Hackney Downs School was an 11–16

boys A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is "a ...

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, ...

comprehensive secondary school in

Lower Clapton Clapton is a district of East London, England, in the London Borough of Hackney. Clapton is divided into Upper Clapton, in the north, and Lower Clapton to the south. Clapton railway station lies north-east of Charing Cross. Geography and origin ...

, Greater London, England. It was established in 1876 and closed in 1995. It has been replaced by the Mossbourne Community Academy.

History

Grocers' Company's School

It was founded in 1876 as The Grocers' Company's School. On its transfer to the London County Council in 1906 the school was renamed Hackney Downs School (formerly the Grocers' Company's School).

Grammar school

Alumni including

Nobel prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

-winning playwright Harold Pinter, fellow playwright and actor Steven Berkoff, 1960s tycoon John Bloom and nutritionist John Yudkin. Two current members of the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

are former pupils: (

Lord Levy Michael Abraham Levy, Baron Levy, (born 11 July 1944) is a Labour Party peer. He is a former chartered accountant and was chairman and CEO of a large independent group of music companies. He now acts as a consultant for a number of companies a ...

and Lord Clinton-Davis). The school had 600 boys with a sixth-form entry by the early 1970s. Former high jumper and Board Director of

London 2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

Bid Team

Dalton Grant Dalton Grant (born 8 April 1966) is a former high jumper. Athletics career Grant won a total number of four national titles for Great Britain (AAA Championships) in the men's high jump event. His personal best jump is 2.36 metres, achieved ...

attended Hackney Downs School in the 80s.

Comprehensive

It voted to become comprehensive in 1969, and in September it became a comprehensive school. By the time of its closure, over 70 percent of the boys spoke

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

as a second language, half came from households with no-one in employment, and half the intake had reading ages three years below average.

Decline and closure

Things came to a head in the 1990s, when the school made national news by being described by the then

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

government as the 'worst school in Britain'. Eventually, as a result of direct government pressure, the school was forced to close in 1995.

Later use of the building

The site of the old school is now occupied by Mossbourne Community Academy, founded by Sir Clive Bourne, which opened in 2004. The school buildings of both the original Grocers' Company's School and Hackney Downs School have gone.

Old boys

The Old Boys of Hackney Downs continue their interactions as alumni through the Clove Club, which meets regularly, has its own website, and sponsors an email group called ''The Clove eGroup'' (on

Yahoo Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Manage ...

), and featured on The Clove Club website.''The Clove's Lines: The Newsletter of The Clove Club: The Old Boys of Hackney Downs School'' 3.2 (Mar. 2009): 32.

History of the school

An official history of the school was published by the Clove Club in 1972. An updated edition was published in 2012: ''Hackney Downs 1876-1995: The Life and Death of a School.''

Headmasters

John Kemp
1974–89

Notable alumni

Hackney Downs School (1974–95)

, high jumper * Geoffrey Hanks, professor of palliative care medicine * Metin Hüseyin, film and television director * Eric Hollingsworth, Head Coach, Australian Athletics

Boys' grammar school (1906–74)

* Lazarus Aaronson, poet *

Geoffrey Alderman Geoffrey Alderman (born 10 February 1944) is a British historian that specialises in 19th and 20th centuries Jewish community in England. He is also a political adviser and journalist. Life Born in Middlesex, Alderman was educated at Hackney D ...

, historian * Arnold Allen CBE, chief executive 1982–84 of the

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of fusion energy. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ...

* Sir Edward Bairstow, organist of York Minster 1913–46, composer (attended 1889–91) * Alexander Baron, writer * Morris Beckman * Steven Berkoff, actor, playwright,

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

* Gerald Bernbaum, Vice-Chancellor 1993–2001 of

London South Bank University London South Bank University (LSBU) is a public university in Elephant and Castle, London. It is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name. Founded in 1892 as the Borough ...

, and Professor of Education 1974–93 at the

University of Leicester , mottoeng = So that they may have life , established = , type = public research university , endowment = £20.0 million , budget = £326 million , chancellor = David Willetts , vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah , head_lab ...

* Mike Berry, singer and actor * John Bloom, 1960s

tycoon A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

Eric Bristow Eric John Bristow, (25 April 1957 – 5 April 2018), nicknamed "The Crafty Cockney", was an English professional darts player. He was ranked World No. 1 by the World Darts Federation a record five times, in 1980, 1981 and 1983–1985. He was ...

, world champion darts player * Air Vice-Marshal Reggie Bullen CB GM * Sir Stanley Burnton, Lord Justice of Appeal and Fellow of

St Edmund Hall, Oxford St Edmund Hall (sometimes known as The Hall or informally as Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any universit ...

* Sir Michael Caine (Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr.),

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

(attended 1944–45, evacuated to King's Lynn during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

) * Roland Camberton, writer *

Frank Cass Frank Cass (11 July 1930 – 9 August 2007) was a British publisher. He was the founder of Frank Cass & Co., an imprint of books and journals of history and the social sciences acquired by Taylor & Francis in 2003. Early life Frank Cass was born ...

, publisher. *

Stanley Clinton Davis, Baron Clinton-Davis Stanley Clinton-Davis, Baron Clinton-Davis, Privy Counsellor, PC (born Stanley Clinton Davis; 6 December 1928) is a British politician and former solicitor. A member of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, he served as Member of Parliament (Unite ...

, Labour MP 1970–83 for

Hackney Central Hackney Central is a sub-district of Hackney in the London Borough of Hackney in London, England and is four miles (6.4 km) northeast of Charing Cross. The Hackney Central area is focused on Mare Street and the retail areas to the north o ...

*Paul Dean CB, Director National Physical Laboratory 1977-90 * Prof David Dolphin, OC, FRS, chemist, inventor of Visudyne, winner of Canada's Hertzberg Meda

* Prof

Cyril Domb Cyril Domb FRS (9 December 1920 – 15 February 2012) was a British-Israeli theoretical physicist, best known for his lecturing and writing on the theory of phase transitions and critical phenomena of fluids. He was also known in the Orthodox ...

, physicist, Professor of Theoretical Physics 1954–81 at King's College London * Maurice Evans (actor) * Basil Feldman, Baron Feldman * Frederic Sutherland Ferguson, bibliographer *

Abram Games Abram Games (29 July 191427 August 1996) was a British graphic designer. The style of his work – refined but vigorous compared to the work of contemporaries – has earned him a place in the pantheon of the best of 20th-century graphic desi ...

OBE, graphic designer *

Arthur Gold Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

CBE, chairman 1988–92 of the

British Olympic Association The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for the United Kingdom. It is responsible for organising and overseeing the participation of athletes from the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team, at both ...

*Michael Goldstein CBE, Vice-Chancellor of

Coventry University , mottoeng = By Art and Industry , established = , type = Public , endowment = £28 million (2015) , budget = £787.5 million , chancellor = Margaret Casely-Hayford , vice_chancellor = John Latham , students = () , undergr ...

1992–2004, Director of Coventry Polytechnic 1987–92 *

Arnold Goodman, Baron Goodman Arnold Abraham Goodman, Baron Goodman, CH, (21 August 191312 May 1995) was a British lawyer and political advisor. Life Arnold Goodman was born at Hackney, London, son of Jewish parents Joseph Goodman (1879/80-1940), a master draper, and Be ...

, Master 1976–86 of

University College, Oxford University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the unive ...

Douglas Gough Douglas Owen Gough FRS (born 8 February 1941)GOUGH, Prof. Douglas Owen
''Who ...

, Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics since 1993 at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...

, and Director 1999–2004 of the

Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge The Institute of Astronomy (IoA) is the largest of the three astronomy departments in the University of Cambridge, and one of the largest astronomy sites in the United Kingdom. Around 180 academics, postdocs, visitors and assistant staff work ...

* Efraim Halevy, former head of Mossad *

William Harold Hutt William Harold Hutt (3 August 1899 – 19 June 1988) was an English economist who described himself as a classical economist.Egger, John B. "William Harold Hutt (1899–1988): A Biographical Essay from an Austrian Perspective." '' Mises.or ...

, economist, and Professor of Commerce and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce 1931–64 at the

University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...

* Frank Cyril James, Principal and Vice-Chancellor 1939–62 of

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...

, Canada * Brigadier Sam Janikoun OBE. * Stanley Joslin, Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations 1959–64 at the Ministry of Power * Leon Kossoff, painter * Stephen Latner, Managing Director 1998–99 of

Warburg Dillon Read Dillon, Read & Co. was an investment bank based in New York City. In 1991, it was acquired by Barings Bank and, in 1997, it was acquired by Swiss Bank Corporation, which was in turn acquired by UBS in 1998. History Carpenter & Vermilye Dillon Read ...

* Michael Levy, Baron Levy *

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

, Labour MP 1945–50 for

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ...

and 1950–51 for Bolton West * Ben Lockspeiser, first President of CERN * Dennis Lyons CB, director 1965–71 of the Road Research Laboratory * Leonard Millis CBE, director 1939–74 of the British Waterworks Association * Stephen M. Milner Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 1961-1968 *

Cyril Offord Albert Cyril Offord FRS FRSE (9 June 1906 – 4 June 2000) was a British mathematician. He was the first professor of mathematics at the London School of Economics. Life He was born in London on 9 June 1906 the eldest child of Albert Edwin Of ...

, Professor of Mathematics 1966–73 at the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...

(LSE) * Stanley Orman, Director of Missiles 1978–81 at the

AWRE Awre () is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Forest of Dean District of Gloucestershire, England, near the River Severn. Both the parish and the electoral ward include Blakeney, Etloe, Gatcombe, Viney Hill, and Two Bridges ...

, and Chief Weapon System Engineer of Polaris 1981–82 * Fuller Osborn, Chief Executive 1965–78 of Northern Rock Building Society * Jerry Pam, Hollywood agent and member of the Finance Committee of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

; publicist of Sir Michael Caine"MC" (

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

), "A Message from Evacuee Maurice Micklewhite", ''The Clove's Lines: The Newsletter of The Clove Club: The Old Boys of Hackney Downs School'' 3.2 (March 2009): 16. Print. (Sent by Michael Caine to Jerry Pam for publication in this issue.) *

Keith Pavitt Keith Pavitt (January 13, 1937, in London – December 20, 2002, in Lewes, East Sussex) was an English scholar in the field of Science and Technology Policy and Innovation Management. He was professor of Science and Technology Policy at the Sci ...

, of the

Science and Technology Policy Research Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) is a research centre based at University of Sussex in Falmer, near Brighton, UK. It focuses on long term transformative change, science policy and innovation across different sectors, societies and structures. I ...

Maurice Peston, Baron Peston of Mile End Maurice Harry Peston, Baron Peston (19 March 1931 – 23 April 2016) was a British economist and Labour Party (UK), Labour life peer. His research interests included macroeconomic policy and the economics of education. Personal Peston was born ...

, English economist, Professor of Economics 1965–88 at

Queen Mary College , mottoeng = With united powers , established = 1785 – The London Hospital Medical College1843 – St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College1882 – Westfield College1887 – East London College/Queen Mary College , type = Public researc ...

, and father of

Robert Peston Robert James Kenneth Peston (born 25 April 1960) is an English journalist, presenter, and author. He is the political editor of ITV News and host of the weekly political discussion show ''Peston'' (previously ''Peston on Sunday''). From 2006 u ...

* Harold Pinter * Prof Derek S. Pugh, British psychologist, business theorist and Emeritus Professor of International Management at the Open University Business School (attended 1944–48, evacuated to Northampton during World War II) * Henry Richardson, film editor * Lt Col F. J. Roberts, editor of the '

Wipers Times ''The Wipers Times'' was a trench magazine that was published by British soldiers fighting in the Ypres Salient during the First World War. In early 1916, the 12th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters stationed in the front line at Ypres, Belgium, came ...

' * Philip Robinson, executive director, Financial Services Authority 1998–2009 *

Norman Rose Norman Rose (June 23, 1917 – November 12, 2004) was an American actor, film narrator and radio announcer whose velvety baritone was often called "the Voice of God" by colleagues. He was best known as the narrator's voice in the fictitious coffee ...

, biographer of

Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

* Ralph Shackman, professor of urology 1961–75 at

Hammersmith Hospital Hammersmith Hospital, formerly the Military Orthopaedic Hospital, and later the Special Surgical Hospital, is a major teaching hospital in White City, West London. It is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in the London Borough of ...

* Alfred Sherman, journalist * Barrie Sherman, trade unionist * Colin Shindler, first professor of Israeli Studies in the UK, SOAS * Aubrey Silberston CBE, professor of economics 1978–87 at

Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

, and father of Jeremy Silberston * Barry Supple CBE, professor of economic history 1981–93

, and a former Director of the

Leverhulme Trust The Leverhulme Trust () is a large national grant-making organisation in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1925 under the will of the 1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851–1925), with the instruction that its resources should be used to suppo ...

, and father of

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(attended 1942–49) * Maurice Vile, Professor Emeritus and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, the University of Kent. * William Warbey, Labour MP 1945–50 for

Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable a ...

, and 1953–55 for Broxtowe, and 1955–66 for Ashfield * Maurice Wohl CBE, businessman *

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, theatre director * John Yudkin, Professor of Nutrition 1954–71 at Queen Elizabeth College, known for finding links between sugar and

coronary heart disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial ischemia, or simply heart disease, involves the reduction of blood flow to the heart muscle due to build-up of atherosclerotic pl ...

Grocers' Company's School (1876–1906)

* Cecil J. Allen, author, musician, lecturer, wrote more that 700 articles about locomotives and over 40 books on railways of Europe, attended the Grocer's Company's School circa 1898 * F. Britten Austin, playwright whose book ''The Drum'' would be made into '' The Last Outpost'' * Sir Robert Barlow, businessman, former Chairman of the Metal Box Company * Prof

Raymond Wilson Chambers Raymond Wilson Chambers (12 November 1874 – 23 April 1942) was a British literary scholar, author, librarian and academic; throughout his career he was associated with University College London (UCL). Life Chambers was educated at Univer ...

, Quain Professor of English Language and Literature 1922–41 at

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

* Cecil Vandepeer Clarke (1888–1961) engineer, inventor and soldier. * Prof

Millais Culpin Millais Culpin FRCS (6 January 1874 in Ware, Hertfordshire – 14 September 1952 in St Albans, Hertfordshire) was an English physician and psychotherapist. He appears as a character in the ''Casualty 1907'' and ''Casualty 1909'' television serie ...

, Professor 1931–39 of Medical-Industrial Psychology at

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a member institution of the University of London that specialises in public health and tropical medicine. The inst ...

Millais Culpin
/ref>

Notes

References

*O'Connor, Maureen, et al. ''Hackney Downs: The School That Dared to Fight''. London: Cassell, 1999. (10). (13). Print. *Watkins, G. L., ed. ''The Clove's Lines: The Newsletter of the Clove Club: The Old Boys of Hackney Downs School''. Print. (Some issues are accessible online at the website of the Clove Club.) *Watkins, G. L., ed. '' 'Fortune's Fool': A Life of Joe Brearley: The Man Who Taught Harold Pinter''. Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Eng.: TwigBooks, 2008. Print.

External links

The Clove Club
("Founded in 1884") – Official website of "The Clove Club: The Old Boys of Hackney Downs School, formerly the Grocers' Company's School – founded by the Company in its corporate right, in 1876."
Social Change and English, 1945–1965
- Hackney Downs is one of three schools in London that are included in this Leverhulme Trust-funded project about the teaching of English in the period 1945–65. The project is collecting oral histories from former teachers and pupils at the school. ;News

{{authority control Former buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hackney Defunct schools in the London Borough of Hackney Defunct grammar schools in England Educational institutions established in 1876 1876 establishments in England Educational institutions disestablished in 1995 1995 disestablishments in England