The Friern Barnet Grammar School was a small private day school for boys located on Friern Barnet Road, North London.
It was later absorbed into the co-educational Woodside Park School foundation which was later renamed The North London International School and is today known as The Dwight School London, notably one of the first schools to offer the International Baccalaureate as an alternative to traditional British A-Level studies.
History The school was founded in 1884 as St John's High School for Boys by the Reverend Prebendary Frederick Hall MA of Jesus College, Cambridge,Kelly's Directory of Essex, Hertfordshire & Middlesex, 1894: p148 http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/pageviewer.asp?fn=0000c7cw.tif&dn=LUL19025tif&zoom=s rector of the Parish of St James and St John, Friern Barnet, to educate boys from middle-class families capable of meeting fee payments, as distinct from his efforts to provide the free schooling – financially supported by parishioners – of infants.
The rector was also the founder of the Friern Barnet Grammar School for Girls (c. 1891) and commissioned the imposing St John's church building opposite the boys' school. This was a late work in the Gothic Revival style by eminent architect John Loughborough Pearson (whose works include Truro Cathedral and St John's Cathedral, Brisbane) begun in 1890 and completed by his son Frank in 1911. Reverend Hall had been curate at Pearson's St. Augustine's, Kilburn.The Buildings of England – London 4: North, Bridget Cherry & Nikolaus Pevsner, 1998: p131 & The Dictionary of Art, Jane Turner,1996: p307
On the site of the school was the original temporary iron construction known as the school-church of St. John, where both classes and church services were held. This was later replaced by a one-storey building enlarged in the 1950s and the existing building, a two-storeyed block, was built in 1973.
After 1890 the establishment was known as Friern Barnet Grammar School for Boys having its own preparatory school from 1904. However the school was never populated by more than two hundred pupils.
The school's charitable arm was the subsidiary group, Friends of Friern Barnet Grammar School. In 1995, Friern Barnet Grammar became the Senior Department of Woodside Park School, rebranded and began admitting girls. Woodside Park School later became what is now Dwight School London.
Over a number of years an intense rivalry developed between pupils of the Grammar School and those from the government maintained Friern Barnet County School (latterly Friern Barnet Secondary School), which in 1961 opened nearby in Hermington Avenue.
Information Motto: Vita Lux Hominum
Latin: Life and Light of Mankind (from St John 1:4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men)
School Crest: Phoenix
School Houses: National Archive File DRO/012/I/G8/3 (School Prospectus 1948) Formerly – Collingwood, Drake, Frobisher, Grenville, Nelson
Latterly – Cook (yellow), Livingstone (green), Scott (red)
Annual Events: Founder's Day, Speech Day (Prize Giving), Sports' Day
In 1961, prizes were presented by the Member of Parliament for Finchley, Mrs Margaret Thatcher who "in an inspiring address spoke to the boys about their vocation in the life of the community for which school days are a preparation".Friern Barnet Parish Magazine, July 1961
Headmasters Headmasters: A B McFarlane (1885–1888) C D Punchard (1888–1890) Edward Hugh Pritchard (1890–1895)The Schoolmasters' Yearbook and Directory: 1903 (p311), 1906 (p296) C E Lacy (1895–1906)The Schoolmasters' Yearbook and Directory, 1906 & Kelly's Directory of Middlesex, 1899: p154 http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/pageviewer.asp?pnum=163&zoom=-r%2B100&dn=BCL15021tif&fn= J Ashley (1906–1908)National Archive File DRO/012/I/G8/8 Robert AmesKelly's Directory of Middlesex, 1914: p182 http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/pageviewer.asp?fn=00003ag0.tif&dn=BCL8016tif&zoom=s Herbert Ames (1908–1941)Kelly's Directory of Essex, Herts & Middlesex, 1937: p142 Charles Secker Smith (1943–1948)National Archive File DRO/012/I/G8/3 (Letter from November 1947) C P F Alderson (1948–1951) Rev P E Thomas (1954–1960)Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1957/58 Rev D Atkinson [died 2025] Church Times (8 August 2025) https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2025/8-august/gazette/deaths/deaths (1960–1964) Alan Heaps (1964–1981) John Pearman [died 2025]Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BvpKMPQ2a/Langley School https://alumni.langleyschool.co.uk/news/default-general/37/37-In-Memoriam-John-Pearman (1981–1995)Education Year Book, 1990 Dr Peter Reynolds (Acting) (1995) Chris Platford (Acting) (1995)Friern Barnet Grammar Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2257411274&v=app_2373072738
Notable former pupils
Tasnime Akunjee (1977–) – Lawyer LinkedIn Profile Sir (Walter) Leonard Allinson (1926–2022) – British diplomat, Oxonian (Merton College)Who's Who (1904–1989) – Professor of Human Ecology at the University of Cambridge, 1949–71Who Was Who, Volume 8 (1981–1990) Chris Carter (1953–) – Founder band member Throbbing Gristle, Carter TuttiWreckers of Civilisation: The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle, by Simon Ford Lieutenant William Randolph Cooper (1897–1918) – 2nd Lieutenant, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, WWI casualty (killed at Givenchy, 1918)Manchester University Roll of Service, Manchester University Press, 1922 [available from: https://archive.org/stream/manchesteruniver00univrich/manchesteruniver00univrich_djvu.txt] http://www.military-genealogy.com/nameShow?war=1&sid=1037601 Calendar by Victoria University [Manchester],1918: p107 Thomas Crosbie-Walsh (1880–1954) – Food scientist, editor Food Industries Manual & Food Manufacture, fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistryp45, Journal of the Royal Institute of Chemistry, 1955 & p333, Chemical and Process Engineering and Atomic World, 1954 Cyril Fletcher (1913–2005) – ComedianNice One Cyril: Being the Odd odyssey and the Anecdotage of a Comedian, Cyril Fletcher, 1978: p19 Peter Friese-GreeneAdmission Register Entry 1394 (National Archive File DRO/012/I/G8/6) – BBC cameraman, grandson of William Friese-Greene – inventor of cinematography, son of Claude Friese-Greene – developer of the colour film processThe Times, 3 March 1924 Colin Gottlieb (1961– ) – Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Omnicom Media Group Ertan Hurer (1961–) – Conservative Councillor (Enfield), Conservative parliamentary candidate (Hackney North and Stoke Newington, 2005) Stefano Ispani – Chief Executive, Ponti's Group Alexander James Jr (b. 1925) – son of Arsenal and Scotland footballer Alex JamesAdmission Register Entry 1489 (National Archive File DRO/012/I/G8/6) & Grandson of Rovers Legend Visits Stark’s Park http://www.raithroversfc.com/cgi-bin/latestnews.cgi?id=1565 Sydney James Johnstone OBE (1881–1971) – Geologist and Principal, Mineral Resources Department, Imperial Institute, fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry Barry Owen Jones (1934–) – Artist and director, Coach House Gallery, Royal Watercolour Society member Who's Who in Art Lord Kershaw (1906–1962) – Edward Aubrey Kershaw, 3rd Baron Kershaw of PrestwichWho's Who, Obituary (The Times), 24 February 1962 General Wilfred Kitching CBE (1893–1977) – 7th General of the Salvation ArmyWho Was Who & http://www1.salvationarmy.org Dr Edgar Mann (1926–2013) – formerly Chairman of the Executive Council of the Isle of Man (Tynwald)Admission Register Entry 1429 (National Archive File DRO/012/I/G8/6) & Legislative Council Votes and Proceedings 28 March 2000 http://www.tynwald.org.im/papers/votes/1999-2000/cv28032000.pdf Simon Nicol (1950–) – Founder band member Fairport Convention Dr J M R Owens (1926–) – John Owens, formerly Reader in History, Massey University, author, Oxonian (Merton College)Merton College Register 1900–1964 (Oxford, 1964), pp349-350 His Honour Judge Pullinger – Judge John Elphick Pullinger (1930–2000), scholar of the London School of Economics and also of Lincoln's Inn, Judge Advocate General for the Near and Far East 1972–1975, Circuit Court Judge on SE Circuit 1982–1990, Croydon Law Courts 1982–2000Who's Who 1983–2001 Colonel Arthur Oliver Samson CBE (1888–1955) – Middle East ForceWho Was Who, Volume 5 (1951–1960) L F Smeeton (1889–1975)St Helen's General Cemetery, Tasmanian Family History Society http://eheritage.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/resources/detail.aspx?KEYWORDS=smeeton&ID=LFH_23922 – Leslie Fred Smeeton, Official Secretary, Tasmanian Government Office, LondonThe Statesman's Yearbook, 1937 & Who's Who in Australia, 1947 Michael Ugwu (1980–) – Music Producer and Businessman John Williams OBE (1941–) – Classical guitarist, Sky memberThe International Who's Who 1984/85, 2004
Notable staff
Mr F J C Gustard (1902/3–1938) who was a master at the school, Frederick Gustard – cricket journalist and statistician, contributor to Wisden, author England v. Australia. A guide to the Tests, 1934 & Somerset County Cricket. Facts and figures from 1891–1924.Wisden 1934 http://content.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/151774.html & Obituary, Wisden, 1938/39 http://content.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/233808.html The founder, The Rev. Frederick Hall MA of Jesus College, Cambridge.The Oxford & Cambridge Yearbook, Arthur William Holland, 1904:p272 Rector of Friern Barnet, Rural Dean of Hornseyp6 The Times, 8 January 1902 and Prebendary of St Paul's.p10 The Times, 18 January 1902 Died 1902.Walford's County Families of the United Kingdom: p624 The author of, A Short Historical Account of the Collegiate Church of St Peter – Wolverhampton, 1865; A Simple Service Book for Children, 1866; Fasting Reception of the Blessed Sacrament: A Custom of the church Catholic, 1881.British Library Integrated Catalogue: http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/MK7ASUXSQ982B8NUQ7CU64BY1CD27H7T6L64VVIC5SS9J6RGTA-52686?func=full-set-set&set_number=142927&set_entry=000001&format=999 Headmaster A B McFarlane, Alexander Bruce McFarlane (1861–1921), latterly Headmaster, Allahabad High School, India, and Principal, Mico Training College, Kingston, Jamaica.The Daily Gleaner, Kingston, Jamaica, 1 March 1898 (p4), 1 April 1921 (p7) Portrait – Alexander Bruce McFarlane (1861–1921) Headmaster Edward Hugh Pritchard, latterly Alderman E H Pritchard, Mayor of Fulham (1924–25).http://www.sloanegrammar.co.uk/class_custom6.cfm Retrieved 2 March 2009 & Obituary The Times 16 November 1928:p18 Headmaster Charles Deane Punchard (1861–1940), the author of Tales from Shakespeare: With Introduction and Notes by C.D. Punchard (Charles Lamb, Mary Ann Lamb, Charles Punchard, 1899), Pitman's English Grammar Revised (1911), Helps to the Study of Addison's Essays (1898), Helps to the Study of Leigh Hunt's Essays (1899), A Summary of Johnson's Milton.British Library Integrated Catalogue: http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/CLENNDPQ1MTDL1X7KPS3MESJB1U3RQR7VTGJY3T2JR3H9B6F6R-21578?func=find-b&request=charles+deane+punchard&find_code=WRD&adjacent=N Mr W G Urry (1913–81) who was a master at the school, later Dr William G Urry, mediaeval historian and Canterbury Cathedral Archivist and Librarian (1948–1969).Obituary, The Times, 27 February 1981, p16
References
National Archives: Saint James the Great, Friern Barnet DRO/012/I/G8 'Friern Barnet: Education', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 6: Friern Barnet, Finchley, Hornsey with Highgate (1980), pp. 29–32, 33–36. Available from www.British-history.ac.uk Who's Who
External links Friern Barnet Grammar School Old Friars 1930s School Building