Bury Grammar School
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| Bury Grammar School | |
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| Motto | Sanctas Clavis Fores Aperit (Latin: the key opens the sacred doors) |
| Established | c.1570 |
| Type | Independent Grammar School |
| Headmaster | The Reverend Steven Harvey MA |
| Headmistress | Roberta Georghiou |
| Location | Boys' School Tenterden Street Girls' School Bridge Road Bury Greater Manchester England |
| Students | 1600 (approx.) |
| Gender | Boys and Girls |
| Boys' school website | www.bgsboys.co.uk |
| Girls' school website | www.bgsg.bury.sch.uk |
| Coordinates: | |
Bury Grammar School is an independent grammar school in Bury, Greater Manchester, England that has existed since c.1570. The current boys' head master is the Reverend Steven Harvey MA. The previous headmaster, Keith Richards MA, retired after sixteen years of headmastership on April 7, 2006. The girls' head mistress is Roberta "Bobby" Georghiou.
Bury Grammar School celebrates its Founders' Day on the first Friday after May 6. On the Friday after this date, a procession leads through the streets of Bury to the Parish Church, led by the CCF. After a service, the students are then given a half-day holiday. It is often said that the purpose of Founders' day is to cause the most disruption to the people of Bury but in reality the day is very important to staff and students and crowds of workers and shoppers line the route of the procession. Rain is an almost unheard of phenomenon on Founders' day. Recently there has been some hostility to the traffic disruption caused from local authorities, however as the CCF is affiliated to the Lancashire Fusiliers who have the freedom of Bury, the tradition is protected.
Although originally just a boys' school, a new building for the boys was built opposite the old building and, once complete, the old building was re-opened as a girls' school. The schools recently announced their intention to build a joint sixth form centre, and certain subjects in the sixth form are taught jointly between the two schools.
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[edit] The crest
The school's crest dates from c.1840, and depicts a swan holding a key in its beak, under which is the motto: Sanctas Clavis Fores Aperit (Latin for "the key opens the sacred doors"). Both are largely considered to have been created by Rev. Henry Crewe Boutflower, a former headmaster. The swan is from the device of John, Duke of Berry, who may have been an ancestor of one of the founders, Henry Bury (but was more likely chosen due to the similar names). The key is considered to be a pun on the name of Roger Kay, another founder. However, there is an illumination from the Très Riches Heures, commissioned by the Duke, in which he is standing near a swan at the gates of heaven, and receiving the key from St. Peter, and this may have provided inspiration. This would also serve to explain the somewhat cryptic motto, which has also been interpreted as referring to doors leading to knowledge.
A new logo for the Boys' School was launched in October 2006, to be used in conjunction with the crest. This new logo, which is un-coincidently very similar to that of the green bottle producing company 'bottle green', and indeed the logo for The [Manchester Grammar School], has not been well appreciated by the pupils and staff of the school.
[edit] Houses
The boys' school has four houses, whose colours are reflected in the colour of the badge and the stripes of the tie on the school uniforms. Three were originally created in 1905 to try and introduce some of the camaraderie of boarding school into the sports of a day school. The three houses were:
- Hulme (pronounced hyoom), named after William Hulme, architect of Manchester. Colour: sky blue.
- Kay, named after the Reverend Roger Kay, founder of Bury Grammar School, after whom the hall (now in the girls school) is named. Colour: green.
- Derby, named after the Earl of Derby. Colour: yellow.
Another house was introduced in 1919:
- Howlett, named after a former headmaster. Colour: red.
House selection is random; however, a boy's family can request that he be placed into a certain house before he starts the school. Often, families will all be in the same house. House does not affect classes; the only time any house distinction is made is during either one of the various House competitions, in many areas such as sport and music.
In the 1960s, there were six houses in the girls' school, named after famous women: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Frances Mary Buss, Edith Cavell, Elizabeth Fry, Octavia Hill and Florence Nightingale. The girls' uniforms resemble those of boys in Hulme in terms of colour, but different coloured badges denote house membership (Anderson: red; Buss: green; Cavell: blue; Fry: orange; Hill: purple; Nightingale: yellow).
The girls school uses four letters for forms; L, K, P and N; which indicate the initials of the first four headmistresses. Membership of different forms does not change the blazer badge colour.
[edit] Current Curriculum in the Boys' School
Currently, all boys study English Language, English Literature, Maths, and Chemistry, Biology and Physics as either Dual award or as individual subjects. In addition to this, boys must take at least one modern foreign language out of a choice of either French or German. In addition to these compulsory subjects, boys may also take a combination of several other subjects, including History, Geography, Latin, Physical Education, Business Studies, Classical Greek, Religious Studies, Electronics and Art.
All GCSE examinations are taken in the 5th Year. The GCSE maths course now leads to the new iGCSE qualification.
After having successfully completed their GCSEs in the 5th year, boys can opt to stay on into the 6th form for a further two years. The sixth form teaching offers continued study in all of the subjects which can be taken for GCSE, along with an A-level in Geology, an A-level in Economics, an A-level in Further Maths, an A-level in Theatre Studies (taught at the Girls' School) and an A-level in Philosophy (also taught in the Girls' School).
[edit] The Combined Cadet Force
BGS has a thriving Cadet Force, which is known to be one of the oldest in the country - dating back to 1892. The CCF meets every Friday afternoon. The CCF plays an important role in the life of the school, not least every Founders' Day, when the CCF marches through Bury up to the Parish Church. The CCF offers camps during the summer break every year, along with various other excursions such as adventurous training, shooting competitions, field days and takes part often in the famous Last Post Ceramony at the Menin Gate in Belgium during the school's Battlefield Tours. It also gives cadets the chance to complete an optional BTEC in Public Services.
[edit] Excursions
Bury Grammar School offers pupils the chance to take part in numberous excursions both around and outside of the UK.
The school plays host to one of the longest running exchanges of its kind in Europe, between BGS and the Köln-Deutz Gymnasium in Germany which has been taking place every year for over fifty years.
The French Department too is actively involved with exchanges between BGS and the Charles de Gaulle Lycée in Dijon, France.
During the October half-term, boys can opt to take part in the Battlefield Tours planned and excellently guided by the head of History and Politics. The trip has ventured to such places as The Somme, Ypres and Arnhem. The Tours to Belgium have culminated on the final evening with the CCF taking part in the famous Last Post Ceramony at the Menin Gate. A group of boys were also fortunate enough to take part in the 90th Anniversary Commemorations at Thiepval for the Battle of the Somme in the Summer of 2006.
Ski Trips take place during the half-term break in February and a French Holiday takes place for the younger boys (years 1-4) as an option during the May half-term break.
During the Summer Break of 2008, several members of staff and several pupils from the boys' school are to take part in the World Challenge Scheme, and spend a month in Mongolia.
[edit] Trivia
- The schools were used for the TV film Magnificent 7, staring Helena Bonham-Carter.
[edit] Notable teachers
Henry Dunster (1609-1659), first president of Harvard College, a native of Bury, was master of the school prior to his emigration to Massachusetts in 1640.
[edit] The School Song
| CARMEN BURIENSE | |
|---|---|
|
Sanctas clavis hic fores |
Optimum nos plurimi |
[edit] Famous old Clavians
Former pupils of Bury Grammar School are known as "Old Clavians ".
- David Green, (b.1948) Film Director
- Donald Jack (1924–2003), Canadian novelist and playwright
- Henry Pendlebury (1626–1695), Presbyterian minister
- Richard Wroe (1641–1718), Warden of Manchester College, 1684–1718
- Sir Robert Peel (1788–1850), Prime Minister, 1834–1835, 1841–1846 (although he more famously attended Harrow, he is now believed to have briefly attended Bury)
- Sir John Holker (1828–1882), Attorney-General, 1875–1880
- Cecil Cronshaw (1889–1961), industrial chemist and dye expert
- Sir Malcolm Knox (1900–1980), philosopher and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, 1953–1966
- Sir John Charnley (1911–1982), orthopaedic surgeon
- Paul Rose (born 1935), Labour MP, barrister and writer
- Sir David Trippier (born 1946), politician
- David Chaytor (born 1949), politician
- Victoria Wood (born 1953), comedienne
- Alistair Burt (born 1955), politician
- Simon Kelner (born 1957), editor-in-chief of The Independent
- Paul Kenyon (born c.1967), broadcaster
- Victoria Derbyshire (born 1968), broadcaster
- Amy Nuttall (born 1982), actress and singer
- Rowetta Satchell (born 1966), Singer
- Brigadier Alasdair Wilson, OBE, Brigadier in the British army and the BGS CCF's honorary colonel
- Pat Sanderson, Professional rugby union player who currently plays for Worcester Warriors, He has 16 caps for the english national team and is an ex-england captain
[edit] References
- ^ Bury Grammar School Boys. School Captains and Vice-Captains’ Day. URL accessed 30 April 2008.
- Fallows, I.B., Bury Grammar School: A History
