A brief history of our School

Brockenhurst School was established as a charity by the Will of Henry Thurston and opened on 1st January 1752 to provide schooling for 10 poor boys and 10 poor girls. Henry Thurston was born in Brockenhurst, baptised at St. Nicholas Church in August 1692 and buried in the churchyard on 10th September 1745. He had been coachman to George Baker, attorney, of St.  George's, Hanover Square, whose family home was Brockenhurst Farm.

The location of the first school is uncertain but for a time was at the house of Matthew Reynolds and a little later moved to Ash Cottage, still standing south of the railway crossing. A new school building and house was completed on the present site in Sway Road in April 1863 and opened with 47 pupils, although by October the number had increased to 93. The school was enlarged in 1912.

In 1999 a substantial modern extension was built when the Year 3 to Year 6 classrooms were added, with other alterations. These new buildings were formally opened on the 23rd September 1999 by Mr Les Cooper, one of the oldest former pupils (1916 - 1925), in the presence of the Bishop of Winchester, the Right Reverend Michael Scott-Joynt who conducted a service of Blessing.