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Suggest pagesPrescot School
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| Motto | "Futuram civitatem inquirimus" Latin We are seeking a future state |
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| Established | 1544 |
| Closed | 2009 |
| Type | Comprehensive |
| Acting Headteacher | Judy Walker |
| Founder | Sir Gilbert Lathum |
| Specialism | Language |
| Location | Knowsley Park Lane Prescot Merseyside L34 3NB United Kingdom |
| Local authority | Knowsley |
| DfE URN | 104487 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 923 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–16 |
| Website | Prescot School |
Coordinates: 53°25′52″N 2°48′41″W / 53.431222°N 2.811461°W
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.
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[edit] History
[edit] 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".
[edit] Comprehensive
In 1975, it became part of the newly formed Metropolitan Borough 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Merger
With funding from the Labour government's 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 (!).[1][2] 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.[3]
[edit] Notable alumni
- Gill Burns, MBE former English Ladies Rugby Captain
- Paul Lewis, classical pianist, soloist at the 2005 Last Night of the Proms
- Dave McCabe, The Zutons lead singer
- Colin Vearncombe, singer songwriter formerly known as the artist Black
- Joe Regan, trainee football coach and former cage fighter.
[edit] Prescot Grammar School (both schools)
- Alan A'Court, England and Liverpool FC footballer
- Jack Aspinwall, Conservative MP for Kingswood from 1979 to 1983 and for Wansdyke from 1983 to 1997
- Dave Bamber, Blackpool, Coventry City footballer
- Alan Bamford CBE, Principal of Homerton College, Cambridge from 1985 to 1991
- Prof Andrew Burrows, Norton Rose Professor of Commercial and Financial Law at the University of Oxford 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 Foster, Conservative MEP for North West England since 2009 and from 1999 to 2004
- Tony Hazzard, songwriter, session singer and recording artiste
- Stan Hey, playwright and journalist
- Prof Graham Hough, Professor of English at the University of Cambridge from 1966–75
- Sue Johnston, actress
- Prof Peter Lawrenson, award-winning electrical engineer, President from 1992-93 of the Institution of Electrical Engineers
- Adam Cleghorn, Famous singer, political advisor and former host of Deal or no Deal
- Sol Murphy, Musician, Song Writer, Bassist for The Dire Council
- Ian McIntyre, broadcaster and Controller of BBC Radio 4 from 1976–78 and BBC Radio 3 from 1978–87
- Geoff Nulty, Everton FC footballer
- Laurence Perkins, principal bassoonist in Manchester Camerata
- John David Pugh, Lib Dem MP for Southport since 2001
- Stuart Sutcliffe, bassist for the Beatles for two years
- Sir George Sweeney, principal since 2000 of Knowsley Community College
- Rt Rev John Waine, former Bishop of Chelmsford from 1986–96
- Prof Sid Watkins, safety supremo for Formula One Grand Prix motor racing, Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of London from 1972–93
- Ken Wilcock, athlete and 1962 European Championships silver medallist
[edit] References
- ^ {see http://www.knowsley.gov.uk/families/education-and-schools/find-a-school/secondary-schools/knowsley-park-cfl.aspx}
- ^ "Building schools for the future - schools involved". http://www.knowsley.gov.uk/education/bsf/schools.html. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ {http://www.edubase.gov.uk/establishment/general.xhtml?urn=135477}
