Education

The earliest record of education in the town refers to the appointment by the town Bishop of St. David's in 1488 of the 'chaplain of our Church of the Blessed Mary, Haverford, to master of the Grammar School'.

In 1613 Thomas Lloyd of Cilciffeth in the parish of Llanychaer founded a school which he stipulated should be known as 'The Free Grammar School of Haverfordwest……for the sons of such as should be of the poorer sort of people'. It was first housed by St. Thomas' Church. In 1654 John Milward, a resident of the town, left property in Haverfordwest and in Bordesley, Warwickshire, one third of the income from which was to be used to support the school. In 1856 a much larger building was opened in Dew Street. This was demolished in the 1960's to make way for the County Library.

The original Tasker's School was a charity school for poor children set up through a bequest of Mary Tasker of Rudbaxton in 1684. It was housed in a number of places in the town, including next to the old Corn Market (where the Palace Cinema is now). In 1892 it was re-established in a new building on Tower Hill as Tasker's High School for Girls.

New girls and boys grammar schools were opened in Portfield in 1962 and 1965, respectively. These where later joined together to form the comprehensive school, Tasker Milward VC School. The other comprehensive school in the town is Sir Thomas Picton School. Prendergast, which had been opened in 1952 as Haverfordwest Secondary Modern School.

Hill House College was the largest and longest established of the towns private schools, being founded in 1856 by Mrs Philpot's. From the 1880's it was run by Misses Mildred and Agnes Davies, daughters of the Rev. Thomas Davies, who had been Principle of the Baptist College. The school closed in 1955.

The first Baptist School in Haverfordwest was opened for infants in St. Martin's parish in 1834. A new building was then sited in 1859 at the top of Barn Street called the Boys British School later became Barn Street Primary School which is now a modern building in Jury Lane. In 1841 the first National School was opened, located in an upstairs room in the old poor house at the top of Tower Hill. Later that year it was moved to its present position in Barn Street, eventually becoming the Haverfordwest VC School. In 1956 the infants where moved to a new school in Augustine Way, called Mount Airey Infants School.

An Infants School was opened in Dew Street in 1887 and was in use until 1938. After that these children were taught at the new Fenton Infants School situated next to 'top' Barn Street School.

In 1957 the Mary Immaculate Roman Catholic School was opened by nuns from the Tenby branch of the Orders of Sisters of Mercy. It has gradually expanded from being a convent into a primary school. All teachers were lay people by 1994.

St. Mark's Primary School, Merlin's Bridge opened in 1982, having originally been the Freystrop VC School which was founded in 1867.

The Prendergast Board Schools were opened in 1874 ultimately to become Prendergast Junior and Infants School.

In 1956, Mrs Joan Sharpe and Mrs Joscelyne Hanby opened the doors of Haylett Grange School. It was a privatly run school for primary school children. There where originally only 8 pupils, 4 of whom where the children of the owners. When they retired 43 years later, the school they set up as young women had a solid reputation and 130 pupils. The school was relocated at the start of the 21st Century to a new site on Scarrowscant Lane and renamed Redhill School.