What's Changed

Here is a brief timeline of developments at Brentwood School since its foundation. Find the year you left and read onwards to see how things have changed since you were here.

1557 Sir Antony Browne purchases Weald Hall (salvaged parts of which remain at the School) and land for the School

1558 Charter granted by Queen Mary Tudor. George Otway appointed first Headmaster

1568 Old Big School built at the expense of Edmund and Dorothy Huddleston

1622 Signing of School Statutes by the Bishop of London and John Donne, Dean of St. Paul's

1765 Boarders admitted

1773 School House built for £1,100

1793 Lack of pupils forces temporary closure

1801 School re-opens

1851 The name Brentwood School and Charity Act replaces 1622 statues

1851 Start of revival under headship of W. D. West

1867 School chapel built

1870 Governing Body set up to appoint principal and teachers

1891 Edwin Bean MA appointed Headmaster

1892 Foundation of Preparatory School 

1907 Evelyn Heseltine purchases Roden House and donates land to school

1910 Main school building facing Ingrave Road opens

1911 Evelyn Heseltine provides swimming pool

1914 James Fisher Hough appointed Headmaster. School's golden era begins with acquisitions that form the basis of today's site

1924 Memorial Hall built

1929 Bean Library opened

1930s Lawrence Building, swimming pool, squash courts, gymnasium and covered rifle range built. Middleton Hall purchased

1945 Charles Allison appointed Headmaster

1955 Memorial Pavilion built 

1957 400th Anniversary: HM Queen Elizabeth opens new science block - Queen's Building

1966 Richard Sale appointed Headmaster

1974 Girls admitted to Sixth Form

1976 Direct Grant status withdrawn

1981 John Evans appointed Headmaster

1986 Courage Hall opens

1988 Girls admitted from 11 with boys and girls being taught separately to 16

1993 John Kelsall appointed Headmaster

1994 Allison Building built

1995 Foundation of Pre-Preparatory School

1997 Preparatory School becomes co-educational

1999 Hardy Amies Design Centre opened, major refurbishment of Performing Arts Centre launched

2002 New indoor heated swimming pool and fitness suite officially opened by Olympic Swimmer Mark Foster

2003 Science Study Centre opens/ refurbishment of Queen's Building/ new Pre-Preparatory Hall, Preparatory classrooms and computer suite

2004 Ian Davies appointed Headmaster

2005 Extension to the Allison Modern Languages building completed to provide six new classrooms and a state-of-the-art language laboratory 

2007 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme introduced as post 16 option

2008 Heseltines, 200-person changing room block

Coming soon...400-seat auditorium and Sixth Form Centre.