Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School
The Hatfield Girls’ Grammar School (as the school was originally named), opened in 1960 with an intake of 203 pupils and twelve teachers. The Headmistress was Miss M. Ashworth. In September 1976, the School was renamed Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School.
In 1984, Miss Ashworth retired and Mrs E. Diana Press was appointed Acting Headmistress. Dr M. McArdle was appointed Headmistress in 1986. Mrs Press became Headmistress after Dr McArdle.
In 1988, it was proposed to merge the school with Hatfield School. This was opposed by parents and was eventually rejected by the Secretary of State for Education.
By the year 2000, the school had grown to 710 pupils with 51 teachers and 26 support staff. The Headmistress was Mrs C.M. Brooks.
Visit the school web site at:- www.bishophatfield.herts.sch.uk (link opens in a new tab)
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I was one of the original girls attending Hatfield Girls Grammar school after spending two years at the mixed Onslow Grammar School located in an old building in Hatfield that ran side by side with what was then called a Secondary Modern School. Our class was small in those days with about 20 girls. It gave me a great foundation for life and I appreciate all it did for me. Muriel Lee |(nee Galley)
I was also one of the first pupils here, having spent 2 years in the co.-ed school. Diana Schofield was in my class (her sister was called Angela). The others in the photo are Jennifer Bullock and Brenda ?. I managed to get to the 50th anniversary celebrations and met quite a few old classmates. Miss Ashworth was there, also Miss Toole. Miss Fraser, the French teacher who terrified me, couldn’t make it. I never really liked my years at the school in that horrible building, which has, I believe, now been rebuilt. After my A-levels I did a bi-lingual secretarial course at the then Hatfield College of Technology and went off to Germany, where I still live.
I was one of the first pupils to be at the new school. As we were the girls siphoned off from the original “All in one”co-ed. grammar/secondary modern Onslow School, there were only two years of pupils and very small classes. The pupil in the photo on the left was Diana Schofield, a year older than me. I was in the same year as her younger sister. (Angie?)
I have found a reel of tape with ‘GCE O level French 1968′ (HGGS) printed on it. The teacher conducting the oral exams is given as a MRS S.WAGGOTT. Ring any bells to anyone? There are a few students’ names too. Sadly the tape has been over-recorded with a german exam listening test text. If there’s any interest I’ll post more details.