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Lawrence Sheriff School

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Lawrence Sheriff School
Address
Map
Clifton Road

Rugby
,
Warwickshire
,
CV21 3AG

England England
Information
TypeVoluntary aided grammar
Established1878
Local authorityWarwickshire County Council
SpecialistMaths and Computing
OfstedReports
HeadmasterPeter Kent
Deputy HeadAnnabel Kay, Dennis Barnett
GenderBoys
Age11 to 18
Enrollment973
HousesCaldecott, Simpson, Tait and Wheeler
PublicationThe Weekly Word
Websitehttp://lawrencesheriffschool.com/

Lawrence Sheriff School is a selective boys' grammar school in Rugby in Warwickshire. The school is named after Lawrence Sheriff, the Elizabethan man who founded Rugby School. The school's name is often shortened to 'LSS', or often just 'Sheriff' by boys at the school. In a recent OFSTED inspection the school achieved 'outstanding' in all fields of inspection. The school runs in partnership with Rugby High School, the local all-female academy.

History

The Griffin: the Lawrence Sheriff School emblem

Lawrence Sheriff School was founded to fulfill Lawrence Sheriff's original intentions to provide a school for the boys of Rugby, which was originally carried out by Rugby School. By the eighteenth century, Rugby School had acquired a national reputation as a public school and moved to its present site.

As the proportion of pupils from outside Rugby increased and the people of the town seemed to benefit less from Lawrence Sheriff's original bequest, local concern led to the nineteenth century proposal of a Lower School for local boys, with Foundation Scholarships to the Great School. The Lower School was opened in 1878 on the present site of Lawrence Sheriff School with a curriculum designed to meet the needs of a commercial education and preparation for Rugby School. By 1906, a compromise between the traditions of the Foundation and a proposal to hand the school over to the County, led to a Governing body chaired by the Headmaster of Rugby School and containing both Foundation and County Governors.

This partnership continued into voluntary aided status under the 1944 Act.

At the time the school opened, it was on the outskirts of Rugby town, which in 1878 was much smaller than now. The original building (now called Big School), was extended in 1909 with science wings (now used for Chemistry and Physics) on each side. The school continued to grow with several extensions, including the Jubilee Wings (1926 and 1934), the library wing (1957), and major expansion in the early 1960s, which included new biology labs and a new gymnasium. Big School was badly damaged by a fire in 1983, but was immediately restored, so the only tell-tale signs of this event are the steel reinforcements of the ceiling timbers. The venerable school organ was damaged beyond repair and was replaced. The most recent period of growth started in the late 1980s and the school has seen many extensions and new facilities over the last fifteen years.

Present day

Lawrence Sheriff School is now the selective boys' grammar school for Rugby and the surrounding area, with the buildings owned and maintained by the Governors, and the running costs funded by the local Authority.

The school also has an old boys society: the Old Laurentians.

The school has been expanded greatly in the last five years with the construction of a new sixth form centre and the conversion of Penrhos House, originally the sixth form common room, into a Music block, as well as the construction of a new Learning Resources Centre.

The school also own nearby playing field, Hart Field, with five Rugby pitches and changing rooms. It is of poor quality, and many Physical Education staff members have complained of the embarrassment they suffer every time visiting schools come to Hart Field. However over the summer months of 2008 the field has undergone regeneration with new pitches created.

Thanks to Sport England funding, the school also houses a regional and local table tennis centre.

In January 2009, the school was placed at the top of the GCSE league table for English schools, with an average point score of 792[1].

Building Development

The Learning Resources Centre (LRC)

The Learning Resources Centre is now open to students at Lawrence Sheriff School. This new building comprises of 8 new classrooms (to be split between Maths and Computing) as well as a new library area. This relieves pressure on other departments (notably Art and Design & Technology) of the school who can now move into the vacant old Mathematics rooms. It also allows students using the library to make use of a much more suited 'open' space - rather than the converted Headmasters' House ('Sheriff Centre') which has housed its many books until now. There has, however, been one aspect of controversy since the opening of this new building. Included on the floor is a floor mural, made up of mathematical and literal references (such as the famous formula E = mc2).

Various other comments have been made by staff and students about the new building:

  • The lighting within the building is bright white 'surgical' style, reportedly causing several students headaches while they work.
  • The choice of furniture within the classrooms (apart from being aesthetically poor, with bright orange frames "more suited for primary school") features chairs which are found to be hard to sit up in and tables which are slightly too high.
  • Bizarrely, the paint on the walls seems to rub off onto things that make contact with it. Whilst this was initially cause for some amusement with younger students (getting chalk on their fingers and plastering it over other peoples' property), recently people have unwittingly ruined their jackets by leaning on the wall.
  • Also bizarrely, the entrance to the building is on the "wrong side". To enter the building, students from most areas of the school must walk around it to the door, whereas a door on the opposite side would have been much more convenient for all.

Apart from the issues with the building, it is seen by many students to be a worthwhile addition to the school. The facilitation of extra classrooms will allow the school to continue in its current growth. As well as this, the provision of two new computer rooms will allow some departments (specifically those that aren't primarily computer based) to explore the advantages of using computers within lesson times.

Sheriff Centre

The Sheriff Centre which currently houses offices for the Assistant Head, Deputy Head and Exams Secretaries on its ground floor is now being redeveloped as a Management Suite. The first and second floors of this building (formerly the library) have been redundant since the opening of the LRC and it is believed that offices for the senior members of staff will be moved into this space. In light of these plans, the building has been dubbed 'Ivory Towers' by some school staff.

Recent changes

Lawrence Sheriff School: 2 new buildings spreading into the School Field, 25 June 2008

Many contentious changes have been made in the past academic year, including a new timetable and tutoring system. These have seen considerable debate outside of official forums, by staff and students alike. This system is being introduced in other schools around the country. Its common name is "Vertical tutoring", due to the fact that forms now consist of students from every year. In Lawrence Sheriff, forms are also organised so that only pupils from one house are in a form. Since the start of 2007, much more emphasis has been put on house competition by the senior staff, with forms now having to prepare banners and other "supporters' items" for the school's annual sports day.

An Enrichment system also runs in the school, which has been met with mixed opinion since its inclusion into the timetable. The idea seems less emphasised than it previously was when first introduced.

There is also a student council at the school.

Notable Old Laurentians

Former pupils at the school are called Old Laurentians and include:

Other information

  • The school has four houses: Wheeler, Simpson, Caldecott and Tait.
  • The Parents' Association is in the Guinness Book of Records as the UK's oldest Parents Association
  • The school has a partnership with Rugby School and twinned at Years 12 and 13 (the sixth form) of education with Rugby High School
  • The main hall is called Big school

Notes

  1. ^ Beckford, Martin. "School League Tables 2009: Best school shows boys can make the grade". Retrieved 2009-01-23.
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