| Motto | Sapientia Ianua Vitae (Wisdom is the Gateway to Life) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1931 |
| Type | Foundation Grammar |
| Headteacher | David R. Hazeldine |
| Chair of Governors | Brian Edmondson |
| Specialism | Business & Enterprise |
| Location | Cross Lane Bebington WIRRAL CH63 3AQ England |
| Local authority | Wirral Borough Council |
| DfE number | ???/5401 |
| DfE URN | 105113 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 1018 |
| Gender | Boys |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Barber Dodds Hodgson Lever |
| Colours | Black and blue |
| Publication | Nuntius |
| Website | WGSB |
Wirral Grammar School for Boys, founded in 1931, is situated on Cross Lane, Bebington, on the Wirral Peninsula in England.
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It is a foundation school, located within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and requires all potential pupils to take, and pass, the eleven plus exam exam prior to entry. Former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson was the school's first Head Boy, and attended the Sixth Form there. Today it is one of the few remaining state-run grammar schools in England, and remains one of the highest achieving schools in the area, according to the Times on line survey and the 2007 Department for Education School Performance Tables for 2007.
It is situated in Lower Bebington next door to the girls' school, less than a mile from junction 4 of the M53 and Clatterbridge Hospital. Bebington High School is nearby to the north, and Port Sunlight nearby to the east.
Academically the school has received high standards, although it had previously been suggested that these could be further improved[1]. In 2005 GCE A-level results were in the top 90 per cent nationwide, and in 2007 99.4 per cent of pupils sitting the GCSE gained at least five A*-C grade, including Maths and English. The 0.6 per cent was in fact minimum. The 2009 inspection report evidenced further progress in performance and the school received an 'outstanding ' judgement for overall standards.
The school has been commended for its sporting commitment,[1] with particular efforts in Rugby union, solidifying a strong tradition of the sport at the school. The PE department holds tours of the sport, including to Australia and the United States. The most notable achiever in recent years is the rugby player Matt Cairns of Saracens & England. Other sporting success has come on the hockey field, most recently the First Eleven became only the second WGSB side to win the Wirral Cup, usually a stonewall victory for rival school Calday Grange Grammar School.Also the U16's squad became runners up for the North-West Championships and won the North Championships to take them through to the National Finals, two years on the run.They also beat St. Anslems to become Wirral Champions.
The school's Drama Society, under the direction of Mr Geoff Hinde MBE, has produced a number of plays and musicals jointly with the neighbouring Wirral Grammar School for Girls. Recent productions have seen Guys and Dolls, Into the Woods, Les Misérables and Lord of the Flies enacted on stage. Grease hit the stage in 2005,Oliver! was 2006's production; in 2007 it was Fame; in 2008 it was Little Shop of Horrors, and in 2009, High School Musical was produced and once again sold out. The performance for 2010 was a successful production Sweeney Todd. Following this production a smaller performance of Up 'n' Under took place, retaining several members of the Sweeney Todd cast. In 2001, the then Head of English, David Yates wrote and directed his own play The Triumphant Return which was very school-centric and was internally acclaimed. The Music Society hosts tours for the Concert Band and the Choir, most recently performing in locations including the Black Forest in Germany, Canada, Italy, Spain, Austria and a tour of France including performances in both the South of France and the capital, Paris. Prior to the music tours, the two ensembles occasionally perform at local venues in order to raise funds for the tours. The choir, concert band and orchestra, in addition to several smaller musical groups perform three concerts a year, held in the school hall, as well as a carol service in the nearby St. Andrew's Church at Christmas.
The school has entered teams into the Target Two Point Zero economic strategy teamwork competition and has reached the finals.
The school curriculum employs many different subjects. The most recent alteration to the school's subjects was the introduction of Spanish - as was the case with German (which is now not taught within the school) , Spanish or French is compulsory in Years 8 and 9. Also in Year 8, the three sciences - Chemistry, Biology and Physics - are separated out (having been taught as a combined science course in Year 7); unless the students show signs of struggling with them (in terms of academic progress), in which case Double Award Science is taken up. Other subjects include: English, Mathematics, French, History, Geography, Technology, Art, Music, Information Technology, Religious Studies, P.E. and Games (which involves rugby union, hockey, badminton, cricket, basketball cross-country running and athletics, as well as a number of other sports).
Also in Year 8, pupils are setted for Mathematics, in six sets. In Year 9, class sizes are made smaller for the sciences and pupils are set for French. GCSE classes for English and sciences also employ sets.
The school teaches both French and Spanish. The latter subject was introduced in September 2004, replacing the long-taught German. Earlier in the school's history, Latin, some Greek, Russian and Spanish were taught for some time. At the beginning of the school's life, French was taught along with Latin. Pupils were later given a choice between French and German. Greek was also given to pupils who showed strength of languages. The previous headmaster, Anthony Cooper, at one point served as a Latin Master at the school, as well as English Master and Careers Master.
The subjects available for GCSE and/or A-Level include Business Studies, Economics, Electronics, Geology, Law, Media Studies, Politics, Sociology (AS only), Psychology and General Studies, which also includes a GCSE in Latin, GCSE Astronomy, AS Critical Thinking and GCSE Philosophy and Ethics.
Historically, the subjects offered at the school were:
Early in 2008, the Wirral LEA secured a £3.1 million grant in order to replace the mobile classrooms and replace them with a full-brick building hosting the Mathematics department, Business Studies facilities, some History/Geography rooms, an extra Modern Foreign Languages room and another 2 Science laboratories, as well as a new Music Centre and several ICT suites. In addition, there is now an exterior Science area, along with a greenhouse, as well as refurbishment to the main building, including two Sixth Form History and Politics classrooms. Building for this plan made steady progress, and was used in moderation from Easter 2008, despite its official opening and full use from September 2008. An entrance atrium is part of the new development, where Art Exhibitions are held, featuring student work. Refurbishment to the original main building took place in the Summer 2009 and including the refurbishment of several science classrooms with new workbenches and educational facilities.
In the academic year of 2008/9 the school became a Business and Enterprise College, which provided a grant for development of ICT facilities and the Business Studies department. This specialisation was marked with improved ICT facilities, both for students and for the community, including summer classes for ICT, Photography and basic Business skills, as well as several ICT suites and Business Studies classrooms being developed in the new building. In 2008 a school radio station was set up, called Livewire Radio. This broadcasts daily at lunchtimes, and can be heard in the School Hall and Dining Room. Students and teachers host the shows, featuring various musical genres and discussions regarding issues relevant to the pupils.
Until 1974 it was administered by the Cheshire Education Committee, then the Wirral Education Committee. Another former part of Cheshire, Trafford, retained its grammar school system.