| Motto | Never Stop Flying. |
|---|---|
| Established | 1392 |
| Type | Comprehensive (former Grammar) |
| Religion | Non-denominational |
| Headteacher | Jo Higgins BA (Hons) |
| Founder | John Clarel |
| Specialism | Business and Enterprise College |
| Location | Huddersfield Road Penistone South Yorkshire S36 7BX England |
| Local authority | Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council |
| DfE URN | 106653 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | c. 1,600 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Colours | Red and black |
| Website | www.barnsley.org/penistone-grammar |
Penistone Grammar School is a comprehensive school and former grammar school in Penistone, in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1392 and its most notable alumnus is Nicholas Saunderson, the probable inventor of Bayes theorem, in the eighteenth century.[1] The school has undergone many expansions, and now houses nearly 1,600 pupils from age 11 to 18. The school motto and song were until recently Disce Aut Discede ("Learn or leave"), but since a 2003 rebranding this has been changed to "Learning and Achieving Together". The school colours are red and black, and its coat of arms is the six footless martlets of the Clarel family. The school was rebranded again in 2010, changing the logo to one similar to the Seagate logo, and changing the motto to Never Stop Flying. Its current OFSTED overall rating is grade 3 ('satisfactory').
Contents |
The school was founded as the Free Grammar School of Penistone in 1392, when it is recorded that a gift of land was made by John Clarel, Lord of the Manor at Penistone, for the purpose of a school. Later, the school was situated in the town centre on a site opposite St. John the Baptist Church and across the road from the old Cloth Hall. In 1443 the Free Grammar School of Penistone received further bequests and in 1547, after the dissolution of the chantries, the school continued as the free school for the children of Penistone. Following further endowments, the school was rebuilt in 1702 and enjoyed a considerable period of academic renown under a series of very able Masters. In 1892 the school moved from its town centre site to a position about half a mile north-west of the town centre. Around this time the school took boarders. The school remains on this site.
The school was originally an all boys grammar school. Girls were admitted for the first time in 1907. In the late twentieth century the school ceased to be a grammar school, becoming one of the first neighbourhood comprehensive schools in the country. It became fully comprehensive in 1969, with partial selection (for more distant pupils) for a few years prior to that. The comprehensive school initially retained its Grammar school name and traditions such as the house system and speech night. These traditions have been slowly scaled back in recent years, and the standard of uniform has been downgraded from blazers to sweaters. The schools history is now to be encapsulated in a walk way to the new building. With each road named after specific points in the schools history.
In September 2003 the school obtained specialist status to become a Business and Enterprise College. It is the only maintained school in the Local Education Authority of Barnsley to have a Sixth Form (See below for more details). The school has also received an Artsmark Silver award.[2] In addition the school has recently been re-certified as an investor in people.
Penistone Grammar School also incorporates a sixth form centre, Netherfields, in separate buildings to the main school. The current head of the sixth form is Mr Howard Heeley. During the summer of 2006 a video was commissioned of the sixth form in the attempt to attract potential students. This video can be viewed on the Sixth Form Website. The sixth form currently has around 250 students in attendance. Penistone Grammar School is the only maintained school in the Local Education Authority of Barnsley to have a sixth form and so this gives the school an advantage over many of its surrounding rival schools, when it comes to 16 - 18 education.
The new £35 million state of the art school opened on 2 May 2011. Building of the new school started in July 2009, the plan is for the school to be more accessible to the community. The new building has a range of flexible learning spaces to enable teachers to deliver learning in new, innovative ways. The school introduced a new Vertical Tutoring System where pupils of different ages are spread around to help each other improve test scores and homework. The system has received both positive and negative reviews but continues to go ahead. The outcome of a meeting of the governing body held on Tuesday 28 April 2009 to discuss the name of the Advanced Learning Centre being built in Penistone as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme was to keep the existing name. As well as a complete rebuilding of the school, other changes are also being looked in to such as variable times at school within the day, extending learning opportunities within the wider community and increases opportunities of learning away from school and increased use of technology. This fits into the Barnsley LA plan for Advanced Learning Centres (ALCs) to replace their existing secondary schools. The school is currently considering restoring some of its traditions, including the full uniform and house system: proposed houses will include Saunderson, Fulford and Bowman.
Parental and pupil has taken place on these issues.