Grosvenor Grammar School

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Grosvenor Grammar School
City College Seal
"Veritas Liberabit'"
And The Truth Shall Set You Free
Address
Cameronian Drive, BT5 6AX
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Information
Principal C J W Peel BSc MEd PQH (as of September 2008)
Enrollment

1082 (2008)

School type Controlled Grammar
Grades 9–12
Language English
Area Greater Belfast and North and Mid-Down
Color(s) Green and Blue
Founded 1945
Homepage

Grosvenor Grammar School is a coeducational controlled Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This co-educational, inter-denominational Grammar School, with an increasingly multi-cultural population and outlook, has a caring ethos, friendly pupils and a dedicated staff of 73 full-time teachers, working to ensure that their young people achieve the highest standards. They prize academic excellence for all, whilst supporting the development of the whole person.

Mission statement - Grosvenor is a caring School, providing a supportive learning environment in which all are inspired to achieve high standards and to become tolerant and confident adults.

Grosvenor Grammar School was founded (as Grosvenor High School) in 1945 by the Belfast Corporation to cope with the increase in demand for grammar school education in the area. It was sited in Roden Street, off the Grosvenor Road, and remained there until 1958, when the present location was secured at Cameronian Drive in the east of the city. Under the leadership of its three Headmasters (William Moles 1945-1972; Ken Reid 1972-1993; John Lockett 1993- 2008; Chris Peel 2008-), the school has earned a deserved reputation for very high standards of achievement and pastoral care, innovation in education and a wide range of opportunities for pupils from all backgrounds, the school usually admits several pupils to Oxbridge every year [1] and prides itself on being one of the few controlled grammar schools to do so.

The area from which the school draws its pupils has expanded enormously over the years, to include Greater Belfast and North and Mid-Down, and in order to avoid confusion with non-grammar 'High Schools', the school changed its name in 1993 to Grosvenor Grammar School.

The school was founded in 1945 and was originally located on the Grosvenor Road in west Belfast. The school relocated to its current site in east Belfast in 1958. In rugby the school has won the Ulster Schools Cup once (in 1983). Democratic Unionist politician Sammy Wilson MLA MP is a former economics teacher at the school. Michelle McIlveen MLA, also a Democratic Unionist, taught History and Politcs at the school. Willie Anderson (former Ireland Rugby international) is a former P.E. teacher at Grosvenor.

Grosvenor also has the proud honour to have two Irish cricket players working in the school, namely Kyle McCallan and Andrew White. Kyle took a job at Grosvenor just before he had to leave for the cricket world cup. Andrew has only joined the school in September 2007.

The school is one of the countries leading Grammar Schools, they regularly gain top marks in CCEA and AQA, GCSE and A-level examinations. This year one pupil, gained one of the top 5 marks in the UK in French. Another gained first place in Northern Ireland Music.

Mr. John Lockett will retire his post of Headmaster at the end of the academic year 2007/08.

Contents

[edit] Awards

Miss Anabel Samperiz-Corvinos from Grosvenor Grammar School was awarded the 2006 Guardian Teaching Award for Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School in Northern Ireland at a ceremony on 15 June 2006 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.[2] Mrs. Orla Young gained second place in the "New teacher of the Year 2007" category while Mrs. Amanda Salt gained first in "Teacher of the Year 2007" and will go on to represent Northern Ireland in England. Mr. Reg Magowan, The Head of the Board of Govenors was awarded the "Governor of the Year 2007" award.

In 2006 Mr. Richard Cowan (Head of Technology) was awarded an MBE for 'Services to Education' by Her Majesty The Queen.

The school usually admits several pupils to Oxbridge every year [3] and prides itself on being one of the few controlled grammar schools to do so.

[edit] The New School

Despite major delays, by 2010 Grosvenor should have a brand-new school, when completed, they will have some of the top facilities in the United Kingdom. The new school will be built on neighbouring land, building should commence in Spring 2008. Grosvenor are completing the process via "PPP" Private Public Partnership.

[edit] Rugby

Grosvenor Won the Ulster Schools Cup once in 1983. In 2008 the School reached the quarter-finals, where they were knocked out by Ballymena Academy. The team show promise for the future.

[edit] Football

The First XI won the Belfast District School's league this year after beating C.B.S on penalty kicks after the play-off had finished 3-3 after extra time. The U16's also reached the semi final of the Belfast Cup.

[edit] Alumni

  • Footballer George Best attended the school while it was located on the Grosvenor Road. However as the school concentrated on rugby union at the time rather than football, he moved to Lisnasharragh High School. Another reason Best gave for the move was that his school uniform identified him as a Protestant in the mainly Catholic west Belfast.
  • Rev. Canon Alan Abernethy (Bishop of Connor)
  • George Gorman
  • Richard Orr
  • Robert McCartney QC, often known as Bob, is a Northern Irish Barrister, unionist politician, and leader of the UK Unionist Party, and was previously the only UKUP member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
  • Ivan Little
  • Alan Gillespie Chairman of the Ulster Bank
  • Stuart Woods World Famous footballer
  • Jordan McGrath Guitar hero wannabe

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] See also