Our History
New Hall is one of the oldest Catholic schools in England. The school was founded in Liège in Belgium in 1642 by Susan Hawley, who also formed the English Community of the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre. The Community’s spirituality, rooted in the Augustinian tradition, has a special emphasis on the Resurrection, prayer, community life, hospitality and service to others. The faith which lies at the heart of this foundation remains essential to the character of the school today.
Initially the school offered a Catholic education to girls who were denied this in England in the Post-Reformation period. In 1794, the French Revolutionary Wars forced the nuns to leave the Low Countries. The school reopened on its present site in 1799.
Approached from a mile-long tree-lined avenue, the main building occupies the magnificent former Tudor palace of Beaulieu. In 1517, the estate was acquired by Henry VIII, who greatly enlarged and enhanced the building and called it Beaulieu.
The Royal Arms of Henry VIII are now to be seen in the school Chapel. For many years the home of Mary Tudor, New Hall was subsequently granted to the Earl of Sussex by Queen Elizabeth I. Oliver Cromwell later procured the estate for 5 shillings.
Today the spacious campus provides continuous education from 3-18, with excellent purpose-built facilities. While continuing to draw on its rich heritage and to maintain its traditional values, the school has also evolved to meet the needs of the modern age.
