Trust News

Sunday, 22 September 2019, Sir John Lawes School threw open their doors to celebrate their 80th year. With in excess of 1000 tickets issued for the celebration it was a busy and thriving afternoon with various exciting activities for the Alumni of the school to enjoy and participate in.

• Admiring artwork by students past and present
• Performances by music ensembles
• Recording memories in their TV Studio

Brief history of Sir John Lawes School

In 1938, building began on land purchased by Hertfordshire County Council on Manland Common, to create a new secondary school for the Harpenden community.  Building was completed in the summer of 1939, but by September, when the schools were to open, the Second World War had been declared.  As a result, the opening of Manland Common Senior Elementary School, with its new Headteacher, Arthur Watts, had to be delayed for a week until 21 September 1939 to arrange for accommodation of evacuees.

In 1982 the name of the school was changed from Manland Secondary School to Sir John Lawes School in honour of Sir John Bennet Lawes, the world-renowned scientist and founder of Rothamsted Research, whose efforts (and finances!) had helped established the first school for Harpenden children in 1847.