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New Hall School

{{More citations needed|date=September 2023}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}

{{Infobox school

| name = New Hall School

| image = School view small file.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = New Hall School in 2014

| coordinates = {{coord|51.76307|0.51241|type:edu_region:GB_dim:100|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| motto = Optimus Satus in Vita
(Latin for The Best Start in Life)

| established = 1642 (in Belgium)
1799 (current school)

| closed =

| type = Public school
Private school
Boarding school
Day School

| religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic

| president =

| head_label = Principal

| head = Katherine Jeffrey

| r_head_label =

| r_head =

| chair_label = Chair of Governors

| chair = Miriam Edelsten

| founder =

| specialist =

| address = The Avenue

| city = Chelmsford

| county = Essex

| country = England

| postcode = CM3 3HS

| local_authority =

| dfeno = 881/6001

| urn = 115387

| ofsted =

| staff =

| enrolment = 1300

| gender = Co-educational

| lower_age = 1

| upper_age = 18

| houses =

| colours =

| publication = The Beaulieu Bulletin

| free_label_1 = Former pupils

| free_1 = Old Fishes / New Hallians

| free_label_2 =

| free_2 =

| free_label_3 =

| free_3 =

| website = {{url|newhallschool.co.uk}}

}}

New Hall School is a Catholic co-educational private boarding and day school in the village of Boreham near Chelmsford, Essex, England. It was founded in 1642 in the Low Countries, now Belgium, by sisters of the Catholic order Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre and moved to its current location, the former Tudor Palace of Beaulieu in Essex, in 1799. It is the only Catholic Independent school in the Brentwood diocese, and one of the oldest and largest British schools in the country.[http://www.newhallschool.co.uk/catholic-provision Catholic provision]

The school operates the "diamond" model format. Up until the end of Year 6 and in the Sixth Form, the children are taught in co-educational classes. In years 7 to 11, students are taught in single sex classes. The school is a member of the Catholic Independent Schools Conference and the ISA, and the principal is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

History

The school was founded in Liège, now part of Belgium in 1642 by Susan Hawley, who also formed the English Community of the Canonesses Regular of the Holy Sepulchre.{{Cite ODNB|title=Hawley, Susan [name in religion Mary of the Conception] (1622–1706), Sepulchrine prioress|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-66982|access-date=2021-02-14| date=2004 |language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/66982| isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 }} The founding Religious Order, the Canonesses Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, is one of the most ancient in the Church and was established in Europe long before the English Religious Community was founded in 1642. The school expanded considerably in size and scope from 1770 under the leadership of Mary Dennett. The school began to offer a Catholic education to girls who were denied this in England in the Post-Protestant Reformation period and to girls from other countries too.{{Cite ODNB|title=Dennett, Mary [name in religion Christina] (1730–1781), prioress of the Holy Sepulchre, Liège|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-105821|access-date=2021-02-27| date=2004 |language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/105821| isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 }} In 1794, the French Revolutionary Wars forced the nuns to leave the Low Countries. The school reopened on its present site in 1799.

In 1994, the Preparatory Divisions were re-established on the campus at New Hall. Opening with 40 pupils, the school grew rapidly over the following years. In 1995, the Preparatory Divisions welcomed its first boarders and the boarding programme was later extended to boys as well.

In 2001, New Hall appointed its first lady principal, Mrs Katherine Jeffrey. In April 2005, the administration made a landmark decision to go fully co-educational, ending over 360 years of single-sex education. The announcement was made that the Senior Divisions would be embarking on a period of further expansion, with the establishment of a separate Boys' Division (11–16) and a co-educational Sixth Form.{{cite news|title=Chelmsford: School to let in boys|url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/archive/2005/05/04/Essex+Archive/5424420.Chelmsford__School_to_let_in_boys/|publisher=The Echo|date=4 May 2005}} The Senior Divisions now accepts boys throughout the 11–18 age range and there are two boys' boarding houses fully established, in addition to the two girls' boarding houses.[http://www.newhallschool.co.uk/about-new-hall/ About New Hall]

The move towards co-education using the "diamond model" has proved extremely successful. New Hall was commended by judges at the 2011 Independent School Awards for the "ambitious and pioneering move" and won the award for "outstanding strategic initiative".{{cite news|date=21 November 2011|title=Top award for New Hall School's diamond success|work=Chelmsford Weekly News|url=https://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/9372929.top-award-for-new-hall-schools-diamond-success/}} In 2016 New Hall was voted TES Independent School of the Year.

The New Hall School Trust (NHST) was established as a new registered charity (1110286) and limited company in 2005. The principal objective of the NHST, as set out in the Memorandum and Articles, is ‘to advance the Roman Catholic religion by the conduct of a Roman Catholic School’. In 2012 New Hall was invited to become the first independent school in the country to sponsor a state primary school that was seeking to become an Academy under the new Government scheme. The new academy formally opened in September 2013, forming the New Hall Multi Academy Trust (NHMAT), a partnership between New Hall School and Messing Primary School.

=Buildings=

Sir Thomas Boleyn inherited New Hall from his father Sir William in the late 1400s and in 1517, the estate was acquired by King Henry VIII, who greatly enlarged and enhanced the building and called it Beaulieu. The Royal Arms of Henry VIII are now to be seen in the school Chapel. For many years the home of Mary Tudor, New Hall was subsequently granted to the Earl of Sussex by Queen Elizabeth I. Oliver Cromwell later procured the estate for 5 shillings.{{Cite web |url=http://www.newhallschool.co.uk/about-new-hall/history-of-new-hall-and-the-school/ |title=History of New Hall and the School |access-date=17 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311230727/http://www.newhallschool.co.uk/about-new-hall/history-of-new-hall-and-the-school/ |archive-date=11 March 2010 |url-status=dead }}

Having fallen into disrepair and been somewhat pillaged, the house was bought by a Dutch trader John Olmius in 1738 who refashioned the north wing as a self-contained house with a new entrance and bay windows, interior plasterwork and panelling. Under the reign of George III, he became the 1st Baron Waltham of Philpstown.

Houses

There are six vertical houses named after figures venerated in the Catholic church:

  • Acutis House
  • Augustine House
  • Bahkita House
  • Miki House
  • Romero House
  • Teresa House

The Preparatory Divisions Houses are named after the Four Evangelists, the saints who wrote the Four Gospels:

  • St Matthew (Red)
  • St Mark (Yellow)
  • St Luke (Green)
  • St John (Blue)

The Boarding Houses are named as follows:

  • Earle Wing, Petre House{{cite web|url=http://www.newhallschool.co.uk/boarding/houses/petre/|title=Earle Wing, Petre House|publisher=Newhallschool.co.uk|access-date=2019-08-21}}
  • Hawley House{{cite web|url=http://www.newhallschool.co.uk/boarding/houses/hawley/|title=Hawley|publisher=Newhallschool.co.uk|access-date=2019-08-21}}
  • Petre House{{cite web|url=http://www.newhallschool.co.uk/boarding/houses/petre/|title=Petre House|publisher=Newhallschool.co.uk|access-date=2019-08-21}}
  • Dennett House{{cite web|url=http://www.newhallschool.co.uk/boarding/houses/dennett/|title=Dennett House|publisher=Newhallschool.co.uk|access-date=2020-02-20}}
  • Campion House{{cite web|url=http://www.newhallschool.co.uk/boarding/houses/campion/|title=Campion House|publisher=Newhallschool.co.uk|access-date=2019-08-21}}

Academic

New Hall has a strong academic record and regularly tops the exam results table for Essex county.{{cite news|date=15 August 2019|title=New Hall School celebrate record breaking A Level success|work=Chelmsford Weekly News|url=https://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/17839223.new-hall-school-celebrate-record-breaking-level-success/}}{{cite web|date=11 December 2021|title=The Essex schools which were named among East Anglia's best|url=https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/19773582.essex-schools-named-among-east-anglias-best/|website=Gazette News|publisher=}}{{Cite web|date=22 August 2019|title=New Hall School, Chelmsford, celebrate record breaking GCSE success|url=https://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/17855118.new-hall-school-chelmsford-celebrate-record-breaking-gcse-success/|website=Chelmsford Weekly News}} In the 2021 A Levels, it achieved a 97% pass rate at grades A*-B and 75% at A*/A. At GCSE, 79% of grades were 7+ (A*/A).

Pastoral care

Pupils are required to attend regular chapel services. Practising Catholic pupils may choose to actively participate in spiritual activities such as Bible studies and the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes. The school chapel runs weekly Sunday mass which is open to the public and serves the Parish of St Augustine of Canterbury, Springfield.{{cite web|title=New Hall School – Mid-Essex Deanery|url=http://dioceseofbrentwood.net/parishes/DeaneryParishInfo.aspx?OrgID=314|publisher=Diocese of Brentwood}} Pupils and staff often serve as musicians, choristers, altar servers, sacristans and readers.

Co-curricular activities

=Sport=

Students compete at county, regional, national and international level in a wide range of sports and have met with success.{{cite news |date=23 February 2014 |title=National award for channel swimming youngster |work=Chelmsford Weekly News |url=https://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/10983146.national-award-for-channel-swimming-youngster/}}{{cite news |date=16 February 2017 |title=Students put in star turns on the slopes |work=Chelmsford Weekly News |url=https://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/15093842.students-put-in-star-turns-on-the-slopes/}}{{Cite news |date=7 November 2019 |title=New Hall pupils win gold medal |work=Essex Chronicle |url=https://www.yumpu.com/news/en/issue/75842-essex-chronicle-2019-11-07/read?page=75}} In recent years, there has been a significant investment in the sports facilities on campus. The first-class provision now includes: The Waltham Centre 25m 6-lane indoor swimming pool; a national standard athletics track and floodlit Astroturf; 10 floodlit tennis/netball courts; two sports halls; Parsons Hall dance studio; junior and senior cricket wickets and indoor training nets; hockey, rugby and football pitches. New Hall also has well-established links with a local riding school and a golf club.

The more popular sports are cricket, hockey, netball, rugby, and tennis. There is a wide variety of other sports, including aerobics & pilates, athletics, badminton, basketball, cross country, fencing, football, golf, equitation, swimming, volleyball and triathlon.

Past headmistresses and principals

At Liege and then in England it can be assumed that the Prioress was also in charge of the school. At some unknown stage a First Mistress became a quasi-Headmistress in the school under the Prioress. The term headmistress was first used in 1942 and the term principal from 2005.

class="wikitable"
FromTillName
19421957Sister Margaret Helen Terney
19571963Sister Mary Ignatius Brown
19631986Sister Mary Francis Wood
19861997Sister Margaret Mary Horton
19972001Sister Ann-Marie Brister
2001NowKatherine Jeffrey

Former pupils

{{See also|Category:People educated at New Hall School}}

Former pupils are known as "Old Fishes"{{cite web | title=Old Fishes | website=newhallschool.co.uk | date=11 April 2010 | url=https://newhallschool.co.uk/old-fishes/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220233449/https://newhallschool.co.uk/old-fishes/ | archive-date=20 February 2010 | url-status=dead | access-date=1 June 2025}}{{better|reason=does not look like a reliable source about the history of this term|date=June 2025}} or "New Hallians".

{{alumni|date=September 2023}}

Notable staff

Further reading

  • Fishy Tales: Living Memories of New Hall 1930-2012, The Canonesses of The Holy Sepulchre, 2012 {{ISBN|978 09574063 0 8}}
  • New Hall and its school: A true story of virtuous demeanour, Tony Tuckwell, Free Range Publishing 2006 {{ISBN|1-872979-02-5}}

See also

  • [http://www.newhallschool.co.uk New Hall School official website]
  • [https://twitter.com/newhallschool New Hall School Twitter Site]
  • [http://www.canonesses.co.uk Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre]
  • [http://www.channel4.com/programmes/time-team-specials/articles/beaulieu-palace Time Team Special on New Hall]

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category|Palace of Beaulieu}}

  • [http://www.newhallschool.co.uk New Hall School website]
  • [http://www.isc.co.uk/schools/england/essex/chelmsford/new-hall-school Profile] on the ISC website
  • [http://www.hmc.org.uk/schools/new-hall-school/ Profile] on the HMC website
  • [http://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/schools/103353/new-hall-school Profile] on the Good Schools Guide

{{Schools in Essex}}

{{Diocese of Brentwood}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Educational institutions established in the 1640s

Category:Private schools in Essex

Category:Catholic boarding schools in England

Category:Member schools of the Girls' Schools Association

Category:Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference

Category:Roman Catholic private schools in the Diocese of Brentwood

Category:Boarding schools in Essex

Category:Diamond schools

Category:1642 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire

Category:Boreham