Calday Grange Grammar School

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Calday Grange Grammar School
Motto Nisi Dominus Frustra
Established 1636
Type foundation grammar
Headteacher Andrew Hall
Founder William Glegg
Specialism Technology, Language
Location West Kirby
Wirral, Merseyside
CH48 8GG
England Flag of England
LEA Wirral Borough Council
Ofsted number 105112
Students 1500
Gender Boys
Ages 11 to 18
Houses Bennett    , Glegg    , Hollowell    
School colours Navy Blue, White, Maroon
Website www.calday.wirral.sch.uk
Coordinates: 53°22′03″N 3°09′47″W / 53.3675, -3.163
A view of the front of Calday Grange Grammar School, prior to extensive refurbishment.
A view of the front of Calday Grange Grammar School, prior to extensive refurbishment.

Calday Grange Grammar School (abbreviated to CGGS; also known as Calday, Calday Grange) is a non-denominational selective grammar school, founded in 1636, which is situated on Caldy Hill above the town of West Kirby on the Wirral. The school admits boys from the ages of 11 through to 18, and girls for the sixth form only. Calday Grammar School is a Foundation School, Technology College, Language College, hosts the Able Student Centre for the area, and has been awarded Sportsmark Gold and Investors in People status[1].

Contents

[edit] Geography

The school is situated in a residential area of Wirral close to the Dee Estuary. According to the School's website, pupils come primarily from the Wirral, Deeside and Cheshire areas[2]. The main site at the top of Caldy Hill is occupied by the school buildings. Calday has playing fields including 3 functional rugby pitches, a cricket square, and an artificial hockey field (sand based). The school is surrounded by suburban housing development and the woods of Thurstaston and Caldy.

[edit] Activity

[edit] Academic

In the most recent Ofsted inspection report, 2006, the school scored "outstanding" for its performance[1]. In 2002 ten students were offered University places at Oxford and Cambridge, breaking all previous school records[3].

[edit] Extracurricular

The school is active in sports with pupils competing in local, regional[4], and national competitions[5].

There are also a variety of societies and clubs. Drama groups put on school plays, pupils participate in quiz teams, and the school maintains a Combined Cadet Force which, according to the school's website, won the January 2008 RAF SCOTNINE Area Ground Training Competition[6].

Pupils have also been involved with various independent entrepreneurial pursuits[7].

According to the school's website, Calday Grammar School maintains exchange links with schools in Russia[8] and China[9].

[edit] Buildings

The buildings/blocks are named after past headmasters or the subject taught there. The current buildings are:

  • The Art building (A) [Including Michael Cross Drama Studio] - Art, General Studies and Drama
  • The Business Centre (B) - Business Studies, Economics, Law, Philosophy and General Studies
  • The Canteen Extension (C) - Music, General Studies, Canteen seating, Exhibition space
  • The Dodd building (D) - Technology, ICT and General Studies
  • The E Block (E) - English, General Studies, Careers, Counselling, Wirral Able Child Centre
  • The Glasspool building (G) - English, Mathematics, Psychology and General Studies
  • The Hawkins building (H) - Modern Foreign Languages, Latin and General Sudies
  • The Walker building (W) - Sciences, Geography, History, RE and General Studies
  • The Nigel Briers Building (W) - Study Area, English, History, Government and Politics and General studies

Each building has a letter code consisting of the first letter of its name, with the exception of the Briers building, which, for this purpose, is considered an extension of the Walker building. These letters are used to designate room names, for example, the second room (2) on the first floor (1) of the Hawkins building (H) is known as H12.

[edit] Houses

The school has three Houses named after past benefactors and headmasters. Members of each house are identified by different coloured stripes on the school tie, or in the case of the 6th form, the colour of their lapel pin or 6th form tie.

  • Bennett - Named after Thomas Bennett, House colour blue
  • Glegg - Named after William Glegg, House colour red
  • Hollowell - Named after Rev. William Hollowell, House colour green

Up until quite recently[citation needed] there was a fourth house, named after Sir Alfred Paton, with gold as its house colour. Although Paton House is no more, Sir Alfred's memory is preserved in the naming of Paton Fields, bequeathed by him to the school in 1928.

[edit] Famous alumni

[edit] Headmasters

Years Calday Grange Grammar School
1886-1891 Charles T. Blanshard
1891-1920 Rev W. Hollowell
1920-1945 Reginald Thomas Booth Glasspool
1945-1953 R. Eldred. Witt
1953-1964 Prof Eric Hawkins
1965-1978 Rev Kenneth Saxon Watkinson Walker
1978 Peter Dodd (acting)
1979-1986 Peter Dodd [10]
1986-2002 Nigel Briers
2002- Andrew John Hall

[edit] Further reading

  • Protheroe, M. J. (1976) A History of Calday Grange Grammar School, West Kirby, 1636-1976, West Kirby: The Parents' Association.

[edit] References

[edit] External links