William Howard was the 1st Viscount of Stafford in the 17th century, and owned the land on which the current school is built.

He was convicted of treason and executed in 1680, wrongly so, as it is viewed by the Roman Catholic Church.

[2] Blessed William Howard was previously a voluntary aided school administered by Staffordshire County Council, and gained specialist Arts College status in 2003.

In March 2016 the school was converted to academy status, however Blessed William Howard continues to coordinate with Staffordshire County Council for admissions.

The school continues to be under the guidance of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham.