Clitheroe Royal Grammar School
Encyclopedia
See Royal Grammar School
for the other schools with the name RGS.
Clitheroe Royal Grammar School is a co-educational secondary school
in Clitheroe
, Lancashire
that used to be an all boys school. It was founded in 1554 as "The Free Grammar School of King Philip and Queen Mary" “for the education, instruction and learning of boys and young men in grammar; to be and to continue for ever.”
After 44 years of sharing the school buildings with the boys, the newly-built Girls Grammar School opened in 1958 and amalgamated with the Boys Grammar School in 1985. CRGS celebrated its 450th anniversary in 2004, an event marked by the planting of a tree by HRH The Duke of York
.
After becoming a Grant Maintained School in September 1991 Clitheroe Royal Grammar School became a Foundation School with a Foundation under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Most recently on 1 January 2011 the School converted to Academy School Status under the Academies Act 2010.
Clitheroe Royal Grammar School continues to thrive on two sites with the Sixth Form Centre occupying the historic buildings in York Street and the Main School at the former Girls Grammar School buildings on Chatburn Road.
performance and takes in around 330 students per year. The matriculation requirements are five grade Bs at GCSE with at least a Grade C in English Language and Mathematicshttp://www.crgs.org.uk/Files/SixthFormGuide2011.pdf, while some subjects also require specific grades in related GCSE subjects, where applicable.
(At GCSE level, these can be taken separately, or as a Double Award
)
Students also do a rotation of Personal/Social/Health Education (PSHE) dealing with citizenship and society among other things.
From the Statutes, dated 1622:
Or, modernised:
As a result of the new status, taster courses in Mandarin
, Urdu
and Russian
are being held, which should soon be extended to the local community. The building program has been completed and contains 4 classrooms and 2 store rooms.
In 2008, the school was awarded the Foundation International School Award in 2008 and the Full Award in 2009, recognisng the outstanding work with partner schools in France, Germany, Spain and Italy, as well as new links that are developing as the Talking Languages Together group develops.
Royal Grammar School
Royal Grammar School may refer to:* Clitheroe Royal Grammar School* Colchester Royal Grammar School* Lancaster Royal Grammar School* Royal Grammar School, Guildford* Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe* Royal Grammar School, Newcastle...
for the other schools with the name RGS.
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
in Clitheroe
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
that used to be an all boys school. It was founded in 1554 as "The Free Grammar School of King Philip and Queen Mary" “for the education, instruction and learning of boys and young men in grammar; to be and to continue for ever.”
After 44 years of sharing the school buildings with the boys, the newly-built Girls Grammar School opened in 1958 and amalgamated with the Boys Grammar School in 1985. CRGS celebrated its 450th anniversary in 2004, an event marked by the planting of a tree by HRH The Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
.
After becoming a Grant Maintained School in September 1991 Clitheroe Royal Grammar School became a Foundation School with a Foundation under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Most recently on 1 January 2011 the School converted to Academy School Status under the Academies Act 2010.
Clitheroe Royal Grammar School continues to thrive on two sites with the Sixth Form Centre occupying the historic buildings in York Street and the Main School at the former Girls Grammar School buildings on Chatburn Road.
Uniform
The main school uniform consists of:| Item | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| Blazer | Royal Blue (3 silver-coloured buttons) | Royal Blue (2 plastic buttons) |
| Shirt | Plain White | Plain White |
| Tie | Clip on striped in blue, red, and yellow (with thinner stripes for prefects) | Clip on striped in blue, red, and yellow (with thinner stripes for prefects) |
| Lower Part | Grey, Charcole or Black Trousers | Black Trousers or Grey Skirt |
| Socks | Grey or Black | White |
| Shoes | Plain Black | Plain Black |
Intake
The Main School intake each year is 120 children who have each reached the required standard in the School's entrance examination, with places being offered preferentially to candidates living within the School's defined 'Catchment Area'. These are then divided into four forms (C, R, G and S), of 30 pupils each. This means the pupil population at Main School is about 600 (120 per year, with five years). Sixth Form entry is based on GCSEGeneral Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
performance and takes in around 330 students per year. The matriculation requirements are five grade Bs at GCSE with at least a Grade C in English Language and Mathematicshttp://www.crgs.org.uk/Files/SixthFormGuide2011.pdf, while some subjects also require specific grades in related GCSE subjects, where applicable.
Lessons
Clitheroe Royal Grammar School teaches the following for Years 7–11:- English
- Mathematics
- Modern Foreign Languages
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Latin (Year 8 onwards)
- Sciences
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
(At GCSE level, these can be taken separately, or as a Double Award
Double Award Science
In the United Kingdom, Double Award Science is the combined study of GCSE biology, chemistry and physics that results in two GCSEs. The double award is not as in-depth as studying the individual sciences, and unfortunately a pupil choosing this subject has fewer subjects to choose from at GCSE...
)
- Humanities
- History
- Geography
- Classical Civilisation (Year 10 onwards)
- Music
- Religious Studies (with Ethics for GCSE)
- Design and Technology
- Food Technology
- Resistant Materials
- Systems and Control
- Textiles
- Graphic Products
- Information Communication Technology
- P.E. (Up to two hours a week in year 7–9 and one hour a week in year 10–11, no examination taken)
Students also do a rotation of Personal/Social/Health Education (PSHE) dealing with citizenship and society among other things.
Sixth form
The school was originally based at St Mary's churchyard, and was moved to the York Street site in 1814 in rooms that are now used to teach Art and Foreign Languages. The school was extended in 1878 and again in 1914 to include what is now the Library. The sixth form centre has a wider selection of courses and is one of the largest sixth forms in the United Kingdom. The courses offered are inclined towards traditional academic subjects:- ArtArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and DesignGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience... - BiologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
- Business StudiesBusiness studiesBusiness studies is an academic subject taught at higher level in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, as well as at university level in many countries...
- ChemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
- Classical CivilisationClassicsClassics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
- ComputingComputingComputing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
- Critical ThinkingCritical thinkingCritical thinking is the process or method of thinking that questions assumptions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, false, or sometimes true and sometimes false, or partly true and partly false. The origins of critical thinking can be traced in Western thought to the Socratic...
- Design and Technology: Product DesignProduct design-Introduction:Product design is the process of creating a new product to be sold by a business or enterprise to its customers. It is concerned with the efficient and effective generation and development of ideas through a process that leads to new products.Product designers conceptualize and...
- Drama and Theatre Studies
- EconomicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
- EnglishEnglish studiesEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
(LanguageLanguageLanguage may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, LiteratureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
or Combined) - FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
- General Studies
- GeographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
- General StudiesGeneral StudiesGeneral Studies may refer to:* Bachelor of General Studies, a degree offered in some Western Universities* A GCSE and A-level examination offered to 16-18 year olds in the United Kingdom and some other countries...
- GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
- HistoryHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
- MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Further MathematicsFurther MathematicsFurther Mathematics is the title given to a number of advanced secondary mathematics courses. Higher and Further Mathematics may also refer to any of several advanced mathematics courses at many institutions....
) - MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
- Physical EducationPhysical educationPhysical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
- PhysicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
- PoliticsPoliticsPolitics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
- PsychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
- Religious and Ethical StudiesReligious studiesReligious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
- SociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
- SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
- Theatre StudiesTheatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
Teaching
The school employs around 80 teachers along with laboratory and IT technicians. The teachers often have both upper and lower school classes on two sites, which leads to a movement of teacher during the 15 minute breaks.Timetable
Unlike many other schools, CRGS does not operate a singles/doubles system. Instead, the timetable consists of five hourly periods per day, with a fifteen minute break between each, allowing teachers to go between the two sites. Lunch is between third and fourth periods, and lasts an hour. Main School registration begins at 8:50am and lasts ten minutes, and the final bell rings at 3:45pm, or, on a Wednesday, 2:30pm. Assemblies are usually held every Tuesday for part of the first period at Main School, and less frequently at the Sixth Form.School Council
The school has a student council that meets fortnightly. Two representatives are elected from each of the 20 main-school forms in September, whose responsibility it is to go to these meetings and put forward points about the school. These are usually ideas from pupils passed on to the council members in a tutorial period. Often these relate to fund-raising events (outside of the Fourth Year Charity Committee) or new facilities. A similar system operates at the Sixth Form.Commemoration Day
Every year, the school holds a commemoration day to remember the founding of the school. It happens on St John the Baptist's Day in the local parish church of Mary Magdalene.From the Statutes, dated 1622:
- We ordaine and be yt a Statute of this Schoole for ever. That from henceforth once every year upon St John Baptists day called Midsommer day in the forenoone there shalbee a Sermon preached in the Church of Clitherow where the Maister Usher and Schoolers of the said Schoole shalbee p'sent before the Governors of the said Schoole and therein shalbee a comemoracon of the foundation of the said Schoole with an exhortation to the said Governors Schoolmr and Usher that they faithfully and diligently p'forme their duties.
Or, modernised:
- Let this be a Statute of this school forever. Every year upon St John the Baptist's day (Midsummer's day) in the morning there shall be a Sermon preached in Clitheroe Church where the Master Usher and Scholars of the School shall be sent before the Governors the School and there shall be a commemoration of the foundation of the School with an exhortation to the Governors, Headteacher and Usher that they faithfully and diligently perform their duties.
Language College bid
After failing in the bid to become a Technology College, a language college committee was set up at CRGS in the autumn term of 2005, seeking to get specialist Language College status for the school. Along with the help of members of staff meetings were held on Tuesday Lunchtimes. The bid was successful, and the school now receives extra funding for expansions and developments into further Language areas.As a result of the new status, taster courses in Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
are being held, which should soon be extended to the local community. The building program has been completed and contains 4 classrooms and 2 store rooms.
In 2008, the school was awarded the Foundation International School Award in 2008 and the Full Award in 2009, recognisng the outstanding work with partner schools in France, Germany, Spain and Italy, as well as new links that are developing as the Talking Languages Together group develops.
School Newspaper
The school newspaper, the Royal Blazer was printed three times a year. The paper was distributed within school free of charge, and was put up for sale in the local area. Students were encouraged to contribute articles on subjects important to them and the local community. With a readership approaching 2,000 (students, parents, teachers, old boys and girls), it was an important publication for the school. However, it has not been published since 2006.Debating Societies
There are debating societies at both the Main School and Sixth Form College. The latter is named "Soundbite" and is run by a small group of upper-sixth students. "Soundbite" fields debaters to most of the major university competitions including Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, and meets on a weekly basis. The Main School society is run by the head of English.Other Student Groups
There are many groups for students to join and be an active part of, including:- Drama Club
- Science Club
- Maths Club
- Quiz League
- Dance Club
- Debating Club
- Sport Teams
- Basketball
- Cricket
- Football
- Hockey
- Netball
- Rounders
- Rugby
- Skiing
- Golf
- Music
- Choirs
- Junior Choir
- Girl's Choir
- Boy's Choir
- Chamber Choir
- Junior Choir
- Instrumental Groups
- Concert Band
- Guitar Ensemble
- Orchestra
- Swing Band
- String Ensemble
- Choirs
Notable former pupils
- William BlezardWilliam BlezardWilliam Blezard was a talented pianist and composer who was musical director to Noël Coward, Marlene Dietrich and Joyce Grenfell.- Personal life :...
- Composer, b.1921, PadihamPadihamPadiham is a small town and civil parish on the River Calder, about west of Burnley and south of Pendle Hill, in Lancashire, England. It is part of the Borough of Burnley but also has its own town council with varied powers.-History:... - Pattie ColdwellPattie ColdwellPattie Coldwell was a British TV presenter and journalist.Born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, she attended Clitheroe Royal Grammar School for Girls before working as a secretary and starting in local television as a reporter and presenter...
- Broadcaster b.1952 - Bryan CowgillBryan CowgillBryan Cowgill was a senior British television executive. He was Head of Sport for BBC Television from 1963–1973, Controller of BBC One from 1973–1977, and Managing Director of Thames TV from 1977-1985.-Early life:...
Senior BBC TV executive who devised GrandstandGrandstand (BBC)Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock...
and Match of the DayMatch of the DayMatch of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
, Controller of BBC1 from 1974–77 - Martin DobsonMartin DobsonMartin Dobson, popularly known as "Sir Dobbo", was born on 14 February 1948 in Rishton, England. He is a former professional footballer and England international who played as a midfielder....
- Footballer for BurnleyBurnley F.C.Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
and EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... - Ross EcclesRoss EcclesRoss Eccles, , is a contemporary English artist and painter. He has been based in Dublin, Ireland since 1971, and exhibits there regularly. He has also exhibited his work in the UK, France and the US.-Life and work:...
- Contemporary artist, b.1937 - Peter HargreavesPeter HargreavesPeter Kendal Hargreaves is co-founder with Stephen Lansdown of Hargreaves Lansdown, one of the United Kingdom's largest financial services businesses.-Career:...
- Co-founder of Hargreaves Lansdown, b.1946 - Judith Hart, Baroness Hart of South Lanark DBE PC, senior Labour Party politician, MP for LanarkLanark (UK Parliament constituency)Lanark was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system....
and ClydesdaleClydesdale (UK Parliament constituency)Clydesdale was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 2005, when it was redistributed to Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale, Lanark & Hamilton East and East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow as part of a major... - Michael Hindley, Labour MEP from 1984-94 of Lancashire EastLancashire East (European Parliament constituency)Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales...
, and from 1994-9 of Lancashire SouthLancashire South (European Parliament constituency)Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales... - Captain James KingCaptain James KingJames King FRS was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served under James Cook on his last voyage around the world, specialising in taking important astronomical readings using a sextant. After Cook died he helped lead the ships on the remainder of their course, also completing Cook's account of the...
Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Officer who saw service on Captain Cook's third voyage - Sir John Lewis - First principal of Dixon's City Technology College, Bradford; one of the first CTCs in England, b.1946
- Sir David Melville CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of KentUniversity of KentThe University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
from 2001-7, and Middlesex UniversityMiddlesex UniversityMiddlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
from 1992-6 - William Slater CBE, President of the British Amateur Gymnastics Association from 1989–2000
- Thomas StarkieThomas StarkieThomas Starkie was an English lawyer and jurist. A talented mathematician in his youth, he especially contributed to the unsuccessful attempts to codify the English criminal law in the nineteenth century.-Early life:...
- Lawyer born 1782 - Cyril WashbrookCyril WashbrookCyril Washbrook was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire and England. He had a long career, split by World War II, and ending when he was aged 44. Washbrook, who is most famous for opening the batting for England with Len Hutton, which he did fifty one times, played a total of 592...
- Lancashire and England cricketer and selector.
External links
- Clitheroe Royal Grammar School - Official Website
- Ofsted - Recent Ofsted Report
- League Table Results - Latest results for 2009