Dover Grammar School for Boys
Encyclopedia
Dover Grammar School for Boys is a selective
secondary school
located in Dover
, United Kingdom. The school is situated next to Astor College for the Arts
, which is a non-selective school. It has a strong sporting rivalry with Astor and Sir Roger Manwood's School
, a selective Grammar school in nearby Sandwich, Kent
. The school was rated by Ofsted as "Good" in May 2010, and is a Business and Enterprise specialist state school. It is also a member of the International World School programme.
and at what is now the Girls' Grammar at Frith Road, only later splitting into the Boys' and Girls' Grammars. It moved into the present 1930s building in 1931 (with influences from Dover Castle
, which is visible from the school), only to be evacuated to Ebbw Vale
during the Second World War. R J Unstead
, a prolific author of history books for children, attended the school from 1926 to 1934.
The founder and first headmaster of the school was Fred Whitehouse whose personal efforts persuaded the authorities to provide the money for the new building despite the severe economic circumstances of the depression. The building mixes both gothic and classical influences. Whitehouse believed in the maxim often attributed to Winston Churchill
that "we shape our buildings and our buildings shape us".
The building was opened by the Duke of York, the future King George VI of the United Kingdom
.
It is one of few state school in Britain to have a working organ, which is housed in the Great Hall. The organ goes to Hamburg
every 25 years for expert care and maintenance.
During World War II, the school building was taken over and used by the Royal Navy
as a station for WRNS
.
A notable feature of the building is a large stained glass window showing St. George and bearing the names of past students of the school who died in World War Two. There are separate memorials to students and an English teacher Oliver Tunnell who died in World War One.
It became Grant Maintained in April 1994, after warding off a series of reorganisation proposals from Kent County Council
, then a Foundation School
in September 1999, and in 2006 a Business and Enterprise College
, which it is now. It celebrated its centenary in 2004, under headteacher Mrs Sally Lees.
The building was modified in 2000-2001 to include a second tower that differed from the design of the original tower (known as the Old Tower to pupils) to provide extra access to more IT rooms built over the school workshops.
The school became a Business and Enterprise School in 2006. As a result of the specialism the school received more funding from the government, part of which was invested into a new Business & Enterprise suite. The science labs were also refurbished in the recent years.
In 2009 there were proposals to move the school to Whitfield to be housed in a new building under the Labour government's Building Schools for the Future
programme but this was cancelled after the 2010 General Election by Education Secretary Michael Gove
. The cancellation of the move was a relief to some friends of the school.
The sporting achievements are extremely good with football, rugby and cricket teams winning County and District competitions on a regular basis. Athletics take place in the summer. The school has an undersized basketball court in the gym, the enlargement of which is a long-standing ambition. American football and softball have also been played at the school, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s when the teaching staff included Major Huron, USAF Rtd.
The school has close links with Dover Grammar School for Girls
(DGGS) sharing A-Level students in a number of subjects, as part of the Dover Sixth Form Consortium, which enables A-level students of all Dover schools to attend lessons in each member school. Dover Grammar School for Boys also offers the IB Diploma (International Baccelaureate) the first school in the Kent area to offer both A Level and IB diploma qualifications.
GCSE results are good, with the percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more grades A* - C increasing from 91% in 2002 to 100% in 2005, falling to 97% in 2006.http://www.dfes.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/school_06.pl?No=8865459&Mode=Z&Type=SC&Phase=1&Year=06&Base=b&Num=886. The equivalent result for 2009 was 99%. The school's results are on a general positive trend upwards: (http://www.dovergramboys.kent.sch.uk/joomla15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54:exam-results-2009&catid=1:latest-news). University entry levels are good, with recent students gaining entrance to: Durham, Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol, Warwickshire College, Reading, Winchester and King's College London.
During May 2009, four sixth form students, Patrick Holmes, Jay Crush, James Fowler and Daniel Brett, funded the opening of the Brian Haines Suite, formally known as L7 (and previously room 17). This was to commemorate the exceptional amount of time that Brian Haines had served the school, from 1971 to 2009. It was decided that Brian Haines' dedication to the school earned this honour and it was left up.
The school also has a highly successful Combined Cadet Force (CCF) with approximately 50 members which is open to anybody from the age of 13 from the surrounding area.
Dover Grammar School for Boys is currently developing the HEdSTART programme; an innovative approach to teaching and learning at Post 16.
In 1995, during the contest for leadership of the Conservative Party
between Prime Minister John Major
and John Redwood
MP it suggested in the media that Redwood briefly attended the school, however, a search of the school records by deputy headmaster, Dr. Alan Jackson, found no evidence to support this.
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...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, United Kingdom. The school is situated next to Astor College for the Arts
Astor College for the Arts
Astor College for the Arts is a secondary in Dover, England. The school was awarded specialist status as an Arts College. It is sited next to Dover Grammar School for Boys, with whom it has a close sporting rivalry....
, which is a non-selective school. It has a strong sporting rivalry with Astor and Sir Roger Manwood's School
Sir Roger Manwood's School
Sir Roger Manwood's School is a grammar foundation school located in Sandwich, Kent, England, the 96th oldest school in the UK.-Admissions:The school has language college and computing status, meaning that it specialises in teaching modern foreign languages and ICT. In order to gain entry into the...
, a selective Grammar school in nearby Sandwich, Kent
Sandwich, Kent
Sandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the River Stour in the Non-metropolitan district of Dover, within the ceremonial county of Kent, south-east England. It has a population of 6,800....
. The school was rated by Ofsted as "Good" in May 2010, and is a Business and Enterprise specialist state school. It is also a member of the International World School programme.
History
Founded in 1904 as Dover County School, it was originally mixed-sex and occupied other premises at LadywellLadywell
Ladywell is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham.-History:The name Ladywell was in use by the 15th century, and maps dating to this period show the site of the original Ladywell, in front of the area later to be occupied by the Freemason's Arms and...
and at what is now the Girls' Grammar at Frith Road, only later splitting into the Boys' and Girls' Grammars. It moved into the present 1930s building in 1931 (with influences from Dover Castle
Dover Castle
Dover Castle is a medieval castle in the town of the same name in the English county of Kent. It was founded in the 12th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history...
, which is visible from the school), only to be evacuated to Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...
during the Second World War. R J Unstead
R J Unstead
Robert John Unstead was a British historian and prolific author of history books, most of which were written for young readers....
, a prolific author of history books for children, attended the school from 1926 to 1934.
The founder and first headmaster of the school was Fred Whitehouse whose personal efforts persuaded the authorities to provide the money for the new building despite the severe economic circumstances of the depression. The building mixes both gothic and classical influences. Whitehouse believed in the maxim often attributed to Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
that "we shape our buildings and our buildings shape us".
The building was opened by the Duke of York, the future King George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
.
It is one of few state school in Britain to have a working organ, which is housed in the Great Hall. The organ goes to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
every 25 years for expert care and maintenance.
During World War II, the school building was taken over and used by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The 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...
as a station for WRNS
Women's Royal Naval Service
The Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
.
A notable feature of the building is a large stained glass window showing St. George and bearing the names of past students of the school who died in World War Two. There are separate memorials to students and an English teacher Oliver Tunnell who died in World War One.
It became Grant Maintained in April 1994, after warding off a series of reorganisation proposals from Kent County Council
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
, then a Foundation School
Foundation school
In England and Wales, a foundation school is a state-funded school in which the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools....
in September 1999, and in 2006 a Business and Enterprise College
Business and Enterprise College
Business and Enterprise Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields...
, which it is now. It celebrated its centenary in 2004, under headteacher Mrs Sally Lees.
The building was modified in 2000-2001 to include a second tower that differed from the design of the original tower (known as the Old Tower to pupils) to provide extra access to more IT rooms built over the school workshops.
The school became a Business and Enterprise School in 2006. As a result of the specialism the school received more funding from the government, part of which was invested into a new Business & Enterprise suite. The science labs were also refurbished in the recent years.
In 2009 there were proposals to move the school to Whitfield to be housed in a new building under the Labour government's Building Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future is the name of the previous UK Government's investment programme in secondary school buildings in England. The program is very ambitious in its costs, timescales and objectives, with politicians from all English political parties supportive of the principle but...
programme but this was cancelled after the 2010 General Election by Education Secretary Michael Gove
Michael Gove
Michael Andrew Gove, MP is a British politician, who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Education and as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Surrey Heath constituency. He is also a published author and former journalist.Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen...
. The cancellation of the move was a relief to some friends of the school.
Present day
The school was recently awarded International Schools Award on account of its links with schools in: France, South Korea, Taiwan, and Ethiopia. The school is also host to the Dover Extended Schools (DES) team, offering a Saturday morning academy for primary and secondary school pupils in a range of languages, arts, and sciences. Other quality marks the school holds include: Teacher Learning Academy Centre, EcoSchools and Healthy Schools.The sporting achievements are extremely good with football, rugby and cricket teams winning County and District competitions on a regular basis. Athletics take place in the summer. The school has an undersized basketball court in the gym, the enlargement of which is a long-standing ambition. American football and softball have also been played at the school, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s when the teaching staff included Major Huron, USAF Rtd.
The school has close links with Dover Grammar School for Girls
Dover Grammar School for Girls
Dover Grammar School for Girls is a Specialist Humanities Grammar School for Girls, aged between 11 and 18, and boys aged between 16 and 18, in Dover, England...
(DGGS) sharing A-Level students in a number of subjects, as part of the Dover Sixth Form Consortium, which enables A-level students of all Dover schools to attend lessons in each member school. Dover Grammar School for Boys also offers the IB Diploma (International Baccelaureate) the first school in the Kent area to offer both A Level and IB diploma qualifications.
GCSE results are good, with the percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more grades A* - C increasing from 91% in 2002 to 100% in 2005, falling to 97% in 2006.http://www.dfes.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/school_06.pl?No=8865459&Mode=Z&Type=SC&Phase=1&Year=06&Base=b&Num=886. The equivalent result for 2009 was 99%. The school's results are on a general positive trend upwards: (http://www.dovergramboys.kent.sch.uk/joomla15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54:exam-results-2009&catid=1:latest-news). University entry levels are good, with recent students gaining entrance to: Durham, Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol, Warwickshire College, Reading, Winchester and King's College London.
During May 2009, four sixth form students, Patrick Holmes, Jay Crush, James Fowler and Daniel Brett, funded the opening of the Brian Haines Suite, formally known as L7 (and previously room 17). This was to commemorate the exceptional amount of time that Brian Haines had served the school, from 1971 to 2009. It was decided that Brian Haines' dedication to the school earned this honour and it was left up.
The school also has a highly successful Combined Cadet Force (CCF) with approximately 50 members which is open to anybody from the age of 13 from the surrounding area.
Dover Grammar School for Boys is currently developing the HEdSTART programme; an innovative approach to teaching and learning at Post 16.
Notable former pupils
- Prof Bruce BilbyBruce BilbyBruce Alexander Bilby FRS is a British mechanical engineer, and Emeritus Professor at the University of Sheffield.-Life:He is a graduate of Dover Grammar School for Boys.He taught at University of Birmingham. He was a colleague of Alan Cottrell....
, Professor of the Theory of Materials at the University of SheffieldUniversity of SheffieldThe University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
from 1966–84 - Maj-GenMajor-General (United Kingdom)Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
George Bond CB CBE - Matthew Borle, international artist (whose work is often exhibited under the name Hello Von).
- Lester Borley CBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourist BoardVisitScotlandVisitScotland is Scotland's national tourism agency. It is a public body, with offices in Edinburgh, Inverness, London as well as other parts of Scotland...
from 1970-5 and the English Tourist Board (since 1999 called the English Tourism CouncilEnglish Tourism CouncilThe VisitEngland is the tourist board for England. In 2003 it merged with the British Tourist Authority to form VisitBritain...
) from 1975–83, Secretary General of Europa NostraEuropa NostraEuropa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, is the representative platform of 250 heritage NGOs active in 45 countries across Europe...
from 1993-6 - Surgeon Rear-AdmRear AdmiralRear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Edward Cadman CB, Director of Naval Dental Services from 1974–77 - Arthur Cockfield, Baron Cockfield, President of the Royal Statistical SocietyRoyal Statistical SocietyThe Royal Statistical Society is a learned society for statistics and a professional body for statisticians in the UK.-History:It was founded in 1834 as the Statistical Society of London , though a perhaps unrelated London Statistical Society was in existence at least as early as 1824...
from 1968-9, and Secretary of State for Trade from 1982-3 - Eddie CrushEddie CrushEdmund Crush was an English cricketer playing for Kent between 1946 and 1949....
, cricketer - Prof Christopher FosterChristopher FosterChristopher Knollys Foster was an English cricketer. A right-handed batsman, he played first-class cricket for Worcestershire in 1927.-Biography:...
, George Holt Professor of Pathology at the University of LiverpoolUniversity of LiverpoolThe University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
since 1994 - Prof Henry Garland, Professor of German at the University of ExeterUniversity of ExeterThe University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
from 1948–72 - Harold Gray CMG, Director of the National Association of British Manufacturers from 1961-5
- Sir Walter Haydon CMG, Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland from 1976–80, High Commissioner to MalawiMalawiThe Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
from 1971-3 and Malta from 1974-6 - Antony Hook, Barrister, who stood for parliament in Dover as a 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...
in 2001, less than 3 years after being a student at the school. - Sir Clifford Jarrett CBE
- Sir James Menter, President of the Institute of PhysicsInstitute of PhysicsThe Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
from 1970-2, and Principal of Queen Mary College, LondonQueen Mary, University of LondonQueen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
from 1976–86 - Rt Rev Eric MercerEric Arthur John MercerEric Arthur John Mercer was an Anglican bishop in the Church of England. He was the first Bishop of Birkenhead from 1965 to 1973 and, from then until his retirement, the Bishop of Exeter....
, Bishop of BirkenheadBishop of BirkenheadThe Bishop of Birkenhead is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Chester, in the Province of York, England. The title takes its name after Birkenhead, a town located on the Wirral Peninsula....
from 1965–73 and Bishop of ExeterBishop of ExeterThe Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
from 1973–85 - Sir John MummeryJohn MummerySir John Mummery PC, DL is a Lord Justice of Appeal and President of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal and member of the Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved in the UK.-Biography:...
, aka Lord Justice Mummery, a judge in the Court of Appeal - Rt Rev Kenneth NewingKenneth Albert NewingKenneth Albert Newing was the Anglican Bishop of Plymouth from 1982 to 1988. Born on 29 August 1923, he was educated at Dover Grammar School for Boys and Selwyn College, Cambridge. After a period of study at The College of the Resurrection, Mirfield he was ordained in 1955 and began his career...
, Bishop of PlymouthBishop of Plymouth (Anglican)The Anglican Bishop of Plymouth is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after the city of Plymouth in Devon....
from 1982-9 - Prof David ThomasDavid Thomas (geographer)David S. G. Thomas is a scientist and geographer. He was born in Dover, Kent, UK in 1958. He is Professor of Geography at the University of Oxford, and a Professorial Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford. His research deals with desertification, dryland environments, climate change and other...
, Professor of Geography at the University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
since 2004 - Kenneth ThompsonKenneth ThompsonKenneth Thompson or Ken Thompson may refer to:* Kenneth Thompson , Bishop of Sherwood* Kenneth Thompson , British ice hockey centre...
CMG, Director of the Commonwealth InstituteCommonwealth InstituteThe Commonwealth Institute was an educational charity connected with the Commonwealth of Nations, and the name of a building in West London formerly owned by the Institute...
from 1969–73 - R. J. Unstead, historical author
- David PowellDavid PowellDavid Powell was a Scottish born stage and later film actor of the silent era. In his twenties Powell appeared in stage companies of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Ellen Terry and Johnston Forbes-Robertson...
, UK ambassador to Norway, 2006–present
In 1995, during the contest for leadership of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
between Prime Minister John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
and John Redwood
John Redwood
John Alan Redwood is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wokingham. He was formerly Secretary of State for Wales in Prime Minister John Major's Cabinet and was an unsuccessful challenger for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1995...
MP it suggested in the media that Redwood briefly attended the school, however, a search of the school records by deputy headmaster, Dr. Alan Jackson, found no evidence to support this.