Penistone Grammar School
| Penistone Grammar School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
Huddersfield Road , S36 7BX | |
| Information | |
| Type | Comprehensive |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Non-denominational |
| Established | 1392 |
| Local authority | Barnsley |
| Specialist | Business and Enterprise College |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Headteacher | Ms J Higgins BA (Hons) |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrollment | c. 1,600 |
| Website | http://www.school-portal.co.uk/Grouphomepage.asp?GroupId=21408 |
Penistone Grammar School is a comprehensive school and former grammar school in Penistone, in South Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1392 and its most notable alumnus is Nicholas Saunderson, the probable inventor of Bayes theorem, in the sixteenth century. The school has undergone many expansions, and now houses nearly 1,600 pupils from age 11 to 18. The school motto and song were until recently "Disce Aut Discede" (learn or leave), but since a 2003 rebranding this has been changed to "Learning and Achieving Together". The school colours are red and black, and its coat of arms is the six footless martlets of the Clarel family. Penistone is pronounced "Penny stone", from "pen" meaning "hill" and "tun" meaning settlement.
History
The school was founded as a grammar school in 1392, when it is recorded that a gift of land was made by John Clarel, Lord of the Manor at Penistone, for the purpose of a school. Later, the school was situated in the town centre on a site opposite St. John the Baptist Church and across the road from the old Cloth Hall. However in 1892 the school moved from its town centre site to a position about half a mile north-west of the town centre. The school remains on this site, adjacent to Huddersfield road
The school was originally an all boys grammar school. Girls were admitted for the first time in 1907. In the late twentieth century the school ceased to be a grammar school, becoming one of the first neighbourhood comprehensive schools in the country. It became fully comprehensive in 1969, with partial selection (for more distant pupils) for a few years prior to that. Initially retaining its Grammar school name and traditions such as the house system and speech night. These traditions have been slowly scaled back in recent years, and the standard of uniform has been downgraded from blazers to sweaters.
Academics
In September 2003 the school obtained specialist status to become a Business and Enterprise College. It is the only maintained school in the Local Education Authority of |Barnsley to have a Sixth Form (See below for more details). The school has also received an Artsmark Silver award.[1] In addition the school has recently been re-certified as an investor in people.
Notable alumni
- Nicholas Saunderson mathematician - Lucasian Professor at Cambridge University from 1711 to 1739.
- Roland Boyes - Born 1937 Died 2006. Left-wing MP for Durham from 1979 to 84 and Houghton & Washington 1983-97. Front bench spokesman for environment and defence. Book of photographs "People in Parliament" 1990. Strong supporter of Alzheimers's Research Trust.
- Anne Campbell - MP for Cambridge from 1992 to 2005.
- Noel Moore - civil servant who oversaw the decimalisation project.
- Paul Copley - actor often in Radio 4 radio plays, stereotypically playing a Yorkshireman.
- Steven Houghton - starred in London's burning
- Sam Ellis - 2006 European Athletics Championships 800m bronze medalist.
- Chris Morgan - footballer, Sheffield United.
- Mark Beevers - footballer, Sheffield Wednesday.
- Ryan Michael Jessop - musician/composer involved in classical and popular music in the north of England.
- Kieran Hyde - rugby league player, Bradford Bulls.
PGS Sixth Form Centre
Penistone Grammar School also incorporates a sixth form centre, Netherfields, in separate buildings to the main school. The current heads of the sixth form are Mr S Reid (head of sixth form) and Mr H Heeley (assistant head of 14 - 19 education). During the summer of 2006 a video was commissioned of the sixth form in the attempt to attract potential students. This video can be viewed on the Sixth Form Website. The sixth form currently has around 250 students in attendance. Penistone Grammar School is the only maintained school in the Local Education Authority of Barnsley to have a sixth form and so this gives the school an advantage over many of its surrounding rival schools, when it comes to 16 - 18 education. Some of the students in the sixth form have currently finished producing a DVD of a music video for the song by Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody". This will be sold and the proceeds donated to Comic Relief.
Staff in 2008
Mrs C Gower retired as Headteacher in July 2007 and was replaced by Ms J Higgins BA (Hons).
Head Teacher -
- Ms J Higgins, BA (hons.)
Deputy Heads -
- Mr G Baddock
- Mr P Crook BEd Cert Ed
Assistant Heads -
- Mr K A Neill, BEd, Cert Ed
- Mr F G Lambert, BEd, Dip GC, Cert Ed
- Mrs J Johnson, BA, Cert Ed
- Mr H Heeley, BEd, Cert Ed
- Mr N Green
Business Manager -
- Mrs C Jagger, Dip. I.A.M. Cert SBM
Head of History
- Adam Lawrenson, BA Dip Cert Ed
The future
The process is currently underway to rebuild the whole of the school as part of the national Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The current plan is for the rebuild to start in March 2009 and have the school reopen in new building in September 2011. The same site will be used, but the building will be lower down from the present buildings as they will continue to be used during the construction time. Barnsley LA have recently announced the preferred bidder for the project and plans for the new building have been shown to students and staff.
As well as a complete rebuilding of the school, other changes are also being looked in to such as the structure within the school, the possibility of a vertical school system of tutor groups within school, rather than the present year structure, variable times at school within the day, extending learning opportunities within the wider community and increases opportunities of learning away from school and increased use of technology. This fits into the Barnsley LA plan for Advanced Learning Centres (ALCs) to replace their existing secondary schools.
Parental and pupil has taken place on these issues.