The Hertfordshire and Essex High School - History

History

It was opened as The Bishop's Stortford Secondary School for Girls in 1910, the school was built to have an intake of around 120 fee-paying students, at the time of opening it was run by both the counties of Hertfordshire and Essex and therefore it later changed its name to the Hertfordshire and Essex Girls' High School. It then became a comprehensive in the 1970s when the school was renamed again to its current name The Hertfordshire and Essex High School.

When the outbreak of the The Second World War in 1939, thousands of London children were evacuated to the relative safety of the countryside, many finding themselves in Bishop’s Stortford. Pupils from Clapton County Secondary School for Girls in Hackney, East London, were specifically sent here to be educated at this school. But with few teachers and little space, local children were taught in the mornings and London children in the afternoons.

During its 100 year history the school has changed significantly with many new buildings being added to the original Edwardian School House to allow for just under 10 times the amount of student's it had in 1910. Between 2000 and 2004 the school received a large redevelopment which included new IT suites, refectory, sports facilities, dance studio and Sixth Form Common Room. The project involved the refurbishment of the Edwardian schoolhouse, plus a new build teaching block and sports facilities.