| Motto | Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes (Those which you give, alone are the riches you will always have) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1554 |
| Type | Voluntary aided grammar school |
| Headmaster | Mr Tim Swain |
| Deputy Heads | Mrs Debbie Wood Mr |
| Founders | George and Nicholas Hawe Christopher Ross |
| Location | Sutton Road Walsall West Midlands WS1 2PG England |
| Local authority | Walsall Borough Council |
| DfE number | 5404 |
| DfE URN | 104262 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 719 |
| Gender | Boys (mixed sixth form) |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Aragon Petypher Darby Gryphon |
| Colours | Red, Green, Yellow, Navy Blue |
| Website | extranet.qmgs.walsall.sch.uk |
Queen Mary's Grammar School (QMGS) is a selective grammar school located in Sutton Road, Walsall, England, about a mile from the town centre.
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Admittance to the school is by entrance exam, taken at the age of 11. A cohort of 96 pupils (all boys) enters the school in September each year. There is further intake for sixth form; the school receives applications from pupils attending schools around the borough, and at this stage of the school, girls are also admitted. Nearby Queen Mary's High School is the destination for girls aged 11 passing the entry exam. Despite expansion, it is still small by modern standards, with about 700 pupils, while the sixth form consists of well over two hundred students.
It was founded in 1554 by George and Nicholas Hawe, two leading townsmen, with Queen Mary I as its royal patron and benefactor.[1] At this time it had about sixty pupils, all boys, and taught Classics almost exclusively.
It has grown significantly since its foundation and moved three times. Originally housed in an old town guild-hall near St Matthew's Parish church, it moved to Park Street in 1811, into new buildings in Lichfield Street in 1850 (a site now used by Queen Mary's High School for Girls) and finally to a purpose-built school on the Mayfield site in 1965.[2]
The current headmaster is Mr. Tim Swain; the Deputies are Mrs D Wood and Mr R Langton, the Assistant Heads are Mr. Tim Lawrence, and Mr. Mark Donnan.
Queen Mary's performs very well in exams across the board, with consistent success in the sixth form.[3] In recent years, the school has become a specialist Language College. The extra funds from this have, amongst other things, facilitated the building of a new wing of the school buildings. The school recently completed work on a new sports hall to support the current gym and swimming facilities. The Science Block was also updated, with new Biology labs being built.
The school's badge is based on the Heraldic badge of Queen Mary and reflects her parentage, being formed from half a Tudor rose (a symbol of Henry VIII) impaled with a sheaf of arrows (a symbol of Katharine of Aragon). The badge was modified slightly during the 2006/2007 school year. A fully red rose was changed to an accurate red and white Tudor rose, which is usually shown with a red outer rose and a white inner one. However the school's Tudor rose, based on early school records, has a white outer rose and a red inner one,[1] which the College of Arms accepts as equally valid. Despite the update, there are still some subtle differences between the current badge and Queen Mary's.[4]
The school's motto is "Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes" ("those which you give, alone are the riches you will always have", originally a comment on the value of investing in friendship from the last line of Martial's epigram XLII, Book V.[5][6]), although "Floreat Regina Schola Mariae" is also used (literally, "May the school of Queen Mary flourish").
The school retains a number of traditions of dress and conduct. Green and blue school jumpers and ties are reserved for the sixth form. In 2004, the school celebrated its 450th anniversary which included a commemorative tie. Some responsibilities for discipline are delegated to prefects, who have the privilege of setting lines (of the school motto) as a punishment for misdemeanours. Events including Speech Day, Sports Day, and the Carol Service are held yearly.
A host of extracurricular activities is available for pupils, including plays and drama, sports teams, subject-related societies, and a Combined Cadet Force contingent (Army and RAF sections).
The school has a close relationship with its sister school, Queen Mary's High School. Pupils regularly collaborate to stage plays; the previous performance was 'Cinderella', as the sixth form pantomime. The two schools participate in a German exchange every year with a school in the town of Biedenkopf.
In sport, the school's Under 18 and Under 16 hockey teams both won the Staffordshire Cup for their respective age groups in the same season.
QMGS also hosted the national finals of Junior Schools' Challenge quiz on 24 June 2007, with a team from the school winning the Plate Final. In 2008, the school hosted and reached the national final, losing in the final.
The school is the only school in the country to have won the UKMT Junior Maths Team Competition twice, doing so in successive years. The competition attracts over 1000 schools every year.
Former history master and former Labour councillor for Pelsall – Tom Perrett – was awarded the MBE in January 2007. The late John Anderson, former Second Master, received the MBE for services to the CCF. Dave Pomeroy, a former Maths teacher, also received an honour from the Queen, receiving an OBE. He is currently Wing Commander of the CCF. Late PE teacher George ('Sam') Crudace was awarded the BEM.
Famous former pupils include: