Watford Grammar School for Boys
Academy converter secondary school in Watford (Hertfordshire).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
Endeavour and Excellence Integrity and Kindness Creativity and Individuality The Watford Grammar Schools grew from the Free School, a charity school for 60 pupils founded by Dame Elizabeth Fuller in 1704, on ground next to the parish churchyard in the centre of Watford.
The schools became separate foundations for boys and girls in 1881 and the boys school moved to its present site in 1912. As an outstanding school, Watford Grammar School for Boys became an Academy in 2010 and now has over 1400 students. The school draws on a wide catchment area and the school community contains a rich variety of cultures.
We are an all-ability school and we take pride in the high standards achieved by students in academic study, games, music, drama and many other activities.
At Watford Grammar School for Boys, we are committed to continue to develop generations of young men who, when they leave school, are fully rounded individuals with a host of skills and experiences that equip them for the many opportunities and challenges they will face in life.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
15 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Basketball
- Book Club
- Choir
- Creative Writing
- Cricket
- Dance
- Drama
- Duke of Edinburgh
- Football
- Hockey
- Mindfulness
- Robotics
- Rugby
- Stem
- Tennis
Awards
1 awardiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Duke of EdinburghPersonal development
Key facts
- URN
- 136276
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Boys
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Constituency
- Watford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2010
Governing body (24 current, 4 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.24 governors are linked to a profile (all confirmed).
Governors marked “Confirmed same person” have exactly the same forename and surname as the only officer of that name at the school’s own academy trust company on the Companies House register, so we treat them as the same person. The governance record itself comes from DfE.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Inderpal Singh Dahele Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Rajesh Dawda Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Ms Meesha Kotecha | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Dr Timothy Michael Jollyman Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Milan Bavisi Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Donald Barrell Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2026 · until 2029 |
| Mr Dhanraaj Satish Chauhan Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2026 · until 2029 |
| Mr Sunil Kanji Dabasia Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2026 · until 2029 |
| Canon Richard Banham Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Ex-officio foundation governor (appointed by foundation by virtue of the office they hold) | since 2025 |
| Mr Stephen Anthony Nokes Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2024 |
| Mr Gheorghe Nafornita Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Andrew Speirs Confirmed same person | Chair of TrusteesTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Nicholas Robin Baker Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Thomas Durn Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Anfaal Jaffer Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Catherine Priggs Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Sophia Amanda Hardy-Taylor Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Ian Alexander Cooksey Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2022 |
| Mr Stephen Shannon Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2021 |
| Mr Paul Shearring Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2021 |
| Mr Alan Armstrong | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2021 |
| Mr Timothy William Cosgrove Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2019 |
| Mr Ian Cooksey Confirmed same person | Accounting OfficerTrust officer | since 2015 | |
| Mr Kevin Thorold | Chief Financial OfficerTrust officer | since 2007 | |
| Mr Rajesh Dawda Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Sameena Riaz Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr David Lewy Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2021 · term ended 2025 |
| Mr Thomas Jan Boyd Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2019 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record