Lawrence Sheriff School
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Lawrence Sheriff School is a selective boys' grammar school in Rugby in Warwickshire. The school is named after Lawrence Sheriff, the Elizabethan gentleman who founded Rugby School. The school's name is often abbreviated to 'LSS'.
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[edit] History
Lawrence Sheriff School was founded to fulfill Lawrence Sheriff's original intentions to provide a school for the boys of Rugby, which was originally carried out by Rugby School. By the eighteenth century, Rugby School had acquired a national reputation as a public school and moved to its present site.
As the proportion of pupils from outside Rugby increased and the people of the town seemed to benefit less from Lawrence Sheriff's original bequest, local concern led to the nineteenth century proposal of a Lower School for local boys, with Foundation Scholarships to the Great School. The Lower School was opened in 1878 on the present site of Lawrence Sheriff School with a curriculum designed to meet the needs of a commercial education and preparation for Rugby School. By 1906, a compromise between the traditions of the Foundation and a proposal to hand the school over to the County, led to a Governing body chaired by the Headmaster of Rugby School and containing both Foundation and County Governors.
This partnership continued into voluntary aided status under the 1944 Act.
At the time the school opened, it was on the outskirts of the town, which in 1878 was considerably smaller than it is today. The original building (now called Big School), was extended in 1909 with science wings on each side. The school continued to grow with several extensions, including the Jubilee Wings (1926 and 1934), the library wing (1957), and major expansion in the early 1960s, which included new biology labs and a new gymnasium. Big School was badly damaged by a fire in 1983, but was immediately restored, so the only tell-tale signs of this event are the steel reinforcements of the ceiling timbers. The venerable school organ was damaged beyond repair and was replaced. The most recent period of growth started in the late 1980s and the school has seen many extensions and new facilities over the last fifteen years.
[edit] Present day
Lawrence Sheriff School is now the selective boys' grammar school for Rugby and the surrounding area, with the buildings owned and maintained by the Governors, and the running costs funded by the local Authority.
The school also has an old boys society: the Old Laurentians.
The school has been expanded greatly in the last five years with the construction of a new sixth form centre and the conversion of Penrhos House, originally a lower school common room, into a Music and Drama block.
The school also own nearby playing field, Hart Field, with four Rugby pitches and changing rooms.
Thanks to Sport England funding, the school also houses a regional and local table tennis centre.
[edit] Recent changes
Many contentious changes have been made in the past academic year, including a new timetable and tutoring system. These have seen considerable debate outside of official forums, by staff and students alike. This system is being placed in other schools around the country. It's common name is "vertical tutoring", due to the fact each form has boys for each year, but the same house.these new changes have not gone down well with students.
[edit] Other information
- The school has four houses: Wheeler, Simpson, Caldecott and Tait.
- The Parents' Association is in the Guiness Book of Records as the UK's oldest Parents Association
- The school has a partnership with Rugby School, Bishop Wulstan School and twinned at Years 12 and 13 (the sixth form) of education with Rugby High School
- Arthur Bostrom who played Crabtree, the policeman, in 'Allo 'Allo! was the head boy at the school
- The school's former pupils include Warwickshire cricket player Mike Powell and singers Jason Pierce and Will Carruthers.
- Former pupils are called Old Laurentians
