Stockport Grammar School
Address
Buxton Road

Stockport
,
Greater Manchester
,
SK2 7AF

England
Coordinates53°23′27″N 2°08′38″W / 53.3907°N 2.1440°W / 53.3907; -2.1440
Information
TypePrivate day school
Public School
MottoLatin:Vincit Qui Patitur
He who endures, conquers
Established1487 (1487)
FounderSir Edmund Shaa
Local authorityStockport
Department for Education URN106156 Tables
Chairman of GovernorsChristopher Dunn
HeadmistressSarah Capewell
GenderCo-educational
Age3 to 18
Enrolment1517
Houses4
Colour(s)Black & Gold    
SongPsalm 130
PublicationThe Stopfordian
Taking Stock
The Old Stops' Review
Former pupilsOld Stopfordians
Websitewww.stockportgrammar.co.uk
🌍

Stockport Grammar School is a co-educational private day school in Stockport, England. Founded in 1487 by former Lord Mayor of London Sir Edmund Shaa, it is the second oldest in the North of England, after Lancaster Royal Grammar School, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

History

Foundation

The Main School's West Face. The photo (left) was taken after construction in 1916. The photo (right) was taken in 2012.

The school was founded in 1487 by Sir Edmund Shaa, the 1482 Lord Mayor of London whose will provided for a school and a small chapel in St Mary's Church in Stockport and funds to maintain a priest to chant masses and teach grammar.[1] Alexander Lowe, the mayor of Stockport, left the school a permanent home in Chestergate in his will. The school became increasingly successful with pupils being accepted at the ancient universities of Oxford, Cambridge and St Andrews, while the curriculum became increasingly broad with the rudiments of Greek joining a study of Latin, the Christian religion, writing in English and arithmetic.[2][3] Five years after the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths met to discuss the possibility of transferring the school to a different site, new buildings open where Greek Street meets New Wellington Road. As well as paying for the building, the Goldsmiths also increased the salaries of the headmaster and usher and paid the running costs.[1]

Current site on Buxton Road

The Greek Street building became unsuitable for the demands of a modern school, and the school was relocated in 1915 to its present site [1] and was inaugurated on 29 January 1916 by the chairman of the Cheshire county council.[3]

Move to coeducation

Path to Convent Site

In 1980, girls were admitted to the school.

The school site

The Mile End buildings 1916-1980

View of the Hallam Hall across the Old Quad

The Hallam Hall, seen from across the Old Quad below was named after the Mayor of Stockport and major benefactor Ephraim Hallam. This was originally the School’s Assembly Hall and later the main library but due to the expansion of the School site, which included a new, multi-resource 14000 book library, the hall was converted into an entertainments room.

The main school building was constructed with a Victorian neo-gothic style of architecture. Other buildings which have been constructed since then have mostly remained continuous with the general style of the main site, particularly the muted red brick and distinctive yellow limestone bands which feature heavily on the main building.

Post-1980 Expansion

New Library and Learning Resource Centre

Since becoming co-educational in 1980 the school has grown. The school bought the adjacent convent school site. In 1997 it bought land to extend the junior school, and in 2001 a new sports and technology centre was built. With the purchase of the playing fields at Dialstone Lane, the school site expanded its site to almost 60 acres, one of the largest in Greater Manchester.

New Woodsmoor building 2013 - present

In 2011, planning permission was received to erect a new teaching block on the Woodsmoor side of the site,[4] to replace the Woodsmoor hall and laboratories that were demolished in 2010.[5] The build was completed in June 2012, and the "black and white tower" and classics block were demolished later that year.

Academic performance

In 2023, the average grade at A-Level was B+, compared to B in all schools in Stockport and B nationally.[6]

Extracurricular Activities

The school offers over 200 extracurricular activities to its pupils,[7] with the Independent Schools Inspectorate rating the school's extracurricular provision as "outstanding" in 2011.[8]

Duke of Edinburgh's Award

The school is its own Duke of Edinburgh's Award operating authority.[9] In 2010, the school issued its 1000th Duke of Edinburgh Award,[10] a milestone which was marked by the visit of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.[11]

Model United Nations

In 1985 SGS represented the USSR at the 40th anniversary Model United Nations conference held at Central Hall, Westminster, to celebrate the first United Nations General Assembly. In 1990 the SGS delegation won the best delegation award at The Hague Model United Nations.

The school has hosted a biennial Model United Nations (MUN) conference since March 2006. At 2008's conference, Labour MP and former home secretary David Blunkett was the school's guest speaker. At 2012's conference, Senior Liberal Democrat MP, Andrew Stunell was the guest speaker.[12]

Expeditions

The school runs a series of expeditions for Sixth Formers every two years[13] to places such as Venezuela, Vietnam, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda and in 2015 an expedition to Bolivia & Peru.[14] In 2017, an expedition took 41 students to Borneo. Pupils participate in planning the trips and manage their own finances, accommodation, food and transportation.[13]

Publications

The Stopfordian

The school's annual publication in 2012 was The Stopfordian, a comprehensive review of the school year.[15] A predecessor was named simply Stockport Grammar School Magazine.

Taking Stock

The school has published Taking Stock, a newsletter rounding up recent news and photographs.[16]

Old Stops' Review

Old Stops' Review, a new annual magazine containing news from ex-pupils,[17] was first published in 2011.

Old Stopfordians

Former pupils are known as "Old Stopfordians", not to be confused with simply Stopfordians (the demonym of Stockport being "Stopfordian"), or the former pupils of Bishop Stopford's School at Enfield, who are also known as Old Stopfordians.

Stopfordians Lacrosse Club

The Old Stopfordians' Association operate Stopfordians Lacrosse Club, who currently play in the North of England Men's Lacrosse Association Premier 2 division.[18] The team play their home games at Disley Amalgamated Sports Club.[19]

Notable Old Stopfordians

Headmasters

  • 1496 Sir John Randall
  • 1509 Sir Randall Hulton
  • 1521 Sir George Bamford
  • 1534 Sir William Chorlton
  • 1534–1543 Scholemaister of Stopport (name unrecorded)
  • 1557 Sir William Chorlton (reappointed)
  • 1559 Leonard Harrison
  • 1564 Thomas Leigh
  • 1565 John Brownswerd
  • 1579 Bamford
  • 1587 Francis Lowe
  • 1597 William Nicholson
  • 1597–1598 William Lingard
  • 1601 Kirke
  • 1601 Lang
  • 1601 Nicholson
  • 1601–1602 John Cobb
  • 1604 Thomas Bower
  • 1609 Luke Mason
  • 1610 Walter Pott
  • 1623 Thomas Rossen
  • 1625 Reginald Pott
  • 1627 Edmund Clough
  • 1628 John Pollett
  • 1630 William Plant
  • 1633 Samuel Edwards
  • 1634 Bradley Hayhurst
  • 1645 Randall Yarwood
  • 1647 Thomas Peirson
  • 1651 Rev Thomas Coombes
  • 1668 Rev Daniel Leech
  • 1669 Rev Joseph Whittle
  • 1673–1674 Rev Samuel Needham
  • 1683 Rev Timothy Dobson
  • 1691 Rev George Esclome
  • 1692–1693 Rev William Dickens
  • 1703 Rev Joseph Dale
  • 1752 Rev William Jackson
  • 1792 Rev George Porter
  • 1792 Rev Elkanah Hoyle
  • 1829 Rev William Newstead
  • 1832 Rev Thomas Middleton
  • 1847 Rev William Gurney
  • 1860 Rev Charles G Hamilton
  • 1887 Rev William A Pemberton
  • 1903 Alfred E Daniels
  • 1929 Christopher Herman Gilkes
  • 1941 Frederick H Philpot
  • 1962–1979 Francis Willoughby Scott
  • 1979 Hugh Wright
  • 1985 David Bird
  • 1996–2005 Ian Mellor
  • 2005–2018 Andrew Chicken
  • 2018-2023 Dr Paul Owen
  • 2023

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Stockport Grammar Junior School". educationbase.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Nicholas Carlisle, Concise Description of Endowed Grammar Schools (1818)
  3. 1 2 Stockport Grammar School | Stockport Grammar School. facebook.com. Retrieved on September 7, 2012.
  4. ↑ Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, notice of planning decision. stockportgrammar.co.uk. Retrieved on January 20, 2012.
  5. ↑ New building | Stockport Grammar School Archived 2012-01-30 at the Wayback Machine. stockportgrammar.co.uk. Retrieved on January 20, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Stockport Grammar School: Advanced level qualifications (level 3)". Compare school and college performance in England. Gov.UK. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Twitter / @stockportgs: We've got a new section on. ... Twitter.com. Retrieved on January 19, 2012.
  8. ↑ Independent Schools Inspectorate Stockport Grammar School Standard Inspection. isi.net. Retrieved on January 19, 2012.
  9. ↑ Duke of Edinburgh's Award | Stockport Grammar School. stockportgrammar.co.uk. Retrieved on January 20, 2012.
  10. ↑ Cheshire Life Single Issues - January 2011 digital edition. Cheshire Life Magazine. Retrieved on January 20, 2012.
  11. ↑ Cheshire Independent Newspaper | Local Community Newspaper for the Cheshire Area. The Cheshire Independent. Retrieved on January 20, 2012.
  12. ↑ Greenhead News - The Newsletter of Greenhead College. Greenhead College. Retrieved on January 20, 2012.
  13. 1 2 "Jungle adventure takes pupils to new heights". Stockport Grammar School. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  14. ↑ "Out and About: Bolivia and Peru" (PDF). Taking Stock (Stockport Grammar School Newsletter) (61): 4. Autumn 2015.
  15. ↑ Stopfordian magazine | Stockport Grammar School Archived 2012-01-30 at the Wayback Machine. stockportgrammar.co.uk. Retrieved on January 20, 2012.
  16. ↑ Taking Stock newsletter | Stockport Grammar School. stockportgrammar.co.uk. Retrieved on January 20, 2012.
  17. ↑ Old Stops' Review magazine | Stockport Grammar School. stockportgrammar.co.uk. Retrieved on January 20, 2012.
  18. ↑ English Lacrosse NEMLA Premier 2, lacrosse tables and lacrosse standings. League Republic. Retrieved on January 31, 2012.
  19. ↑ Lacrosse. Disley Amalgamated Sports Club. Retrieved on January 31, 2012.
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