Poole Grammar School
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| Motto | Finis Opus Coronat ("The End Crowns the Work") |
|---|---|
| Established | 1904 |
| Type | Academy grammar school |
| Head Master | Ian Carter |
| Specialism | Maths & Computing |
| Location | Gravel Hill Poole Dorset BH17 9JU England |
| DfE URN | 136850 |
| Ofsted | Pre-Academy Reports |
| Staff | 100 (approx.) |
| Students | 890 |
| Gender | Boys |
| Ages | 12–18 |
| Colours |
Forest Green & Golden |
| Former pupils | Old Grammarians |
| Website | www.poolegrammar.com |
Coordinates: 50°45′16″N 1°58′49″W / 50.7544°N 1.9803°W
Poole Grammar School (commonly abbreviated to PGS) is a selective, all boys grammar school and academy in Poole, on the south coast of England.
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[edit] Admissions
The school is a mathematics and computing school and is sponsored by the Specialist Schools Trust to engage the local and international community with its work.
The school has 890 male students from the surrounding area aged 12 to 18. To gain acceptance to the school, students must sit and pass four exams testing mathematics, English writing, verbal, and non-verbal reasoning.
Excellence in the fields of sport or arts is not grounds for special admission, however many of its pupils compete at county, national and international level, or go on to study at film schools, conservatories and art houses.
It is situated in the north of Poole, on the A349.
[edit] History
The school moved to its current site between Broadstone and Canford Heath on the A349 (Gravel Hill) on 11 October, 1966. It was originally situated in Seldown, in the centre of Poole, where it was founded in 1904.
[edit] Former teachers
- A. J. Butcher, author
- Thomas Clough Daffern
- Kenneth Downie, brass band music performer
- Very Rev Alfred Jowett
[edit] Parkstone Grammar
Originally Poole Grammar was the only grammar school in Poole. This quickly filled up so Parkstone Grammar School was opened. At first, both schools took boys and girls, but this was changed by Poole Council who sent boys at Parkstone to Poole and girls at Poole to Parkstone. This started the separation of boys and girls which is still in effect today. The two grammar schools have very close links as they are only approximately 1,000 metres apart. They share certain activities such as Science clubs and school discos.
[edit] Uniform
Poole Grammar has differing uniform policies in the lower and upper school. Lower school students (years eight and nine) are expected to wear a green blazer with the option of a jumper, grey or black trousers and a white shirt. The upper school students (years ten and eleven) have the option of wearing green jumper without a blazer.
Once entering the sixth form, students may wear their own clothes, though these must still include a shirt and tie, smart trousers and either brown or black shoes.
For sport, the boys are required to wear a white t-shirt, the school's green rugby shirt, black shorts and bottle green football socks. When attending science classes the boys are expected to be dressed in a long white lab coat.
[edit] The prefect system
Once in the upper sixth form, boys may nominate themselves to become a prefect. Prefect candidates are voted for by the council of teachers and must have an outstanding academic, sporting and behavioural history. The head prefect is the head boy and has two deputies. The prefects have their own lounge which only they are allowed to enter and may decorate as they see fit.
The prefects do not have to wear a special uniform, however they are given a blue version of the school's tie which they are encouraged to wear. Prefects attend parents evenings and represent the school on many routine occasions.
Year eleven prefects, known as "main school leaders" were introduced in 2009. Candidates are elected by the head of year eleven. Main school leaders are awarded a blue enamel badge which identifies them.
[edit] Subjects
[edit] Sports
Sport is a major part of life at Poole Grammar, which has only had four heads of sport and physical education since the school was founded. The school owns large playing fields adjacent to the main buildings. They are used as football and rugby pitches, with two overlapping cricket fields and as a running track during the summer. Pupils also play sports on the school playground. The two large gyms provide changing facilities, a climbing wall, indoor volleyball courts and a weights and fitness training room. The school boasts 4 astroturf tennis courts installed in 2008 with a further 2 concrete courts on the playground used during the summer term.
The students partake in many sports throughout the year from football to tennis. During the winter term, students participate in rugby during their games lessons. During the spring term the students play football. In the summer term students play a variety of games including cricket, tennis and softball. Most of these sports contain an inter-form tournament towards the end of the term. Pupils competing in cross country running train on Canford Heath during lunch hour. An entire class or even year group may also be taken for a run on the heath as part of regular school training.
[edit] Information communication technology and computing
In year eight, boys learn the basics of word processing, spreadsheet software, web design and simple programming. In year nine they take a GCSE ICT Short Course which incorporates the skills learnt the previous year.
In years ten and eleven all boys take the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) courses in Word and Excel so that they all have a professional computing qualification. Boys who performed especially well in year nine GCSE may do AS Level ICT in years ten and eleven, in addition to the MOS courses. In years 12 and 13 (sixth form), computing is offered as an A Level and if those who took AS Level ICT early want to, they can complete the A Level during year twelve.
As well as computing, students in years 12 and 13 have the chance to take the Cisco CCNA course. This is taught after school in the autumn and spring terms, by staff members that have previously taken the course, and completed it to a high enough standard to teach the modules. Around 12 students each year opt to take the course.
[edit] Music, art and drama
Art and drama are taught in a separate wing of the school with two large art studios, three practice rooms and a fully functioning theatre. The school puts on a play once a year in conjunction with Parkstone Grammar School and opens its art studios once a term for viewings.
[edit] Languages
All students learn French from their first year and choose between German and Spanish from their second year. The school has had success in teaching modern languages with work and cultural exchanges to the continent. A higher than average percentage of pupils leave Poole Grammar to study languages at university level.
Alongside these core languages students also have the opportunity to take other classical and modern languages in their spare time under the supervision of a teacher. Latin, Classical Greek, Italian, Modern Hebrew and Japanese have also been studied at the school. The school uses language labs, video and music technology and art to enhance the students' learning experience.
[edit] Humanities
Students must study geography and history from their first year until their second. Poole Grammar has geography and geology departments housed in a modern extension to the school. School trips include the Jurassic Coast, the Old Town of Poole and Wimborne Minster. The history department has recently been refreshed with younger teachers due to the retirement of older academics, who had served at the school for many years.
[edit] Religion and philosophy
Through years eight and nine, all pupils learn religion and philosophy and in years ten and eleven they take a GCSE in religious studies. The Religion and Philosophy department has been home to a variety of teachers including Thomas Clough Daffern.
[edit] Year seven entry
From September 2013, the school will be accepting new pupils from the age of 11 (year seven). Large scale building work to extend the front of the main entrance and add extra classrooms began in summer 2009. Other small room adjustments will be made around the school to help group subject lessons into rooms closer to each other. The new extensions will provide more space for the music, drama, design and technology and drama departments. The library will be relocated within the school so that it is more easily accessible and can be extended. The location of the new buildings was chosen to prevent the reduction in the size of the school's playing fields. Although a new food technology block has been built in where the athletics area used to be around the back of the school. A new tarmac playground has also been built within this area as well as new set of jumping pits.
[edit] Academic performance
It gets excellent A level results, the best for any type of school in Poole, and slightly better than Parkstone.
[edit] Notable former pupils
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This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability or notability policies. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources cited within this article showing they are notable and alumni or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (February 2012) |
- Elliott Andrews who currently plays drums for Kate Nash
- Nick Aplin
- Maj-Gen Nicholas Caplin, General Officer Commanding UK Support Command since 2009, Commandant from 2001-2 of the School of Army Aviation
- Rob Chidley, author
- Edgar F. Codd, invented relational databases when at IBM's San Jose Research Laboratory in California, which was largely initially ignored by IBM
- Terry Coleman, journalist
- Jim Cregan, musician
- Prof Ronald P. Dore CBE,
- Andrew Edmonds, contestant on Big Brother 2010
- Prof David Greenfield CBE, Professor of Physiology from 1966-82 at the University of Nottingham
- Prof Anthony Hawkins CBE, Professor of Marine Resource Management since 2002 at the University of Aberdeen
- Dave Lanning, sports commentator
- John Mann, educationist, Director of Education from 1983-8 of the London Borough of Harrow
- Prof Paul Marsh, Professor of Finance from 1985-2006 at London Business School
- Richard Oakes, guitarist in the now defunct band Suede
- Prof Roger Robinson, neonatologist and Professor of Paediatrics from 1975-90 at United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals
- Kenneth Till, paedriatic surgeon, who co-invented the Wade-Dahl-Till valve
- Prof Edwin Webb, Vice-Chancellor from 1976-86 of Macquarie University
- Prof Christopher West, Professor of Zoology since 2006 at the University of Adelaide
- John Finnemore, writer and actor.
