[3] Opened in 1958, the school was considered a flagship for comprehensive education,[4] [5] nicknamed 'the socialist Eton',[6] and at one time had over 2,000 students.

The formal school opening took place on 23 October 1959 and was made by politician and local resident Lady Norman.

Journalist George Gale in 1970 whilst editor of The Spectator claimed that Holland Park girls were running a vice ring at the school.

In 1977, punk band The Slits, supported by The Moors Murderers, performed a benefit concert for the NSPCC at the school.

[17] In September 2021, over 100 alumni published an open letter to its governors, Ofsted, and the government alleging that they experienced a "toxic and abusive" environment while at Holland Park.

Some key allegations were "serious failings in pastoral care and safeguarding of pupils, including 'off-rolling' of some students and failure to act appropriately in peer-on-peer sexual assault.".

[21] After receiving a Notice to Improve from the Education and Skills Funding Agency in November 2021,[22] Holland Park's governing body decided that the school should join the United Learning multi-academy trust (MAT).

[23] The decision to join the academy chain, which is based in Peterborough, triggered reports of disorder[24] together with protests and by students[25] and parents,[26] who threatened to issue governors with a judicial review.

The eight houses were originally called Addison, Fox, Hunter, Macauley, Maine, Newton, Norman and Wilberforce.

Mr Williams, in the mid-1960s, one of two deputy heads, was required to dispense summary justice on boys presented by prefects.

Derek Rushworth, who became head in 1971, nevertheless favoured high achievement in niche areas and himself continued to teach Latin to children who requested lessons.

They hold that the school's improved performance when it returned to more traditional values is evidence that the comprehensive experiment was doomed from the outset.

[33] In 1808, William Phillimore (1748–1814) signed an agreement for the development of over 19 acres (77,000 m2) of land, which now is roughly occupied by Holland Park School and Queen Elizabeth College, north of Duchess of Bedford Walk.

Among its members were the future poet laureate John Betjeman, who worried about the trees, the naturalist Peter Scott, who claimed the children would frighten away nightingales, and the High Commissioner of South Africa, who feared that his garden parties would be ruined.

The Kensington Post was inundated with letters from residents, who feared that the school would "reduce Campden Hill to Earl's Court".

[16] The following summer, the school was accused of breaking undertakings given to secure the planning permission, because local residents were not permitted to use the swimming pool in the new six-storey building, as had been promised.

Leadership and safeguarding in the school were judged by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) to be "effective" in a subsequent visit.

In February Colin Hall, who was headmaster for all of that period, stated he would retire at the end of the school year, but his employment was instead terminated with immediate effect.