Kingston Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Kingston Grammar School is an independent co-educational school in Kingston upon Thames
, Greater London
. The school was founded by Royal Charter in 1561 but can trace its roots back to at least the 13th century. It is a registered charity
under English law.
In 2009 the GCSE
results recorded 82.3% of all grades being A or A*. The Good Schools Guide described the school as "An academic school with a modern edge".
, where there are references to schoolmasters like Gilbert de Southwell in 1272, described as "Rector of the Schools in Kingston", and to Hugh de Kyngeston in 1364 "who presides over the Public School there". Notable in the school's history are the founding and endowing of the Lovekyn Chapel by John
and then Edward Lovekyn in 1309-1352 and later by William Walworth
in 1371. The chapel is still used by the school.
After the dissolution of the chantries in 1547, the chapel fell to the Crown
and was deconsecrated. It, and by now its substantial related endowments, fell to a court favourite, Richard Taverner
. He preserved the chapel so when in 1561 the bailiffs of Kingston petitioned Queen Elizabeth I
for a royal grammar school, the building was still usable. Elizabeth granted the school a Royal Charter
in 1561.
The school became a direct grant grammar school in 1946 as a result of the Education Act 1944
and chose to become independent when direct grants were abolished by the 1974–9 Labour Government. It is now a co-educational day school for students between the ages of ten and nineteen and is represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
. The school has remained true to its Grammar School heritage by offering a high proportion of academic and sporting scholarships as well fee assisted places.
It celebrated the four hundredth anniversary of its charter in 1961 with a visit from Queen Elizabeth II
. In 2005 Her Majesty opened the new Queen Elizabeth the Second building (a.k.a. the QEII Building), where she unveiled a plaque, met with students of Music and Geography and watched an excerpt of the play "Smike" after which the new Recording Studio was named.
The school has named its four houses
after Queen Elizabeth (Queens house), William Walworth (Walworth house), Richard Taverner (Taverner house) and Edward Lovekyn (Lovekyn house). It also celebrates the school's founders once a year with a day of Commemoration in March. In 2011 the school celebrated its 450th anniversary with a number of high profile events, including music concerts, sports events and the hosting of BBC Radio 4’s ‘Any Questions?’.
The school's sports ground, with several acres of playing fields and a boathouse on the Thames, is at Thames Ditton
, opposite Hampton Court Palace
.
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
, Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. The school was founded by Royal Charter in 1561 but can trace its roots back to at least the 13th century. It is a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
under English law.
In 2009 the GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
results recorded 82.3% of all grades being A or A*. The Good Schools Guide described the school as "An academic school with a modern edge".
History
The school's history is traceable into the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, where there are references to schoolmasters like Gilbert de Southwell in 1272, described as "Rector of the Schools in Kingston", and to Hugh de Kyngeston in 1364 "who presides over the Public School there". Notable in the school's history are the founding and endowing of the Lovekyn Chapel by John
John Lovekyn
Sir John Lovekyn was a City of London fishmonger who was three times Lord Mayor of London.He served as Sheriff of the City of London in 1342 and first became Lord Mayor in 1348, and was elected to a second term in 1358. His third term was more unexpected. On 28 October 1365, Adam de Bury was...
and then Edward Lovekyn in 1309-1352 and later by William Walworth
William Walworth
Sir William Walworth , was twice Lord Mayor of London . He is best known for killing Wat Tyler.His family came from Durham...
in 1371. The chapel is still used by the school.
After the dissolution of the chantries in 1547, the chapel fell to the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
and was deconsecrated. It, and by now its substantial related endowments, fell to a court favourite, Richard Taverner
Richard Taverner
Richard Taverner is best known for his Bible translation, The Most Sacred Bible whiche is the holy scripture, conteyning the old and new testament, translated into English, and newly recognized with great diligence after most faythful exemplars by Rychard Taverner, commonly known as Taverner's...
. He preserved the chapel so when in 1561 the bailiffs of Kingston petitioned 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...
for a royal grammar school, the building was still usable. Elizabeth granted the school a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1561.
The school became a direct grant grammar school in 1946 as a result of the Education Act 1944
Education Act 1944
The Education Act 1944 changed the education system for secondary schools in England and Wales. This Act, commonly named after the Conservative politician R.A...
and chose to become independent when direct grants were abolished by the 1974–9 Labour Government. It is now a co-educational day school for students between the ages of ten and nineteen and is represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
. The school has remained true to its Grammar School heritage by offering a high proportion of academic and sporting scholarships as well fee assisted places.
It celebrated the four hundredth anniversary of its charter in 1961 with a visit from Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. In 2005 Her Majesty opened the new Queen Elizabeth the Second building (a.k.a. the QEII Building), where she unveiled a plaque, met with students of Music and Geography and watched an excerpt of the play "Smike" after which the new Recording Studio was named.
The school has named its four houses
House 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...
after Queen Elizabeth (Queens house), William Walworth (Walworth house), Richard Taverner (Taverner house) and Edward Lovekyn (Lovekyn house). It also celebrates the school's founders once a year with a day of Commemoration in March. In 2011 the school celebrated its 450th anniversary with a number of high profile events, including music concerts, sports events and the hosting of BBC Radio 4’s ‘Any Questions?’.
Facilities
The school is on London Road, and there are three main buildings:- The Chemistry, Physics, Biology, German, French, Spanish, History and Politics, Economics and Psychology departments are housed in the Fairfield Building.
- Geography, English, Religious Studies, Classics, Mathematics, Music and Drama departments are housed in the recently opened Queen Elizabeth II (QE2) Building.
- The main London Road Building, which connects to the Finlay Gallery which contains the D.T. and Art departments.
- The Christopher Charles building, a recent addition to the school, houses solely the Sixth-form common room as well as a few municipal classrooms.
The school's sports ground, with several acres of playing fields and a boathouse on the Thames, is at Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey...
, opposite Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
.
Notable former pupils
- Paul Butler (bishop) — Bishop of Southwell and NottinghamBishop of Southwell and NottinghamThe Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham in the Province of York.The diocese covers including the whole of Nottinghamshire and a small area of South Yorkshire...
- William Gilbert ChalonerWilliam Gilbert ChalonerProfessor William Gilbert Chaloner FRS is a distinguished British paleobotanist. He is Emeritus Professor of Botany in the Earth Sciences Department at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Visiting Professor in Earth Sciences at University College, London.-Life:Chaloner was born in Chelsea,...
— paleobiologist, Royal Holloway - Richard Ian CheethamRichard Ian CheethamRichard Ian Cheetham is the current Anglican Area Bishop of Kingston-upon-Thames. He was educated at Kingston Grammar School and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. After five years as a science teacher and two as an investment analyst he was ordained in 1987...
— Bishop of Kingston-upon-Thames - James CracknellJames CracknellJames Cracknell, OBE is a British rowing champion and double Olympic gold medalist and adventurer. Cracknell is married to TV and radio presenter Beverley Turner; they have three children. In the New Year Honours List, 2004, he was appointed OBE for services to sport...
— Olympic rowing gold medallist, adventurer - Richard DoddsRichard DoddsRichard David Allan Dodds OBE is a former field hockey player, who was captain of the gold medal-winning Great Britain team at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul...
— captain of Great Britain Olympic 1988 gold medal hockey team - Neil Fox — Dr Fox, radio DJ
- Michael FraynMichael FraynMichael J. Frayn is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce Noises Off and the dramas Copenhagen and Democracy...
— playwright and novelist - Edward GibbonEdward GibbonEdward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament...
— author, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman EmpireThe History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman EmpireThe History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is a non-fiction history book written by English historian Edward Gibbon and published in six volumes. Volume I was published in 1776, and went through six printings. Volumes II and III were published in 1781; volumes IV, V, VI in 1788–89... - Air Marshall Sir Gerald Gibbs (RAF officer)Gerald Gibbs (RAF officer)Air Marshal Sir Gerald Ernest Gibbs KBE, CIE, MC & Two Bars, RAF was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the first half of the 20th century and the last RAF commander-in-chief of the Indian Air Force. During World War I he scored 10 victories , becoming a double ace...
— RAF officer - Tanya GoldTanya GoldTanya Gold is a British journalist. She has written for a variety of newspapers in the United Kingdom, including The Guardian, the Daily Mail, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and the Evening Standard. In 2009 she was highly commended in the Feature Writer of the Year category at the British...
— The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
journalist - Jonathan KenworthyJonathan KenworthyJonathan Martin Kenworthy is a British sculptor and Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors.-Biography:...
, sculptor - Tyler Mason — Soldier, recipient of the QCVS
- Leif MillsLeif MillsLeif Mills is a former British trade unionist.Mills was educated at Kingston Grammar School and went on to study at Balliol College, Oxford before undertaking national service in the Royal Military Police...
— author and former trade unionist - Neil MullarkeyNeil MullarkeyNeil Mullarkey is an English actor, writer and comedian.Mullarkey studied at Robinson College, Cambridge; while he was there he was Junior Treasurer of the Cambridge Footlights in the academic year 1981 to 1982 and was president in the year ending 1983...
— actor, writer and comedian - Jonathon Riley — Director General and Master of the Armouries
- R. C. SherriffR. C. Sherriff-External links:**...
— playwright, who donated five rowing "eight"s (named after his plays: "Journey's End", "White Carnation", "Home at Seven", "Long Sunset" and "Badger's Green") to the school boat club in the 1960s and 1970s - Sir Denis SpotswoodDenis SpotswoodMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Denis Frank Spotswood GCB, CBE, DSO, DFC, RAF was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force.-RAF career:...
— Chief of the Air Staff, 1971-1974 - Howard StoateHoward StoateHoward Geoffrey Alvan Stoate is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for the Dartford constituency in Kent from 1997 to 2010.-Early life:...
— MP for Dartford - Andy SturgeonAndy SturgeonAndy Sturgeon is an English garden designer, who won the 2010 Chelsea Flower Show best in show award.The son of a bank manager, Sturgeon was raised in Claygate, Surrey, and educated at Kingston Grammar School....
— garden designer - Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth
Sources
- Chantry Chapel to Royal Grammar School: the History of Kingston Grammar School 1299–1999 by The Rev David Ward and Gordon W. Evans