Grammar schools The current school was originally two grammar schools. The boys' school was founded in 1677 and the girls' school in 1877 through a charitable endowment by
John Roan, Yeoman of Harriers to King Charles I, who left a substantial amount in his Will: :"to bring up so many poor town-born children of
Greenwich at school, that is to reading, writing, and cyphering, and each of them forty shillings towards their clothing until each of them shall accomplish the age of fifteen years. The said poor children shall wear on their upper garment the cognisance or crest of me, John Roan." The stag's head badge – derived from John Roan's coat-of-arms – has been worn by Roan schoolchildren ever since. The first chairman of the governors of the school was Dr
Thomas Plume, the vicar of Greenwich. For much of the 18th century, the school was in the charge of the Herringham family who provided four successive headmasters from 1702 to 1785. The first headmaster of the boys' school from 1877, when it opened in Eastney Street, was Mr C.M. Ridger who held the post for 33 years. He was succeeded by Mr T.R.N. Crofts (1911–1919), Mr A.H. Hope (1919–1930), Mr W.J. Potter (1931–1938), Mr H.W. Gilbert (1938–1958), Mr W.L. Garstang (1959–1974) and Dr A J Taylor (1974 to turning comprehensive in 1980, continuing as the head into the 80's) all of whom made significant contributions to the grammar school. The Hope Memorial Camp at
Braithwaite, near
Keswick, Cumbria was established in Mr Hope's memory shortly after he died in 1930. The first headmistress of the Roan Girls' School was Miss M.M. Blackmore (until 1895) followed by Miss M.S. Walker (1895–1919), Miss M.K. Higgs (1919–1944), Miss M.E. Barnsdale (1944–1962), Miss M.S. Chamberlain (1962–1968) and Mrs M.J. Barber (1968–1980). On 12 June 2018, the school was issued with an
Academy Order. The following day, parents and staff received a letter from the University Schools Trust stating that the
Regional Schools Commissioner had nominated UST to be the preferred sponsor. Some parents organised protests, seeking to get the Ofsted report withdrawn and to halt the academisation process. Teachers also organised a series of strikes (eight up to 7 November 2018) in protest at the academisation process; over 1,000 people signed a petition and 300 families raised concerns about UST finances and suitability with the school's chair of governors; but more than 100 signed a separate letter supporting the improvement plans and criticising the teachers' industrial action. On 14 November, a Greenwich Council decision about academisation of John Roan was deferred to a meeting in December 2018. On 30 August 2019, the academy plan was finally forced through, John Roan, the voluntary controlled school was closed and it was refactored as The John Roan School, a converter academy sponsored by the
United Learning Trust. == Location ==