960s a new science block, connected to Main School was built, whilst a senior boarding master's house was created on land adjacent to Big School. During this period the school also built a new
gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...
nasium, which was subsequently converted into a
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
in the mid-2000s. It has since been converted into a Sixth Form Common area following the construction of the New music block. During the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, 362 Old Novaportans (former pupils) served in the
Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...
, of whom 45 died and 77 survived wounded. After the War a memorial fund was set up to assist the sons of the deceased, and an appeal raised £1,000. A tablet listing those who died was unveiled in the Main School building in 1921. In 1948, the Old Boys' Club erected another tablet alongside this to those who died in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Both memorials are now displayed in the School Library. In the modern era, the school's status has been expressed in a number of statutory arrangements. In 1950 the school became a
voluntary aided school 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 ...
then after a brief spell as a
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 ...
in the 1980s, Adams again faced threat of closure or conversion to co-educational comprehensive status in the early 1990s; this was avoided by a successful campaign, organised by parents and governors, against the wishes of
Shropshire County Council Shropshire Council, known between 1980 and 2009 as Shropshire County Council and prior to 1980 as Salop County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire in the West Midlands region of England. Since 2009 it h ...
. In the late 1990s and 2000s Haberdashers' Adams again enjoyed voluntary-aided status; throughout its history the
Haberdashers' Company The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, is an ancient guild, merchant guild of City of London, London associated with the silk and velvet trades. History and functions The Haberdashers' Company ...
has been key in supporting the school's vision and offering financial support for some of the more ambitious construction projects. In 1993, girls were admitted to the
sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...
for the first time, bringing to an end Haberdashers' Adams' long tradition of educating boys only. The 1990s also saw the construction of the Wood and Taylor Centres for the study of design technology and
maths Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, theories and theorems that are developed and proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many areas of mathematics, which include num ...
. The Maths block has since been changed to an English block following the construction of the new Paddock block, reflecting the school's status in the later 1990s as a
technology college In the United Kingdom, a Technology College is a specialist school that specialises in design and technology, mathematics and science. Beginning in 1994, they were the first specialist schools that were not CTC colleges. In 2008, there were 598 ...
. In the early 2000s, the school began to raise funds for the construction of a new state-of-the-art
sports hall An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances or sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators, and may ...
and fitness suite to replace dilapidated facilities. The Paddock Block was constructed in 2019 to contain Maths, Art and a new hall was built to accommodate the expansion of the school to include the new Sa'adu house. In 2002, a
history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
of the school by former
headmaster A headmaster/headmistress, head teacher, head, school administrator, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. Role While s ...
David Taylor and his wife, Ruth, was published. The late 2000s saw the school celebrate its 350th anniversary (in 2006), completion of a new science block and conversion of the former gymnasium into a performing arts centre (this, in turn, was converted into a Sixth Form Centre, which opened in 2013). The dilapidated music department was condemned for health and safety reasons in 2006; The Coach House, on Salters Lane, which backs onto the school grounds, was acquired by the Haberdashers' Company and converted into a new music department, which opened in 2013 alongside the new Sixth Form Centre. In 2007, Haberdashers' Adams' Federation Trust (HAFT) was created in order to join Adams' Grammar School with the re-built Abraham Darby School (which later became Haberdashers' Abraham Darby Academy) in a loose federation. Under this trust, both schools would share the same board of governors. In September 2011, Adams' Grammar School was converted into an academy under the 2010 Academies Act and the federation was amended so that both schools would be combined under the ownership of HAFT. HAFT was later renamed as Haberdashers' West Midlands Academies Trust. In September 2023, the Haberdashers' West Midlands Academies Trust was joined by
Castle House School Haberdashers' Castle House is an independent Preparatory school (UK), preparatory day school for boys and girls, first established in 1944, at Chetwynd End, Newport, Shropshire.
, an independent preparatory day school in Newport, which subsequently became known as Haberdashers' Castle House. In 2014, the school was publicly criticised by a former pupil who claimed that there was a culture of racism, sexism, and homophobia among students and staff and that "the fundamental doctrine that Adams' taught was that we should define ourselves by our perceived superiority to others". This was disputed strongly by the school's headmaster along with a number of former students. In 2018, headmaster Gary Hickey changed the school's name from Adams' Grammar School to Haberdashers' Adams. This was reportedly done in order to reflect the school's "historic links" with the
Worshipful Company of Haberdashers The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, is an ancient merchant guild of London associated with the silk and velvet trades. History and functions The Haberdashers' Company received its first ro ...
. In 2023, a decision was announced that girls would be admitted into year 7 for the first time, and in September 2024, the first intake of year 7 girls started studying at the school.


Admissions and performance

Haberdashers' Adams is a
selective school A selective school is a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. The term may have different connotations in different systems and is the opposite of a comprehensive school, which accepts all s ...
which admits both boarding and
day pupil A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...
s.


Academic performance

In 2022, Haberdashers' Adams was downgraded to Good by Ofsted. Ofsted noted that the "effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement" and that staff "are not receiving effective regular supervision". The school was not compliant with regard to a number of safeguarding principles, including failure to fulfil the basic safer recruitment of staff and volunteers. In relation to the boarding provision, Ofsted noted that the school "does not meet the national minimum standards for boarding schools relating to staffing and supervision and complaints. The school has been scored as average with a Progress 8 score of −0.02 by the
Department for Education The Department for Education (DfE) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for child protection, child services, education in England, educati ...
.


School life

As of November 2016 the headmaster is Gary Hickey, who was previously deputy headmaster of the school. He is set to be replaced as headmaster by the current Deputy Head for student welfare, Daniel Biggins, in September 2025.


House system

Haberdashers' Adams operates an extra-curricular
house system The house system is a traditional feature of schools in the United Kingdom. The practice has since spread to Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. The school is divided into units called "houses" and each student is allocated to on ...
and is the basis of inter-house sports competitions, traditionally a source of pride for pupils of their respective houses (all named after Shropshire-born notables): * ''Owen House'', named after
Wilfred Owen Wilfred Edward Salter Owen Military Cross, MC (18 March 1893 – 4 November 1918) was an English poet and soldier. He was one of the leading poets of the First World War. His war poetry on the horrors of Trench warfare, trenches and Chemi ...
, one of the leading poets of the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
(born near
Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the England–Wales border, Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5 road (Great Britain), A5, A483 road, A483 and A495 road, A495 ro ...
) sports scarlet as its colours. This house was called Clive House after Robert Clive of India until 2021 when it was renamed after criticism arose of Robert Clive in light of the
George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...
. * ''Darwin House'', traditionally sports
royal blue Royal blue is a deep and vivid shade of blue. It is said to have been created by a consortium of mills in Rode, Wiltshire (in Somerset as of 1937), which won a competition to make a robe for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. I ...
and is named after
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...
-born
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
, the celebrated 19th-century naturalist. * ''Talbot House'', the last of the three original "Salopian" houses, traditionally displays black and white (arranged in hoops, ''e.g.'' on rugby jerseys) as its sporting colours; it is named after Whitchurch-born "Old Talbot" (Sir John Talbot, ''later'' Earl of Shrewsbury) of the famous local
Talbot family Talbot is a dormant automobile marque introduced in 1902 by British-French company Clément-Talbot. The founders, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Adolphe Clément-Bayard, reduced their financial interests in their Clément ...
and one of the foremost English
military commander The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
s of the French medieval wars. * ''Webb House'', was founded in 1994 by Robert Mulhern and assumed
emerald green Varieties of the color green may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation or intensity) or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint ...
as its distinguishing colours; it is named after
Dawley Dawley ( ) is a former mining town and civil parish in the borough of Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire, England. It was originally proposed be the main centre of the 'Dawley New Town' plan in 1963, however it was decided in 1968 to name the new ...
-born merchant naval officer and accomplished swimmer, Captain Matthew Webb. * ''Sa'adu House'', the newest house being announced in 2020 and being formed in the school year starting 2021, named after NHS worker and Old Novaportan who died during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Alfa Sa'adu, assuming
purple Purple is a color similar in appearance to violet light. In the RYB color model historically used in the arts, purple is a secondary color created by combining red and blue pigments. In the CMYK color model used in modern printing, purple is ...
as its house colour. Throughout the academic year there are many house events at Haberdashers' Adams, revolving around the arts, sports or academic subjects. These include the House Music Competition; Dixon Cup, which covers drama and public speaking; Smedley Cup and House 7s, which are both rugby competitions; and other sports competitions such as House Cross Country and House Swimming. Intra-house geography, history, poetry and languages competitions also take place.


Boarding houses and student leadership

The school owns a number of dedicated boarding houses. The present junior hall (Longford Hall) is located by the school's playing fields about a mile away. In 2017 the Haberdashers' enabled the school to purchase and re-furbish Beaumaris Court, a former care home, to become the school's new senior boarding house, Beaumaris Hall. This new facility replaced the three senior boys' boarding houses which were situated in large Georgian townhouses facing the High Street. Longford Hall was built in 1785 for Colonel Ralph Leeke, political agent to the
British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
; the
building A building or edifice is an enclosed Structure#Load-bearing, structure with a roof, walls and window, windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, a ...
was designed by Joseph Bonomi, who was an associate of
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
and James Adam. The
hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and the Early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gre ...
is located on top of a low rise and overlooks farmland towards the Lilleshall Monument. As with many such buildings, the first 100 feet in front of the hall comprises manicured grass, bordered by a
ha-ha A ha-ha ( or ), also known as a sunk fence, blind fence, ditch and fence, deer wall, or foss, is a recessed landscape design element that creates a vertical barrier (particularly on one side) while preserving an uninterrupted view of the lan ...
to prevent animals from entering; today the ha-ha is best known amongst pupils for forming a part of the school's annual house cross-country course. There are a small series of formal gardens, including a "Quad". Behind the hall is a selection of buildings around a central square including a
dovecote A dovecote or dovecot , doocot (Scots Language, Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house Domestic pigeon, pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or b ...
, once part of the estate's home farm. Upon entry into the school in year 7, boarders are assigned to dormitories; upon moving to Beaumaris Court boys are assigned to double or, in some cases, single rooms, when these are available.


Combined Cadet Force

The Haberdashers' Adams CCF is available to year 8 students and above, as a result of which the school sends many officer candidate students to Sandhurst and
Royal Air Force College Cranwell The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is resp ...
. The CCF also plays a role in Newport civic life, parading every year on
Remembrance Sunday Remembrance Sunday is held in the United Kingdom as a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts. It is held on the second Sunday in Nov ...
. The CCF recruits each new school year in September or October from year 8 and, demand permitting, the Lower Sixth. Cadets generally pass out in May or June of the same year. The CCF has its own building where its stores are housed and NCO meetings take place. The CCF occasionally holds Overnight Exercises where battle drills and fieldcraft are practised; these are held either at Longford Hall,
Nesscliffe Training Area The Nesscliffe Training Area is a military training facility located near Nesscliffe in Shropshire. History The training area is located on and around the former Central Ammunition Depot at Nesscliffe. The CAD was fed from the Shropshire and M ...
,
ROF Swynnerton ROF Swynnerton was a Royal Ordnance Factory, more specifically a filling factory, located south of the village of Swynnerton in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Built between 1939 and 1941, it remained operational until 1958. It was later operate ...
or Leak Military Base. In previous years CCF prepared for the Annual House CCF Competition, known as ''The Thompstone Trophy'', named after the eccentric former leader of the CCF Lt-Col Brian Thompstone; this entailed a Drill Competition, Shooting, Command Tasks, Memory Games, Forces-related Quizzes, Section Attacks, CQB and an OBS course. This has not ran in recent years though. The CCF is inspected every two years (the Biennial Inspection) by a senior
Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
or RAF officer. Both the Army and RAF sections of the CCF hold Summer Camps every year, visiting working military bases such as
RAF Cranwell Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the RAF Colleg ...
and
Barry Buddon Training Area Barry Buddon Training Area is a Ministry of Defence-owned rifle range and training area in Barry, Angus, Scotland, which runs adjacent to Carnoustie Golf Links and the Dundee - Aberdeen railway Line. History Barry Buddon dates back to around ...
. Cadets can also attend Adventure Training Camps held annually at
Llanbedr Llanbedr () is a village and Community (Wales), community south of Harlech. Administratively, it lies in the Ardudwy area, formerly Meirionnydd, of the county of Gwynedd, Wales. In 2011 the community had a population of 645. History Ancient ...
and
Windermere Windermere (historically Winder Mere) is a ribbon lake in Cumbria, England, and part of the Lake District. It is the largest lake in England by length, area, and volume, but considerably smaller than the List of lakes and lochs of the United Ki ...
, Easter Camps at
RAF Akrotiri Royal Air Force Akrotiri, commonly abbreviated RAF Akrotiri (; ) is a large Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akroti ...
, Summer Camps at
Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
and Leadership Courses at
RAF Cranwell Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the RAF Colleg ...
,
Nesscliffe Training Area The Nesscliffe Training Area is a military training facility located near Nesscliffe in Shropshire. History The training area is located on and around the former Central Ammunition Depot at Nesscliffe. The CAD was fed from the Shropshire and M ...
or at Frimley Park. Additionally, cadets also have the opportunity of attending special events such as the 65th D-Day Landing Commemorations and the Cadet 150 Celebrations. The CCF has recently undergone many changes and improvements such as the incorporation of a new front team position of responsibility within the school of the Senior Cadet in 2023.


Sport

Haberdashers' Adams has traditionally been a rugby school, and as such requires all boys play rugby through years seven and eight during the autumn and spring terms. Upon entry into year nine, pupils are presented with the option of continuing to play rugby, or switching to
field hockey Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...
.
Cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
and
athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...
are the main sports disciplines undertaken during the shorter summer term. In year 11 and the sixth form, boys are presented with a wider range of sporting options. With a few exceptions, all sporting events and training takes place at the school's Longford Hall playing fields. Haberdashers' Adams operates a system of games afternoons, by which each individual year group is assigned a specific day of the week to attend afternoon physical activity sessions at Longford.


Old Novaportans

The School supports the ''Old Novaportans' Club'' which organises reunions, dinners and sporting events throughout the year to which its members are invited. Former pupils are known as "Old Novaportans" (initialised as "ON").


Academia

*
Piers Corbyn Piers Richard Corbyn (born 10 March 1947) is a British weather forecaster, Anti-vaccine activism, anti-vaccine activist, Conspiracy theory, conspiracy theorist, and former politician. Corbyn was born in Wiltshire and raised in Shropshire wherei ...
(born 1947) – weather forecaster, businessman, activist, anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist *
Donald Court Seymour Donald Mayneord Court (born 4 January 1912 in Wem, died 9 September 1994 in Newcastle upon Tyne) was a British paediatrician who was known for his achievements in the fields of respiratory disease and the epidemiology of disease in ch ...
(1912–1994) – James Spence Professor of Child Health at
Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick university and a mem ...
(1955–72) and former President of the
British Paediatric Association The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, often referred to as the RCPCH, is the professional body for paediatrics, paediatricians (doctors specialising in child health) in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the postgraduate, pos ...
* William Cureton (1808–1864) – orientalist * Dave Goulson (born 1965) – professor of biology (evolution, behaviour and environment) at the
University of Sussex The University of Sussex is a public university, public research university, research university located in Falmer, East Sussex, England. It lies mostly within the city boundaries of Brighton and Hove. Its large campus site is surrounded by the ...
, expert on bumblebees and founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust * Thomas Hollis (1720–1774) – benefactor of
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, political propagandist, patron of
Canaletto Giovanni Antonio Canal (18 October 1697 – 19 April 1768), commonly known as Canaletto (), was an Italian painter from the Republic of Venice, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school. Painter of cityscapes or ...
among other artists * Helmut Koenigsberger (1918–2014) – professor of history,
King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
, 1973–84, later emeritus. * Sir
Oliver Lodge Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge (12 June 1851 – 22 August 1940) was an English physicist whose investigations into electromagnetic radiation contributed to the development of Radio, radio communication. He identified electromagnetic radiation indepe ...
(1851–1940)– inventor & first principal of
Birmingham University The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...
*
James E. Quibell James Edward Quibell (11 November 1867 – 5 June 1935) was a British Egyptology, Egyptologist. Life Quibell was born in Newport, Shropshire. He married the Scottish artist and archaeologist Annie Abernethie Pirie Quibell, Annie Abernethie Pirie ...
(1867–1935) – archaeologist and leading British Egyptologist *
Maurice Stacey Maurice Stacey CBE FRS FRIC (8 April 1907 – 9 October 1994) was a British chemist who worked alongside Sir Norman Haworth to artificially synthesize Vitamin C. Maurice Stacey was born on 8 April 1907 in Moreton, Shropshire. Stacey was educa ...
(1907–94) – worked alongside Sir
Norman Haworth Sir Walter Norman Haworth Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (19 March 1883 – 19 March 1950) was a British chemist best known for his groundbreaking work on ascorbic acid (vitamin C) while working at the University of Birmingham. He received th ...
to artificially synthesize vitamin C


Clergy

*
Robert Charnock Robert Charnock (or Chernock) (''c''. 1663 – 18 March 1696) was an English academic and Jacobite conspirator. Life Charnock belonged to a Warwickshire family, and was educated at Adams' Grammar School and Magdalen College, Oxford, becoming a ...
(1663–1696) – Dean of
Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...
, conspirator who planned to kill
King William III William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 167 ...
*
Silvester Horne Charles Silvester Horne **Charles Silvester Horne** (15 April 1865 – 2 May 1914) was a Congregationalist, Congregational minister, Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Member of parliament, MP for Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency), Ipswich, and a no ...
(1865–1914) – MP for
Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...
, Congregationalist Minister, and father of
Kenneth Horne Charles Kenneth Horne, generally known as Kenneth Horne (27 February 1907 – 14 February 1969), was an English comedian and businessman. He is perhaps best remembered for his work on three BBC Radio series: ''Much-Binding-in-the-Mars ...
* Gerald Lander (1861–1934) – Bishop of Victoria, Hong Kong * Thomas Percy (1729–1811) – became
Bishop of Dromore The Bishop of Dromore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the original monastery of Dromore in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church the title still continues as a separate bishopric, but in the Church of Irela ...
, wrote ''
Reliques of Ancient English Poetry The ''Reliques of Ancient English Poetry'' (sometimes known as ''Reliques of Ancient Poetry'' or simply Percy's ''Reliques'') is a collection of ballads and popular songs collected by Bishop Thomas Percy and published in 1765. Sources The basis ...
'' in 1765


Media and arts

* M. J. Bassett – film director and scriptwriter * Simon Bates (born 1946) – radio disc jockey * Barrington J. Bayley (1937–2008) – science fiction writer * Tom Brown (1662–1704) – satirist * Radzi Chinyanganya (born 1987) – presenter of
Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC ...
from 2013 to 2019 * Jerskin Fendrix (born 1995) – musician and
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nominee for best original score for the film Poor Things * Ewen Henderson (1934–2000) – sculptor * Eliot Higgins (born 1979) – investigative journalist, founder of
Bellingcat Bellingcat (stylised bell¿ngcat) is a Netherlands-based investigative journalism group that specialises in fact-checking and open-source intelligence (OSINT). It was founded by British citizen journalist and former blogger Eliot Higgins in Ju ...
* Norman Jones (1932–2013) * Shini Muthukrishnan (born 2002) – 43rd presenter of Blue Peter since 2024.


Politics & business

* Peter Butler (born 1951) – former Conservative MP for North East Milton Keynes from 1992 to 1997, and current chief executive of Flying Scotsman plc *
Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...
(born 1949) – Independent MP for
Islington North Islington North is a United Kingdom constituencies, constituency in Greater London established for 1885 United Kingdom general election, the 1885 general election. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of C ...
since 1983,
Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
and Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020 *
Nick Jenkins Nicholas David Jenkins (born 13 May 1967) is a British businessman, best known for founding the online greeting card retailer Moonpig.com, then as a "dragon" for the BBC Two TV business series '' Dragons' Den'' in the thirteenth and fourteent ...
(born 1967) – chief executive of moonpig.com, former
Glencore Glencore plc is an Anglo-Swiss Multinational corporation, multinational commodity trading and mining company with headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, Baar, Switzerland. Glencore's oil and gas headquarters are in London, London, England as well a ...
commodities trader. *
John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower, PC (10 August 1694 – 25 December 1754) was a British Tory politician who served as Lord Privy Seal from 1742 to 1743 and again from 1744 to 1754. Leveson-Gower also served in the Parliament of Great Brita ...
(1694–1754) –
Lord Privy Seal The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal) is the fifth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and abov ...
1742–54, and first senior Tory member of government since
George I of Great Britain George I (George Louis; ; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. ...
's coronation in 1714 * Thomas Parker, Earl of Macclesfield (1666–1732) –
Lord Chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...
and Acting
Regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
of Great Britain


Military

* Captain Thomas Ashburnham (1855–1924) – 6th Earl of Ashburnham * General
George Colt Langley General Sir George Colt Langley, (8 November 1810 – 28 December 1896) was a Royal Marines officer who served as Deputy Adjutant-General Royal Marines. Military career Langley was born in Bristol, the eighth of 12 children born to John Langley ...
(1810–96) –
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
,
Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...
* Matthew Smith (ca.1665-ca.1723) – 17th-century spy, intriguer and writer * Sir Charles Buckworth-Herne-Soame Bt (1864–1931) 10th Baronet * Major-General Francis Ventris (1857–1929) – General Officer Commanding British Forces in China


Sports

* Cedric Boyns (born 1954) – cricket player for
Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
and
Worcestershire County Cricket Club Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Worcestershire. Its Vitality Blast T20 team has been rebranded ...
s. * Thalia Holmes (born 2004) – chess player and '' Chess Masters: The Endgame'' in 2025 * Graham Kitchener (born 1989) – rugby player for
Worcester Warriors Worcester Warriors are a professional rugby union club based in Worcester, England. They most recently played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, before being suspended by the Rugby Football Union, RFU in September 2 ...
and
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
* Peter Ranells (born 1954) – cricket player for Shropshire. * Dan Redfern (born 1990) – cricket player for Shropshire,
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
and
Leicestershire County Cricket Club Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the coun ...
s * Peter Short (born 1979) – rugby player for
Bath Rugby Bath Rugby is a professional rugby union club in Bath, Somerset, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. Founded in 1865 as Bath Football Club, since 1894 the club has played at the Recreation Ground, Bath, Rec ...
and
England Saxons England A is England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England Saxons. England A play a key role in the development of emerg ...


Former staff

* Donald Fear – history and government and politics teacher, the sixth person ever to win £1,000,000 on ''
Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (WWTBAM) is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Televis ...
'' in 2020 *
Ryan Palmer Ryan Hunter Palmer (born September 19, 1976) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Early life and amateur career Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, Palmer graduated from Amarillo High School in 1995. He played colleg ...
(born 1974) – maths teacher and ex-Jamaican national chess champion * Agnes Miller Parker (1895–1980) – former art teacher, engraver and illustrator * Alec Peterson (1908–1988) – former headmaster, founder of the
International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...
, and Director-General of Information Services during the
Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War, was a guerrilla warfare, guerrilla war fought in Federation of Malaya, Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Arm ...
between 1952 and 1954


See also

* Longford Hall – junior boarding house and sports fields owned by the school, situated about one mile (1.6 km) away from the Main School site, in the village of
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...
* Grade II* listed buildings in Telford and Wrekin * Listed buildings in Newport, Shropshire


References


External links


Official website
{{authority control 1656 establishments in England Academies in Telford and Wrekin Boarding schools in Shropshire Buildings and structures in Newport, Shropshire Educational institutions established in the 1650s Grammar schools in Telford and Wrekin Grade II* listed buildings in Shropshire Haberdashers' Schools Newport, Shropshire State funded boarding schools in England Training schools in England