Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College

Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College is an Academy secondary school located in New Cross. The school was formerly a Grammar school, then a comprehensive City Technology College and now an Academy operating between two sites near New Cross Gate in South-East London. In 2005 the Federation of Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College and Haberdashers’ Aske’s Knights Academy (formerly the failing Malory School, Downham) was formed by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers to create the [http://www.haaf.org.uk/f/fceowelcome.htm Haberdashers' Aske's Academies Federation] in order to increase the availability of an Askes’ education to more students and make a wider use of the strengths that Aske’s has to offer. Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College now has academy status specialising in music. It also has the distinction of being the most over-subscribed state school in the country, with on average 2,500 applications for its annual intake of approximately 200 year 7 students.

As of August 2007, Aske's GCSE results were rated the 3rd best in London and the 13th best in the country of all non-selective schools, according to the Guardian newspaper.

History

After a bequest made by the merchant Robert Aske to the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers on his death in 1689, a school and almshouses were built at Hoxton near the city of London. When, in 1874, the almshouses were closed, the school was enlarged and split into two parts, one north of the river and one south. The northern section was established in Hampstead, eventually becoming Haberdashers' Aske's Boys School, while for the southern section, land was purchased at Hatcham, now better known as New Cross Gate, for the foundation of boys' and girls' schools on what is now known as Telegraph Hill. The north London school became generally known as "Haberdashers'", while the south London schools became generally known as "Aske's", though their official titles were parallel. Former pupils of the Hatcham schools are called "Old Askeans".

Two schools were complete on the site now on Pepys Road by late 1875, and in 1889 the site now on Jerningham Road was purchased and the girls' school relocated to the new site.

Under the Education Act 1944 the two schools became Grammar schools, and in 1979 became Comprehensive schools.

In a highly controversial move a failing local primary school, Monson Road, was closed, to re-open as Temple Grove Hatcham and incorporated with the college, giving all pupils preferential and automatic rights to attend secondary education at Aske's.

Current organization

In 1995 the two schools were combined under a single headteacher (Dr Elizabeth Sidwell - formerly girls' school headteacher), and the name Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College. Teaching continues to be largely single-sex except for the co-educational sixth form. Boys and girls were generally taught on their traditional separate sites until 2002, when the boys' and girls' sites were re-organised as lower-school and upper-school sites. Years 7, 8 and 9 are based at the Jerningham Road site; years 10, 11 and the 6th Form are based at the Pepys Road site. The school sports field is located close by on St. Asaph Road in Nunhead.

The current College Principal is Mrs Michelle Adamson, who was promoted from Deputy Principal in 2005 after Dr Elizabeth M Sidwell became the CEO of the [http://www.haaf.org.uk/f/fceowelcome.htm Haberdashers' Aske's Academies Federation] .

The forms in each year belong to one of four houses. These are named after significant figures in the college's history and are identified by colours. The students belong to the same house for their school life and belong to either Connolly - Green (formerly Doigs/Dodkins), Dyson - Red (formerly Mackenzies/Jethas), Goddard - Blue (formerly Dodkins/Crockets) or Soper - Yellow (formerly Fords/Patricks); all are named after previous headmasters or headmistresses (formerly heads of houses, Mr Doig, Miss F Mackenzie, Mr Dodkins and Mrs Ford), with the exception of the last, in honour of distinguished Old Askean Donald Soper. The students wear a blue school tie with stripes in their house colour. The school badge is the coat of arms of the Haberdashers' Company, and displays the motto "Serve And Obey".

Notable "Old Askeans"

*Fiona Bruce, newsreader and television presenter
*Melvyn Gale, former cellist with the "Electric Light Orchestra"
*Steve Harley, singer with "Cockney Rebel"
*Clive Jackson, lead singer, Doctor and the Medics
*Fr Roger Jupp, Former Bishop of Popondota, Papua New Guinea
*Chris Lambert, sprinter. Member of Great Britain Olympic team - Athens 2004
*James O'Dea, President of The Institute of Noetic Sciences
*Scott Parker, footballer
*Harry Price, Ghost Hunter and psychic research pioneer
*The Rev'd the Lord Soper (Donald Soper), Methodist minister and campaigner
*Rafe Spall, actor
*Barnes Wallis,Scientist and inventor of the Bouncing bomb
*Shaun Wright-Phillips, footballer
*Bradley Wright-Phillips, footballer
*Richard Wright, keyboardist for Pink Floyd
*Conrad Molden, voted 'Greatest Person Ever' by Greatest Person Ever Magazine
* Sid Green and Dick Hills, long-time screen writing partnership. Best known for the Morecombe & Wise scripts.

External links

* [http://www.hahc.org.uk College website]