Caistor Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Caistor Grammar School is a selective school
and academy
in the English
town of Caistor
in the county of Lincolnshire
. It was founded in 1630, and has since grown to be one of the most respected and high performing schools in the East of England
. The school has been awarded specialist sports
and humanities
status. The current headmaster is Roger Hale, who took up the position from Trevor Foulkes in 1996. At present, Caistor Grammar is ranked first in Lincolnshire according to GCSE and A Level results in 2007. In December 2010, as part of new government scheme to award high performing, outstanding schools; Caistor Grammar School changed from a foundation school
to an academy.
dating from the reign of Charles I
. The Dissolution of the Monasteries
in the reign of Henry VIII
had destroyed the principal sources of education of the times, and the numerous schools endowed throughout England during the following reigns are evidence that public-spirited men recognised the need created and endeavoured to meet it. Among others was Francis Rawlinson, of South Kelsey
, who died in 1630, bequeathing money to endow a school at Caistor, and William Hansard of Biscathorpe
, who supplemented the original gift in 1634. The monies given were invested in the purchase of land at Cumberworth
, and of the rectorial tithe
s of Bilsby
, of which the governors are still lay impropriators.
The original trustees were Sir Edward Asycough of South Kelsey, Sir William Pelham of Brocklesby
and Sir Christopher Wray
Baron of Glentworth
(Lord Chief Justice of England), and Johnathon Beltwick. Other trustees shouldered their responsibilities from time to time until 1885 when, under the Endowed Schools Act
1869, the Foundation was placed under an elective body of governors, the Vicar of Caistor being an ex-officio member. In 1908, the school was recognised by the Board of Education
.
On 11 November 1931 it celebrated its tercentenary in the presence of Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch
.
County Council
, based in Lincoln, proposed to close the grammar school as it decided there were not enough numbers for three grammar schools in the area. On 18 February 1960 fifty-two boys and girls at the schools walked the twenty six miles to Lincoln. They gave a petition to the Council's Chairman, Sir Weston Cracroft Amcotts.
journalist Robert Crampton
used his Beta Male column to ask for invitations to give speeches, to improve his public speaking skills. He received 400 invitations, but only accepted a handful, including Caistor Grammar School. He visited the school to give the speech in 2009, subsequently reporting on the experience in his newspaper.
. School buildings help to form two sides of a close around the ancient parish church. The ironstone school hall dates from 1631, and is still in daily use. The school library alongside is housed in what was the Congregational Church
, built in 1842. Casterby House, once a large private house, later one of three boarding houses, and now the Sixth Form
Centre, overlooks the churchyard from the south side of the school gates.
The main teaching block dates from the 1930s, but was extended and modernised in 1984. This building also contains classics and geography rooms. The Manning Building, replacing several prefabricated buildings, was opened in 1984 and provides teaching rooms for PE, modern languages and history
, and contains a large gymnasium
. It has recently been enlarged to provide extra classrooms and a state-of-the-art fitness suite, and allows the housing of the on-site sports facilities. Two new technology buildings were added in 1993 and 1994. These contain two rooms for design and technology, two specialist rooms for information and communication technology, and a sixth science laboratory.
At the bottom of the Terraces, Lindsey House, once a purpose-built boarding house, now includes a suite of English and mathematics rooms. The music department has been redecorated and occupies a suite of rooms on the ground floor and the art department uses creatively re-modeled accommodation on the ground and first floors. Lindsey House also contains the dining room which all pupils use at lunchtime. A lower entrance to the school serves Lindsey House. Next to the gates stands Beech House, traditionally the residence of the headmaster, where the site manager now lives. This extensive and ambitious re-development of Lindsey House was officially opened by Lord Puttnam of Queensgate in November 2001.
The third boarding house and Sixth Form Centre, Grove House, was at the top of the Terraces and was demolished because of structural problems. At one time a swimming pool occupied a building between Beech House and the Terraces, until rising operating and maintenance costs forced its removal. This was developed into the new hall, which is used for sports.
The school previously owned several other building in Caistor, including the "Red House" next to Bank Lane, which were used as accommodation when boarders were at the school. These have now however been sold off by the school.
In 2010, as part of the Government Building Schools for the Future
scheme, Caistor Grammar School secured funding to build an extension to Lindsey House, to provide further renovated music facilities, another ICT facility and a room for food technology, something that is new to the CGS curriculum. The funding was secured only days before the scheme was scrapped by the Educational Secretary Michael Gove
. The facilities were completed by the following Christmas, and were officially opened by celebrity chef Rachel Green
on 24 May 2011.
Pupils are taught a variety of traditional subjects and modern languages remain compulsory to GCSE level. Caistor Grammar School does not offer vocational qualifications, only traditional GCSE, AS Level
and A2 qualifications.
examination. The current exam is set by the school. The first exam is a verbal reasoning paper and the second is multiple choice. The exams are held at the school approximately two weeks apart, and the results are issued up to a month after the last exam. In the event that more candidates pass the exam than there are places available, places are offered first to pupils from within the school's catchment area, which is defined as "6.5 miles in a straight line from the Head Master's Office to the applicant's residence".
Candidates from outside the catchment area are awarded places depending on their score in the examinations. Candidates that pass but cannot be offered a place are organised onto a waiting list. The exams can be retaken at year 9, but there is no guarantee that the child will get a place, and the only guarantee is that the child is moved to a higher position on the waiting list.
s which are named after the school's founder, Francis Rawlinson; the school patron, Edward Ayscough; and the school benefactor, William Hansard. Pupils represent their house in a wide range of interhouse competitions throughout the school. These include the annual sports day, house music and house drama events. Merits awarded also count for a pupil's house, with the house cup being awarded each year to the house with the most.
Sixth form pupils take over most of the running of each house. Every year lower sixth pupils run for the positions of house captains, sports captains or drama captains (each with a male and female role).
Each house also has a representing colour:
Hansard is yellow
Ayscough is blue
Rawlinson is green
Selective school
A selective school is a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. The term may have different connotations in different systems....
and academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
town of Caistor
Caistor
See Caistor St Edmund for the Roman settlement in Norfolk or Caister-on-Sea for the town in NorfolkCaistor is a town and civil parish situated in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. As its name implies, it was originally a Roman castrum or fortress...
in the county of Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. It was founded in 1630, and has since grown to be one of the most respected and high performing schools in the East of England
East of England
The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. It was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex has the highest population in the region.Its...
. The school has been awarded specialist sports
Sports College
Sports Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, PE, sports and dance. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Sports...
and humanities
Humanities College
Humanities Colleges were introduced in 2004 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, humanities. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Humanities...
status. The current headmaster is Roger Hale, who took up the position from Trevor Foulkes in 1996. At present, Caistor Grammar is ranked first in Lincolnshire according to GCSE and A Level results in 2007. In December 2010, as part of new government scheme to award high performing, outstanding schools; Caistor Grammar School changed from a foundation school
Foundation school
In England and Wales, a foundation school is a state-funded school in which the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools....
to an academy.
History
Caistor Grammar School is an endowed foundation schoolFoundation school
In England and Wales, a foundation school is a state-funded school in which the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools....
dating from the reign of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. The Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in the reign of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
had destroyed the principal sources of education of the times, and the numerous schools endowed throughout England during the following reigns are evidence that public-spirited men recognised the need created and endeavoured to meet it. Among others was Francis Rawlinson, of South Kelsey
South Kelsey
South Kelsey is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is on the B1205 between the A15 and Caistor.According to the 2001 census the village had a population of 571.South Kelsey has an Anglican church, St...
, who died in 1630, bequeathing money to endow a school at Caistor, and William Hansard of Biscathorpe
Biscathorpe
-External links:**...
, who supplemented the original gift in 1634. The monies given were invested in the purchase of land at Cumberworth
Cumberworth
Cumberworth is a small village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, situated about south-east of Alford....
, and of the rectorial tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s of Bilsby
Bilsby
Bilsby is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, just east of the town of Alford. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 415. It was mentioned in Domesday Book of 1086 when it consisted of eighteen households. Asserby and Thurlby are hamlets...
, of which the governors are still lay impropriators.
The original trustees were Sir Edward Asycough of South Kelsey, Sir William Pelham of Brocklesby
Brocklesby
Brocklesby is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The village is 1 mile south of Habrough, 4 miles southwest of Immingham, close to the border of both North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, and near Humberside International Airport...
and Sir Christopher Wray
Christopher Wray
Sir Christopher Wray was an English judge and Chief Justice of the King’s Bench.-Early life and career:Wray, the third son of Thomas Wray, seneschal in 1535 of Coverham Abbey, Yorkshire, by Joan, daughter of Robert Jackson of Gatenby, Bedale, in the same county, was born at Bedale in 1524...
Baron of Glentworth
Glentworth
Glentworth can refer to:*Glentworth, Lincolnshire, a village in England;, a cargo steamer launched in 1920....
(Lord Chief Justice of England), and Johnathon Beltwick. Other trustees shouldered their responsibilities from time to time until 1885 when, under the Endowed Schools Act
Endowed Schools Act 1869
The Endowed Schools Act 1869 was introduced in Britain during William Ewart Gladstone’s first ministry.An Endowed Schools Commission was created to draw up new schemes of distribution for schools which received funding from the government; previous endowments had been seen as poorly distributed and...
1869, the Foundation was placed under an elective body of governors, the Vicar of Caistor being an ex-officio member. In 1908, the school was recognised by the Board of Education
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
.
On 11 November 1931 it celebrated its tercentenary in the presence of Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch
Arthur Quiller-Couch
Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch was a Cornish writer, who published under the pen name of Q. He is primarily remembered for the monumental Oxford Book Of English Verse 1250–1900 , and for his literary criticism...
.
Proposed closure
LindseyLindsey
Lindsey was a unit of local government until 1974 in Lincolnshire, England, covering the northern part of the county. The Isle of Axholme, which is on the west side of the River Trent, has normally formed part of it...
County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
, based in Lincoln, proposed to close the grammar school as it decided there were not enough numbers for three grammar schools in the area. On 18 February 1960 fifty-two boys and girls at the schools walked the twenty six miles to Lincoln. They gave a petition to the Council's Chairman, Sir Weston Cracroft Amcotts.
School visits
In 2008, The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
journalist Robert Crampton
Robert Crampton
Robert Crampton is an award-winning English journalist. He is also the son of Peter Crampton, former Member of the European Parliament for Humberside.-Early life:...
used his Beta Male column to ask for invitations to give speeches, to improve his public speaking skills. He received 400 invitations, but only accepted a handful, including Caistor Grammar School. He visited the school to give the speech in 2009, subsequently reporting on the experience in his newspaper.
School buildings
The school occupies a site close to the centre of the small market town of CaistorCaistor
See Caistor St Edmund for the Roman settlement in Norfolk or Caister-on-Sea for the town in NorfolkCaistor is a town and civil parish situated in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. As its name implies, it was originally a Roman castrum or fortress...
. School buildings help to form two sides of a close around the ancient parish church. The ironstone school hall dates from 1631, and is still in daily use. The school library alongside is housed in what was the Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, built in 1842. Casterby House, once a large private house, later one of three boarding houses, and now the Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
Centre, overlooks the churchyard from the south side of the school gates.
The main teaching block dates from the 1930s, but was extended and modernised in 1984. This building also contains classics and geography rooms. The Manning Building, replacing several prefabricated buildings, was opened in 1984 and provides teaching rooms for PE, modern languages and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, and contains a large gymnasium
Gymnasium
Gymnasium may refer to:*Gymnasium , educational and sporting institution*Gymnasium , type of secondary school that prepares students for higher education**Gymnasium **Gymnasium...
. It has recently been enlarged to provide extra classrooms and a state-of-the-art fitness suite, and allows the housing of the on-site sports facilities. Two new technology buildings were added in 1993 and 1994. These contain two rooms for design and technology, two specialist rooms for information and communication technology, and a sixth science laboratory.
At the bottom of the Terraces, Lindsey House, once a purpose-built boarding house, now includes a suite of English and mathematics rooms. The music department has been redecorated and occupies a suite of rooms on the ground floor and the art department uses creatively re-modeled accommodation on the ground and first floors. Lindsey House also contains the dining room which all pupils use at lunchtime. A lower entrance to the school serves Lindsey House. Next to the gates stands Beech House, traditionally the residence of the headmaster, where the site manager now lives. This extensive and ambitious re-development of Lindsey House was officially opened by Lord Puttnam of Queensgate in November 2001.
The third boarding house and Sixth Form Centre, Grove House, was at the top of the Terraces and was demolished because of structural problems. At one time a swimming pool occupied a building between Beech House and the Terraces, until rising operating and maintenance costs forced its removal. This was developed into the new hall, which is used for sports.
The school previously owned several other building in Caistor, including the "Red House" next to Bank Lane, which were used as accommodation when boarders were at the school. These have now however been sold off by the school.
In 2010, as part of the Government Building Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future is the name of the previous UK Government's investment programme in secondary school buildings in England. The program is very ambitious in its costs, timescales and objectives, with politicians from all English political parties supportive of the principle but...
scheme, Caistor Grammar School secured funding to build an extension to Lindsey House, to provide further renovated music facilities, another ICT facility and a room for food technology, something that is new to the CGS curriculum. The funding was secured only days before the scheme was scrapped by the Educational Secretary Michael Gove
Michael Gove
Michael Andrew Gove, MP is a British politician, who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Education and as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Surrey Heath constituency. He is also a published author and former journalist.Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen...
. The facilities were completed by the following Christmas, and were officially opened by celebrity chef Rachel Green
Rachel Green
Rachel Karen Green is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Jennifer Aniston. Aniston received an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe for her performances.-Background:...
on 24 May 2011.
Departments and curriculum
Caistor Grammar School pupils work a 43-period week over five days. One period is equal to 35 minutes. There are four periods used for lessons before lunch on Mondays and Fridays, on which there is a school assembly in the gym (although on Fridays years 7, 8 and 9 sometimes use the church), and five on the rest. In the afternoon, there are four lesson periods every day, for a total of nine periods in a day. The school day runs from morning registration at 8.50am, until the end of lessons at 3.45pm.Pupils are taught a variety of traditional subjects and modern languages remain compulsory to GCSE level. Caistor Grammar School does not offer vocational qualifications, only traditional GCSE, AS Level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
and A2 qualifications.
Entry exam
As a selective school, Caistor Grammar School requires prospective pupils to pass the Eleven plusEleven plus
In the United Kingdom, the 11-plus or Eleven plus is an examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education, governing admission to various types of secondary school. The name derives from the age group for secondary entry: 11–12 years...
examination. The current exam is set by the school. The first exam is a verbal reasoning paper and the second is multiple choice. The exams are held at the school approximately two weeks apart, and the results are issued up to a month after the last exam. In the event that more candidates pass the exam than there are places available, places are offered first to pupils from within the school's catchment area, which is defined as "6.5 miles in a straight line from the Head Master's Office to the applicant's residence".
Candidates from outside the catchment area are awarded places depending on their score in the examinations. Candidates that pass but cannot be offered a place are organised onto a waiting list. The exams can be retaken at year 9, but there is no guarantee that the child will get a place, and the only guarantee is that the child is moved to a higher position on the waiting list.
Houses
All pupils belong to one of three houseHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
s which are named after the school's founder, Francis Rawlinson; the school patron, Edward Ayscough; and the school benefactor, William Hansard. Pupils represent their house in a wide range of interhouse competitions throughout the school. These include the annual sports day, house music and house drama events. Merits awarded also count for a pupil's house, with the house cup being awarded each year to the house with the most.
Sixth form pupils take over most of the running of each house. Every year lower sixth pupils run for the positions of house captains, sports captains or drama captains (each with a male and female role).
Each house also has a representing colour:
Hansard is yellow
Ayscough is blue
Rawlinson is green
Uniform
All pupils below the sixth form are required to wear school uniform. For boys, this is a black blazer with badge, a red and black striped school tie, white shirt, grey trousers, dark grey socks and black shoes. A grey pullover is optional. Girls wear a blazer, optional black pullover, a grey and white striped school blouse, a grey box-pleated skirt and white socks or black opaque tights. Black trousers of the approved pattern are allowed as an alternative to skirts for girls. Pupils in the sixth form are not required to wear uniform, but are expected to observe a code which asks them to dress like young professionals.Notable former pupils
- Dawn French, actress (1969–70) when her father was stationed at the former RAF FaldingworthRAF FaldingworthRAF Faldingworth was an airfield used by RAF Bomber Command during and after World War II. It was located close to the village of Faldingworth in Lincolnshire...
- Anne Gibson, Baroness Gibson of Market RasenAnne Gibson, Baroness Gibson of Market RasenAnne Gibson, Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen is a British trade unionist and author of several pamphlets about industrial laws....
, trade unionist - Thomas Little Heath, scholar
- Henry NewboltHenry NewboltSir Henry John Newbolt, CH was an English poet. He is best remembered for Vitaï Lampada, a lyrical piece used for propaganda purposes during the First World War.-Background:...
, poet - Wayne NoonWayne NoonWayne Michael Noon is a former professional cricket wicket-keeper and batsman.Noon attended Caistor Grammar School, Caistor, Lincolnshire....
, cricketer - David RicardoDavid RicardoDavid Ricardo was an English political economist, often credited with systematising economics, and was one of the most influential of the classical economists, along with Thomas Malthus, Adam Smith, and John Stuart Mill. He was also a member of Parliament, businessman, financier and speculator,...
, political economist