Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle
Encyclopedia
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle, is a selective, co-educational
, foundation status
Grammar School
and Sixth Form College
in the market town
of Horncastle, Lincolnshire
. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth's gained joint specialist status for science and mathematics in
partnership with Banovallum School
, Horncastle's secondary modern school
. A second specialism for modern languages was added
in 2008. As of January 2009, there were 877 pupils on roll, of whom 271 were studying in the Sixth Form.
Although royally chartered by Queen Elizabeth I
in 1571, there had at this time already been a formal school in Horncastle for 250 years. The original charter document, with its royal seal, remains in the custody of the school's governors.
The school's catchment area includes the town of Horncastle and the surrounding area up to and beyond Wragby
, Bardney
and Woodhall Spa
to the west, the Lincolnshire Wolds
to the north and east, and almost to Boston
in the south. It also includes the children from RAF Coningsby
.
. The School received its seal on 25 June 1571 and the charter document remains in the possession of the present school governors.
Originally, the school was built on a site adjoining the River Bain
close to St Mary's Parish Church. It was demolished and rebuilt after the Civil War
on the same site, remaining there until the first decade of the 20th century when in 1908 the present dining hall was the first building to be established on the current school site. The summer of 2008 was the school's 100th year on the present site and was duly marked by several centenary celebrations.
, Queen Elizabeth's had been an independent school
. Following the Act the school voluntarily handed over control and finance responsibility to the Local Authority.
, schools were offered a choice of returning to local authority control or opting for foundation status
. Foundation status offered an environment within the education authority but with autonomous school governors
controlling admissions criteria and standards for the school, directly hiring and employing the school's staff and holding ownership of the school's estate. This was the route the school selected and Queen Elizabeth's now enjoys foundation status which allows a degree of independence from the Local Authority.
The Latin wording around the school badge includes the word 'liberae' meaning free. Even while the school was a fully independent fee paying school, Queen Elizabeth's has always prided itself on providing talented and gifted girls or boys with a free education. Previously the endowment of land by generous benefactors made this possible throughout most of the school's history. Today, as a foundation school, the same principle still holds true.
is mandatory for all pupils. For years 7 to 11, this consists of a maroon blazer
and maroon/blue/white tie. In the sixth form
, boys wear a black blazer and black and gold tie, while girls wear a blue blazer with a blue and silver tie.
The main building contains 30 classrooms, 4 IT rooms, school offices, a main hall, a sports centre, a sixth form block and a library.
There are several outer buildings including the science and music blocks. This contains two music classrooms along with practice rooms, a large drama studio and lighting balcony, and 2 art classrooms and a gallery.
, as well as Lincoln, Lincolnshire
and its surrounding area.
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
, foundation status
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....
Grammar School
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 Sixth Form College
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
in the market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Horncastle, 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...
. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth's gained joint specialist status for science and mathematics in
partnership with Banovallum School
Banovallum School
The Banovallum School is a co-educational secondary modern school in Horncastle, East Lindsey in Lincolnshire LEA.-History:The school was built in the early 1960s. The previous school it replaced was called the Cagthorpe School. It is a specialist science college...
, Horncastle's secondary modern school
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...
. A second specialism for modern languages was added
in 2008. As of January 2009, there were 877 pupils on roll, of whom 271 were studying in the Sixth Form.
Although royally chartered by 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...
in 1571, there had at this time already been a formal school in Horncastle for 250 years. The original charter document, with its royal seal, remains in the custody of the school's governors.
The school's catchment area includes the town of Horncastle and the surrounding area up to and beyond Wragby
Wragby
Wragby is a small town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is located approximately north-west from Horncastle and about north east of the city of Lincoln.- History :...
, Bardney
Bardney
Bardney is a village and Civil Parish east of Lincoln, sitting on the north side of the River Witham in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-The village:...
and Woodhall Spa
Woodhall Spa
Woodhall Spa is a civil parish and village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England within a wooded area on the Southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, about south-west of Horncastle and about east-south-east of Lincoln...
to the west, the Lincolnshire Wolds
Lincolnshire Wolds
The Lincolnshire Wolds is a range of hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , and the highest area of land in eastern England between Yorkshire and Kent...
to the north and east, and almost to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in the south. It also includes the children from RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
.
Foundation
A school is known to have existed in Horncastle as far back as 1327 but records of the present school effectively begin when Queen Elizabeth I granted the charter to establish a grammar school in Horncastle, on the petition of Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of LincolnEdward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln
Edward Fiennes, 1st Earl of Lincoln, KG, also known as Edward Clinton was an English nobleman and Lord High Admiral.-Background:...
. The School received its seal on 25 June 1571 and the charter document remains in the possession of the present school governors.
Originally, the school was built on a site adjoining the River Bain
River Bain
The River Bain is a river in Lincolnshire, England, and a tributary of the River Witham.The Bain rises in the Lincolnshire Wolds at Ludford, a village on The Viking Way long-distance footpath, and flows through or past the villages of Burgh on Bain, Biscathorpe, Donington on Bain, Goulceby with...
close to St Mary's Parish Church. It was demolished and rebuilt after the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
on the same site, remaining there until the first decade of the 20th century when in 1908 the present dining hall was the first building to be established on the current school site. The summer of 2008 was the school's 100th year on the present site and was duly marked by several centenary celebrations.
Coeducation and expansion
For much of its existence, Queen Elizabeth's was a boys' only day and boarding school. Girls were only admitted for the first time around the late 1900s. Since then the school has continued to expand, with further buildings added as the number on roll has increased. Up to the Education Act of 1944Education 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...
, Queen Elizabeth's had been an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
. Following the Act the school voluntarily handed over control and finance responsibility to the Local Authority.
Change of status
In the Autumn of 1991, the parents voted overwhelmingly for the school to become a self governing grant maintained school. When grant maintained status was abolished by the new Labour government under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998School Standards and Framework Act 1998
The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was the major education legislation passed by the incoming Labour government of Tony Blair.This Act:* imposed a limit of 30 on infant class sizes....
, schools were offered a choice of returning to local authority control or opting for foundation status
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....
. Foundation status offered an environment within the education authority but with autonomous school governors
School governors
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, school governors are members of a school's Governing Body. In state schools they have responsibility for raising school standards through their three key roles of setting strategic direction, ensuring accountability and acting as a critical friend...
controlling admissions criteria and standards for the school, directly hiring and employing the school's staff and holding ownership of the school's estate. This was the route the school selected and Queen Elizabeth's now enjoys foundation status which allows a degree of independence from the Local Authority.
The Latin wording around the school badge includes the word 'liberae' meaning free. Even while the school was a fully independent fee paying school, Queen Elizabeth's has always prided itself on providing talented and gifted girls or boys with a free education. Previously the endowment of land by generous benefactors made this possible throughout most of the school's history. Today, as a foundation school, the same principle still holds true.
Ofsted report
The most recent Ofsted inspection took place in January 2009. The inspector described the school as follows:- Queen Elizabeth's is a good and improving school, highly regarded by the local community. Its capacity to sustain improvement in the future is also good. The school's specialism in science and mathematics is strongly felt, not only in the enhanced resources and rising levels of attainment in these subjects, but also in excellent collaborative work with other secondary and primary schools. A carefully constructed induction programme involving visits and high quality 'workshop' activities ensure that Year 7 students are fully prepared for the challenges of their new school.
Selection
Entry at age eleven is determined by the school's own selection procedures, which remain in line with those operating in other parts of the county. Normally the school commences four forms of students annually, representing the top 25% of the catchment area ability range. Continuation to the school's Sixth Form is open to all students for whom the school can provide a suitable course of study.Academic life
The school is made up of three parts:- Lower School (Years 7, 8 and 9)
- Middle School (Years 10 and 11 - GCSE Years)
- Upper School (the Sixth Form - A Level Years)
Curriculum
The subjects taught at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle are:- EnglishEnglish studiesEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
- Maths
- Statistics (GCSE only)
- ScienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
(Biology, Chemistry and Physics) - GeographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
- HistoryHistoryHistory 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...
- TechnologyTechnologyTechnology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
- MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
- ArtArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
- DramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
- Media StudiesMedia studiesMedia studies is an academic discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history and effects of various media; in particular, the 'mass media'. Media studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly from its core disciplines of mass...
- ICTICT (education)Information and communication technologies in education deal with the use of information and communication technologies within educational technology.-Purpose:...
- FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
- GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
- SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
- Business StudiesBusiness studiesBusiness studies is an academic subject taught at higher level in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, as well as at university level in many countries...
- Religious Studies / Education
- GeologyGeologyGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
School uniform
School uniformSchool uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
is mandatory for all pupils. For years 7 to 11, this consists of a maroon blazer
Blazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
and maroon/blue/white tie. In 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,...
, boys wear a black blazer and black and gold tie, while girls wear a blue blazer with a blue and silver tie.
School estate
The school consists of the main school building and several outer buildings.The main building contains 30 classrooms, 4 IT rooms, school offices, a main hall, a sports centre, a sixth form block and a library.
There are several outer buildings including the science and music blocks. This contains two music classrooms along with practice rooms, a large drama studio and lighting balcony, and 2 art classrooms and a gallery.
Sports facilities
The facilities at the school are:- Three football pitches
- Five netball courts
- Nine tennis courts
- Two grass hockey pitches
- One cricket pitch with three outdoor nets
- Athletics track
- Trim track
- Gymnasium including table tennis
- Sports hall
- Four rounders pitches
- Four outdoor table tennis tables
Transport arrangements
A fleet of contract and services buses, organised by the education authority, provides free transport for pupils in the school's catchment area, who live more than three miles from the school. The school is also served by a privately organised service for out of catchment area pupils from the Sibsey and Stickney areas to the north of BostonBoston, Lincolnshire
Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
, as well as Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
and its surrounding area.
Sporting achievement
- Pupils represented county and higher level in sports such as cricket, hockey, tennis, football and squash.
- Many of the schools sports team won county competitions and went on to national level.
- Several teams played sports in other countries.
Notable former pupils
- Robert WebbRobert Webb (actor)Robert Webb is an English actor, comedian and writer, and one half of the double act Mitchell and Webb, alongside David Mitchell.-Early life:...
: Actor/comedian who has appeared in shows such as Peep ShowPeep Show (TV series)Peep Show is a British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. The television programme is written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, with additional material by Mitchell and Webb themselves, amongst others. It has been broadcast on Channel 4 since 2003. The show's seventh series makes it...
and That Mitchell and Webb LookThat Mitchell and Webb LookThat Mitchell and Webb Look is a British television sketch show starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Shown on BBC Two since 2006, its first two series were directed by David Kerr, who also directed Mitchell and Webb's previous television sketch show The Mitchell and Webb Situation, whereas... - Boothby GraffoeBoothby Graffoe (comedian)Boothby Graffoe , is an English comedian, singer, songwriter and playwright. He is particularly known for his surreal sense of humour and work with Canadian band Barenaked Ladies.-Early life:...
: Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
comedian - The Reverend Jonnie Parkin: Current Chaplain of Leicester Cathedral.
- Ben PridmoreBen Pridmore-Achievements:Pridmore is the 2009 World Memory Champion, a title he also won in 2004 and 2008. From Derby in the United Kingdom, Pridmore achieved this by winning a 10-discipline competition, the World Memory Championship, which has taken place every year since 1991.He held the official world...
: World Memory Champion 2004 and 2008 (current) - Amy Ward (Stage name Amy Alexandra): Glamour model and Big Brother 8Big Brother 2007 (UK)Big Brother 2007 was the eighth series of the United Kingdom reality television programme Big Brother, airing on Channel 4, with a number of closely associated programmes also airing on E4....
contestant. Now the 'face' of Television XTelevision XTelevision X is the name of a series of adult television channels in the UK, produced by Portland TV, a subsidiary of Northern & Shell owned by Richard Desmond, the proprietor of the Daily Express...
. - Henry Simpson LunnHenry Simpson LunnSir Henry Simpson Lunn was an English humanitarian and religious figure, and also founder of Lunn Poly, one of the UK's largest travel companies....
: Founder of the Lunn PolyLunn PolyLunn Poly was the largest chain of travel agents in the United Kingdom. The company originated from two successful travel agencies which had been established in 1890s; The Polytechnic Touring Association and Sir Henry Lunn Travel. Both firms were acquired in the 1950s by the British Eagle airline...
travel agents - Mark Kent: UK Ambassador to Vietnam 2008-
- Colin Bailey: Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire PoliceNottinghamshire PoliceNottinghamshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the shire county of Nottinghamshire and the unitary authority of Nottingham in the East Midlands of England. The area has a population of just over 1 million....
1995-2000 - MaddyMaddyMaddy or Maddie is a shortened form of the name Madeleine, Madeline, Madalena, Madelaine, Madison, Maddison or Madhur.It may refer to:People:* Maddie Blaustein , voice actor* Maddy Crippen , American former medley swimmer...
and Victoria Wilding: Two thirds of girl band Brit Chix who reached the semi-finals of the 2009 reality TV show Britain's Got Talent (series 3)Britain's Got Talent (series 3)The 2009 series of Britain's Got Talent was the third series of the programme. It began airing on ITV on 11 April. The 2009 panel of judges consisted of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan...
. - Kitty Lea (aka Katie Lea) Glamor Model, DJ and Actress
- Arthur ThistlewoodArthur ThistlewoodArthur Thistlewood was a British conspirator in the Cato Street Conspiracy.-Early life:He was born in Tupholme the extramarital son of a farmer and stockbreeder. He attended Horncastle Grammar School and was trained as a land surveyor. Unsatisfied with his job, he obtained a commission in the army...
: British conspirator in the Cato Street ConspiracyCato Street ConspiracyThe Cato Street Conspiracy was an attempt to murder all the British cabinet ministers and Prime Minister Lord Liverpool in 1820. The name comes from the meeting place near Edgware Road in London. The Cato Street Conspiracy is notable due to dissenting public opinions regarding the punishment of the...
. - Alfred Lodge, mathematician and former head boy. President of the Mathematical AssociationMathematical AssociationThe Mathematical Association is a professional society concerned with mathematics education in the UK.-History:It was founded in 1871 as the Association for the Improvement of Geometrical Teaching and renamed to the Mathematical Association in 1897. It was the first teachers' subject organisation...
from 1897-8. One of several brothers of Sir Oliver Lodge, the physicist, who it is claimed by Henry Lunn, also attended the school. Alfred and Oliver's uncle, Samuel Lodge, was the headmaster at the time. At one point, seven of the Lodge brothers were attending the school at the same time. - Daniel Judson (Dan Judson): former media studies student, now a radio presenter for local stations Lincs FMLincs FMLincs FM is an Independent Local Radio station serving Lincolnshire and Newark, from the Humber to The Wash. It is the current holder of the licence which was advertised by the Radio Authority on 4 March 1991.-Background:...
and Compass FMCompass FMCompass FM is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting from Lincs FM in Lincoln. The station serves Grimsby, Immingham and Cleethorpes and is part of the Lincs FM Group. It's strap line is 'The Music You Love'.-Format:...
. - Abigail TarttelinAbigail TarttelinAbigail Jane Kathryn Tarttelin is an English actress and novelist.-Early life:Tarttelin was born in Grimsby, England. Her paternal grandfather is artist David Tarttelin. She grew up in North East England...
, actor, writer and novelist.