The school has its origins in the 1681 Will of Thomas Parmiter, silk merchant.  In his last testament he left property to endow six almshouses and "one free school house or room" in Bethnal Green, London.  From small beginnings the school grew over the years into a thriving boys’ grammar school.  In 1977, the Trustees of the Parmiter’s School Foundation took the decision to move Parmiter's to its present location in Garston where it established as an all-ability, co-educational school.

The school has the financial support of the Parmiter's School Foundation Charity whose resources are dedicated to the enhancement of educational provision for Parmiter's students in the spirit of Thomas Parmiter's original bequest.

Although Parmiter's has been in Hertfordshire since 1977, our ties with the East End of London have been nurtured.  Links are retained through the Almshouses and Pensioners Charities of Parmiter's School Foundation and a very active Old Parmiterians Society, which includes former students of the Bethnal Green school as well as those who attended Parmiter's in Garston.

The ethos of Parmiter's School is epitomised by the school motto - "Nemo sibi nascitur" (No one is born unto himself alone).  Members of the Parmiter's family are committed to serving each other and the wider community in the way Thomas Parmiter intended.

Parmiter's School is committed to:

• the pursuit of excellence in all that we do;
• providing a broad education designed to enable every young person to achieve their full potential and make the most of their talents;
• creating a healthy, happy, disciplined and supportive environment which promotes an independent work ethic and a love of learning;
• engendering respect for individuality and difference so that all will feel secure and equally valued;
• nurturing a sense of social responsibility and spiritual and personal development;
• fostering integrity, confidence, resilience, creativity, good manners and sensitivity to the needs of others.

This commitment is exemplified by our curriculum aims and pastoral aims.  Our hope is that each Parmiterian aspires to find the path that best suits the individual, having developed the discipline, moral character and resilience to become a considerate and responsible member of society.