Knights Templar School
Encyclopedia
Knights Templar School is a co-educational secondary school located in the market town of Baldock
in North Hertfordshire
, England
. In a February 2006 OFSTED
report, the school was described as "outstanding", one of only eight secondary schools in Hertfordshire to be so recognised. It retained its "outstanding" status following a further OFSTED inspection in February 2009. The Knights Templar School gained Academy status on 1 April 2011.
medieval history. Since that time the school has seen new buildings and ever increasing pupil numbers, leading to oversubscription every year. The school claims no connection with the Masonic
order of Knights Templar or with The Da Vinci Code
– rather, it is named after the chivalrous medieval order of the Knights Templar
, who founded Baldock and built the original 12th century parish church of St Mary the Virgin in the town. The motto of the Knights Templar School is "Courage and Courtesy".
are Crellin, Hancock, Hine, Pembroke, Bennett, Knights and Templar, named after former Headmasters of the school (Hancock and Crellin), local educationists (G.H. Bennett and Alderman Neville Hine who for many years was
Chairman of Managers of Baldock C.C. School and worked
for the building of the Knights Templar School), 'Strongbow', the Earl of Pembroke
(the school is built on land owned by the Earl in the medieval period), and the Knights Templar
who built the parish church St. Mary the Virgin c.1125.
In September 2005 it became a specialist school for Sport and the Performing Arts. The school has a strong musical tradition, with about a third of all pupils taking extra tuition in an instrument or voice. The Big Band and Senior Chamber Choir perform locally and the school organises a music tour bi-annually, geared mainly towards these two groups (though anyone is welcome). Recent tour locations include Budapest
in Hungary
during July 2006 and Liguria
in Italy
in July 2008. A former pupil, Frances Balmer, won the 2004 BBC Proms Young Composers' Competition.
The Knights Templar School received coverage in the national media in 2002 over the 'fixing' of 'A' level grades by examination boards. The school was the first in the country to appeal the grades awarded to its students in GCE
'Psychology
'
In July 2007 the school's Art Department gained the Guinness World Record for Painting by Numbers.
As a specialist school in sport the Knights Templar School also has a million-pound sports centre with fitness suite and a floodlit all-weather sports pitch.
Guest speakers at the school in recent years have included politician Edwina Currie
, film and television composers David Arnold
and Debbie Wiseman
, Cardinal Basil Hume, academic Professor Lord Soulsby, IVF
pioneer Peter Brinsden
, scientist Professor Sir John Polkinghorne
, Professor Mick Aston
from Time Team
, former Cabinet Minister Lord MacGregor, and actor and performer Gerald Charles Dickens
. The Hoosiers
performed an acoustic gig at the school in March 2011.
As of 2009 there are 1357 pupils.
Baldock
Baldock is a historic market town in the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, England where the River Ivel rises. It lies north of London, southeast of Bedford, and north northwest of the county town of Hertford...
in North Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, 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...
. In a February 2006 OFSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
report, the school was described as "outstanding", one of only eight secondary schools in Hertfordshire to be so recognised. It retained its "outstanding" status following a further OFSTED inspection in February 2009. The Knights Templar School gained Academy status on 1 April 2011.
History
The school opened the day before the start of the Second World War in 1939 as the Baldock Secondary School, and was renamed The Knights Templar School by Vivian Crellin, a former headmaster of the school and a scholar of Baldock'sBaldock
Baldock is a historic market town in the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, England where the River Ivel rises. It lies north of London, southeast of Bedford, and north northwest of the county town of Hertford...
medieval history. Since that time the school has seen new buildings and ever increasing pupil numbers, leading to oversubscription every year. The school claims no connection with the Masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
order of Knights Templar or with The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
– rather, it is named after the chivalrous medieval order of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, who founded Baldock and built the original 12th century parish church of St Mary the Virgin in the town. The motto of the Knights Templar School is "Courage and Courtesy".
Houses
The school HousesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
are Crellin, Hancock, Hine, Pembroke, Bennett, Knights and Templar, named after former Headmasters of the school (Hancock and Crellin), local educationists (G.H. Bennett and Alderman Neville Hine who for many years was
Chairman of Managers of Baldock C.C. School and worked
for the building of the Knights Templar School), 'Strongbow', the Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland . Like his father, he was also commonly known as Strongbow...
(the school is built on land owned by the Earl in the medieval period), and the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
who built the parish church St. Mary the Virgin c.1125.
Recent years
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
during July 2006 and Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in July 2008. A former pupil, Frances Balmer, won the 2004 BBC Proms Young Composers' Competition.
The Knights Templar School received coverage in the national media in 2002 over the 'fixing' of 'A' level grades by examination boards. The school was the first in the country to appeal the grades awarded to its students in GCE
General Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
'Psychology
Psychology
Psychology 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...
'
In July 2007 the school's Art Department gained the Guinness World Record for Painting by Numbers.
As a specialist school in sport the Knights Templar School also has a million-pound sports centre with fitness suite and a floodlit all-weather sports pitch.
Guest speakers at the school in recent years have included politician Edwina Currie
Edwina Currie
Edwina Jonesnée Cohen is a former British Member of Parliament. First elected as a Conservative Party MP in 1983, she was a Junior Health Minister for two years, before resigning in 1988 over the controversy over salmonella in eggs...
, film and television composers David Arnold
David Arnold
David Arnold is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, the 1994 film Stargate, the 1996 film Independence Day, and the television series Little Britain.-Film and television career:...
and Debbie Wiseman
Debbie Wiseman
Debbie Wiseman MBE is a composer for film and television. She studied at Trinity College of Music Junior Department, and then piano and composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama....
, Cardinal Basil Hume, academic Professor Lord Soulsby, IVF
In vitro fertilisation
In vitro fertilisation is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the body: in vitro. IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed...
pioneer Peter Brinsden
Peter Brinsden
Dr. Peter Robert Brinsden MBBS, MRCS, LRCP, FRCOG is known for the treatment of infertility in couples. From 1989 to 2006 he was the Medical Director of Bourn Hall Clinic in the UK, a leading centre for the treatment of fertility problems, and where about 6,000 babies have been conceived using IVF...
, scientist Professor Sir John Polkinghorne
John Polkinghorne
John Charlton Polkinghorne KBE FRS is an English theoretical physicist, theologian, writer, and Anglican priest. He was professor of Mathematical physics at the University of Cambridge from 1968 to 1979, when he resigned his chair to study for the priesthood, becoming an ordained Anglican priest...
, Professor Mick Aston
Mick Aston
Professor Michael Antony 'Mick' Aston is a prominent English archaeologist. As an academic, he has taught at a number of universities across the United Kingdom, and has helped popularise the discipline amongst the British public by appearing as the resident academic on the Channel 4 television...
from Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
, former Cabinet Minister Lord MacGregor, and actor and performer Gerald Charles Dickens
Gerald Charles Dickens (actor)
Gerald Rhoderick Charles Dickens is a British actor and performer known in the United Kingdom and the United States for his one man shows based on the novels of his great great grandfather, Charles Dickens...
. The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers are an English pop/rock band, consisting of members Irwin Sparkes , Martin Skarendahl and Alan Sharland ....
performed an acoustic gig at the school in March 2011.
As of 2009 there are 1357 pupils.
Headmasters
- Mr F. Hancock 1939-1951
- Mr John Tyler 1951-59
- Mr Vivian Crellin 1960-1984
- Mr Peter Chapman 1984-2006
- Mr Andrew Pickering 2006–Present
Students
- Leanne WilsonLeanne WilsonLeanne Wilson is a well known British television actress.Wilson grew up in Hertfordshire with her younger brother Matt, and sister, Olivia. She attended the Knights Templar School in Baldock, Hertfordshire...
, actress - Claire SlaterClaire SlaterClaire Slater is a British actress. She attended Hertfordshire schools St. Francis' College in Letchworth Garden City and the Knights Templar School in Baldock...
, actress - Rowan Oliver, original drummer with GoldfrappGoldfrappGoldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
- Elizabeth HallElizabeth Hall (athlete)Elizabeth Hall is an international British athlete competing as a 3000m cross country runner and steeplechaser.She represented Great Britain at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and competed at the European Athletic Championships twice.-Life and career:Born in Stevenage in...
, international athlete
Staff
- Adam FicekAdam FicekAdam Ficek is an English musician who performs under the 'Roses Kings Castles' name, and was a song writer and member of Babyshambles....
, drummerDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
with BabyshamblesBabyshamblesBabyshambles are an English indie rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty during a hiatus from his former band The Libertines, but Babyshambles has since become his main project . Babyshambles has released two albums, three EPs and a number of singles...
taught drums at the school - Victoria Blakeborough, the international rugby player for Scotland Women, taught R.E. at the school (2008–10)