Spalding Grammar School

Spalding Grammar School

Established	1588
Type	Grammar school; Academy
Headteacher	Nigel Ryan
Chair of Governors	John Bennett
Founders	John Blanche and John Gamlyn
Location	Priory Road Spalding Lincolnshire PE11 2XH England Coordinates: 52°47′00″N 0°09′12″W / 52.7834°N 0.1534°W / 52.7834; -0.1534
DfE number	925/4603
DfE URN	139304 Tables
Ofsted	Reports Pre-academy reports
Staff	68
Students	919
Gender	Boys
Ages	11–18
Houses	Bentley, Gamlyn, Hobson, Wykeham, Moulton and Johnson
Colours	Yellow, Blue and Black
Website	spaldinggrammar.lincs.sch.uk

Spalding Grammar School (SGS), fully known as The Queen Elizabeth Royal Free Grammar School Spalding, is a boys' grammar school located on Priory Road in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, for pupils aged 11 to 18. In December 2011, the school was granted an "Outstanding" rating from Ofsted.^[1] The school converted to academy status on 1 February 2013.^[2]

History

It was founded in 1588 by Royal Charter, applied for by the Revd Mr Johnson, and located within part of Spalding Parish Church, called St Thomas's Chapel, until the 19th century. It was founded on its current site in 1881.

Merger with Moulton Grammar School

In 1939, the school doubled in size, having amalgamated with Moulton Grammar School^[3] in Moulton. Sir John Gleed was Chairman of the Governors from 1928-46.

Moulton Grammar School was founded under the will of John Harrox (died 1561) who was steward to Sir John Harrington of Weston. The School opened in 1562 with ten pupils and continued to educate boys from the district until it amalgamated with Spalding. The old school buildings still exist but are now private residences.

New buildings

A large sports hall was opened by boxer Henry Cooper in November 1993, and in January 2006 new buildings were opened for ICT, sociology, technology, English and drama (with a performing arts studio). The Modern Languages lab was also built at the same time as the new buildings were opened. In late 2009, a new Business Studies block, new staff room and atrium were also built. ^[4]

Publications

It has a school magazine called The Bentleian;^[5] copies dating back to July 1922 are in the school library.

Admissions

In years seven to eleven, only male pupils are admitted, but the sixth form accepts females as well. Spalding Grammar is a selective school, and its entrants in the lower school are permitted only by taking the county-wide 11+ tests.

The headteacher is Mr Nigel Ryan (MA Cantab). The current number of pupils stands at 919.^[6] The sixth form has 320 pupils (with 120 female). There are 68 teaching staff.

Specialist and academy status

In 2006, the school was granted Specialist Status as a Languages and Engineering College. It became the first school in Lincolnshire to gain joint specialist status in these subjects. Accompanying the specialist status was building work to improve general aspects of the school, and to provide a Language Lab and Engineering Lab for the teaching of the subjects.

The school converted to academy status on 1 February 2013. ^[7]

School partnerships

Through the Language Status the school has partnered with a High School in Wuxi, China. This new opportunity means the school will be offering both staff and pupils the chance to visit Wuxi on Teaching, Sport and Drama exchanges. Links will also be fostered using technology such as the Language Lab installed at the school, allowing students to be paired with Chinese students and speak to them in real time using VOIP communication in order to practice their respective languages. Mandarin has now been introduced to the curriculum.

School Opportunities

The school offers many opportunities to its students, such as a range of Flexydays. It also offers the Year 7 Free Learning Block and the Sixth Form Enrichment Block. Also for the new year 7's the school offers a residential at the end of the year which sometimes changes, one used to be to France now it is to Spain. The school offers many after school clubs, such as cricket and chess.

Physical Education Department

The Physical Education Department at Spalding Grammar School has a wide selection of extra curricular activities. Along with regular Ski Trips, in 2007, 2008 and 2009 the school ran a variety of mainly football-focused trips to the USA, Spain and Holland, respectively.

Music department

The School has an active music department, with its own Brass Ensemble, Concert Band, Early Music Group, saxophone ensemble, String Ensemble and Rhythm and Blues Band. It has a variety of instruments that are able to be used during lessons, and a range of good iMacs for use by the pupils.

The dramatic arts

Spalding Grammar School has a long history of dramatic performances. From the annual Speech Day Revue (where Sixth Form Students perform a showcase of songs and sketches about life at Spalding Grammar School) to more recent productions, such as Honk!, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest. As of September 2011, the Drama department is no longer able to offer GCSEs and A-Levels in Drama.

Recent productions

The most recent production was William Shakespeare's The Tempest. The production was performed in the round which director and former Head of English, David Wheeler, believes allows a special relationship to develop between actor and audience. The script was condensed to around two thirds of its original length. This allowed modern songs to be added into the play, ranging from Genesis' 'I Can't Dance' to 'In The Navy' (originally by The Village People). The play was met overall positively and Spalding's local paper the Spalding Guardian gave the performance a strongly positive review.^[8]

In November 2009 Shakespeare's Hamlet will be directed by David Wheeler. The production will not use the stage, but nor will it be 'in the round'; director David Wheeler said 'We want to keep the audience guessing about how exactly we will stage the play...but it has been very carefully planned.'

There will be a new play, Robert Bolt's The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew performed by pupils of all ages in the hope of getting Drama back on the curriculum.

Location

The school is located in the south of Lincolnshire in the town of Spalding on Priory Road.^[9] The school is obliged to accept pupils from the council district of South Holland - an area of 500 square miles (1,300 km²) - meaning some pupils travel over 20 miles (32 km) to reach the school.

Notable former pupils

• Jack Hobbs - defender at Hull City A.F.C.
• John Miller (motor racing team owner) (1979–85)
• Maurice Johnson (antiquary) (c.1700-5)
• William Hobson Mills, organic chemist who investigated stereochemistry and found the Mills-Nixon effect
• Sir J R Somers Vine CMG (1859–66), Private Secretary to the Lord Mayor of London from 1871-5 (previous to Sir William Soulsby)
• Stuart Storey (1954–61) - BBC sports commentator.
• Dave Tice (1962-4) - founder of Australia's first heavy metal band Buffalo, and lead singer 1969-77
• John Tippler (1940–1945) Director of Engineering & Network, BT UK Communications, 1980–1989, and IT Institute 1986-1988.

Moulton Grammar School

The Grammar School in Moulton was founded under the will of John Harrox (died 1561) who was steward to Sir John Harrington of Weston. The School opened in 1562 with ten pupils and continued to educate boys until it amalgamated with Spalding in 1939.

• Johnny Douglas (1895-7), Olympic gold medal winner in boxing and captain of the England Cricket Team
• Rt Rev Kenneth Healey, Bishop of Grimsby from 1958–66
• Walter Plowright (1923–2010) veterinary scientist who devoted his career to the eradication of rinderpest

Former teachers

• Richard Bentley - English theologian, classical scholar and critic - (Former Headmaster)
• Peter Millen - (Chemistry) LibDem candidate in 1997 for South Holland seat.
• Edward Marlar, Headmaster 1934-37 - later Headmaster King Edward VI School, Lichfield 1937-46, Headmaster Whitgift School 1946-61
• Timothy Neve, churchman

See also

• Spalding High School - mainly a school for girls, but accepts boys into the sixth form.

References

External links

• Spalding Grammar School
• Spalding Grammar School Music Department
• EduBase

News items

• The Tempest Review from the Spalding Guardian

Schools in Lincolnshire Primary Bourne Abbey CE Academy Ellison Boulters Academy The Priory Witham Academy Staniland Academy Secondary Banovallum School Barnes Wallis Academy Birkbeck School Bourne Academy Branston Community Academy Caistor Yarborough Academy Charles Read Academy Cherry Willingham Community School Cordeaux Academy De Aston School The Deepings School The Gainsborough Academy Giles Academy Haven High Academy John Spendluffe Technology College King Edward VI Academy Lincoln Castle Academy Lincoln Christ's Hospital School Lincoln UTC Monks' Dyke Tennyson College North Kesteven School The Peele Community College The Priory Academy LSST Priory City of Lincoln Academy The Priory Ruskin Academy The Priory Witham Academy St George's Academy St Peter and St Paul's RC Academy Sir John Gleed School Sir Robert Pattinson Academy Sir William Robertson Academy Skegness Academy Stamford Welland Academy The Thomas Cowley High School Thomas Middlecott Academy University Academy Holbeach Walton Girls High School The West Grantham Academy St Hugh's William Farr School William Lovell CE Academy Grammar Boston Grammar School Boston High School Bourne Grammar School Caistor Grammar School Carre's Grammar School Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School Kesteven and Sleaford High School King Edward VI Grammar School The King's School Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Alford Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle Queen Elizabeth's High School Skegness Grammar School Spalding Grammar School Spalding High School Independent Grantham Preparatory School Kirkstone House School Lincoln Minster School Locksley Christian School St Hugh's School Stamford School Stamford High School Witham Hall Defunct Central Technology & Sports College Excell International School Gleed Boys' School Gleed Girls' Technology College Kitwood Boys School Tattershall College See also Schools in North East Lincolnshire Schools in North Lincolnshire