A School’s Legacy: The Impact Of Hurtwood House Alumni

To judge the quality of a school, you only have to look at its alumni, and nowhere is this more applicable than at Hurtwood House, suggests Tara Raworth.

It’s a well-worn saying that anything can by proved by statistics and parents are often confused by results and data which can be mind -blowing, if not misleading.

Perhaps another way to choose a school is to look at who it produces. Why not take a look at the alumni of Hurtwood House to see if they reflect the idea that the school is ‘wonderfully creative and reassuringly academic’? A glance at Hurtwood’s ‘Hall of Fame’ certainly seems to reflect the idea of a creative utopia, as it has produced many Hollywood A Listers - Hans Zimmer, Emily Blunt, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Jack Huston to name but a few.

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However, on closer inspection, it boasts a depth of talent which is truly extraordinary. Look no further than Harry Lawtey (‘Industry’, ‘Joker Folie à Deux’), Tom Mison (‘Sleepy Hollow’, ‘The Ex-Wife’), Maxim Baldry (‘Lord of The Rings’, ‘Years and Years’), Joshua Sasse, (‘Galavant’, ‘Monarch’) and Viveik Kalra (‘Blinded by the Light’,‘Lift’) to see Hurtwood’s alumni making their mark. It’s not just the boys though and looking at the careers of Emily Beecham (‘Cruella’, ‘1899’), Eline Powell (‘Sirens’), Olivia Morris (‘RRR’, ’Hotel Portofino’) Jess Madsen (‘Bridgerton’) Daisy Jelley, (‘How to Date Billy Walsh’, ‘Geek Girl’) Honor Gilles (‘Hunger Games’) and Amelia Curtis (‘Eastenders’, ‘Emmerdale’), it seems likely that the ‘wonderfully creative’ banner is more than justified.

Add to this list, Lizzie Davidson who this year was part of a BAFTA winning team for her role in the BBC comic hit, ‘Such Brave Girls’, and you really do begin to get the picture. As if that wasn’t enough, the West End’s top productions from ‘Grease’, ‘Les Misérables’, ‘Book of Mormon’, ‘Hairspray and ‘Mamma Mia’ have been littered with Hurtwood alumni. In addition, Hurtwood’s award winning film directors Rose Glass, Finn Bruce and Arden Tse are taking the film world by storm behind the cameras. On the music front, if you check out Towa Bird, Ward Thomas, Cassa Jackson, composer Alex Baranowski or DJs Eli and Fur, the picture becomes complete.

So how does a school produce such alumni? At Hurtwood, which specialises exclusively in the Sixth Form, the answer lies in the sheer volume of Drama, Dance, Music and Filmmaking. The creative arts are the heartbeat of the school and the Performing Arts department has 20 full time members of staff with specialists in acting, directing, screenwriting, lighting, costume and set design.

Hurtwood has arguably the most extensive extracurricular theatre programme in the country. Every Christmas, Hurtwood puts on a 10-night musical extravaganza, such as ‘Chicago’ or ‘Legally Blonde’. With a cast of 70 students working alongside professional musical directors, lighting designers, choreographers and a full West End band, it’s no wonder that casting agents flock to productions.

Alongside the musical, Hurtwood’s Acting Academy puts students through an intensive extracurricular Drama course which includes, amongst other performances, an annual outdoor Shakespeare production in Hurtwood’s own amphitheatre and other challenging classical pieces performed at the local arts centre.

In addition to this, students often write and direct their own plays, the best of which are taken to the Edinburgh Festival. If that wasn’t enough, there is always another musical event around the corner with everything from the six-night Pop Concert and the Dance Showcase to the ‘Gig of Glory’ in which rock bands strut their stuff.

For the film makers, there are TV studios equipped with industry standard equipment, green screens and the latest cameras and the Film Academy gives the opportunity to develop skills far above A-Level. Experts teach students how to live stream and students make documentaries reflecting their interests. Last year, one team made music videos at Abbey Road studios while another went to Holland to make a documentary about a World War II concentration camp.

So, with the creative box ticked, can Hurtwood justify its ‘reassuringly academic’ badge? In short, the answer is yes, as Hurtwood regularly produces barristers, financiers, doctors and even Formula 1 race car designers and Pulitzer Prize winning authors (Hisham Matar). Indeed, although a third of students will embark on creative courses at places such as Central St Martins, Guildhall, RADA or London College of Fashion, a larger cohort go on to rigorous academic courses at Russell Group universities such as Durham, Imperial and Exeter studying everything from Natural Sciences to History to Economics.

What’s more, Hurtwood’s ability to nurture entrepreneurial spirit can be seen from Ella Woodward, the founder of ‘Deliciously Ella’, Fabien Riggall, the mastermind behind ‘Secret Cinema’, Abbas Dayekh the founder of the extraordinary ‘OyaNow’ in Nigeria and more recently Amelia Hitchcock Merrit with ‘Bijoux de Mimi’.