Hall Cross Academy

Hall Cross Academy

Hall Cross Academy Logo
Motto	Confort et liesse (Welfare and Jubilation)
Established	1350
Type	Academy
Headteacher	Pippa Dodgson
Location	Thorne Road Doncaster South Yorkshire DN1 2HY England Coordinates: 53°31′23″N 1°07′29″W / 53.523106°N 1.124831°W / 53.523106; -1.124831
DfE number	???/4062
DfE URN	137842 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Capacity	2263
Students	1911
Ages	11–18
Former pupils	Old Danensians
Former names	Doncaster Grammar School, Hall Cross Comprehensive School
Website	Hall Cross Academy

Hall Cross Academy (formerly Hall Cross School and Doncaster Grammar School), founded in 1350, is a co-educational academy in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.

Admissions

The academy is split over two sites, with the Upper academy located in the centre of Doncaster (in the Town Fields area) and the Lower academy in the north of Bessacarr, near the Dome. Hall Cross academy has specialist status as a Science College. The total number of pupils who attend the academy is over 2,000. It features as an integral part of the community, providing access to facilities for many primary schools, which also form part of its large catchment area. The headteacher of the academy is Pippa Dodgshon.

It is named after the Hall Cross on Hall Cross Hill, on the opposite side of the main road through Doncaster.

The Library and Christchurch House

The library building is the oldest building on the Town Centre site, it was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and was built in 1869. Downstairs it features a plaque which can still be seen to this day, dedicating the building to Queen Victoria. The library is a classic example of Victorian Gothic Revival, featuring a large Hammerbeam roof decorated with flowers cut into the massive oak beams which may in fact be stained pine. The building also features a tower at one corner. Inside, the library features two massive Gothic style glass windows at either end, one of them being stained glass, designed and executed by former pupil C. Rupert Moore, which was unveiled in 1938 as a tribute to "Old Boys" from the school who died in World War I. The library features a large number of Victorian plaques, dedicated to past headteachers of the school, men from the school who died in both wars, and other various things. The one added most recently commemorates the visit by Prince Charles to the school in 1989. By number of books, the library is the biggest school library in Doncaster, and is largely used by the 6th form.

Christchurch house is the school's equivalent of a "6th form block". It is a large detached Victorian Townhouse which overlooks the local church that the house is named after. The house features a grand wooden staircase, stained glass skylights, and a statue of the Venus de Milo which originally resided in the Girls' School, built in 1918. When the school was disbanded, the statue was moved to Hall Cross academy.

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day is one of the most important days in the academic calendar. The academy has held a ceremony every year since 1918 to remember those who attended the school and died in battle. The service begins at 9am. Speeches are made by the Head Teacher who gives thanks to those who died in conflict. Two poppy wreaths are then carried down the corridor to the library by the Head Boy and Head Girl. They are then laid by the World War one and World War two plaques respectively, whilst the Last Post is played on the trumpet, with the sounds carrying through to the library.

Railways

High Speed Train power car no. 43045 was named 'The Grammar School, Doncaster AD1350' in Spring 1984.^[1] It is now in service with East Midland Trains and does not carry its former name. The nameplate removed from the locomotive can be found in the tower of the Academy along with a large collection of railwayana amassed by the Doncaster Grammar School Railway Society, to which, at one point, one in six pupils belonged^[2] The collection also includes nameplates from two locomotives destroyed as a result of the Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash, Britain's worst.^[2]

Notable Faculty Members

• H. J. Blackham (taught divinity in the early 1930s)
• Squadron Leader Ernest Kinghorn, Labour MP from 1945–51 for Great Yarmouth (taught languages)
• Prof Roy Niblett CBE (taught English from 1930–4)

Alumni

Hall Cross Comprehensive School

• David Firth, the animator behind Salad Fingers and all animations on the fat-pie website.
• Barry Middleton, the England international hockey player.^[3]
• Louis Tomlinson, the English pop singer and songwriter, and actor, known as a member of the band One Direction.

Doncaster Grammar School for Boys

• Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe (briefly)
• H.J. Blackham, philosopher and humanist
• Rodney Bickerstaffe, former leader of Britain's largest trades union, UNISON.^[4]
• Prof Thomas Charlton, Jackson Professor of Engineering from 1970–9 at the University of Aberdeen, and Professor of Civil Engineering from 1963–70 at Queen's University Belfast
• Lord Ronald Dearing CB, former Chairman of the Post Office, Chancellor from 1993–2000 of the University of Nottingham, and known for the Dearing Report which laid the foundations of tuition fees (top-up fees) at universities
• Sir Eric Denton CBE, marine biologist, Royal Society Research Professor from 1964–74 at the University of Bristol
• Sir Thomas Easterfield (1866 –- 1949), chemist.^[5]
• Percy Elland, Editor from 1950–9 of the Evening Standard
• Rev Henry Ellershaw, Master from 1919–30 of University College, Durham
• Prof Robert Fox, Professor from 1988–2006 of the History of Science at the University of Oxford (Linacre College)
• Ian Glasby, UK Ambassador from 1988–90 to the Republic of the Congo
• Carl Gumsley, Senior Magistrate, Acting Supreme Court Judge and HM Coroner for the Falkland Islands from 2011–2014. Commissioner, Independent Police Complaints Commission from 2014 to present
• Stuart Grundy, music journalist, and radio producer from 1967-92 on Radio 1
• Prof George Hewitt, Professor of Caucasian Languages since 1996 at SOAS, University of London^[6]
• Derek Hirst (1930–2006), painter.^[7]
• David Holmes CB, Chairman from 1998–9 of British Airways Regional (became part of BA Connect in 2002 and sold to Flybe in 2007), and from 2003–9 of the RAC Foundation
• Paul Kent, biochemist and Master from 1972–82 of Van Mildert College
• Kevin Marsh, BBC executive, Editor from 2002–6 of the Today programme
• Terry Murden, Business Editor from 2009-14 on The Scotsman^[8]
• Prof Roger Needham CBE, Professor of Computer Systems from 1981–98 at the University of Cambridge, Head of the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory from 1980–95, and invented important algorithms (Needham-Schroeder protocol) for computer security ^[9]
• Prof David Parker, Queen Victoria Professor of Law from 1978–87 at the University of Liverpool
• Ronald Peet CBE, Chief Executive of Legal & General from 1972–84
• Prof John Richmond CBE, Professor of Medicine from 1973–89 at the University of Sheffield.^[10]
• Rev Prof Christopher Rowland, Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture since 1991 at the University of Oxford
• Bob Rust, former ITV weather presenter
• Prof Denis Sargan, Professor of Econometrics from 1964–84 at the London School of Economics (LSE).^[11]
• John Saynor CMG, Director-General from 1989–92 of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• Prof James Scott CBE, Special Professor of Health Care Planning from 1974–97 at the University of Nottingham.^[12]
• John Scott-Scott, rocket scientist
• Prof David Shepherd, Neuroscientist and Deputy Vice Chancellor at Bangor University
• Edward Smallwood, Liberal MP from 1917–8 of Islington East
• Graham Snowdon, sports journalist, former cycling correspondent from 1985-97 of The Guardian
• Frank Vince, endocrinologist
• Sir Roy Watts CBE, BA Chief Executive from 1979–82
• John Whaley CBE, translator.^[13]
• Peter Wormald, Registrar General, England & Wales from 1990–6, in charge of the 1991 census

Doncaster Grammar School for Girls

• Madge Adam, astronomer.^[14]
• Margo Gunn, actress
• Jane Harrison, one of four women to have been awarded the George Cross

Doncaster Grammar School

• Gillian Coultard, football player, former Captain of the England Woman's football team
• Michael Stevenson, BBC television producer from 1988-90 of On the Record, and Director from 1999-2003 of BBC Education
• Adam Sunderland, advertising executive at JWT International
• Rosie Winterton, Labour MP since 1997 for Doncaster Central

Old Danensians

Alumni and former staff of Doncaster Grammar School, Doncaster High School for Girls, Hall Cross Comprehensive School and Hall Cross Academy, known as Old Danensians, are able to join the Old Danensians' Club.

The object of the Club is to maintain connections between past members of the School with one another and the School, and generally promote the welfare of the foundation.^[15]

Hallcross Academy

The 2012-2013 term saw the establishment change its name to Hall Cross Academy.

Academic performance

The school gets GCSE results slightly above average. At A-level it performs well, with some of the best results in South Yorkshire, and the third best in Doncaster LEA. Results in Doncaster at GCSE are notably low, but they are much better at A level, similar to the situation in Grimsby and Hull.

Gallery

• 

  An external view of the academy

• 

  The library, as seen from the balcony

• 

  A close up of the stained glass library window

• 

  Students at the Thorne Road site, 1887

• 

  The first students to attend the Thorne Road site, 1870

• 

  The original school building, 1869

References

External links

• Hall Cross Academy website
• 2007 Ofsted report
• Old Danensians' Club website
• EduBase