Royal Grammar School, Newcastle
Encyclopedia
Royal Grammar School Newcastle upon Tyne, known locally and often abbreviated as RGS, is a long-established co-educational, independent school
in Newcastle upon Tyne
, England
. It gained its Royal Charter under Queen Elizabeth I. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
.
, within the grounds of St Nicholas' Church
, Newcastle. Planning is believed to have begun as early as 1477. The site has moved five times since then, most recently to Jesmond
in 1906.
The new school building was officially opened on January 17, 1907.
An 1868 description reads:
George III, on reading one of Admiral Collingwood's despatches after Trafalgar
, asked how the seaman had learned to write such splendid English, but he answered himself, recalling that, along with Eldon
and Stowell
, he had been a pupil of Hugh Moises: "I forgot. He was one of Moises' boys."
and 186 in the Junior School
, making it one of the largest in the independent sector
. After 450 years as a boys' school, girls were first admitted to the sixth form
in 2001. The school became totally co-educational in 2006. Former pupils of the RGS are known as Old Novocastrians ("Novocastrian" is Dog Latin
for "citizen of Newcastle"), or Old Novos for short.
The RGS is located opposite Central Newcastle High School
, a single-sex girls' school. The RGS often shares activities such as drama and school trips with them.
Throughout the school (years 3-13) are four houses, named Collingwood (gold), Eldon (green), Horsley (blue) and Stowell (red), although the Junior School previously had separate houses, named after colours. The Senior School is located on Eskdale Terrace. The Junior School was housed on the adjoining Lambton Road, but a new Junior School on the main school site has been in use since September 2006.
The RGS has Combined Cadet Force
(CCF) Army and Navy contingents, open to both boys and girls from the RGS, Central Newcastle High School and very recently, to pupils from Dame Allens and Church High, however some members of CCF who have moved schools, for a variety of reasons, are often still welcome to attend. The CCF provides leadership training by means of military exercises. Cadets have weekly training sessions after school, and opportunities to go on extended training and adventure trips during the holidays. The Army section of NRGS CCF are affiliated to the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
, and the Navy Section are affiliated to HMS Calliope
which is situated on the Tyne next to the Baltic.
In recent years the school's debating society has become increasingly prominent within the debating community. In October 2004 the school hosted the first Northern Junior Debating Championship, which has now become an annual competition. It is notable for being the first competition of the school calendar. The society also regularly enters teams for other competitions, and has reached the finals' day of both the Oxford Union
and Cambridge Union schools' competitions in recent years, winning the Cambridge Union competition in 2010. At a junior level, RGS reached the final of the International Competition for Young Debaters in 2006 and 2007, and won the Northern Junior Debating Competition in 1990, 2005 and 2006.
The school has its own swimming pool and gym. The primary sports that are played at RGS are rugby
, hockey
, fencing
, football
, netball
, cricket
, swimming
and athletics.
Dr. Bernard St. John Trafford has been headmaster of the school since 2008. He was previously headmaster of Wolverhampton Grammar School
. His predecessor, James F X Miller, retired in 2008. The Second Master is Tony Bird. There are 91 members of teaching staff in the Senior School, 6 of whom are part-time. In the Junior School there are a further 6 members of teaching staff
including the Headmaster Roland Craig (since 1999), and Deputy Head Ken Wilkinson. There are also approximately 68 members of maintenance staff under the management of Richard Metcalfe, the school Bursar
(who previously worked at Durham University
), as well as 14 private music tutors.
The RGS school uniform was updated for all new pupils as of September 2006.
In December 2006, the school were deeply shocked by the premature death of much-loved Head of Drama (formerly Head of English) Jeremy Thomas, who died one month short of his 52nd birthday. Mr Thomas had taught at the school since 1977 but had left the school in the summer of 2005 due to ill health. A memorial concert in his honour was held in the new Performing Arts Centre - which Mr Thomas had campaigned in favour of for many years, yet tragically never saw - in April 2007, and was attended by both current and former staff and pupils.
The school magazine, Novo, comes out annually and features trip reports, society and sporting news, outstanding poetry and artwork, and a section on recently-joined or departing staff. A student-run newspaper, the Issue, came into being in the late 1990s; after a period of inactivity, it was relaunched in September 2003 and contained reviews, opinion columns, road-tests and humour pieces. It was famous for breaking the big story that football was to be introduced as a core sport alongside rugby. It ran roughly twice per term until its demise in summer 2005, but was replaced in early 2006 by The Grammar, a more serious and formal piece than the photocopied re-Issue, which has both printed and internet sections. At the end of the 2009-2010 academic year, The Grammar folded.
Since 1965, the school has held a "Prizegiving" ceremony each November, to recognise academic achievement and bring the school together. It was held at the Newcastle City Hall
, since no space on campus could hold all teachers, students, and parents. Due to declining interest by parents, students, and teachers, the school announced in 2007 that it will be stopping it, in favour of a series of smaller gatherings and a public festival. This typified the general malaise of the school and its eagerness to leave tradition for a more fashionable approach to education, much to the despair of old pupils, teachers, and parents alike.
However in 2009, Headmaster Bernard Trafford announced that a new Prizegiving ceremony "RGS Day" would be hosted on the Saturday of the penultimate week of the school year. This event would invite parents of all year groups to come and would involve the Prizegivings of the entire school as well as musical and dramatic performances, sporting events, a chance for Old Novos to return to the school and the opportunity for various departments to exhibit themselves. The Junior School's Prizegiving will be held the following Wednesday but they will also have activities on RGS Day.
, Newcastle upon Tyne.
There have since been a number of large-scale building operations to provide the school with better facilities and to accommodate for the expansion of the school as it prepared to admit girls at all major entrance points from September 2006.
In 1997, Professor Richard Dawkins
opened the new Science and Technology Centre (STC), with Physics
and Design & Technology laboratories downstairs, and Chemistry
and Biology
laboratories upstairs. In 2003 the STC was renamed The Neil Goldie Centre in memory of Neil Goldie, who died earlier that year. At the time he was the school's Head of Science and Technology.
In 1998, a new Sports' Hall containing basketball courts and updated gymnastics facilities was opened. The building also provides facilities for table tennis, fencing, and weight-training, plus a gymnasium available to pupils of the school in their free time. During the height of summer examination seasons the hall is used for pupils sitting public examinations and is closed to all other activities.
In 2005, the music
and economics
block was demolished. A new Performing Arts Centre and Modern Languages department was completed in September 2006. It includes a 300-seat auditorium
for school concerts and productions, a musical recital hall, a drama/dance studio
, recording facilities, a band room, a percussion room, and a number of classrooms where modern languages and music will be taught. The gala opening concert was in October 2006. Also in 2005, an extension to the school's dining hall which has been created as the new Junior School site. Coordinated with this development was the renovation of the 6th form common room to amalgamate the previously separated lower 6th and upper 6th quarters. The re-development allowed the site of the lower 6th form room to be converted to a library extension. The new common room included a tuck-shop, computer pods, and two miscellaneous annexes.
A floodlit all-weather surface has been in use since January 2006, on land that once was part of the school field. Aside from the school field, which is primarily used for rugby union
, the school also owns land in nearby Jesmond for sports use. This was given to the school in recompense for the land it lost when the flyover was created at the top of the school- eating into some of the land owned by the school. A full size football pitch was created there in early 2005. The school has also recently agreed a 50-year lease of the County Cricket Ground on Osborne Avenue
, Jesmond.
The school was also a supporter of the Freemasons
, allowing the building to be used as a masonic lodge. There are still apparent references to this: the door of the Plender Library has glass-work which could be the masonic symbol.
The individuals named in the school song are of historical interest.
Fortiter defendit triumphans is the Latin
motto
of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne
and means triumphing by a brave defence.
The RGS school song was abolished by James Miller's predecessor as headmaster, Mr. A. Cox, and it is no longer sung.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, 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...
. It gained its Royal Charter under Queen Elizabeth I. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
.
History
The RGS was founded in 1525 by Thomas HorsleyThomas Horsley
Thomas Horsley was a sixteenth century English magistrate and Lord Mayor. He was Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1525 and 1533. He is remembered primarily for founding the Royal Grammar School.-References:...
, within the grounds of St Nicholas' Church
Newcastle Cathedral
St Nicholas's Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Its full title is The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas Newcastle upon Tyne...
, Newcastle. Planning is believed to have begun as early as 1477. The site has moved five times since then, most recently to Jesmond
Jesmond
Jesmond is a residential suburb and is split into two electoral wards just north of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The population is about 12,000. It is adjacent to, and to the east of, the Town Moor, providing pedestrian and cycle paths to Spital Tongues and the city's two Universities...
in 1906.
The new school building was officially opened on January 17, 1907.
An 1868 description reads:
There are many public schools, the principal one being the Royal Free Grammar school founded in 1525 by Thomas Horsley, Mayor of Newcastle, and made a royal foundation by Queen Elizabeth. It is held in the old hall of St. Mary's Hospital, built in the reign of James I., and has an income from endowment of about £500, besides a share in Bishop Crew's 12 exhibitions at Lincoln College, Oxford, lately abolished, and several exhibitions to Cambridge. The number of scholars is about 140. Hugh Moises, and Dawes, author of "Miscellanea Critica," were once head-masters, and many celebrated men have ranked among its pupils, including W. Elstob, Bishop Ridley, Mark Akenside, the poet, Chief Justice Chambers, Brand, the antiquary and town historian, Horsley, the antiquary, and Lords Eldon, Stowell, and Collingwood.
George III, on reading one of Admiral Collingwood's despatches after Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
, asked how the seaman had learned to write such splendid English, but he answered himself, recalling that, along with Eldon
John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon
John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon PC KC FRS FSA was a British barrister and politician. He served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain between 1801 and 1806 and again between 1807 and 1827.- Background and education :...
and Stowell
William Scott, 1st Baron Stowell
William Scott, 1st Baron Stowell was an English judge and jurist.-Background and education:Scott was born at Heworth, a village about four miles from Newcastle upon Tyne, the son of a coalfitter . His younger brother John Scott became Lord Chancellor and was made Earl of Eldon...
, he had been a pupil of Hugh Moises: "I forgot. He was one of Moises' boys."
Description
The RGS currently has 1216 pupils, of which 360 are in the sixth formSixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
and 186 in the Junior School
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
, making it one of the largest in the independent sector
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
. After 450 years as a boys' school, girls were first admitted to the sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
in 2001. The school became totally co-educational in 2006. Former pupils of the RGS are known as Old Novocastrians ("Novocastrian" is Dog Latin
Dog Latin
Dog Latin, Cod Latin, macaronic Latin, or mock Latin refers to the creation of a phrase or jargon in imitation of Latin, often by directly translating English words into Latin without conjugation or declension...
for "citizen of Newcastle"), or Old Novos for short.
The RGS is located opposite Central Newcastle High School
Central Newcastle High School
Central Newcastle High School is an independent all-girls school in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.-History:Central Newcastle High School was officially opened in 1895 and moved into its current home around 1899 with the foundation stone for the current building being laid by Earl Grey on the 13th of...
, a single-sex girls' school. The RGS often shares activities such as drama and school trips with them.
Throughout the school (years 3-13) are four houses, named Collingwood (gold), Eldon (green), Horsley (blue) and Stowell (red), although the Junior School previously had separate houses, named after colours. The Senior School is located on Eskdale Terrace. The Junior School was housed on the adjoining Lambton Road, but a new Junior School on the main school site has been in use since September 2006.
The RGS has Combined Cadet Force
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
(CCF) Army and Navy contingents, open to both boys and girls from the RGS, Central Newcastle High School and very recently, to pupils from Dame Allens and Church High, however some members of CCF who have moved schools, for a variety of reasons, are often still welcome to attend. The CCF provides leadership training by means of military exercises. Cadets have weekly training sessions after school, and opportunities to go on extended training and adventure trips during the holidays. The Army section of NRGS CCF are affiliated to the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier...
, and the Navy Section are affiliated to HMS Calliope
HMS Calliope (shore establishment)
HMS Calliope is a training centre and 'stone frigate' of the Royal Naval Reserve, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.-History:A Tyne-based division of the Royal Naval Reserve was established in 1905, and used the old Calypso class third class cruiser HMS Calliope as its drill ship...
which is situated on the Tyne next to the Baltic.
In recent years the school's debating society has become increasingly prominent within the debating community. In October 2004 the school hosted the first Northern Junior Debating Championship, which has now become an annual competition. It is notable for being the first competition of the school calendar. The society also regularly enters teams for other competitions, and has reached the finals' day of both the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
and Cambridge Union schools' competitions in recent years, winning the Cambridge Union competition in 2010. At a junior level, RGS reached the final of the International Competition for Young Debaters in 2006 and 2007, and won the Northern Junior Debating Competition in 1990, 2005 and 2006.
The school has its own swimming pool and gym. The primary sports that are played at RGS are rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, 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:...
, fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
, football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, 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 ...
, 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...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and athletics.
Dr. Bernard St. John Trafford has been headmaster of the school since 2008. He was previously headmaster of Wolverhampton Grammar School
Wolverhampton Grammar School
Wolverhampton Grammar School is a co-educational independent school located in the city of Wolverhampton.Initially Wolverhampton Boys Grammar School, it was founded in 1512 by Sir Stephen Jenyns, a master of the ancient guild of Merchant Taylors, who was also Lord Mayor of London in the year of...
. His predecessor, James F X Miller, retired in 2008. The Second Master is Tony Bird. There are 91 members of teaching staff in the Senior School, 6 of whom are part-time. In the Junior School there are a further 6 members of teaching staff
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
including the Headmaster Roland Craig (since 1999), and Deputy Head Ken Wilkinson. There are also approximately 68 members of maintenance staff under the management of Richard Metcalfe, the school Bursar
Bursar
A bursar is a senior professional financial administrator in a school or university.Billing of student tuition accounts are the responsibility of the Office of the Bursar. This involves sending bills and making payment plans with the ultimate goal of getting the student accounts paid off...
(who previously worked at Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
), as well as 14 private music tutors.
The RGS school uniform was updated for all new pupils as of September 2006.
In December 2006, the school were deeply shocked by the premature death of much-loved Head of Drama (formerly Head of English) Jeremy Thomas, who died one month short of his 52nd birthday. Mr Thomas had taught at the school since 1977 but had left the school in the summer of 2005 due to ill health. A memorial concert in his honour was held in the new Performing Arts Centre - which Mr Thomas had campaigned in favour of for many years, yet tragically never saw - in April 2007, and was attended by both current and former staff and pupils.
The school magazine, Novo, comes out annually and features trip reports, society and sporting news, outstanding poetry and artwork, and a section on recently-joined or departing staff. A student-run newspaper, the Issue, came into being in the late 1990s; after a period of inactivity, it was relaunched in September 2003 and contained reviews, opinion columns, road-tests and humour pieces. It was famous for breaking the big story that football was to be introduced as a core sport alongside rugby. It ran roughly twice per term until its demise in summer 2005, but was replaced in early 2006 by The Grammar, a more serious and formal piece than the photocopied re-Issue, which has both printed and internet sections. At the end of the 2009-2010 academic year, The Grammar folded.
Since 1965, the school has held a "Prizegiving" ceremony each November, to recognise academic achievement and bring the school together. It was held at the Newcastle City Hall
Newcastle City Hall
Newcastle City Hall is a concert hall, located in Newcastle upon Tyne which has hosted many popular music and classical artists throughout the years, as well as standup and comedy acts. Opened in 1927, the City Hall was built as a part of a development which also included the adjacent City Pool...
, since no space on campus could hold all teachers, students, and parents. Due to declining interest by parents, students, and teachers, the school announced in 2007 that it will be stopping it, in favour of a series of smaller gatherings and a public festival. This typified the general malaise of the school and its eagerness to leave tradition for a more fashionable approach to education, much to the despair of old pupils, teachers, and parents alike.
However in 2009, Headmaster Bernard Trafford announced that a new Prizegiving ceremony "RGS Day" would be hosted on the Saturday of the penultimate week of the school year. This event would invite parents of all year groups to come and would involve the Prizegivings of the entire school as well as musical and dramatic performances, sporting events, a chance for Old Novos to return to the school and the opportunity for various departments to exhibit themselves. The Junior School's Prizegiving will be held the following Wednesday but they will also have activities on RGS Day.
Buildings and grounds
The RGS's main buildings are in a complex located on Eskdale Terrace, JesmondJesmond
Jesmond is a residential suburb and is split into two electoral wards just north of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The population is about 12,000. It is adjacent to, and to the east of, the Town Moor, providing pedestrian and cycle paths to Spital Tongues and the city's two Universities...
, Newcastle upon Tyne.
There have since been a number of large-scale building operations to provide the school with better facilities and to accommodate for the expansion of the school as it prepared to admit girls at all major entrance points from September 2006.
In 1997, Professor Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
opened the new Science and Technology Centre (STC), with Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Design & Technology laboratories downstairs, and Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
laboratories upstairs. In 2003 the STC was renamed The Neil Goldie Centre in memory of Neil Goldie, who died earlier that year. At the time he was the school's Head of Science and Technology.
In 1998, a new Sports' Hall containing basketball courts and updated gymnastics facilities was opened. The building also provides facilities for table tennis, fencing, and weight-training, plus a gymnasium available to pupils of the school in their free time. During the height of summer examination seasons the hall is used for pupils sitting public examinations and is closed to all other activities.
In 2005, the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
block was demolished. A new Performing Arts Centre and Modern Languages department was completed in September 2006. It includes a 300-seat auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
for school concerts and productions, a musical recital hall, a drama/dance studio
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
, recording facilities, a band room, a percussion room, and a number of classrooms where modern languages and music will be taught. The gala opening concert was in October 2006. Also in 2005, an extension to the school's dining hall which has been created as the new Junior School site. Coordinated with this development was the renovation of the 6th form common room to amalgamate the previously separated lower 6th and upper 6th quarters. The re-development allowed the site of the lower 6th form room to be converted to a library extension. The new common room included a tuck-shop, computer pods, and two miscellaneous annexes.
A floodlit all-weather surface has been in use since January 2006, on land that once was part of the school field. Aside from the school field, which is primarily used for rugby union
Rugby 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...
, the school also owns land in nearby Jesmond for sports use. This was given to the school in recompense for the land it lost when the flyover was created at the top of the school- eating into some of the land owned by the school. A full size football pitch was created there in early 2005. The school has also recently agreed a 50-year lease of the County Cricket Ground on Osborne Avenue
Osborne Avenue
Osborne Avenue is a cricket ground in Jesmond, Northumberland. It was originally known as the Constabulary Ground. The first cricket match was played there in 1887, though the first recorded match was in 1894, when Northumberland played a minor match against FGH Clayton's XI.In 1897, the ground...
, Jesmond.
The school was also a supporter of the Freemasons
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...
, allowing the building to be used as a masonic lodge. There are still apparent references to this: the door of the Plender Library has glass-work which could be the masonic symbol.
The School Song
The RGS had a school song, with the following lyrics.The individuals named in the school song are of historical interest.
- HorsleyThomas HorsleyThomas Horsley was a sixteenth century English magistrate and Lord Mayor. He was Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1525 and 1533. He is remembered primarily for founding the Royal Grammar School.-References:...
, a merchant venturer bold, Of good Northumbrian strain, - Founded our rule and built our school, In bluff King Harry'sHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
reign, - Long shall his name old time defy, Like the castle grim that stands,
- Four-square to ev'ry wind that blows, In our stormy northern lands.
- Chorus:
- Fortiter defendit, fortiter defendit, fortiter defendit triumphans
- Fortiter defendit, fortiter defendit, fortiter defendit triumphans
- Many a name on the scroll of fame, Is the heritage of our land,
- CollingwoodCuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron CollingwoodVice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.-Early years:Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne...
and Armstrong, EldonJohn Scott, 1st Earl of EldonJohn Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon PC KC FRS FSA was a British barrister and politician. He served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain between 1801 and 1806 and again between 1807 and 1827.- Background and education :...
and BourneHenry Bourne (historian)Henry Bourne was an English historian. He was the son of a tailor and it was planned by his father that he would be apprenticed as a glazier; however his promise was such that he was sent to the Royal Free Grammar School where he flourished, winning a scholarship to Cambridge under the tutelage of...
, AkensideMark AkensideMark Akenside was an English poet and physician.Akenside was born at Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the son of a butcher. He was slightly lame all his life from a wound he received as a child from his father's cleaver...
, StowellWilliam Scott, 1st Baron StowellWilliam Scott, 1st Baron Stowell was an English judge and jurist.-Background and education:Scott was born at Heworth, a village about four miles from Newcastle upon Tyne, the son of a coalfitter . His younger brother John Scott became Lord Chancellor and was made Earl of Eldon...
and BrandJohn BrandJohn Brand was an English antiquarian.Born in Washington, County Durham, he was educated at the Royal Grammar School and Lincoln College, Oxford. He wrote Observations on the popular antiquities of Great Britain: Including the Whole of Mr. Bourne's Antiquitates Vulgares , generally referred to as...
, - Strong in their wisdom, wise in their strength, Wielders of sword and of pen,
- Far went they forth from the school of the north, That mother and maker of men.
- (Chorus)
- God speed the school on the shores of the Tyne, That has stood for centuries four,
- Bright may the star of her glory shine, Bright as in days of yore,
- Pray too that we may worthy be, To tread where our fathers trod,
- Bravely to fight for truth and right, For Motherland, King and God.
- (Chorus)
Fortiter defendit triumphans is the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and means triumphing by a brave defence.
The RGS school song was abolished by James Miller's predecessor as headmaster, Mr. A. Cox, and it is no longer sung.
16th century
- Nicholas RidleyNicholas Ridley (martyr)Nicholas Ridley was an English Bishop of London. Ridley was burned at the stake, as one of the Oxford Martyrs, during the Marian Persecutions, for his teachings and his support of Lady Jane Grey...
(died 16 October 1555). EnglishEnglandEngland 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...
clergyman and Protestant martyrMartyrA martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
. - Thomas BrandlingBrandling of NewcastleThe Brandlings of Newcastle were a wealthy family of merchants and land and coal owners in Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland.-Early Brandlings:...
(1512–1590), founder of the Brandling land and coal owning dynasty.
17th century
- Brian Walton (1600–1661), English divine and scholar.
- Colonel Robert LilburneRobert Lilburnethumb|right|Robert LilburneColonel Robert Lilburne was the older brother of John Lilburne, the well known Leveller, but unlike his brother who severed his relationship with Oliver Cromwell, Robert Lilburne remained in the army...
(1613–1665), regicideRegicideThe broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
. - John LilburneJohn LilburneJohn Lilburne , also known as Freeborn John, was an English political Leveller before, during and after English Civil Wars 1642-1650. He coined the term "freeborn rights", defining them as rights with which every human being is born, as opposed to rights bestowed by government or human law...
(1614–1657), "Freeborn John" - William ElstobWilliam ElstobWilliam Elstob , was an English divine.Elstob was the son of Ralph Elstob, merchant of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was baptised at All Saints' Church, Newcastle, on 1 January 1673. The Elstob family claimed descent from ancient Welsh kings, and had long been settled in the diocese of Durham...
(1674? -1715), Anglo-SaxonOld English languageOld English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
scholar and Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
clergyman. - Henry BourneHenry Bourne (historian)Henry Bourne was an English historian. He was the son of a tailor and it was planned by his father that he would be apprenticed as a glazier; however his promise was such that he was sent to the Royal Free Grammar School where he flourished, winning a scholarship to Cambridge under the tutelage of...
(1694–1733), historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
18th century
- Anthony AskewAnthony AskewAnthony Askew was an English physician and book collector.-Life and work:Askew was born in Kendal, Westmorland, the son of Dr. Adam Askew, a well-known physician of Newcastle. His early education was at Sedbergh School and The Royal Free Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne, where by all accounts...
(fl.FloruitFloruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1699-1774), physicianPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and book collector - John HorsleyJohn HorsleyJohn Horsley was a British archaeologist and antiquarian famous for his book Britannia Romana. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle....
(c. 1685-1732), archaeologist - Mark AkensideMark AkensideMark Akenside was an English poet and physician.Akenside was born at Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the son of a butcher. He was slightly lame all his life from a wound he received as a child from his father's cleaver...
(1721–1770), 18th century EnglishEnglandEngland 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...
poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and physicianPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments... - Sir Robert ChambersRobert Chambers (judge)Sir Robert Chambers , was a jurist, Vinerian Professor of English Law, and Chief Justice of Bengal.-Biography:...
(1737–1803), jurist, Vinerian Professor of English LawVinerian Professor of English LawThe Vinerian Professorship of English Law, formerly Vinerian Professorship of Common Law, was established by Charles Viner who by his will, dated 29 December 1755, left about £12,000 to the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford, to establish a Professorship of the Common Law...
, and Chief Justice of BengalBengalBengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. - Charles HuttonCharles HuttonCharles Hutton was an English mathematician.Hutton was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne. He was educated in a school at Jesmond, kept by Mr Ivison, a clergyman of the Church of England...
(1737–1823), mathematicianMathematicianA mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change.... - John BrandJohn BrandJohn Brand was an English antiquarian.Born in Washington, County Durham, he was educated at the Royal Grammar School and Lincoln College, Oxford. He wrote Observations on the popular antiquities of Great Britain: Including the Whole of Mr. Bourne's Antiquitates Vulgares , generally referred to as...
(1744–1806), 18th century EnglishEnglandEngland 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...
historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is... - William Scott, 1st Baron StowellWilliam Scott, 1st Baron StowellWilliam Scott, 1st Baron Stowell was an English judge and jurist.-Background and education:Scott was born at Heworth, a village about four miles from Newcastle upon Tyne, the son of a coalfitter . His younger brother John Scott became Lord Chancellor and was made Earl of Eldon...
(1745–1836), EnglishEnglandEngland 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...
judgeJudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and juristJuristA jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage... - Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron CollingwoodCuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron CollingwoodVice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.-Early years:Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne...
(1750–1810), Admiral Lord Collingwood of TrafalgarBattle of TrafalgarThe Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
fame - George Hall, Bishop of DromoreBishop of DromoreThe Bishop of Dromore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the market town of Dromore in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church the title still continues as a separate bishopric, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:The...
(1753–1811) - Sir William George Armstrong, 1st Baron ArmstrongWilliam George Armstrong, 1st Baron ArmstrongWilliam George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong CB, FRS was an effective Tyneside industrialist who founded the Armstrong Whitworth manufacturing empire.-Early life:...
, (1810–1900), industrialist - John AdamsonJohn Adamson (antiquary)John Adamson was an antiquary and Portuguese scholar from Newcastle upon Tyne.His early education was at Newcastle Royal Grammar School. In 1807 Adamson went to live with his brother in Lisbon, Portugal. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, and received diplomas of the...
(1787–1855), antiquary and PortuguesePortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
scholar - John Scott, 1st Earl of EldonJohn Scott, 1st Earl of EldonJohn Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon PC KC FRS FSA was a British barrister and politician. He served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain between 1801 and 1806 and again between 1807 and 1827.- Background and education :...
(1751–1838), Lord High Chancellor of Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... - John BiggeJohn BiggeJohn Thomas Bigge was an English judge and royal commissioner.Bigge was born at Benton House, Northumberland, England, the second son of Thomas Charles Bigge, High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1771...
(1780–1843), English judge and royal commissioner - Thomas AddisonThomas AddisonThomas Addison was a renowned 19th-century English physician and scientist. He is traditionally regarded as one of the "great men" of Guy's Hospital in London....
(1793–1860), renowned 19th-century English physician and scientist
19th century
- Albany HancockAlbany HancockAlbany Hancock , naturalist, biologist and supporter of Charles Darwin, was born on Christmas Eve in Newcastle upon Tyne. He is best-known for his works on marine animals and coal-measure fossils....
(1806–1873), zoologist - John HancockJohn Hancock (ornithologist)John Hancock , naturalist, ornithologist, taxidermist and landscape architect. He is considered the father of modern taxidermy.Hancock was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and educated at The Royal Grammar School...
(1808–1890), father of modern taxidermyTaxidermyTaxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
. - John Forster (1812–1876), biographer, criticCriticA critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
and lunacy commissioner. - William LoftusWilliam LoftusWilliam Kennett Loftus was a British geologist, naturalist, explorer and archaeological excavator. He discovered the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk in 1849.-Biography:...
(1820–1858), discoverer of UrukUrukUruk was an ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates river, on the ancient dry former channel of the Euphrates River, some 30 km east of modern As-Samawah, Al-Muthannā, Iraq.Uruk gave its name to the Uruk...
. - Richard Austin BastowRichard Austin BastowRichard Austin Bastow was an Australian naturalist and bryologist.R.A. Bastow was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of a scholarly parson James Austin Bastow. He was educated at The Royal Grammar School. In 1862 he eloped with Catherine Broadbent to America, Austin Bastow his son, was born in...
(1839–1920), Australian naturalistNaturalistNaturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
and bryologistBryologyBryology is the branch of botany concerned with the scientific study of bryophytes . Bryophytes were first studied in detail in the 18th century...
. - George SwinburneGeorge SwinburneGeorge Swinburne was an Australian engineer, politician and philanthropist. He founded the institution which later became Swinburne University of Technology.-Early life:...
(1861–1928) AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and public man
20th century
- Samuel Segal, Baron SegalSamuel Segal, Baron SegalSamuel Segal, Baron Segal MRCS, LRCP, MA was a British doctor and Labour Party politician who became Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords.- Early life :...
, (1902–1985), PhysicianPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician and Deputy SpeakerSpeaker (politics)The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster.... - Lúcio CostaLúcio CostaLucio Costa was a Brazilian architect and urban planner.-Career:Costa was born in Toulon, France.Educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne, England and in Montreux until 1916, he graduated as an architect in 1924 from the School of Fine Art in Rio de Janeiro...
(1902–1998), Brazilian architect, designer of the Pilot Plan of BrasíliaBrasíliaBrasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
. - Arthur BlenkinsopArthur BlenkinsopArthur Blenkinsop was a British Labour Party politician.Blenkinsop was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle and the College of Commerce, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and became a chartered secretary....
(1911–1979), British Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician - Sir Richard SouthernRichard SouthernSir Richard William Southern , who published under the name R. W. Southern, was a noted English medieval historian, based at the University of Oxford.-Biography:...
(1912–2001), historian - Brian RedheadBrian RedheadBrian Leonard Redhead was a British author, journalist and broadcaster. He was probably best known as a co-presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 which he worked on from 1975 until 1993, shortly before his death...
(1929–1994), presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today programmeToday programmeToday is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
(1975–1993) - Peter Taylor, Baron Taylor of GosforthPeter Taylor, Baron Taylor of GosforthPeter Murray Taylor, Baron Taylor of Gosforth PC was the Lord Chief Justice of England from 1992 until his premature retirement in 1996, due to poor health which led to his death the following year.-Family:...
(1930–1997), Lord Chief JusticeLord Chief Justice of England and WalesThe Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
(1992–96) - Sir Geoffrey BindmanGeoffrey BindmanProfessor Sir Geoffrey Lionel Bindman QC is a British solicitor specialising in human rights law, and founder of the human rights law firm Bindmans LLP, described by The Times as "never far from the headlines." He has been Chair of the British Institute of Human Rights since 2005...
(b. 1933), lawyer - Professor Sir George AlbertiGeorge AlbertiSir Kurt George Matthew Mayer Alberti was the British Government's National Clinical Director for Emergency Access...
(b. 1937), President of the Royal College of Physicians (1997–2002) - Stephen Lukes (born 1941), Social and political theorist
- Sir Alistair GrahamAlistair GrahamSir John Alistair Graham is a well known figure in British public life. He was Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life from 2003 until April 2007....
(b. 1942), Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public LifeCommittee on Standards in Public LifeThe Committee on Standards in Public Life is an advisory non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom Government.The Committee on Standards in Public Life is constituted as a standing body with its members appointed for up to three years.-History:... - Jeremy Beecham, Baron BeachamJeremy BeechamJeremy Beecham, Baron Beecham, Kt, DL is a British Labour politician and a senior figure in English local government. He was leader of Newcastle City Council and the first Chairman of theLocal Government Association...
(b. 1944), Politician - Peter KellnerPeter KellnerPeter Jon Kellner is a journalist, political commentator and President of the YouGov opinion polling organisation in the United Kingdom. He is known for his appearances on TV, especially at election times...
(born 1946), journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A... - Timothy KirkhopeTimothy KirkhopeTimothy John Robert Kirkhope is a British lawyer and politician, currently serving as Member of the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the Humber for the Conservative Party. After serving for ten years as Member of Parliament for Leeds North East, he was first elected to the European Parliament...
(born 1945), Conservative Spokesman on Justice and Home Affairs - Professor Ian GilmoreIan GilmoreSir Ian Thomas Gilmore is a professor of hepatology and past president of the Royal College of Physicians of London ....
(b.1947), President of the Royal College of Physicians (2006–present) - Sir Derek WanlessDerek WanlessSir Derek Wanless is an English banker and adviser to the United Kingdom Government.He was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle, has an MA in Mathematics from King's College, Cambridge which he attended on a support grant from Westminster Bank...
(b. 1948), Banker & Author of reports on Health and Social Care - Norman Shiel (born 1952), Mayor of ExeterExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
- John HarleJohn HarleJohn Harle is an English saxophonist and composer.-Biography:John Harle - SaxophonistJohn Harle is one of the world’s leading saxophonists, and the most significant performer of the saxophone in the concert hall today...
(born 1956), saxophonistSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. - John AshtonJohn Ashton (diplomat)John Ashton is the Special Representative for Climate Change at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office , Director for Strategic Partnerships at , and is the founder and CEO of Third Generation Environmentalism .-Education:...
(born 1956), diplomatDiplomatA diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and... - Ian LucasIan LucasIan Colin Lucas is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Wrexham since 2001...
(born 1960), MP - Bharat NalluriBharat NalluriBharat Nalluri is a British television director, best known for his work with the independent production company Kudos Film & Television in the 2000s and early 2010s. For Kudos, he has directed episodes of Spooks, Life on Mars, Hustle , and Outcasts: all for transmission on BBC One...
(born 1964), Television Director - Paul W. FranksPaul W. FranksPaul Walter Franks is a scholar, writer and professor of philosophy. He graduated with his PhD from Harvard University in 1993, his dissertation supervisor was Stanley Cavell. Franks' dissertation, entitled "Kant and Hegel on the Esotericism of Philosophy", won the Emily and Charles Carrier Prize...
(born 1964), Professor, Grafstein Chair in Jewish Philosophy, University of Toronto - Nick BrownleeNick BrownleeNick Brownlee is a British journalist and crime thriller writer.His critically acclaimed debut novel, Bait, published in December 2008 by Piatkus, was the first in a series featuring...
(born 1967) Crime thriller writer - Paul W. S. AndersonPaul W. S. AndersonPaul William Scott Anderson , also known as Paul W. S. Anderson or Paul Anderson, is an English film director who regularly works in science fiction movies and video game adaptations.-Life and career:...
(born 1965) Film Director - Alastair Leithead (born 1971), BBC Journalist
- Caspar BerryCaspar BerryCaspar Berry is a professional poker player, screenwriter, actor, after-dinner speaker and television presenter on Poker Night Live, and more recently as an analyst for Sky Poker....
(born 1974), professional poker player, screenwriterScreenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and television presenter on Poker Night LivePoker Night LivePoker Night Live was the United Kingdom's first live Internet poker show, broadcast between 2005 and 2007 on Pokerzone, usually between 9pm and 1am... - Nicky PengNicky PengNicky Peng is a former English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and off-spin bowler....
(born 1982), English cricketer - Matthew Thompson (born 1982), English & Newcastle Falcons RFU player
- Fraser ForsterFraser ForsterFraser Gerard Forster is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Celtic, on loan from Newcastle United.He started his career with Newcastle and has had loan spells with Stockport County, Bristol Rovers and Norwich City as well as being on loan to Celtic for the 2010–11 season.-Early...
(born 1988), Professional Footballer (goalkeeper) with Newcastle United, currently on loan at Celtic F.C.Celtic F.C.Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
Notable staff
- James JurinJames JurinJames Jurin FRS MA FRCP MD was an English scientist and physician, particularly remembered for his early work in capillary action and in the epidemiology of smallpox vaccination...
, Head Master 1709-1715 - Richard DawesRichard Dawes-Life:He was born in or near Market Bosworth, England, and was educated at the town grammar school under Anthony Blackwall, and at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, of which he was elected fellow in 1731. His eccentricities and frank speaking made him unpopular. His health broke down as a result of his...
, Head Master 1738-1749 - Hugh Moises, Head Master 1749-1806
- Max BlackMax BlackMax Black was a British-American philosopher, who was a leading influential figure in analytic philosophy in the first half of the twentieth century. He made contributions to the philosophy of language, the philosophy of mathematics and science, and the philosophy of art, also publishing studies...
, Head of Mathematics 1931-1936 - Michael RobertsMichael Roberts (writer)Michael Roberts , originally named William Edward Roberts, was an English poet, writer, critic and broadcaster, who made his living as a teacher.-Life:...
Mathematics 1931-1941 - William Feaver (art journalist and author of The Pitmen PaintersThe Pitmen PaintersThe Pitmen Painters is a play by Lee Hall, inspired by a book by William Feaver about the Ashington Group. Following a sell out run at both the Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne in 2007 and its transfer to the Royal National Theatre, and returned to the National for a limited season before heading...
) Art 1970s
External links
- Early History of the School
- RGS website
- Old Novocastrians Association website
- The main school in Jesmond is at coordinates 54.983149°N 1.608521°W