Tudor Grange Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Tudor Grange School is a co-educational comprehensive school
and technology college
located in Solihull
, West Midlands
. It was originally a boys' grammar school
for around 650 boys.
, west of Solihull town centre, next to Alderbrook Secondary School
(former Harold Malley Grammar School and Harold Cartwright Girls' Grammar School) and St. Peter's RC Secondary School
. Solihull College
is next-door to the east.
In addition to the established Lode Heath School contingent, the new intake also included boys from Sharman's Cross Secondary Modern School. Subsequent entries were drawn from boys passing the 11+ exam together with a very small number passing a 13+ exam.
The original uniform of the school comprised a black blazer with school badge on the breast pocket, a white shirt, a school tie in stripes of black gold and silver, a black cap with school badge and black lace-up leather shoes. 1st and 2nd year boys wore grey shorts whilst older boys were allowed to wear grey flannel trousers. 6th formers wore a slightly more flamboyant tie whilst prefects wore a cap with a gold stripe.
The original Headmaster was Mr A. R. Munday, M.A, Cantab. (Sometime scholar of St Catharine's College) who later left to become Headmaster of the King's School, Chester, in 1964. He was followed as Headmaster by John Scandrett Millward, who in turn was followed in 1974 by Robert Fulton.
Amongst some of the visionary masters at this time was Mr Arthur Bowden who taught maths, but more notably had the enthusiasm to have a small astronomical observatory
built in the grounds, although he also famously declared in 1958 that it was "mathematically impossible for any space-craft to leave the gravitational pull of the earth ".
After the construction of the boys' school, a school for girls was built next door. The two schools had playing fields which shared a common boundary, greatly adding to the enthusiasm for outdoor sports in both schools.
Since then a new block dedicated to teaching the International Baccalaureate Diploma has been added together with a new sports hall allowing one of the two old gyms has been turned into a large classroom known as the 'Lead Lesson Suite' used as an exam room and for teaching large groups of pupils. In November 2009 the school was awarded Bronze award in the Eco-Schools
programe which is run nationwide. The school also has a partnership school called Tudor Grange Academy Worcester, replacing Elgar Technology College.
It became fully comprehensive in 1974, the year the County Borough of Solihull became the larger Metropolitan Borough of Solihull. In 1984, Solihull LEA looked at the possibility of returning to a selective system of schools (made possible because the 1976 Education Act was repealed in 1979), and making the school a grammar school. In September 1995 Tudor Grange became a Technology College and in September 2009 the school adopted a specialism in business and enterprise.. In September 2010 it became incorporated at as Academy, known as Tudor Grange Academy
The school was classed as outstanding by OFSTED
in 2008, and shares a partnership with the Tudor Grange Academy in Worcester
.
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...
and 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...
located in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
. It was originally a boys' 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 around 650 boys.
Location
It is situated in Tudor Grange ParkTudor Grange Park
Tudor Grange Park is located in Solihull, West Midlands. The Park is located very close to the town centre, within easy walking distance, and is adjacent to the local train station and Leisure Centre, Tudor Grange Leisure Centre...
, west of Solihull town centre, next to Alderbrook Secondary School
Alderbrook Secondary School
Alderbrook Leading Edge School & Arts College is a co-educational comprehensive school in Solihull, West Midlands. It shares grounds with the neighbouring schools of Tudor Grange School and St...
(former Harold Malley Grammar School and Harold Cartwright Girls' Grammar School) and St. Peter's RC Secondary School
St. Peter's RC Secondary School, Solihull
St. Peter's RC Secondary School is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary comprehensive school and Sixth Form college in the English town of Solihull, West Midlands. St...
. Solihull College
Solihull College
Solihull College, formerly known as the 'Solihull College of Technology', is a further education college located in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, which is part of the West Midlands conurbation, in the United Kingdom...
is next-door to the east.
Grammar school
Tudor Grange Grammar School began as an entity at Lode Heath School, Lode Lane, in September 1951, with two mixed classes 1G1&1G2. The formative school continued with these temporary arrangements until the new boys' school in Dingle Lane was opened in September 1956, the official ceremony taking place on Tuesday July 23, 1957. The cost of building the new premises is reported to have been £176,445. Six hundred boys were taught at the school whose motto was 'Omnibus prodesse' - 'to be of service to all men'In addition to the established Lode Heath School contingent, the new intake also included boys from Sharman's Cross Secondary Modern School. Subsequent entries were drawn from boys passing the 11+ exam together with a very small number passing a 13+ exam.
The original uniform of the school comprised a black blazer with school badge on the breast pocket, a white shirt, a school tie in stripes of black gold and silver, a black cap with school badge and black lace-up leather shoes. 1st and 2nd year boys wore grey shorts whilst older boys were allowed to wear grey flannel trousers. 6th formers wore a slightly more flamboyant tie whilst prefects wore a cap with a gold stripe.
The original Headmaster was Mr A. R. Munday, M.A, Cantab. (Sometime scholar of St Catharine's College) who later left to become Headmaster of the King's School, Chester, in 1964. He was followed as Headmaster by John Scandrett Millward, who in turn was followed in 1974 by Robert Fulton.
Amongst some of the visionary masters at this time was Mr Arthur Bowden who taught maths, but more notably had the enthusiasm to have a small astronomical observatory
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
built in the grounds, although he also famously declared in 1958 that it was "mathematically impossible for any space-craft to leave the gravitational pull of the earth ".
After the construction of the boys' school, a school for girls was built next door. The two schools had playing fields which shared a common boundary, greatly adding to the enthusiasm for outdoor sports in both schools.
Comprehensive
In 2008 it was known as 'Tudor Grange Secondary School', and was a mixed 11-16 comprehensive school with a pupil roll of around 1250. Including both buildings from the girls' and boys' school (now known as the Upper and Lower buildings), it was a technological college with high academic achievement. In the 2008 GCSE result statistics , Tudor Grange was found to have a 100% A*-C pass rate for a minimum of 5 GCSE's (All pupils left with at least 5 GCSE's)The school was classed as outstanding after a visit from Ofsted in December 2008.Since then a new block dedicated to teaching the International Baccalaureate Diploma has been added together with a new sports hall allowing one of the two old gyms has been turned into a large classroom known as the 'Lead Lesson Suite' used as an exam room and for teaching large groups of pupils. In November 2009 the school was awarded Bronze award in the Eco-Schools
Eco-Schools
Eco-Schools is an international program of environmental and sustainable developmental education for schools. Foundation for Environmental Education is the founder of the programme and Eco-Schools is just one out of their five programmes....
programe which is run nationwide. The school also has a partnership school called Tudor Grange Academy Worcester, replacing Elgar Technology College.
It became fully comprehensive in 1974, the year the County Borough of Solihull became the larger Metropolitan Borough of Solihull. In 1984, Solihull LEA looked at the possibility of returning to a selective system of schools (made possible because the 1976 Education Act was repealed in 1979), and making the school a grammar school. In September 1995 Tudor Grange became a Technology College and in September 2009 the school adopted a specialism in business and enterprise.. In September 2010 it became incorporated at as Academy, known as Tudor Grange Academy
The school was classed as outstanding by 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 ....
in 2008, and shares a partnership with the Tudor Grange Academy in Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
.
Alumni
- Martin Baggott and Donald Gould, both members of The ApplejacksThe ApplejacksThe Applejacks were a UK pop and beat group of the 1960s. They were the first "Brumbeat" group to reach the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, and were unusual for having a female bass guitarist, Megan Davies....
- Gareth Edwards, Principal since 2001 of George Watson's CollegeGeorge Watson's CollegeGeorge Watson's College, known informally as Watson's, is a co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1741, became a day school in 1871 and was merged with its sister school...
, Edinburgh - The Rt Rev Dr Peter R. ForsterPeter R. ForsterPeter Robert Forster is a British Anglican bishop. He is currently the Bishop of Chester in the Church of England.Born in Solihull, the son of Thomas and Edna , Forster was educated at the town's Tudor Grange Grammar School and Merton College, Oxford, where he received a Master of Arts in...
, the Bishop of ChesterBishop of ChesterThe Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
since 1996 - David JamiesonDavid JamiesonDavid Charles Jamieson is a British politician, formerly the Labour Party Member of Parliament for the Plymouth Devonport constituency. He stood for Plymouth Drake in 1987, gaining 24% of the vote and losing to a Conservative candidate who received 41% of the vote. He was first elected in the...
, Labour MP from 1992-2005 for Plymouth Devonport and President since 2005 of the Motor Cycle Industry Association - Justin KingJustin King (businessman)Justin Matthew King, CBE is a British businessman, who is the CEO of J Sainsbury plc, parent company of the supermarket chain Sainsbury's.King was previously Director of Food at Marks and Spencer and has held senior positions at Asda...
, CEO of J SainsburyJ SainsburyJ. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
Plc - Peter McEvoyPeter McEvoyPeter McEvoy OBE was a leading British amateur golfer for many years, and is now a golf course designer, golf administrator, and golf writer....
, golfer - Simon FowlerSimon FowlerSimon Fowler is the lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist in Ocean Colour Scene.-The Fanatics:Simon Fowler commenced his music career as the lead singer and songwriter for Birmingham band The Fanatics, which consisted of Simon Fowler , Damon Minchella , Paul Wilkes and Caroline Bullock...
- Lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist in Ocean Colour SceneOcean Colour SceneOcean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date.-Early days :...
.