Hanley Castle High School

The School is one of the oldest in the country. The exact date of foundation is not known, but we know that in 1326 a Chantry School was already established at the old castle of Hanley. At the time of the Reformation, Hanley re-emerged as a Grammar School, and we have a charter from 1544 in the reign of Henry VIII. In 1633 a new body of Trustees was appointed and in 1733 the school was re-built; these buildings (much modified) are still in use today. The 1991 building programme considerably improved the facilities at the school and as a consequence of becoming a Specialist School for Languages we secured funding for a £2 million eight-classroom language and computing block which was opened in September 2008. Our magnificent new sixth form centre was opened in September 2016. Various additional building projects have expanded and enhanced facilities for performing arts, science, PE, humanities and maths departments. We have recently improved and enlarged dining facilities and student toilets. College (House) System The origins of our school can be traced back with some certainty to 1486, when it was given its own buildings and income. However, there is a suggestion that from as early as 1326 the chantry priest may have taught the children of the parish on or near our current school site. The parish of Hanley (later to become Hanley Castle) has an ancient and fascinating history. Although there is evidence of a Roman fort by the river, and of a Roman temple on the site of the church, the first direct references to Hanlee have been found in two charters dated 962 and 972 A.D. At the time of the Norman Conquest (1066-1088) the area was over-run with trees and like all forests belonged to the King of England, who enjoyed exclusive hunting rights. However, within 50 years areas of the forest had been cleared and Hanley had grown into a thriving community. The name Hanley comes from the old English han leah, meaning ‘high clearing’. We have named our new colleges after three major settlements within the forest, reflecting the ancient history of our unique community.