The met after the beginning of World War 2 at a medical research institute where Isobel was working as a secretary and Frank as a medical researcher. Hawking's parents lived in High gate but when London was under attack during the Second World War, his mother went to Oxford to give birth safely. He has two younger sisters Philippa, Mary and an adopted brother Edward. Stephen Hawking began his schooling at the Byron House School. In 1950, Hawking and his family moved to St Albans, Hertfordshire. He was 8 years old and he attended St Albans High School for Girls for a few months because at that time, younger boys could attend one of the houses. In St Albans, the family was considered highly intelligent. While eating their meals they all read silently. They lived in a large, cluttered, and poorly maintained house. When they were returning to England, Hawking attended Radlett School for a year and from September 1952, St Albans School. The family placed a high value on education. Hawking's father wanted his son to Westminster School. But when she was 13 years old he was really sick on the day of the scholarship examination. His family could not afford the school fee, so Hawking remained at St Albans. His group of friends and him enjoyed playing board games, the manufacture of fireworks, and model airplanes and boats. From 1958 and with the help of the mathematics teacher they built a computer from clock parts, an old telephone switchboard and other recycled components. Although at school he was known as "Einstein", Hawking was not successful academically. He began to like scientific subjects and decided to study mathematics at university. Hawking's father told him to study medicine because he was concerned that there were few jobs for mathematics graduates. He wanted Hawking to attend University College, Oxford. It wasn't possible to read mathematics there at the time. Then Hawking decided to study physics and chemistry.
