| Motto | Confort et liesse |
|---|---|
| Established | 1350 |
| Type | Community school |
| Headteacher | Pippa Dodgshon |
| Specialism | Science |
| Location | Thorne Road Doncaster South Yorkshire DN1 2HY England |
| Local authority | Doncaster |
| DfE number | ???/4062 |
| DfE URN | 106808 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 2055 |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Former pupils | Old Danensians |
| Former name | Doncaster Grammar School |
| Website | Hallcross School |
Hall Cross School, founded in 1350, is a co-educational comprehensive school in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.
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The school is split over two sites, with the Upper School located in the centre of Doncaster (in the Town Fields area) and the Lower School in the north of Bessacarr, near the Dome. Hall Cross School has specialist status as a Science College. The total number of pupils who attend the school is over 2,000. It features as an integral part of the community, providing access to facilities for many primary schools, which also form part of its large catchment area. The headteacher of the school is Pippa Dodgshon.
It is named after the Hall Cross on Hall Cross Hill, on the opposite side of the main road through Doncaster.
The library building is the oldest building on the Town Centre site, it was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and was built in 1869. Downstairs it features a plaque which can still be seen to this day, dedicating the building to Queen Victoria. The library is a classic example of Victorian Gothic Revival, featuring a large Hammerbeam roof decorated with flowers cut into the massive oak beams which may in fact be stained pine. The building also features a tower at one corner. Inside, the library features two massive Gothic style glass windows at either end, one of them being stained glass, designed and executed by former pupil C. Rupert Moore, which was unveiled in 1938 as a tribute to "Old Boys" from the school who died in World War I. The library features a large amount of Victorian plaques, dedicated to past headteachers of the school, men from the school who died in both wars, and other various things. The most recently added one commemorating when Prince Charles visited the school in 1989. By number of books, the library is the biggest school library in Doncaster, and is largely used by the 6th form.
Christchurch house is the school's equivalent of a "6th form block". It is a large detached Victorian Townhouse which overlooks the local church that the house is named after. The house features a grand wooden staircase, stained glass skylights, and a statue of the Venus de Milo which originally resided in the Girls' School, built in 1918. When the school was disbanded, the statue was moved to Hall Cross.
Remembrance Day is one of the most important days in the school calendar. The school has held a ceremony every year since 1918 to remember those who attended the school and died in battle. The service begins at 9am. Speeches are made by the Head Teacher who gives thanks to those who died in conflict. Two poppy wreaths are then carried down the corridor to the library by the Head Boy and Head Girl. They are then laid by the World War one and World War two plaques respectively,, whilst the Last Post is played on the trumpet, with the sounds carrying through to the library.
Alumni and former staff of Doncaster Grammar School, Doncaster High School for Girls, Hall Cross Comprehensive School and Hall Cross School, known as Old Danensians, are able to join the Old Danensians' Club.
The object of the Club is to maintain connections between past members of the School with one another and the School, and generally promote the welfare of the foundation.[12]
It gets GCSE results slightly above average. At A-level it performs well with some of the best results in South Yorkshire, and the third best in Doncaster LEA. Results in Doncaster at GCSE are notably low, but much better at A level, similar to the situation in Grimsby and Hull.