Prescot Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Prescot School was a co-educational comprehensive school
in Prescot
, Merseyside
, England
, and was previously called Prescot Grammar School. It closed in August 2009.
The main historical source is local historian F. A. Bailey's 40 page pamphlet published to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the school in 1944 and reissued with postscripts by former heads G. Dixon and J. C. S. Weekes under the title PGS 1544 - 1971 in 1971.
The school was first based in Church Street opposite the Prescot Parish Church of St. Mary's. It then moved in 1760 to a site in High Street where it remained until 1924. The next move was to the spacious site on St. Helens Road accommodated in newly built wooden buildings which were supposed to be temporary, expanded and augmented in the 1960s by a brick built hall ("Spencer Briggs Hall") classrooms and purpose built metalwork and woodwork workshops but they remained until 1978 when it was the victim of an arson attack by a disturbed former pupil.
Famous headteachers include C. W. H. Richardson who ensured its survival during difficult times in the 1920s and 1930s and R. Spencer Briggs from 1937 to 1963. None of the others were of note.
Geoffrey Dixon was a stalwart of the 20th century and taught at the school for 42 years from 1927 to 1969 reaching the position of deputy headmaster. One can only speculate why he never achieved ultimate status.
By 1944 when the Butler Education Act brought the school into the free national system, the school was in fact charging tuition fees. At this point, entry criteria passed from the ability to pay to the ability to pass the 11+ exam.
From the 1930s to the 1960s the school expanded under the control of headmaster R. Spencer Briggs to a peak of 650 boys. Briggs also modelled his school superficially on the British public schools with a prefect system, school uniform and a heavy emphasis on games (particularly football and cricket). and indeed corporal punishment. There was also rich extracurricular activity (debating, amateur dramatics, choral and instrumental music, and a plethora of school societies. During this period the school applied for and was granted its coat of arms. The Latin motto Futuram civitatem inquirimus' translates as "We are seeking a future state". In other words "Looking forward".
of Knowsley
, and joined with Prescot Grammar School for Girls (founded 1955) to become Prescot Comprehensive School. The school moved to the girls' school site and the extensive playing fields of the boys' school in St Helens Road were sold off and are now covered by a housing development.
In 2000 Prescot School gained specialist status as a Language College
.
Building Schools for the Future
initiative, the school has been being rebuilt and from September 2009 it merged with Higher Side School in Whiston
to become Knowsley Park Centre for Learning, serving Prescot, Whiston and the wider community (!) .
While this has been described by the Department for Children, Schools and Families as a new establishment, it would seem churlish to ignore a continuous history of education going back to 1544 .
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
in Prescot
Prescot
Prescot is a town and civil parish, within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It is 8 miles to the east of Liverpool city centre and lies within the historic boundaries of Lancashire. At the 2001 Census, the population was 11,184 .Prescot marks the beginning of the...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, 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...
, and was previously called Prescot Grammar School. It closed in August 2009.
The main historical source is local historian F. A. Bailey's 40 page pamphlet published to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the school in 1944 and reissued with postscripts by former heads G. Dixon and J. C. S. Weekes under the title PGS 1544 - 1971 in 1971.
Foundation
The school was founded in 1544 by Gilbert Lathum, a local clergyman who left £140 in his will to fund a schoolmaster (at a stipend of £7 per year) to run a free grammar school.The school was first based in Church Street opposite the Prescot Parish Church of St. Mary's. It then moved in 1760 to a site in High Street where it remained until 1924. The next move was to the spacious site on St. Helens Road accommodated in newly built wooden buildings which were supposed to be temporary, expanded and augmented in the 1960s by a brick built hall ("Spencer Briggs Hall") classrooms and purpose built metalwork and woodwork workshops but they remained until 1978 when it was the victim of an arson attack by a disturbed former pupil.
Famous headteachers include C. W. H. Richardson who ensured its survival during difficult times in the 1920s and 1930s and R. Spencer Briggs from 1937 to 1963. None of the others were of note.
Geoffrey Dixon was a stalwart of the 20th century and taught at the school for 42 years from 1927 to 1969 reaching the position of deputy headmaster. One can only speculate why he never achieved ultimate status.
By 1944 when the Butler Education Act brought the school into the free national system, the school was in fact charging tuition fees. At this point, entry criteria passed from the ability to pay to the ability to pass the 11+ exam.
From the 1930s to the 1960s the school expanded under the control of headmaster R. Spencer Briggs to a peak of 650 boys. Briggs also modelled his school superficially on the British public schools with a prefect system, school uniform and a heavy emphasis on games (particularly football and cricket). and indeed corporal punishment. There was also rich extracurricular activity (debating, amateur dramatics, choral and instrumental music, and a plethora of school societies. During this period the school applied for and was granted its coat of arms. The Latin motto Futuram civitatem inquirimus' translates as "We are seeking a future state". In other words "Looking forward".
Comprehensive
In 1975, it became part of the newly formed Metropolitan BoroughMetropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of Knowsley
Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England. It comprises the towns of Kirkby, Prescot, Huyton, Whiston, Halewood and Cronton; Kirkby, Huyton, and Prescot being the major commercial centres...
, and joined with Prescot Grammar School for Girls (founded 1955) to become Prescot Comprehensive School. The school moved to the girls' school site and the extensive playing fields of the boys' school in St Helens Road were sold off and are now covered by a housing development.
In 2000 Prescot School gained specialist status as a Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
.
The Prescotian
In 2000, the Prescotian webzine was set up to enable former pupils to keep in contact and establish an informal archive of photographs and articles, see below for link.Merger
With funding from the Labour government'sTony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
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...
initiative, the school has been being rebuilt and from September 2009 it merged with Higher Side School in Whiston
Whiston, Merseyside
Whiston is a large village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley on Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 13,629...
to become Knowsley Park Centre for Learning, serving Prescot, Whiston and the wider community (!) .
While this has been described by the Department for Children, Schools and Families as a new establishment, it would seem churlish to ignore a continuous history of education going back to 1544 .
Notable alumni
- Gill Burns, MBE former English Ladies Rugby Captain
- Paul LewisPaul Lewis (pianist)Paul Lewis is an English classical pianist. His father worked at the Liverpool docks and his mother was a local council worker; there were no musicians in his family background....
, classical pianist, soloist at the 2005 Last Night of the Proms - David McCabeDavid McCabeDavid McCabe may refer to:*Dave McCabe, lead vocalist and guitarist for English rock band, The Zutons*David McCabe , British photographer...
, The ZutonsThe ZutonsThe Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. They were formed in 2001 but did not release their first album, Who Killed...... The Zutons?, until May 2004. They achieved their biggest hits with "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?" and "Valerie", both taken from their second studio album...
lead singer - Colin Vearncombe, singer songwriter formerly known as the artist Black
- Joe ReganJoe ReganJoseph Charles Regan was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the New York Giants in 1898.-External links:...
, trainee football coach and former cage fighter.
Prescot Grammar School (both schools)
- Alan A'CourtAlan A'CourtAlan A'Court was an English footballer who mostly played for Liverpool.- Life and playing career :Born in Rainhill, Lancashire, England, A'Court was a winger who started out at Prescot Cables as an amateur before he was signed by Reds manager Don Welsh...
, England and Liverpool FC footballer - Jack AspinwallJack AspinwallJack Heywood Aspinwall is a British politician. In the February 1974 and October 1974 elections, he was the Liberal Party candidate for Kingswood, but changed his allegiance and was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for the same seat in 1979...
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from 1983 to 1997 - Dave BamberDave BamberJohn David Bamber is an English former professional footballer.His nicknames included Bambs and Dipper Bamber, the latter for the way in which he lurched forward to head the ball....
, Blackpool, Coventry City footballer - Alan Bamford CBE, Principal of Homerton College, CambridgeHomerton College, CambridgeHomerton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.With around 1,200 students, Homerton has more students than any other Cambridge college, although less than half of these live in the college. The college has a long and complex history dating back to the...
from 1985 to 1991 - Prof Andrew Burrows, Norton Rose Professor of Commercial and Financial Law 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 1999 - Kenneth Crook CMG, Ambassador to Afghanistan from 1976-79
- Nicholas Fazackerley, celebrated lawyer and MP for Preston in the years 1732-67
- Jacqueline FosterJacqueline FosterJacqueline Foster is a British Conservative politician and company director, and Member of the European Parliament for the North West England region.-Early career:...
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since 2009 and from 1999 to 2004 - Tony HazzardTony HazzardTony Hazzard is an English singer and songwriter. He has written songs for The Hollies , Manfred Mann , "Me, The Peaceful Heart" for Lulu, The Yardbirds , Herman's Hermits , Peter Noone Tony Hazzard (born Anthony Hazzard, 31 October 1943, Liverpool) is an English singer and songwriter. He has...
, songwriter, session singer and recording artiste - Stan Hey, playwright and journalist
- Prof Graham Hough, Professor of English at the University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
from 1966-75 - Sue JohnstonSue JohnstonSusan "Sue" Johnston, OBE is a BAFTA nominated English actress best known for playing Sheila Grant in the long-running soap opera Brookside , Grace Foley in Waking the Dead from 2000 to 2011 and Barbara Royle in the BBC comedy The Royle Family between 1998 and 2000, and again in 2006, 2008, 2009,...
, actress - Prof Peter LawrensonPeter LawrensonPeter Lawrenson FRS, FREng is a British electrical engineer who contributed to the development of switched reluctance drive technology. He was president of The Institution of Electrical Engineers from 1992 to 1993.- Biography :...
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- Ian McIntyreIan McIntyreIan McIntyre is the head men's soccer coach at Syracuse University. On January 6, 2010, he was named as the 15th soccer coach in school history. He previously coached at Hartwick College from 2003 to 2009, posting four 10 win seasons. He compiled a 71-36-25 record as the head coach of the Hawks...
, broadcaster and Controller of BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
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from 1978-87 - Geoff NultyGeoff NultyGeoffrey Owen "Geoff" Nulty is a retired English professional footballer who played as a midfielder.-References:* at the Post War Players Database...
, Everton FC footballer - Laurence PerkinsLaurence PerkinsLaurence Perkins is a British classical bassoonist. He studied under Charles Cracknell at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Since 1974, Perkins has been principal bassoonist of the Manchester Camerata. He has performed internationally in countries including France, Norway, Hong...
, principal bassoonist in Manchester Camerata - John David Pugh, Lib Dem MP for Southport since 2001
- Stuart SutcliffeStuart SutcliffeStuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe was a Scottish artist and musician, best known as the original bass player of The Beatles. Sutcliffe left the band to pursue a career as an artist, having previously attended the Liverpool College of Art...
, bassist for the Beatles for two years - Sir George Sweeney, principal since 2000 of Knowsley Community CollegeKnowsley Community CollegeKnowsley Community College is a further education college based over three sites in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, in Merseyside, England....
- Rt Rev John WaineJohn WaineJohn Waine KCVO was Bishop of Chelmsford from 1986 to 1996; and previously Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich from 1978 to 1986, Bishop of Stafford, 1975–1978. He also served as Clerk of the Closet from 1989 to 1997, and in retirement served as a lay member on the Press Complaints Commission...
, former Bishop of ChelmsfordBishop of ChelmsfordThe Bishop of Chelmsford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chelmsford in the Province of Canterbury.The current bishop is the Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell, the 10th Bishop of Chelmsford, who signs Stephen Chelmsford...
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, safety supremo for Formula One Grand Prix motor racing, Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of LondonUniversity of London-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
from 1972-93 - Ken Wilcock, athlete and 1962 European Championships silver medallist