King's Hawford

King's Hawford's history began following the monastery's dissolution in 1540. The newly formed cathedral foundation included a choir school for ten cathedral choristers and tuition for forty King's Scholars. King's Hawford was one of seven King's Schools established or re-established by King Henry VIII after the dissolution. The school's first headmaster, John Pether, was appointed by King Henry VIII on December 7, 1541. One noteworthy early headmaster was Henry Bright, who is commemorated in Worcester Cathedral and mentioned in Thomas Fuller's Worthies of England. The school was under the management of the cathedral Dean and Chapter until 1884 when Headmaster W.E. Bolland introduced a New Scheme that brought in governance by a separate Governing Body, which still had a majority from the Chapter. Up until the construction of School House in 1888, all teaching took place in College Hall, which used to be a monastic refectory. From 1945 to 1976, the school was part of the direct grant scheme, which allowed it to admit pupils who were funded by the central government on a competitive basis. In 1971, the school began admitting girls in small numbers into the sixth form. By 1977, the school established College House, a space for 21 girls. The decision to make the school fully co-educational was taken in 1989, and by 1991, girls started enrolling into the Lower Fourth (Year 7). The school accommodated boarders from its founding until the last ones left in July 1999.