The London School Board was established in 1870 and started a vigorous campaign of school building with a view to providing elementary education for all children. It was equally vigorous in reacting to new housing developments as this building of 1904 shows.

The school was built to provide education for the children of the residents of the grid of streets enclosed by Brownhill Road, Verdant Lane and Hazelbank Road.

This was vast, relentless development of the 1890s, disproportionately populated by the clerical classes, whose ambitions for their children and dislocation from family made the educational and social potential of the school particularly welcome.

The industrial size of the school is typical of the London School Board's approach. In 1904 responsibility for education passed to the Education Committee of the London County Council. Despite its name the main entrance to the school is in Minard Road.

The school was bombed at lunchtime on 20th January 1943 with the loss of 38 children and 6 teachers. Many others were injured. Further details of the tragic bombing of this school during WWII are available at the Sandhurst Schools website.