Sutton Grammar School for Boys
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| Mottoes |
Keep Faith / Floreat Suttona |
|---|---|
| Established | 1899 |
| Type | Grammar school, academy |
| Headmaster | Gordon Ironside |
| Location |
Manor Lane Sutton London SM1 4AS England Coordinates: 51°21′54″N 0°11′23″W / 51.36509°N 0.18974°W |
| DfE number | 319/5404 |
| DfE URN | 136787 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports Pre-academy reports |
| Students | 839 |
| Gender | Boys |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Blue, Brown, Green, Red |
| Colours | Maroon and Black |
| Publication | The Suttonian |
| Website |
www |
Sutton Grammar School is a selective, single-sex Victorian grammar school for pupils aged 11–18 inclusive. Located in the south of Greater London, the School's main site is in Sutton and its playing fields are in the neighbouring Cheam Village.
History
Early life
The School opened in 1899 with an intake of only 19 boys. It has always been an all-boys school, selective in nature, and began life charging fees of £2 10s per term. The School has undergone several name changes; it used to be known as Sutton County Grammar School, and later Sutton Manor School (owing to its proximity with the old Sutton Manor).[1]
The first Headmaster of the School was Mr E H Hensley, who read Mathematics at Cambridge University and achieved a first class degree.[2] The first Deputy Headmaster (or Second Master) was Mr L A Valencia, who read Classics at Cambridge University.[2]
Modern
Since 1 June 2011, the School has had academy status, and its name formally changed from "Sutton Grammar School for Boys" to "Sutton Grammar School".
The current Headmaster is Mr G D Ironside, who read Natural Sciences at Cambridge University. The current Deputy Headmistress is Mrs I Sutherland, who read Philosophy at the University of Warwick.
The School operates a prefect system with a Head Boy, two Deputy Head Boys, Senior Prefects and part-time Prefects from the Sixth Form.
Headteachers
| Date | Headteacher |
|---|---|
| 1899–1925 | E H Hensley |
| 1925–56 | J A Shuttlecock |
| 1956–76 | F A Walch |
| 1976–84 | A P W Collins |
| 1985–90 | N P O Green |
| 1990–present | G D Ironside |
| Date | Deputy Headteacher |
|---|---|
| 1899–1934 | L A Valencia |
| 1934–50 | H Morris |
| 1950–66 | A M Lorimer |
| 1966–77 | G Scott |
| 1977–89 | R G Disley |
| 1989–2007 | G G Gibson |
| 2007–present | I Sutherland |
Academics
In 2011, the School placed within the top 1% of secondary schools in England in academic league tables, and it is consistently ranked amongst the top schools in England.[3]
The School was ranked as the best school in the country for Physics in the Good Schools Guide 2005.[4]
The School admits pupils from the ages of 11 to 18, or Years 7 to 13 (Upper Sixth) in the English academic system. The School is selective, requiring pupils to pass an eleven plus examination in order to gain admittance. There are approximately 120 pupils in each year for the main school (Years 7 to 11) and slightly fewer for the Sixth Form, varying year-on-year.
Entry requirements for the Sixth Form are a minimum of 4 'A' grades, 2 'B' grades and specialist grade requirements at GCSE in relation to the subjects that pupils wish to study at A level.[5] Pupils who wish to join from other schools are also required to achieve higher grades and pass an admissions interview.
School grounds
The School's main site is located in Sutton and its playing fields are located in Cheam Village.
The School was founded in 1899 on a site between Throwley Way and the High Street. Since 1928, it has been located in central Sutton, directly opposite Manor Park. There has recently been extensive building work carried out to expand the main site.
Main site
The main site consists of the following:
- Main building: Oldest School building, until recently featuring original Victorian panelled windows. Includes the School hall, multiple science laboratories, English and mathematics classrooms, two secondary IT suites and a drama studio.
- Library: Large building containing fiction, non-fiction and reference books. Overseen by a full-time adult librarian (Miss Taylor) and some students who wish to be a part-time librarian.. Contains computers for academic use and not for games.
- Dining hall: Recently completed in 2006 to replace the old canteen.
- Sports hall: Opened in July 2005 by Sir Bobby Robson CBE, who helped fund part of the hall and whose grandson attended the School. Contains numerous sports facilities and modern foreign language classrooms (first floor).
- Swimming pool: Outdoor semi-heated pool.
- Humanities building: Contains IT, history, geography and religious education classrooms, as well as one of the School's two art studios.
- Music and design technology building: Contains a music classroom, soundproof music practice rooms and two DT rooms (containing an IT suite, practical workshop with heavy machinery and design suite).
- Dramatic Music building (also called the 'Suicide block' by students as it has doors on the top floor leading to outside, but they are locked.): Contains two classrooms upstairs and a larger single room downstairs.
- Mathematics building: Newly built for the school year commencing 2012, housing six new classrooms primarily being used for mathematics.
Walch Memorial Playing Fields
Located off Northey Avenue, Cheam Village, these extensive off-site grounds consist of the following:
- Pavilion: Overlooking the playing fields, this building contains the School bar and an events room on the top floor (predominantly used for Old Suttonians Association events, leavers' events and Sports Day) and sports changing rooms and a small shop on the bottom floor.
- Sports fields: Contains football and rugby pitches, cricket fields, long/triple jump sandpits and a cross-country course.
Sport
The School currently offers the following sports:[6]
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Sports take place at the on-site sports hall, main School hall, swimming pool, Walch Memorial Playing Fields in Cheam Village and Sutton Junior Tennis Centre. When playing sports at the Walch Memorial Playing Fields, pupils are transported a short distance in the School coach or minibuses.
The most widely played sport at the School is currently football, followed by cricket. In Years 7–10, there are 'A' and 'B' football teams for each year group. Then, there are four further teams covering Years 11–13 (referred to as the 1st XI, 2nd XI, etc.).
Houses
Upon entry to the School, pupils are allocated to one of four forms, each form being associated with one of the four houses.[7] In Year 7, pupils are taught within their forms. From Year 8 upwards, pupils are often taught with their peers from other forms.
House Shield
The House Shield is based on house points, awarded for academic and sporting achievement.[7] As part of the House Shield competition, the following events and more are held each year:
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House Captains
Each year, the House Masters appoint House Captains, who lead pupils in pastoral activities throughout the year. Many address pupils during assemblies, help to organise sports teams, lead the warm-up lap in opening the annual House Athletics Championship and, at the end of their tenure, help to select their successor. They are assisted by a Secretary and occasionally a Vice-Captain.
Combined cadet force
The School has one of the most highly respected training programmes of all cadet forces in the country.[8] It was raised in early 1915 and officially recognised by the War Office in June 1915.[9] Over the years, boys from the School’s CCF have both served and fought for their country in successive campaigns and wars.[10]
In the late 1990s, sponsored by the Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry, the Army section of the CCF began to admit girls from Nonsuch High School for Girls and, in 2007, the RAF section followed suit.
The officer team of the CCF is headed by Wing Commander Hobbs, an ex-Head Cadet and ex-Head Boy. The CCF is under the leadership of this officer team and an annually appointed Cadet Corporal Major (Army section) and Cadet Flight Sergeant (RAF section) from the ranks of the Sixth Form cadets. The head of the RAF section has long been Giles Marshall, a current teacher at the School.
The Old Suttonians Cadet Association (OSCA), which is affiliated to the Old Suttonians Association (OSA), allows ex-cadets to stay in contact with each other.
The Old Suttonians Association
The Old Suttonians Association (OSA) is the membership group for Old Boys of the School. The OSA was originally founded as the Old Suttonians Football Club in 1906, and soon after as the Old Suttonians Association in 1909. Both were formed by a master of the School, Mr S A Birks. 2006, therefore, saw the one-hundredth anniversary of the Old Suttonians Football Club, whilst the OSA itself celebrated its centenary in 2009. The Old Suttonians Cadet Association marked its 10th anniversary in the same year.
Today, there are seven clubs affiliated to the Association:
- The Cowdray Club
- The Old Suttonians Basketball Club
- The Old Suttonians Cadet Association
- The Old Suttonians Cricket Club
- The Old Suttonians Football Club
- The Old Suttonians Rugby Football Club
- The Old Suttonians Scuba Club
In its lifetime, the OSA has had a very diverse range of affiliated activities attached to it. A literary and debating society, a cycling and rambling club, chess and bridge clubs, and a very strong swimming club were all in evidence at some point during the period 1909—1970.
The OSA runs an annual reunion dinner in September of each year and, on a more intermittent basis, reunions for the various year groups, most recently for those at the School under the headmastership of Mr E H Hensley or Mr J A Cockshutt.
Notable staff
- Giles Marshall – Conservative Party spokesman and former Chairman of the Tory Reform Group
- Edward Powell – Team GB footballer and coach of England Under-18 and Malawi national football teams
Notable alumni
Politics
- David Malcolm McBain LVO – former Ambassador to Madagascar
- Lord Paddick of Brixton – politician, Liberal Democrat candidate in the London mayoral election, 2008 and former Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police
- Peter Penfold CMG OBE – former British High Commissioner, Sierra Leone and former Governor of the British Virgin Islands
Media
- Richard James Ayre – former Deputy chief executive, BBC News
- Professor David Bellamy OBE – famous botanist, broadcaster, author and environmental campaigner
- James Hartigan – journalist and broadcaster
- Roger Parry CBE – media tycoon
Arts
- C W E Bigsby FRSA FRSL – novelist and BBC Radio broadcaster
- Jim Burke – chap hop musician (stage name Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer)
- John Corina – economist
- Richard Craze – author and publisher
- Malcolm Elliott - author and historian
- James Farrar – writer, poet and No. 68 Squadron RAF pilot during WWII
- Tom Hewitt - lead singer of Clocks
- Anthony Nicholls – author and historian
- Adam Riches – comedian
- Jeremy Stangroom – author on philosophy
- Donald Winch – author on classical economics
Sport
- John Anderson – Great Britain swimmer
- Peter Downes – Great Britain American Footballer
- Peter Fear – former Wimbledon FC and England Under-21 footballer
- David Fletcher – former Surrey CCC cricketer
- Matthew Holland – Great Britain Water Polo player
- Tom Williams – Cyprus footballer
Miscellaneous
- David J Farrar OBE – engineer (developed the Bristol Bloodhound surface-to-air-missile)
- Douglas Frederick Hooper – psychologist
- Hugoe Redvers Matthews FRCS – eminent thoracic surgeon
- Eric John Radley-Smith FRCS – surgeon (carried out some of the first lobotomy and hypophysectomy procedures) and former President of Brentford FC
- Robert Ernest 'Bob' Scott – ornithologist
- Faraz Shibli – youngest Briton to cross the Gobi Desert on foot
- Edward Charles Wallace – prominent bryologist
- Dr Lancelot Lionel Ware OBE – co-founder of MENSA
Further reading
- Heater, Derek. Keeping Faith: A History of Sutton Grammar School. Ian Allan Printing Ltd.
- Jones, Arthur Edward (1975). A Small School in the Great War: The Story of Sutton County School and Its Old Boys in World War I. ISBN 0-9502933-1-8.
References
- ↑ Heater, D: "Keeping Faith: A History of Sutton Grammar School", p12
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Heater, D: "Keeping Faith: A History of Sutton Grammar School", p13
- ↑ School league tables 2011, BBC, 26 January 2012
- ↑ The London Borough of Sutton: Press release, 30 June 2005
- ↑ Official school website
- ↑ Sutton Grammar School PE Department website.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Official School website
- ↑ Heater, D: "Always Keeping Faith: A History of Sutton Grammar School", p178
- ↑ Heater, D: "Always Keeping Faith: A History of Sutton Grammar School", p30-31
- ↑ Heater, D: "Keeping Faith: A History of Sutton Grammar School", p29 & p70
External links
- Sutton Grammar School website
- Sutton Grammar School Physics Department Website
- SGS Physics
- School Sports Website
- SGS PE
- Sutton Grammar Apex Balloon Project
- Ofsted Report 2005
- Ofsted Report 2008
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