Queen Elizabeth's High School
Encyclopedia
Queen Elizabeth's High School is an 11-18 co-educational selective state grammar school
, based in Gainsborough
in western Lincolnshire
, England.
The school is selective
; pupils wishing to enter at age 11 must sit and pass the Eleven Plus
exam prior to entry. The school is a centre for sitting the exam.
In its 2008 Ofsted
report the school achieved a Grade 1 (outstanding) level in all but 4 areas, and was cited as having a "Healthy School Status".
, owing to the prominent Puritan sympathies of many associated with the school who sought to avoid detection, and so had the incriminating records destroyed.
Queen Elizabeth's High School formally originates however in 1589, when Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to Sir Robert Somerscale in order to establish Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for boys, with the express purpose of providing an education in the Classics and Divinity for the sons of the emerging middle class in the town. In 1828, the Chartist
poet Thomas Cooper
sought to set up a rival grammar school, but failed, and saw his school absorbed by QEHS. Gainsborough High School, a grammar school
for girls, was founded in 1920.
they became fully state grammar schools, having been fee-paying before then. The schools merged to form the current setup of QEHS in 1983.
at the school: Austen
, Brunel
, Churchill
, Darwin
, Elgar and Scott
; all named after notable Britons.
The house system was changed in 2008 and they were previously known as Frobisher
, Drake
, Raleigh
and Grenville
.
Music has a long history at QEHS, with the Anglican choral composer W. Stanley Vann
being head of Music during the 1930s.
Recent drama productions have included Return to the Forbidden Planet
, Godspell
and Disco Inferno.
, Spanish
or German
. At the end of year 7 students take up an additional language from French, German or Spanish. They must then take a GCSE in either French, German or Spanish, and students may take either French or German at A-Level.
Latin has been phased out of the curriculum in favour of Spanish.
in 1999.
Inter-school matches are played against other grammar school
s in Lincolnshire, and a few public schools
and secondary modern schools. In recent years cricket has proved a strong success, with several sides winning the county schools' competition, and several Ganians representing Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire at county level.
Pupils are encouraged to serve the community, and several do volunteer work in the local area. Many Sixth-Formers have taken part in Young Enterprise
.
Debating teams have won several competitions locally and nationally, including the Youth Speaks Competition.
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...
, based in Gainsborough
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Gainsborough is a town 15 miles north-west of Lincoln on the River Trent within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. At one time it served as an important port with trade downstream to Hull, and was the most inland in England, being more than 55 miles from the North...
in western 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...
, England.
The school is selective
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....
; pupils wishing to enter at age 11 must sit and pass the Eleven Plus
Eleven 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...
exam prior to entry. The school is a centre for sitting the exam.
In its 2008 Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
report the school achieved a Grade 1 (outstanding) level in all but 4 areas, and was cited as having a "Healthy School Status".
Origins
Although the details are unclear, Gainsborough appears to have had a small grammar school from the 15th century provided by the local clergy, where possibly several of the Pilgrim Fathers received their early education. Lessons were first held in a room above the porch of the original All Saints church. Many of the school's early records were lost during the reign of Charles ICharles 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...
, owing to the prominent Puritan sympathies of many associated with the school who sought to avoid detection, and so had the incriminating records destroyed.
Queen Elizabeth's High School formally originates however in 1589, when Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to Sir Robert Somerscale in order to establish Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for boys, with the express purpose of providing an education in the Classics and Divinity for the sons of the emerging middle class in the town. In 1828, the Chartist
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
poet Thomas Cooper
Thomas Cooper (poet)
Thomas Cooper was a poet and one of the leading Chartists. He wrote poetry, notably the 944 stanzas of his prison-rhyme the Purgatory of Suicides , novels and, in later life, religious texts...
sought to set up a rival grammar school, but failed, and saw his school absorbed by QEHS. Gainsborough High School, a 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...
for girls, was founded in 1920.
Amalgamation
From 1795 until 1940 QEGS was located on Cox's Hill, at what is now the Hickman Hill Hotel. In 1940 both schools re-situated to the present Morton Terrace site, on which the local technical college was also based. Under the Tripartite SystemTripartite 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....
they became fully state grammar schools, having been fee-paying before then. The schools merged to form the current setup of QEHS in 1983.
Recent history
Mr. John Child MA (Cantab.) served as Headteacher from 1995 until 2006. The school grew during this period, particularly the sixth form. Mr David Smart took over between 2006 and 2009. Mr PW Russell took over as Acting Headteacher during April to September 2009 and at the start of the new term Mr David Allsop started as Headteacher and Mr PW Russell returned to his Deputy Headteacher role.School administration and structure
Each year from 7 to 11 has ca. 180 students, and each year is divided into 6 forms (the Sixth Form years generally contain approximately 145 students and are divided into six smaller forms — however, from 2011, cohorts of 180 were accepted into the Sixth Form due to high demand).The House system
There are six housesHouse 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...
at the school: Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
, Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
, Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
, Elgar and Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
; all named after notable Britons.
The house system was changed in 2008 and they were previously known as Frobisher
Martin Frobisher
Sir Martin Frobisher was an English seaman who made three voyages to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage...
, Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
, Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
and Grenville
George Grenville
George Grenville was a British Whig statesman who rose to the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain. Grenville was born into an influential political family and first entered Parliament in 1741 as an MP for Buckingham...
.
Music and drama at the School
Stanley Vann
William Stanley Vann FRCO, ARCM was an English composer, organist, choral conductor, and choir trainer, primarily in the Anglican cathedral tradition.-Early life:...
being head of Music during the 1930s.
Recent drama productions have included Return to the Forbidden Planet
Return to the Forbidden Planet
Return to the Forbidden Planet is a Jukebox musical by playwright Bob Carlton based on Shakespeare's The Tempest and the 1950s science fiction film Forbidden Planet ....
, Godspell
Godspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
and Disco Inferno.
Languages at the school
All students in year 7 take 4 periods of FrenchFrench language
French 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...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , 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...
or German
German language
German 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....
. At the end of year 7 students take up an additional language from French, German or Spanish. They must then take a GCSE in either French, German or Spanish, and students may take either French or German at A-Level.
Latin has been phased out of the curriculum in favour of Spanish.
Technology at the school
The school has a modern technology suite situated in the middle school, opened by Prince Charles the Prince of WalesPrince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
in 1999.
Sport and other extracurricular activities
Cricket, rugby, soccer and athletics are the main boys sports, and hockey, netball, tennis and athletics the main girls sports.Inter-school matches are played against other 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...
s in Lincolnshire, and a few public schools
Public School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
and secondary modern schools. In recent years cricket has proved a strong success, with several sides winning the county schools' competition, and several Ganians representing Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire at county level.
Pupils are encouraged to serve the community, and several do volunteer work in the local area. Many Sixth-Formers have taken part in Young Enterprise
Young Enterprise
Young Enterprise is a not-for-profit business and enterprise education charity in the United Kingdom. It is made up of 12 regional organisations, each operating individually under a license agreement...
.
Debating teams have won several competitions locally and nationally, including the Youth Speaks Competition.
Notable Old Ganians
Former pupils are known as Old Ganians (O.G.s).Academia and Science
- Nicholas Atkin- Professor of Modern European History, University of ReadingUniversity of ReadingThe University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
; historical biographer and author - Brian BerryBrian BerryBrian Joe Lobley Berry is a British-American human geographer. He is Lloyd Viel Berkner Regental Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas...
- human geographer, Lloyd Viel Berkner Regental Professor and Dean of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences at the University of Texas at DallasUniversity of Texas at DallasThe University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, north of downtown Dallas... - Michael Belton- astronomer and Gerard P. Kuiper PrizeGerard P. Kuiper PrizeThe Gerard P. Kuiper Prize is awarded annually by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society for outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of planetary science. The prize is named for Gerard P. Kuiper.Kuiper Prize winners:...
holder - Edward William BinneyEdward William BinneyEdward William Binney FRS was an English geologist.Edward William Binney was born at Morton, in Nottinghamshire in 1812, and educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Gainsborough. He was articled to a solicitor in Chesterfield, and in 1836 settled at Manchester...
; FRS- 19th century solicitor, geologist and paleontologist. - Kenneth Hastings- educationalist, author and academic
- Henry Ewart Hopthrow; OBE; CBECBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
;RIRíRí, or very commonly ríg , is an ancient Gaelic word meaning "King". It is used in historical texts referring to the Irish and Scottish kings and those of similar rank. While the modern Irish word is exactly the same, in modern Scottish it is Rìgh, apparently derived from the genitive. The word...
;FIMechE- Vice-President of the Royal InstitutionRoyal InstitutionThe Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
, 1960-68 - Sir Halford MackinderHalford John MackinderSir Halford John Mackinder PC was an English geographer and is considered one of the founding fathers of both geopolitics and geostrategy.-Early life and education:...
- British geographer, Scottish Unionist Party MP and one of the founders of the London School of EconomicsLondon School of EconomicsThe London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London... - Sir George RollestonGeorge RollestonGeorge Rolleston MA MD FRCP FRS was an English physician and zoologist. He was the first Linacre Professor of Anatomy and Physiology to be appointed at the University of Oxford, a post he held from 1860 until his death in 1881...
; FRCP, FRS- 19th century British physician and zoologist, Linacre Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Oxford, evolutionary theorist. - Robert SmithRobert Smith (mathematician)Robert Smith was an English mathematician and music theorist.-Life:Smith was probably born at Lea near Gainsborough, the son of the rector of Gate Burton, Lincolnshire...
- mathematician and music theorist, master of Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental PhilosophyPlumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental PhilosophyThe Plumian chair of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy is one of the two major Professorships in Astronomy at Cambridge University, alongside the Lowndean Professorship. The chair is currently held at the Institute of Astronomy in the University...
Arts
- Stanley VannStanley VannWilliam Stanley Vann FRCO, ARCM was an English composer, organist, choral conductor, and choir trainer, primarily in the Anglican cathedral tradition.-Early life:...
- Head of Music (1933-9), Anglican choral composer and organist - Karl Salsbury Wood- Head of Art (1933- 1948), British artist known for his pastoral works often featuring windmills.
Religion
- Hanserd KnollysHanserd Knollys-Life:He was born at Cawkwell, Lincolnshire, about 1599. He was educated privately under a tutor, was for a short time at Great Grimsby grammar school, and afterwards matriculated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 1627 or 1629. Leaving the university, he became master of the grammar school at...
- Head Master (c.1616-20), Puritan Particular BaptistStrict BaptistStrict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
preacher and clergyman. - James Bowling MozleyJames Bowling MozleyJames Bowling Mozley was an English theologian.He was born at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, the younger brother of Thomas Mozley, and was educated at Oueen Elizabeth's Grammar School and later Oriel College, Oxford.Mozley was elected to a fellowship at Magdalen in 1840...
- Anglican clergyman and theologian and Oxford MovementOxford MovementThe Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
chronicler - Thomas MozleyThomas MozleyThomas Mozley , was an English clergyman and writer associated with the Oxford Movement.Mozley was born at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, the son of a bookseller and publisher. His brother, James Bowling Mozley, would become known for his own theological works...
- Anglican clergyman and Anglo-Catholic theologian - Edward RainboweEdward RainboweEdward Rainbowe or Rainbow was an English clergyman and a noted preacher.-Life:He was born on 20 April 1608 at Blyton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, where his father Thomas Rainbowe was vicar. His mother, Rebecca, daughter of David Allen, rector of the neighbouring parish of Ludborough, was educated in...
; DDDoctor of DivinityDoctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
- 17th century Anglican bishop of CarlisleBishop of CarlisleThe Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.The diocese covers the County of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District...
, Puritan writer, Master of Magdalene College, CambridgeMagdalene College, CambridgeMagdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
and Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University - John RobinsonJohn Robinson (pastor)John Robinson was the pastor of the "Pilgrim Fathers" before they left on the Mayflower. He became one of the early leaders of the English Separatists, minister of the Pilgrims, and is regarded as one of the founders of the Congregational Church.-Early life:Robinson was born in Sturton le Steeple...
- Puritan Congregationalist, Calvinist theologian and polemicist, and pastor to the Pilgrim Fathers - John Smyth- Puritan pastor and founder of the BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
movement - George Wilkinson- 19th century Anglican evangelical pioneer missionary and doctor in FujianFujian' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
province, China.
Sport
- Ronnie Ferguson- professional soccer player with Sheffield Wednesday (1974-9)
- Ben Hunter – professional soccer player with Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
team Columbus CrewColumbus CrewThe Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... - David Hughes – athlete – Under 23s European 110m hurdles champion, 2005; 2006 Commonwealth Games Finalist (7th place)
- Giles Hooper – Professional soccer player with Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1989-1993.
- James Moon - Nottinghamshire Badminton County Champion (Mens Doubles, 2011)
- Alexander Slawinski – Semi-Professional Footballer with Sheffield FC. Acknowledged by FIFA as the World's First Football Club.
See also
- Eleven plusEleven plusIn 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...
- Gainsborough, LincolnshireGainsborough, LincolnshireGainsborough is a town 15 miles north-west of Lincoln on the River Trent within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. At one time it served as an important port with trade downstream to Hull, and was the most inland in England, being more than 55 miles from the North...
- Grammar SchoolGrammar schoolA 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...
(general) - Grammar schools in the United Kingdom
External links
- Queen Elizabeth's High School – Official Website
- QEHS on google maps
- QEHS on Microsoft Virtual Earth (higher resolution than Google Maps)
- Rate my teachers