In 1554 John Norman, Vicar of Kingsclere, bequeathed £10 a year for ten years to pay a priest to "teach school" without fee to the scholars. It is possible that the school was founded by him. He was prior of the Augustinian priory of St Denys, Southampton, at the time of its dissolution, and in 1543 he was presented to the vicarage of Kingsclere by Anne of Cleves.

The school was held in the former chapel on the Litten.[The burial ground where the Health Centre now stands]. The history of the chapel is obscure, but it was probably a chantry chapel, possibly dedicated to St. Swithun. Finch said that the orientation of the building corresponded with that of the church, and that it was built of the same materials and was apparently not much later than the nave.

As at Newbury and Basingstoke such chapels were not infrequently used for educational purposes. The history of the Holy Ghost chapel at Basingstoke is well documented and, in the absence of other evidence, it may be conjectured that the Kingsclere chapel was dealt with in a similar manner. In 1545 an Act, 37 Hen. VII c.4 conveyed to the king the property of all "Colleges, chapels, chantries, hospitals, fraternities, brotherhoods, gilds, and stipendiary priests." Because of the king's death few transfers of property were made under that act, but when it was renewed by I Edw. VI. c. 14, "90 collegiate bodies, 110 hospitals, and 2,374 gilds, chantries and free chapels were suppressed to the profit of the Crown." In 1550 the confiscated possessions of the gild of the Holy Ghost at Basingstoke were sold, but in 1556, in a more favourable climate, the townsfolk petitioned Philip and Mary for a revival of the gild and the restoration of its endowments. A new charter of incorporation was granted, and in reviewing the fraternity it was stated that Henry VIII had given a licence for the celebration of divine service in the chapel and for the education of young men and boys of the town. The funds were to be used for providing a suitable priest who was to be responsible for the chapel services and for the education of the young.

That there would have been a gild in Kingsclere is not only statistically probable, but there are other indications. There was a Gyldabletithing in Kingsclere in which the only properly mentioned in the royal purveyance of 1575 was, 'The Inne called the Crowne in the occupacon of Nicholas Clapham, of errable land in the ffieldes xx ac.' It may be suspected that the Gildhouse, and such were notorious drinking dens, simply became an inn called the Crown. A name reflecting its new ownership. The possible existence of a gild here, opens up the question as to the date of the foundation of the school, but not trace has been found in the Public Record office.

On 31 January 1555 Thomas Boswelle compounded for the first fruits of the vicarage, and although there is no record of his induction, this puts beyond doubt that he was vicar of the parish. According to Dr Bull Thomas Bossewell, M.A., was licensed by the Bishop of Winchester to a clerical office in Kingsclere, probably as Master of the Free School, but there is no evident reason why Bossewell should not have been both vicar and schoolmaster.

The next reference to the free-school at Kingsclere is found in the will of Sir James Lancaster, a wealthy East Indian merchant who died in 1618. Among many bequests made in his will there is this entry,

Item. I devise appoint and declare that the said Wardens and Commonalty of the Said Mistery of Skinners shall out of the said Rents issues and profits yearly and in every yeare for ever pay for and towards the maintenance of a Schoolmaster which shall teach the Schollars in the Free Schoole of Kingsclere in the said County of Southampton the somme of twenty pounds of lawful money of England per Annum for ever.