Fort Pitt Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Fort Pitt Grammar School is a selective girls' grammar school
in Chatham, Kent
, England, built on the site of Fort Pitt
, a Palmerston Fort. The school holds specialist Science College
status. It is situated between the A2
and the A229
and next to the Rochester Campus of the University for the Creative Arts.
and the University College for the Creative Arts (formerly KIAD). The school was Medway Girls Technical School until its abolishment (the tripartite system was replace by just secondary modern and grammar schools) in the 1970s, when it was converted to a grammar school for girls aged 11 to 18.
The site has also previously been the location for the hospital Florence Nightingale
worked at during the Crimean War. Some of the ward numbers can still be seen on the walls of the "West Wing" of the school, which is now a listed building.
Meaden (pink)
Ryder (blue)
Somerville (white)
Westwood (red)
The houses are all named after famous and inspirational women:
The houses all compete in a wide range of events, which include; House Arts, Sports Day, Charity Events and various Inter-House Quizzes and Academic Events.
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...
in Chatham, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England, built on the site of Fort Pitt
Fort Pitt, Kent
Fort Pitt was a fort built between 1805 and 1819 on the high ground of the boundary between Chatham and Rochester, Kent. It did not last long, becoming a hospital for invalid soldiers in 1828, with an asylum added in 1849...
, a Palmerston Fort. The school holds specialist Science College
Science College
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics...
status. It is situated between the A2
A2 road (Great Britain)
The A2 is a major road in southern England, connecting London with the English Channel port of Dover in Kent. This route has always been of importance as a connection between the British capital of London and sea trade routes to Continental Europe...
and the A229
A229 road
The A229 is a major road running north-south through Kent.The road begins in the Medway town of Rochester at the foot of Star Hill forming a junction with the A2 road. It then climbs up through the built-up area of Chatham, passing Troy Town and Rochester Airport before descending the slope of the...
and next to the Rochester Campus of the University for the Creative Arts.
History
Fort Pitt School is built upon the site of the old fort, sharing the campus with MidKent CollegeMidKent College
MidKent College is a further education college in Kent, England. It runs courses from three separate campuses across Maidstone and Medway....
and the University College for the Creative Arts (formerly KIAD). The school was Medway Girls Technical School until its abolishment (the tripartite system was replace by just secondary modern and grammar schools) in the 1970s, when it was converted to a grammar school for girls aged 11 to 18.
The site has also previously been the location for the hospital Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
worked at during the Crimean War. Some of the ward numbers can still be seen on the walls of the "West Wing" of the school, which is now a listed building.
House system
Fort Pitt has a newly introduced House system. The Houses are:Meaden (pink)
Ryder (blue)
Somerville (white)
Westwood (red)
The houses are all named after famous and inspirational women:
- Deborah Meaden-A successful British business woman
- Sue Ryder- A Biritish volunteer who led many charitable organizations
- Mary Somerville- A Scottish science writer and polymath
- Vivienne Westwood- A famous British fashion designer
The houses all compete in a wide range of events, which include; House Arts, Sports Day, Charity Events and various Inter-House Quizzes and Academic Events.