Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Penrith
Encyclopedia
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS), which was founded in 1564, is a selective secondary school
in Penrith, Cumbria
, England
.
, football, athletics
, cross country in which it is Northern Champion, beating Sedbergh Secondary in 2006, cricket
, netball
and hockey
.
In April 2008, the QEGS 1st XV reached the final of the Daily Mail Vase competition at Twickenham, where they were beaten in the dying minutes 13-14.
and Carlisle school Austin Friars St Monica's School
.
The admission process is through an Eleven Plus style exam, with the top 120 applicants being offered places at the school.
It has been recently awarded specialist
status in Maths and ICT
. The present headmaster is Mr C J Kirkup, who succeeded Colin Birnie in 2004.
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...
in Penrith, Cumbria
Penrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
, 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...
.
History
It moved from its original premises in St Andrew's churchyard to its present site on Ullswater Road (A592), close to the railway station, in 1917. It is Cumbria's only grammar school.Traditions
The school has a very strong academic tradition, QEGS boasts that its A-level geography results were highest in the country for 2007. The most popular sports are rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, football, athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, cross country in which it is Northern Champion, beating Sedbergh Secondary in 2006, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
and hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
.
In April 2008, the QEGS 1st XV reached the final of the Daily Mail Vase competition at Twickenham, where they were beaten in the dying minutes 13-14.
Admissions
It currently has approximately 800 pupils and has a strong rivalry with the neighbouring Ullswater Community CollegeUllswater Community College
Ullswater Community College is a large mixed comprehensive school in Penrith, Cumbria. It currently has around 1450 students, including about 200 in the sixth form....
and Carlisle school Austin Friars St Monica's School
Austin Friars St Monica's School
Austin Friars Saint Monica's School, more commonly known as "Austin Friars", is a relatively small Roman Catholic independent school located in the City of Carlisle, England. The Senior School provides secondary education for 350 boys and girls aged 11–18. There are 150 children aged 4–11 in the...
.
The admission process is through an Eleven Plus style exam, with the top 120 applicants being offered places at the school.
It has been recently awarded specialist
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
status in Maths and ICT
Mathematics and Computing College
Mathematics and Computing Colleges were introduced in England in 2002 as part of the Government's Specialist Schools Programme which was designed to raise standards in secondary education. Specialist schools focus specifically on their chosen specialism but must also meet the requirements of the...
. The present headmaster is Mr C J Kirkup, who succeeded Colin Birnie in 2004.
Notable former pupils
- Lawson Soulsby, Baron Soulsby of Swaffham PriorLawson Soulsby, Baron Soulsby of Swaffham PriorErnest Jackson Lawson Soulsby, Baron Soulsby of Swaffham Prior is a distinguished microbiologist and parasitologist.Soulsby was brought up in the former county of Westmorland on the family farm at Williamsgill, Newbiggin, Temple Sowerby...
, Microbiologist - Charlie HunnamCharlie HunnamCharles Matthew "Charlie" Hunnam is an English actor. He is perhaps best known to UK audiences as Pete Dunham in Green Street Hooligans and as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 hit drama Queer as Folk and to US audiences as Vice President of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original Jackson...
, British Actor - Oliver TurveyOliver TurveyOliver Jonathan Turvey is a British racing driver. He was a notable kart racer, with two national titles, and was the 2006 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner. His career has been supported by the Racing Steps Foundation....
, Racing Driver