On 24th March 1573, at the behest of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter for ‘the establishment of the Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth in Barnet, for the education, bringing up and instruction of boys in Grammar and other learning and the same to continue for ever’.
This document, stamped with the sovereign’s seal, set out the early aims of the School and gave instruction as to how it should be run. Remarkably, almost 450 years on, the School continues to fulfil the vision of its founders and holds true to the values upon which it was built – offering a free education which excels in both engendering academic performance and in developing rounded character in the boys in its charge.
A copy of this charter resides in the entrance hall and is displayed on special occasions.