It was founded in 1642 in the Low Countries, now Belgium, by sisters of the Catholic order Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre and moved to its current location, the former Tudor Palace of Beaulieu in Essex, in 1799.

The school was founded in Liège, now part of Belgium in 1642 by Susan Hawley, who also formed the English Community of the Canonesses Regular of the Holy Sepulchre.

In April 2005, the administration made a landmark decision to go fully co-educational, ending over 360 years of single-sex education.

For many years the home of Mary Tudor, New Hall was subsequently granted to the Earl of Sussex by Queen Elizabeth I. Oliver Cromwell later procured the estate for 5 shillings.

Specialist subject provision starts in the Preparatory Division with science, modern and classical languages and politics.

The school chapel runs weekly Sunday mass which is open to the public and serves the Parish of St Augustine of Canterbury, Springfield.

[1] Students compete at county, regional, national and international level in a wide range of sports and have met with success.

The first-class provision now includes: The Waltham Centre 25m 6-lane indoor swimming pool; a national standard athletics track and floodlit Astroturf; 10 floodlit tennis/netball courts; two sports halls; Parsons Hall dance studio; junior and senior cricket wickets and indoor training nets; hockey, rugby and football pitches.

There is a wide variety of other sports, including aerobics & pilates, athletics, badminton, basketball, cross country, fencing, football, golf, equitation, swimming, volleyball and triathlon.

All students are encouraged to participate in the English Speaking Board (ESB), Trinity or London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) programmes.

New Hall School Choir has performed at St. Peters, Rome, St. Marks, Venice, Westminster Cathedral, London as well as on BBC Television.

The company has taken part in a variety of events in and around Chelmsford and has a role in supporting the Dance Department within the School.

Productions by the drama and theatre studies students have included Woyzeck, Waiting for Godot, Teechers, Arabian Nights and Grimm Tales.

At the time of Catholic persecution in mainland Europe, the founding Religious Community were forced to leave the Low Countries and to move to England.