Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School
Encyclopedia
Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School, formerly known as Sexey's School and Sexey's Grammar School, is a middle school
and specialist Technology College
in Blackford
, Somerset
, England. The school has 662 pupils, who join aged 9 in year 5 and stay until age 13 in year 8, after which they go to The Kings of Wessex Academy in Cheddar. The headteacher is Jenny Venning. Because the school educates pupils of secondary school
age it has middle deemed secondary status.
Former pupils are known as Old Sexonians.
(1556–1619), a royal auditor of the Exchequer
to Queen Elizabeth I
and later King James I
. After his death the trustees of his will
established Sexey's Hospital
in Bruton
as an institution to care for the elderly, and Sexey's School
in Bruton, which still exists today.
Sexey's School in Blackford was originally opened in 1897 in a barn in nearby Stoughton, with 13 pupils. The Blackford site opened in 1899 with around 60 pupils, of which around 20 were boarders
. It became Sexey's Grammar School in 1948, and ceased to be a boarding school in 1966. The 1976 Education Act abolished the tripartite education system
of grammar
and secondary modern
schools in England and Wales. Up to this point, the area was served by Sexey's Grammar School and The Kings of Wessex School (a secondary modern school) and Sexey's Grammar School in nearby Cheddar
. In 1976, the three-tier
Cheddar Valley Community Learning Partnership was established, creating a system of first
, middle
and comprehensive upper
schools in the area. The Kings of Wessex School became a comprehensive, Sexey's Grammar School became Hugh Sexey Middle School serving half of the Cheddar Valley, and Fairlands Middle School
was established to serve the other half.
In September 2010, Hugh Sexey was one of the first two middle schools in England to be awarded specialist Technology College
status.
.
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and specialist Technology College
Technology College
Technology College is a term used in the United Kingdom for a secondary specialist school that focuses on design and technology, mathematics and science. These were the first type of specialist schools, beginning in 1994. In 2008 there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also...
in Blackford
Blackford, Somerset
Blackford is a village in Somerset, England, situated beside the A303 road, south west of Wincanton in the South Somerset district. There are two other places called Blackford in Somerset — one is a village near Wedmore, the other a tiny hamlet between Porlock and Minehead.It is part of the...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. The school has 662 pupils, who join aged 9 in year 5 and stay until age 13 in year 8, after which they go to The Kings of Wessex Academy in Cheddar. The headteacher is Jenny Venning. Because the school educates pupils of secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
age it has middle deemed secondary status.
Former pupils are known as Old Sexonians.
History
The school is named after Hugh SexeyHugh Sexey
Hugh Sexey was born near Bruton, Somerset and attended Bruton Grammar School. By the age of 43 he had been appointed as Royal auditor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I and later King James I...
(1556–1619), a royal auditor of the Exchequer
Exchequer
The Exchequer is a government department of the United Kingdom responsible for the management and collection of taxation and other government revenues. The historical Exchequer developed judicial roles...
to Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
and later King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. After his death the trustees of his will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
established Sexey's Hospital
Sexey's Hospital
Sexey's Hospital in Bruton, Somerset, England was built around 1630 as almshouses. The West Wing and chapel have been designated as a Grade I listed building. The East Wing and gateway are grade II listed....
in Bruton
Bruton
Bruton is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Brue seven miles south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, ten miles north-west of Gillingham and twelve miles south-west of Frome in the South Somerset district. The town has a...
as an institution to care for the elderly, and Sexey's School
Sexey's School
Sexey's School is a state boarding school in Bruton, Somerset, England that also takes some day pupils from the surrounding area. Sexey's School is named after Hugh Sexey who, in 1599, was appointed as a Royal auditor to Elizabeth I and later as a Royal auditor to James I. Sexey's Hospital was...
in Bruton, which still exists today.
Sexey's School in Blackford was originally opened in 1897 in a barn in nearby Stoughton, with 13 pupils. The Blackford site opened in 1899 with around 60 pupils, of which around 20 were boarders
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. It became Sexey's Grammar School in 1948, and ceased to be a boarding school in 1966. The 1976 Education Act abolished the tripartite education system
Tripartite System
The Tripartite System was the arrangement of state funded secondary education between 1944 and the 1970s in England and Wales, and from 1947 to 2009 in Northern Ireland....
of grammar
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
and secondary modern
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
schools in England and Wales. Up to this point, the area was served by Sexey's Grammar School and The Kings of Wessex School (a secondary modern school) and Sexey's Grammar School in nearby Cheddar
Cheddar
Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, north-west of Wells. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross...
. In 1976, the three-tier
Three-tier education
Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types. A similar experiment was also trialled in Scotland....
Cheddar Valley Community Learning Partnership was established, creating a system of first
First School
First school and lower school are terms used in some areas of the United Kingdom to describe the first stage of primary education. Some English Local Education Authorities have introduced First Schools since the 1960s...
, middle
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and comprehensive upper
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
schools in the area. The Kings of Wessex School became a comprehensive, Sexey's Grammar School became Hugh Sexey Middle School serving half of the Cheddar Valley, and Fairlands Middle School
Fairlands Middle School
Fairlands Middle School is a middle school with 510 pupils aged between 9 and 13,located in Cheddar, Somerset, England.The school, which was established in 1976,...
was established to serve the other half.
In September 2010, Hugh Sexey was one of the first two middle schools in England to be awarded specialist Technology College
Technology College
Technology College is a term used in the United Kingdom for a secondary specialist school that focuses on design and technology, mathematics and science. These were the first type of specialist schools, beginning in 1994. In 2008 there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also...
status.
Notable alumni
Notable alumni of Sexey's Grammar School include Chris Phillips (1956–2007), the former chief executive of Scottish WidowsScottish Widows
Scottish Widows plc is a life, pensions and investment company located in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group. Its product range includes life assurance, pensions, investments and savings...
.
External links
- Old Sexonians, alumni society