Caistor Grammar School

Caistor Grammar School
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Address
Church Street Caistor , Lincolnshire , LN7 6QJ England
Information
Type	Selective Grammar School
Motto	"Ever to Excel" (Greek: αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν)
Established	1630
Founder	Francis Rawlinson
Specialist	Sports & Humanities College
Headmaster	Mr Roger Hale MA MEd
Gender	Mixed
Enrollment	approx. 620
Houses	Hansard, Rawlinson & Ascough
Colour(s)	Red & Black
Publication	Caistor Focus
Website	http://www.cgs.lincs.sch.uk/

Caistor Grammar School is a selective school in the English town of Caistor in the county of Lincolnshire. It was founded in 1630 and has since grown to be one of the area's most respected schools. The school has been awarded specialist Sports College status. The current headmaster is Roger Hale who took up the position from Trevor Foulkes in 1996. At present Caistor Grammar is ranked first in Lincolnshire according to GCSE and A Level results in 2007.

History

Caistor Grammar School is an endowed Foundation school dating from the reign of Charles I. The dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII had destroyed the principal sources of education of the times, and the numerous schools endowed throughout England during the following reigns are evidence that public-spirited men recognised the need created and endeavoured to meet it. Among others was Francis Rawlinson, of South Kelsey, who died in 1630 bequeathing money to endow a school at Caistor, and William Hansard of Biscathorpe, who supplemented the original gift in 1634. The monies given were invested in the purchase of land at Cumberworth, and of the rectorial tithes of Bilsby of which the Governors are still lay impropriators.

The original trustees were Sir Edward Asycough, of South Kelsey, Sir William Pelham, of Brocklesby, and Sir Christopher Wray, Bt. of Glentworth (Lord Chief Justice of England) and Johnathon Beltwick; other trustees shouldered their responsibilities from time to time until 1885 when, under the Endowed Schools Act 1869, the foundation was placed under an elective body of Governors, the Vicar of Caistor being an ex-officio member. In 1908 the school was recognised by the Board of Education.

In 2008, Times journalist Robert Crampton used his Beta Male column to ask for invitations to give speeches, to improve his public speaking skills. He received 400 invitations, but only accepted a handful, including Caistor Grammar School. He visited the school to give the speech in 2009, subsequently reporting on the experience in The Times.

School buildings

The school occupies a site close to the centre of the small market town of Caistor. School buildings help to form two sides of a close around the ancient Parish Church. The ironstone School Hall dates from 1631 and is still in daily use. The School Library alongside is housed in what was the Congregational Church, built in 1842. Casterby House, once a large private house, later one of three boarding houses, and now the Sixth Form Centre, overlooks the churchyard from the south side of the school gates.

The main teaching block dates from the 1930s but was extended and modernized in 1984. This building also contains classics and geography rooms. The Manning Building, replacing several prefabricated buildings, was opened in 1984 and provides teaching rooms for PE, modern languages and history and contains a large gymnasium. It has recently been enlarged to provide extra classrooms and a state of the art fitness suite and allows the housing of the on site sports facilities. Two new Technology Buildings were added in 1993 and 1994. These contain two rooms for design and technology, two specialist rooms for information and communication technology and a sixth science laboratory.

At the bottom of the Terraces, Lindsey House, once a purpose-built boarding house, now includes a suite of English and Mathematics rooms. The Music Department has been redecorated and occupies a suite of rooms on the ground floor and the Art department uses creatively re-modelled accommodation on the ground and first floors. Lindsey House also contains the Dining Room which all pupils use at lunchtime. A lower entrance to the school serves Lindsey House. Next to the gates stands Beech House, traditionally the residence of the Headmaster, where the Site Manager now lives.

The third boarding house and Sixth Form Centre, Grove House, was at the top of the Terraces and was demolished because of structural problems. At one time a swimming pool occupied a building between Beech House and the terraces, until rising operating and maintenance costs forced its removal. This was developed into the New Hall which is used for sports.

The school previously owned several other building in Caistor, including "The Red House" next to Bank Lane, which were used as accomadation when boarders were at the school. These have now however been sold off by the school.

This extensive and ambitious re-development was officially opened by Lord Puttnam of Queensgate in November 2001.

Departments and curriculum

Caistor Grammar School students work a 43 period week over five days. One period is equal to 35 minutes. There are four periods used for lessons before lunch on Mondays and Fridays, on which there is a school assembly in the gym (although on Fridays years 7, 8 and 9 sometimes use the church) and five on the rest. In the afternoon there are four lesson periods every day, for a total of 9 periods in a day. The school day runs from morning registration at 8.50am until the end of lessons at 3.45pm.

Students are taught a variety of traditional subjects and modern languages remain compulsory to GCSE level. Caistor Grammar School does not offer vocational qualifications, only traditional GCSE, AS Level and A2 Qualifications.

Entry exam

As a selective school, Caistor Grammar School requires prospective pupils to pass the eleven plus examination. The current exam is set by the school. The first exam is a verbal reasoning paper and the second is multiple choice. The exams are held at the school approximately 2 weeks apart, and the results are given after up to 1 month after the last exam. In the event that more candidates pass the exam than there are places available, places are offered first to pupils from within the school's catchment area, which is defined as '6.5 miles in a straight line from the Head Master's Office to the applicant's residence' Candidates from outside the catchment area are awarded places depending on their score in the examinations. Any candidates that pass but cannot be offered a place are organised onto a waiting list. The exams can be retaken at year 9, but there is no guarantee that the child will get a place, and the only guarantee is that the child is moved to a higher position on the waiting list.

Houses

All pupils belong to one of three Houses which are named after the school Founder, Francis Rawlinson, the school Patron, Edward Ayscough and the school Benefactor, William Hansard. Students can represent their House in a wide range of activities including sport, drama and music.

Uniform

All pupils below the Sixth Form are required to wear school uniform. For boys this is a black blazer with badge, a red and black striped school tie, white shirt, grey trousers, dark grey socks and black shoes. A grey pullover is also optional. Girls wear a blazer, black pullover, a grey and white striped school blouse, a grey box-pleated skirt and white socks or black opaque tights. Black trousers of the approved pattern are allowed as an alternative to skirts for girls. Students in the Sixth Form are not required to wear uniform, but are expected to observe a code which asks them to dress like young professionals.

Notable alumni

• Anne Gibson, Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen, trade unionist
• Wayne Noon, cricketer
• Henry Newbolt, poet
• David Ricardo, scholar
• Dawn French, actress (1969–70) when her father was stationed at the former RAF Faldingworth
• Thomas Little Heath, scholar

Ofsted

On 22 November 2006 the school was included in the top category by Ofsted, the only Lincolnshire school to be listed. More recently, however, Ofsted visited again, and produced yet another impressive Ofsted report which awarded Caistor Grammar School "outstanding" (the highest possible grade) in each category.

External links

• Official website
• Former students site
• Caistor Grammar School VLE