Heronswood Secondary Modern School.

1956 to 1987.

By Steven Johnson

Taken in 1956.
Snowy school on Heronswood Road - 1964.
Sign on Heronswood Road - 1964

Heronswood Secondary Modern School was opened in 1956 as an overflow school to take the pressure of secondary students at The Howard S.M. School.   The new school’s headmaster was Ralph Bainbridge.    Heronswood School sadly merged with The Howard School in July 1987 to become Sir John Newsom(e) School on the Howard School site.

This page was added on 28/02/2016.

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  • We visited the school with Mr Köberer our headmaster for two weeks. There was an exchange between Mittelpunktschule Selters and Haronswood School in the late 60s and early 70s. Mr Bainbridge and Mr Köberer were friends. I remember Mr Bainbridge very well. It was a wonderful time for us pupils with our British friends in Welwyn Garden City and in Selters/Westerwald. Maybe someone of the readers remembers.

    By Annemarie Brüse (19/11/2023)
  • Hi I am Simon Griffin and was at Heronswood school from 1970 to 1975. Yes I remember Mr. Bainbridge and his deputy Mr. Boichlare. If you got sent to his office for the cane he would size you up and choose a cane to suit. Always remember Maths lessons sitting next to pretty girls called Valerie Price and Cherryl Lawrance. Mr Riddell was our Geography teacher and had a temper due to his small size I guess.

    By Simon Griffin (19/10/2023)
  • Hi I went to heronswood in 1976 and remember Mr humpthries and fab art teacher who lived near me in Marsden Green Tony I think I remember the glass classrooms and when doin cross country skipping off and meeting friends at peartreee shops noone ever run lived with grandparents so best times always in detention never learned anything there as teachers never helped kids leaving bunion burners on passing letters to each other in class then teacher gettin them reading them out was Mrs Saunders head teacher? Quadrangle member that anyone else,have thease memories queuing for lunch then gettin bullied by prevects who did they think they were just with a badge lol

    By Karen wall (12/11/2022)
  • Hi I’m claire
    Used to be step daughter of the caretaker in 1970s 1980s .
    Remember tracey grant azmina Gina Gail Maisey.
    Many more that where the popular people that would never remember me.
    Teachers
    Mr humphries. Mr chives. Mrs bates many more

    By Claire (22/09/2022)
  • Went there until 1978 and remember getting kicked by Mr ……… [name redacted] for leaning on the fence of the enclosed tennis courts. The teacher with the wig couldn’t have been Mrs Vine surely? Best teacher was Mr Humphries.

    By Steve Clare (09/11/2021)
  • I attended Heronswood between 64/67. Earliest memory was my first week, when i ran across some grass to get to class, & was seen by Mr Bainbridge, who promptly sent me to be caned. I never did it again (without looking around first).

    By Alan Smith (04/07/2021)
  • My dad, Mark Jubb, went here from about 1983 to 1986, he got expelled and rarely showed up to school.

    He told me one story which stands out (can’t confirm if it’s true but it’s definitely funny):
    Sometime in probably 1985, he had one teacher who wore a wig, and as my granddad liked to fish, my dad had a fishing hook. He went into the classroom before the lesson started and got everything in place, then when the lesson started he began to mess around (his usual) and the teacher called him to the front. Whilst she shouted, he put the hook in her wig. She sent him to the headmaster’s office and he pulled the line as he left. He told me he got chased around the school after that.

    He’s also told me stories about a go-karting club with one of his favourite teachers and him getting caned A LOT.

    Would be kinda interesting to see if anyone else recognises him or any of these stories.

    By Lacy Jubb (09/05/2021)
  • I attended Heronswood School from 1958 and have very fond memories of Mr Bainbridge, who I happened to bump ito some years ago.He still remembered me and we had along chat about “past times”.

    My best friend at school was Richard Longman. Does anyone else remember him? I would love to know if he is still around. Best wishes to all those that remember me or my brother, Michael, who also attended Heronswood – please get in touch.

    Stuart Dashwood

    By Stuart Dashwood (14/03/2021)
  • I went to Heronswood School in 1964.
    I remember the headmaster Mr Bainbridge he was a fantastic man. His wife was a teacher at the school, she was lovely. I always remember Mr Bainbridge saying to us, ‘If you have gone home each day learning just one thing at school, you have had a productive day.’ He was kind and treated the pupils with respect.
    I was in love with a boy in my class called Andrew Haigh (he was not aware of this). I played his wife in the school play l was over the moon. It’s funny what you remember about your school days, long time ago, l am now 67.

    By Denise Chadwick (28/01/2021)
  • I left heronswood in 1966 any of my 6th form classmates still around?

    By Jean Brown (09/07/2020)
  • Anyone have any pics of teachers/pupils from 1964/65?

    Parrymiyiakis@hotmail.com

    By S parry (20/03/2020)
  • I attended Heronswood between 1974 and 1979. Would like to contact some old class mates. My form teacher was Mrs Ffyfe. I met her some years later whilst visiting Hitchin Girls.
    [If you’d like to get in touch with Dawn, please email your message to admin@welwyngardencity.org.uk. Thanks, Ed]

    By Dawn Hipwell née Clark (06/02/2020)
  • My Dad Paul Richardson studied here when first opened. Would love to hunt down some of his old classmates especially Edna King

    By Emma (10/08/2018)
  • My mum, Betty McGovan, joined Heronswood Secondary Modern School when the school opened in 1958 to teach Domestic Science.    She fancied a change so went to teach at the Hern’s Lane grammar school in 1966.  

    By Neil McGovan (02/08/2016)