West Kirby Grammar School
Encyclopedia
West Kirby Grammar School is a girls grammar school
and sixth form college
located in the town of West Kirby
on the Wirral Peninsula
, England
. The school currently has 1182 students on roll of whom most are girls (boy
s being only accepted in Sixth form
).
for boys, Calday Grange Grammar School
. There is a large Combined Cadet Force contingent shared between the two schools, which girls from Year 9 upwards can join. As well as this, various dramatic and musical events and a German Exchange programme which has been running jointly in recent years (but in its 30th year for West Kirby Grammar), bring the two schools even closer.
The school has several international links, successfully running a variety of trips to Fougeres, France; the Christmas Markets in Cologne and Aachen, Germany; Barcelona, Spain; an exchange programme with a school in Gladenbach, Germany; Yaroslavl, Russia. Additionally the school often fundraises for its "Make a Difference" campaign, raising money for Inner Mongolian schools, before having a trip for selected students in the summer holidays to Hong Kong, mainland China and to Inner Mongolia to see how the money is being put to use. Furthermore, in 2006 the school won the Wirral International School Award.
The school has 6 houses; Hudson (White), Stewart (Yellow), Gonner (Blue), Furniss (Purple), Wallis (Red) and Paton (Green). These all compete throughout the year at various house events ranging from music and instrumental to hockey.
Two pupils from the school have taken part in the international schools Arctic expedition and the international young scientists space camp; both these pupils who attended sixth form at the school were representing the UK. The school's Under 13 football team has also achieved national success after competing in the final of the tournament at Wembley stadium.
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...
located in the town of West Kirby
West Kirby
West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England, at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. To the north-east of the town lies Hoylake, with the suburbs of Grange and Newton to the east, and the village of Caldy to the...
on the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The school currently has 1182 students on roll of whom most are girls (boy
Boy
A boy is a young male human , as contrasted to its female counterpart, girl, or an adult male, a man.The term "boy" is primarily used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions or both...
s being only accepted in 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,...
).
Admissions
The school is in many ways associated with the nearby grammar schoolGrammar 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 boys, Calday Grange Grammar School
Calday Grange Grammar School
Calday Grange Grammar School is a non-denominational selective state grammar school, founded in 1636, situated on Caldy Hill above the town of West Kirby on the Wirral . The school admits boys from the ages of 11 through to 18, and girls for the sixth form only...
. There is a large Combined Cadet Force contingent shared between the two schools, which girls from Year 9 upwards can join. As well as this, various dramatic and musical events and a German Exchange programme which has been running jointly in recent years (but in its 30th year for West Kirby Grammar), bring the two schools even closer.
History
Founded in 1913 the school celebrated its 95th anniversary in 2008, with a whole school photograph. It was recently given a grant to renovate facilities on site, this was used to build to new teaching blocks, work was meant to be completed in 2009. The technology block was completed in September 2007, and the English/Humanities in October 2008.The school has several international links, successfully running a variety of trips to Fougeres, France; the Christmas Markets in Cologne and Aachen, Germany; Barcelona, Spain; an exchange programme with a school in Gladenbach, Germany; Yaroslavl, Russia. Additionally the school often fundraises for its "Make a Difference" campaign, raising money for Inner Mongolian schools, before having a trip for selected students in the summer holidays to Hong Kong, mainland China and to Inner Mongolia to see how the money is being put to use. Furthermore, in 2006 the school won the Wirral International School Award.
The school has 6 houses; Hudson (White), Stewart (Yellow), Gonner (Blue), Furniss (Purple), Wallis (Red) and Paton (Green). These all compete throughout the year at various house events ranging from music and instrumental to hockey.
Two pupils from the school have taken part in the international schools Arctic expedition and the international young scientists space camp; both these pupils who attended sixth form at the school were representing the UK. The school's Under 13 football team has also achieved national success after competing in the final of the tournament at Wembley stadium.
Notable former pupils
- Glenda JacksonGlenda JacksonGlenda May Jackson, CBE is a British Labour Party politician and former actress. She has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, and currently represents Hampstead and Kilburn. She previously served as MP for Hampstead and Highgate...
, actress and Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate - Jan RavensJan RavensJanet "Jan" Ravens is an English actress and impressionist, famous for her voices on Spitting Image and Dead Ringers.-Early life:...
, from Dead RingersDead Ringers (comedy)Dead Ringers is a UK radio and television comedy impressions broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and later BBC Two. The programme was devised by producer Bill Dare and developed with Jon Holmes, Andy Hurst and Simon Blackwell. It starred Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Phil Cornwell, Kevin Connelly and Mark Perry... - Shirley HughesShirley HughesShirley Hughes is an English author and illustrator. She has written more than fifty books which have sold more than 11.5 million copies, and illustrated over two hundred. She currently lives in London....
children's author - Amy WyattAmy WyattAmy Wyatt is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Chelsea Halfpenny. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 8 October 2010. Since her inception Amy has been central to main storylines and has been played as the serial's rebellious teenager. Halfpenny...
Local author, moved to Hilbre High School