Cheadle Hulme School
Encyclopedia
Cheadle Hulme School is an independent day school
in Cheadle Hulme
, Stockport
, England
for boys and girls aged 4–18 years old. It was formed as The Manchester Warehousemen and Clerks' Orphan Schools in 1855 and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
.
was no exception. Many of these workers were worried about the fate of their children should they die. A school for the orphans of warehousemen and clerks, which later became the Royal Russell School
, had already been set up in London in 1853, and on 20 September 1854, a representative from the London school met with the Manchester men (One of whom was "Ezekiel Browne) in the Albion Hotel to gather support for it. During the discussion, support for a local school became clear, and following this meeting a committee was formed to develop the idea. The school was to be called "The Manchester District Schools for Orphans and Necessitious Children of Warehousemen and Clerks", and it was to be open to all children, regardless of gender or religious background. The proposal was advertised to warehousemen and clerks across the north-west of England; the men were asked for one guinea or more per year, which would pay for their child's education and well-being, should the father die and the family left 'necessitous'. A set of rules was created, which outlined how the school should be run; these were adopted at the first meeting of the subscribers of 26 February 1855. These rules included the ages of admission (between seven and twelve years old), with boys being taught until the age of 14, and 15 for girls, and that the school was for orphans and necessitous children of warehousemen and clerks only. Proposals for a complementary day school were discussed extensively, but this idea was postponed until the orphan school had been successfully set up.
In July 1855, the committee sent out advertisements for the election of the first children to the school. The earliest scholars were elected by subscribers to the institution; the condition of their election depended on a few factors, including how long the child's father had subscribed and the family's circumstances. Subscribers had a number of votes depending on how much money they had subscribed. Fifteen applications had been received by September, and on 29 October 1855, commonly referred to as the school's founding date, six children were elected into the school at the Athenaeum in Manchester. At this time there were no premises or staff since the committee wished for more time to plan for their own premises and staff. The children were instead sent to an existing boarding school in Shaw Hall, Flixton
. However, six years later they moved to Park Place, Ardwick
, in the centre of Manchester
. By this time it had already been decided that a new school should be built and the foundation stone of the main building in Cheadle Hulme was laid in 1867. The School moved to its present site two years later.
Since the beginning, the school had been a boarding school
, originally for the orphans (fatherless children) (known as "foundationers") for whom it was established. As early as 1862, it started to accept fee paying boarders and an increasing number of day pupils to help to support the 'Foundation Scheme'. From 1921 the School had also decided to become part of the governments education programme, choosing in 1926 to become part of the Direct Grant system, with some of the day pupils funded by grants from the Board of Education. However, boarding remained the keystone of the school's objects and the cornerstone of its pastoral and sporting activity - even as late as the nineteen sixties, but the number of Foundationers was declining. In the 1950s the annual subscription to the Foundation Scheme was raised from one guinea to two guineas, but with the creation of the Welfare State joining the scheme became increasingly less popular.In 1955 there were 82 Foundationers and 44 paying Boarders. These figures had been reversed by seven years later.
During World War I
, the school hospital was used by the Red Cross for treating over 1400 injured soldiers. During World War II
, students from Manchester High School for Girls
and Fairfield High School were evacuated to the school. 60 Old Waconians lost their lives in World War I, and 46 in World War II. An increasing number of day pupils were taken during the Second World War to help with the war effort as new schools in the areas could not be built.
By the 1950s and 1960s Cheadle Hulme School had become a renowned direct grant grammar school
, deciding to become, again, Independent in 1976 when the Labour
government abolished the Direct Grant Scheme.
During the 1970s and 1980s the School continued to thrive. With the expansion of the Junior School, the School roll topped 1000 pupils for the first time and an anonymous donation allowed for a refurbishment of the Boarding House, although the number of children choosing to board was steadily declining. By the beginning of the 1990s the number of boarders had dropped to only 77 so the difficult decision to close the Boarding House was made by the new Head Mr Donald Wilkinson. The old dorms have since been converted into classrooms. The rest of the School was growing, however, as a new Infants Department opened in 1998 taking children from the age of 4. New buildings sprang up in the 80s and 90s including specialist buildings such as for the ICT and MFL departments.
The new millennium saw the appointment of a new Head, Mr Paul Dixon (Head from 2001 to 2010) and the celebration of the School's 150th anniversary when over 1400 former pupils returned to the School for reunions. The anniversary also saw the launch of a new Bursary scheme, honouring the traditions of the founding fathers of the School.
A new chapter in the School's history began in 2010 with the appointment of the first female Head, Lucy Pearson.
CHS pupils are involved in a range of sporting activities. There are major teams in football
, rugby union
, netball
and field hockey
who all toured South Africa
during the 2005 Summer Holidays. The school also currently has a number of players in the school who play for England squads in rugby and hockey; you can earn colours for good sporting performance. Matt Winter, Rahul Savjani, Phil Gough and Ben Lambert have gained these.
The 1st XI cricket
team enjoyed a six-game tour to Goa
at Easter 2007
The 1st XI football team, captained by Elliot Sutcliffe, went unbeaten throughout the 2010–2011 season, the best record the history of the school has ever seen.
In addition to the Team sport all pupils play at least an hour of sport each week as part of their timetable. The sports available include badminton
, tennis
and yoga
, in addition to options like football, cricket and rugby.
, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
and the Cello Concerto by Elgar. The department is currently headed up by Mr. Philip Dewhurst.
department which produces a number of annual plays involving wide areas of the school. In recent years the school has produced Billy Liar
, Midsummer Night's Dream, Blue Remembered Hills
, West Side Story and productions of Henry V
and South Pacific
were staged in early 2007.
Regular mock elections and referendums are held, giving sixth-form students a chance to lead a campaign, followed by a school-wide vote. The school Think Tank club has played host to guest speakers such as Chancellor
George Osborne
and United Kingdom Independence Party
(UKIP) Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) John Whittaker.
The school also plays host to annual Question Time events. In the most recent, local candidates answered questions from voters in advance of the 2005 General Election
.
is a popular student activity. The school has developed a fine reputation as a leading MUN school, with students having won numerous awards for the standard of their debate and research skills at conferences across the United Kingdom and in Europe. As well as attending many large international conferences, the school also plays host to Model United Nations Cheadle Hulme (MUNCH
). MUNCH is a popular MUN conference attended by schools from across the United Kingdom and, increasingly, from around the world. MUNCH6 (2006) was the largest conference yet, with over 500 delegates and students involved in the organisation and debate.
Politics and History students have enjoyed a number of trips in recent years, including:
And for Lower School - Years 7-9
Also, the school has a partnership with Columbus Fellowship and goes on many residential holidays with them.
Other extracurricular activities include the business startup scheme Young Enterprise
, a philosophical society, Chess Club, German club, Film Club, Gourmet Club, and participation in a local Mock Trial
competition. Students are also encouraged to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
. There are many more activities which cover a wide range of areas including cooking, building, photography, and much more.
, where the achievements of the previous year are celebrated through a series of speeches, and the talents of students are put on display. The school song, Jerusalem
, is also sung by all in attendance. A speech is also given by a special guest, often an alumnus
of the school. Previous speakers have included Alf, Lord Dubs
and Katie Derham
. This event replaced Founder's Day, which was held at St. George's Church
, Stockport
.
Originally, the Celebration event was also used to award the school prizes to those who had graduated in previous years. There are school prizes in each subject, as well as special prizes for things such as overall academic achievement, achievement in sport, and to thank those who served on the school council. Recipients of these prizes were invited back to be presented with them. However, since 2005, prizes have been presented at a special graduation ceremony in a marquee in the school's grounds.
It is traditional for departing Upper Sixth students to take part in pranks on their final day, which are usually done in good humour and with the consent of the school. For example in 1994 that year's departing upper sixth painted the school pavilion pink in the dead of night - much to the amusement of everyone the next day. Then this year (2010) they grafitted the staff house and covered the school in sticky pads. They are also treated to a free cooked breakfast in the dining hall, served by teaching staff.
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...
in Cheadle Hulme
Cheadle Hulme
Cheadle Hulme is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southwest of Stockport and southeast of the city of Manchester. It lies in the Ladybrook Valley on the Cheshire Plain, and the drift consists mostly of boulder clay, sands and gravels...
, Stockport
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in north west England, centred around the town of Stockport. It has a population of about 280,600 and includes the outyling areas of Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme, Marple, Bredbury, Reddish and Romiley...
, 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...
for boys and girls aged 4–18 years old. It was formed as The Manchester Warehousemen and Clerks' Orphan Schools in 1855 and is a member of 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...
.
History
In the early 1850s, life expectancy for those working in the inner-cities was extremely poor and ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
was no exception. Many of these workers were worried about the fate of their children should they die. A school for the orphans of warehousemen and clerks, which later became the Royal Russell School
Royal Russell School
Royal Russell School is an independent school in Coombe Lane, Croydon, south London. The Royal Russell School is a co-educational day and boarding school. The motto of the school is "Non sibi sed omnibus" meaning "Not for self but for all". The School is a member of the Headmasters' and...
, had already been set up in London in 1853, and on 20 September 1854, a representative from the London school met with the Manchester men (One of whom was "Ezekiel Browne) in the Albion Hotel to gather support for it. During the discussion, support for a local school became clear, and following this meeting a committee was formed to develop the idea. The school was to be called "The Manchester District Schools for Orphans and Necessitious Children of Warehousemen and Clerks", and it was to be open to all children, regardless of gender or religious background. The proposal was advertised to warehousemen and clerks across the north-west of England; the men were asked for one guinea or more per year, which would pay for their child's education and well-being, should the father die and the family left 'necessitous'. A set of rules was created, which outlined how the school should be run; these were adopted at the first meeting of the subscribers of 26 February 1855. These rules included the ages of admission (between seven and twelve years old), with boys being taught until the age of 14, and 15 for girls, and that the school was for orphans and necessitous children of warehousemen and clerks only. Proposals for a complementary day school were discussed extensively, but this idea was postponed until the orphan school had been successfully set up.
In July 1855, the committee sent out advertisements for the election of the first children to the school. The earliest scholars were elected by subscribers to the institution; the condition of their election depended on a few factors, including how long the child's father had subscribed and the family's circumstances. Subscribers had a number of votes depending on how much money they had subscribed. Fifteen applications had been received by September, and on 29 October 1855, commonly referred to as the school's founding date, six children were elected into the school at the Athenaeum in Manchester. At this time there were no premises or staff since the committee wished for more time to plan for their own premises and staff. The children were instead sent to an existing boarding school in Shaw Hall, Flixton
Flixton, Greater Manchester
Flixton is a village and electoral ward within the Urmston area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. It lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.Flixton's present-day population is...
. However, six years later they moved to Park Place, Ardwick
Ardwick
Ardwick is a district of the City of Manchester, in North West England, about one mile east of Manchester City Centre.By the mid-19th century Ardwick had grown from being a village into a pleasant and wealthy suburb of Manchester, but by the end of that century it had become heavily industrialised...
, in the centre of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. By this time it had already been decided that a new school should be built and the foundation stone of the main building in Cheadle Hulme was laid in 1867. The School moved to its present site two years later.
Since the beginning, the school had been a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
, originally for the orphans (fatherless children) (known as "foundationers") for whom it was established. As early as 1862, it started to accept fee paying boarders and an increasing number of day pupils to help to support the 'Foundation Scheme'. From 1921 the School had also decided to become part of the governments education programme, choosing in 1926 to become part of the Direct Grant system, with some of the day pupils funded by grants from the Board of Education. However, boarding remained the keystone of the school's objects and the cornerstone of its pastoral and sporting activity - even as late as the nineteen sixties, but the number of Foundationers was declining. In the 1950s the annual subscription to the Foundation Scheme was raised from one guinea to two guineas, but with the creation of the Welfare State joining the scheme became increasingly less popular.In 1955 there were 82 Foundationers and 44 paying Boarders. These figures had been reversed by seven years later.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the school hospital was used by the Red Cross for treating over 1400 injured soldiers. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, students from Manchester High School for Girls
Manchester High School for Girls
Manchester High School for Girls is an independent daytime school for girls and a member of the Girls School Association. It is situated in Fallowfield, Manchester, United Kingdom...
and Fairfield High School were evacuated to the school. 60 Old Waconians lost their lives in World War I, and 46 in World War II. An increasing number of day pupils were taken during the Second World War to help with the war effort as new schools in the areas could not be built.
By the 1950s and 1960s Cheadle Hulme School had become a renowned direct grant grammar school
Direct grant grammar school
A direct grant grammar school was a selective secondary school in England and Wales between 1945 and 1976 funded partly by the state and partly through private fees....
, deciding to become, again, Independent in 1976 when the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
government abolished the Direct Grant Scheme.
During the 1970s and 1980s the School continued to thrive. With the expansion of the Junior School, the School roll topped 1000 pupils for the first time and an anonymous donation allowed for a refurbishment of the Boarding House, although the number of children choosing to board was steadily declining. By the beginning of the 1990s the number of boarders had dropped to only 77 so the difficult decision to close the Boarding House was made by the new Head Mr Donald Wilkinson. The old dorms have since been converted into classrooms. The rest of the School was growing, however, as a new Infants Department opened in 1998 taking children from the age of 4. New buildings sprang up in the 80s and 90s including specialist buildings such as for the ICT and MFL departments.
The new millennium saw the appointment of a new Head, Mr Paul Dixon (Head from 2001 to 2010) and the celebration of the School's 150th anniversary when over 1400 former pupils returned to the School for reunions. The anniversary also saw the launch of a new Bursary scheme, honouring the traditions of the founding fathers of the School.
A new chapter in the School's history began in 2010 with the appointment of the first female Head, Lucy Pearson.
Junior School
Built in 1970, the main Junior School building houses ten classrooms. An Infant Department was opened in 1998 by the then Headmistress Miss H. Kahn and expanded further in September 2002 to accommodate an extra class at Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. There are two classes to each year group in the Junior Department and students progress to the next year group automatically, though an exam is required to progress to the Senior Department. There are a wide range of clubs ranging from Food Club to Tennis. Pupils have two sports lessons and one swimming lesson per week and the Year 5 and 6 students take part in regular matches in Football, Netball, Hockey, Swimming, Cricket and Athletics. Music lessons are held once a week in the Infants and twice a week in the Juniors. Pupils have regular opportunities to perform in assemblies, concerts and dramatic productions. The Junior School has many facilities available to it including a library, swimming pool, field, astro-turf pitch and tennis and netball courts.The current Headmistress is Mrs. B. Bottoms.Sport
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
and field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
who all toured South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
during the 2005 Summer Holidays. The school also currently has a number of players in the school who play for England squads in rugby and hockey; you can earn colours for good sporting performance. Matt Winter, Rahul Savjani, Phil Gough and Ben Lambert have gained these.
The 1st XI cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team enjoyed a six-game tour to Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
at Easter 2007
The 1st XI football team, captained by Elliot Sutcliffe, went unbeaten throughout the 2010–2011 season, the best record the history of the school has ever seen.
In addition to the Team sport all pupils play at least an hour of sport each week as part of their timetable. The sports available include badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, in addition to options like football, cricket and rugby.
Music
The school offers a wide range of musical opportunities to students, including a choir and various bands (concert, wind, swing, big band). The school has a record of ambitious music making, which was initiated by Geoffrey Keating, who was Director of Music during the 1960s. Keating went on to become Director of Music at Millfield School in Somerset, but left behind a thriving choral tradition. To this was added, during the 1970s, some equally ambitious orchestral activity, and the school orchestra has tackled works such as symphonies by Beethoven and DvořákAntonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects....
and the Cello Concerto by Elgar. The department is currently headed up by Mr. Philip Dewhurst.
Drama
CHS has a large DramaDrama
Drama 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...
department which produces a number of annual plays involving wide areas of the school. In recent years the school has produced Billy Liar
Billy Liar
Billy Liar is a 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse, which was later adapted into a play, a film, a musical and a TV series. The work has inspired and featured in a number of popular songs....
, Midsummer Night's Dream, Blue Remembered Hills
Blue Remembered Hills
Blue Remembered Hills is a television play by Dennis Potter, originally broadcast on January 30, 1979 as part of the BBC's Play for Today series....
, West Side Story and productions of Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
and South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
were staged in early 2007.
Politics
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
George Osborne
George Osborne
George Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
and United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
(UKIP) Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP) John Whittaker.
The school also plays host to annual Question Time events. In the most recent, local candidates answered questions from voters in advance of the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
.
Model United Nations
Model United NationsModel United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
is a popular student activity. The school has developed a fine reputation as a leading MUN school, with students having won numerous awards for the standard of their debate and research skills at conferences across the United Kingdom and in Europe. As well as attending many large international conferences, the school also plays host to Model United Nations Cheadle Hulme (MUNCH
Munch
Munch may refer to:* Edvard Munch , a Norwegian expressionist painter and printmaker best known for his work The Scream** Edvard Munch , 1973 biographical film written and directed by Peter Watkins...
). MUNCH is a popular MUN conference attended by schools from across the United Kingdom and, increasingly, from around the world. MUNCH6 (2006) was the largest conference yet, with over 500 delegates and students involved in the organisation and debate.
Trips
Cheadle Hulme School students have the opportunity to take part in a number of educational trips to enhance their understanding of the subjects that they are studying.Politics and History students have enjoyed a number of trips in recent years, including:
- Washington D.C., where they have taken part in activities such as tours of the PentagonThe PentagonThe Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, The White House and CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, meetings with US interest groupsAdvocacy groupAdvocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
such as Common CauseCommon CauseCommon Cause is a self-described nonpartisan, nonprofit lobby and advocacy organization. It was founded in 1970 by John W. Gardner, a Republican former cabinet secretary under Lyndon Johnson, as a "citizens' lobby" with a mission focused on making U.S. political institutions more open and...
, and visits to the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. - WestminsterPalace of WestminsterThe Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
and WhitehallWhitehallWhitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
, where students have met with politicians such as shadow ChancellorChancellor of the ExchequerThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
George OsborneGeorge OsborneGeorge Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
, Old Waconian Alf, Lord DubsAlf DubsAlfred Dubs, Baron Dubs is a Czech-born British Labour Party politician and former Member of Parliament.- Youth and education :...
, local MP Mark Hunter and journalists from the ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
news agency. - BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, including visits to the European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
and European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. - MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and St. Petersburg. - The Battlefields.
- EyamEyamEyam is a small village in Derbyshire, England. The village is best known for being the "plague village" that chose to isolate itself when the plague was discovered there in August 1665, rather than let the infection spread...
. - The GambiaThe GambiaThe Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
. A geography trip to the Gambia to study ecosystems and visit the Gambia High School, a school linked to CHS. Social action aspects are also included in the trip with mosquito nets, books and pens etc. given to the young people of the linked school along with time spent with children of local refugee schools.
And for Lower School - Years 7-9
- Day trips to ChesterChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, Manchester Jewish MuseumManchester Jewish MuseumManchester Jewish Museum tells the story of the Jewish community in Manchester, England over the last 200 years. It occupies the former Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue on Cheetham Hill Road and is a grade II* listed building...
and many other places. - BrittanyBrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
trip for Year 8s. - Ski trip to the Swiss AlpsSwiss AlpsThe Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
.
Also, the school has a partnership with Columbus Fellowship and goes on many residential holidays with them.
Other activities
Those interested in history can attend the Diggers society, where they can hear lectures from University professors and historians.Other extracurricular activities include the business startup scheme 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...
, a philosophical society, Chess Club, German club, Film Club, Gourmet Club, and participation in a local Mock Trial
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
competition. Students are also encouraged to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
. There are many more activities which cover a wide range of areas including cooking, building, photography, and much more.
Annual events
Since 2000, all students, parents and staff attend an evening entitled Celebration of Cheadle Hulme School once a year at the Bridgewater HallBridgewater Hall
The Bridgewater Hall is an international concert venue in Manchester city centre, England. It cost around £42 million to build and currently hosts over 250 performances a year....
, where the achievements of the previous year are celebrated through a series of speeches, and the talents of students are put on display. The school song, Jerusalem
And did those feet in ancient time
"And did those feet in ancient time" is a short poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem, one of a collection of writings known as the Prophetic Books. The date on the title page of 1804 for Milton is probably when the plates were begun, but the poem was printed c. 1808...
, is also sung by all in attendance. A speech is also given by a special guest, often an alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of the school. Previous speakers have included Alf, Lord Dubs
Alf Dubs
Alfred Dubs, Baron Dubs is a Czech-born British Labour Party politician and former Member of Parliament.- Youth and education :...
and Katie Derham
Katie Derham
Katie Derham is a British newscaster and a presenter on television and radio.-Early life:Derham was born in Stockport to John and Margaret Derham, and grew up in Wilmslow...
. This event replaced Founder's Day, which was held at St. George's Church
St George's Church, Heaviley
St George's Church, Heaviley, is located in Buxton Road, Heaviley, an area of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Stockport, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield, and the diocese of Chester. Its benefice is united with that of...
, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
.
Originally, the Celebration event was also used to award the school prizes to those who had graduated in previous years. There are school prizes in each subject, as well as special prizes for things such as overall academic achievement, achievement in sport, and to thank those who served on the school council. Recipients of these prizes were invited back to be presented with them. However, since 2005, prizes have been presented at a special graduation ceremony in a marquee in the school's grounds.
It is traditional for departing Upper Sixth students to take part in pranks on their final day, which are usually done in good humour and with the consent of the school. For example in 1994 that year's departing upper sixth painted the school pavilion pink in the dead of night - much to the amusement of everyone the next day. Then this year (2010) they grafitted the staff house and covered the school in sticky pads. They are also treated to a free cooked breakfast in the dining hall, served by teaching staff.
150th Anniversary
2005 was the school's 150th Anniversary, and it celebrated this event with reunions and a special logo. A book, "Heads and Tales", was specially produced for the occasion.Notable former pupils
Alumni of Cheadle Hulme School are known as "Old Waconians", a remnant of the original name of the school ("Warehousemen And Clerks").Politics
- Billy HughesBilly Hughes (educationist)Herbert Delauney Hughes , known as Billy Hughes, was a British adult educationist and Labour Party politician...
(1914–1995), educationist and politician, Principal of Ruskin College, OxfordRuskin College, OxfordRuskin College is an independent educational institution in Oxford, England. It is named after the essayist and social critic John Ruskin and specialises in providing educational opportunities for adults with few or no qualifications...
, 1950–1979 - Alf Dubs, Baron DubsAlf DubsAlfred Dubs, Baron Dubs is a Czech-born British Labour Party politician and former Member of Parliament.- Youth and education :...
(born 1932), Labour politician - Chris DaviesChris DaviesChristopher Graham Davies is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He is a former Member of Parliament, and since 1999 he has been a Member of the European Parliament.- Biography :...
(born 1954), Liberal DemocratLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
Member of the European ParliamentMember of the European ParliamentA Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
Television
- Toby SawyerToby SawyerToby Sawyer is a British actor.He has appeared in a number of British television dramas, including Born and Bred, Crossroads, Rosemary and Thyme, Casualty, Keen Eddie, The Royal, Elizabeth and for three years was one of the original, main cast in top British teen drama Hollyoaks...
(born 1969), actor - Richard FleeshmanRichard FleeshmanRichard Jonathan Fleeshman is an English actor and singer-songwriter. His television career began as a twelve year old, playing Craig Harris for four years in Coronation Street and most recently "All The Small Things"...
(born 1989), actor - Kirsten CassidyKirsten CassidyKirsten Cassidy is a British actress best known for her role as Tanya Young in the popular BBC children's drama Grange Hill. She trained at the Laine Johnson theatre school in Salford and attended Cheadle Hulme School in Stockport. Cassidy played a variety of roles prior to Grange Hill, mostly in...
(born 1990), actress - Nick RobinsonNick RobinsonNicholas Anthony "Nick" Robinson is a British journalist and political editor for the BBC. Robinson was interested in politics from a young age, and went on to study a Philosophy, Politics, and Economics degree at Oxford University, where he was also President of the Oxford University Conservative...
(born 1963), BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
political editor - Katie DerhamKatie DerhamKatie Derham is a British newscaster and a presenter on television and radio.-Early life:Derham was born in Stockport to John and Margaret Derham, and grew up in Wilmslow...
(born 1970), ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Evening News presenter - Daniel RigbyDaniel RigbyDaniel Rigby is an English television and stage actor.He attended Cheadle Hulme School and studied performing arts at Stockport College. He became one of the youngest students from the college to be accepted by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...
actor and comedian, BAFTA award winner 'Leading Actor'
Headteachers
- 1855-61 - Mr. McDougall
- 1861-63 - Mr. Henry Adkin
- 1863-64 - Mr. Harrison
- 1865-66 - Mr. Edward Eversden
- 1867-80 - Mr. William Laurie
- 1880-84 - Mr. Alfred Stone
- 1884-1906 - Mr. George Board
- 1906-22 - Mr. Robert Purdy
- 1922-54 - Mr. T.T.R. Lockhart
- 1954-62 - Mr. Douglas Whiting
- 1962-63 - Mr. David Wilcox (Acting Head)
- 1963-74 - Mr. Leslie Johnston
- 1974-76 - Mr. David Wilcox
- 1977-89 - Mr. Colin Firth
- 1990-2000 - Mr. Donald Wilkinson
- 2001-01 - Mr. Andrew Chicken (Acting Head)
- 2001-10 - Mr. Paul Dixon
- 2010- Ms. Lucy PearsonLucy Pearson (cricketer)Lucy Charlotte Pearson is a former English cricketer who played 12 Women's Test matches and 62 Women's One Day Internationals...