__NOTOC__ Cowley Academy (formally The Thomas Cowley High School) is a mixed

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

with Academy status, in Donington,

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

, England. As of 1 September 2022 it is part of the academy trust known as SLAT (South Lincolnshire Academy Trust)

History

Landowner Thomas Cowley by deed in 1701, and by will in 1711 and 1718, bequeathed his estate to endow an almshouse, and a

charity school Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the history of education in England. They were built and maintained in various parishes by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to ...

to teach twenty poor children to read English and write.Cox, J. Charles (1916) ''Lincolnshire'', Methuen & Co. Ltd., p. 118''

Kelly's Directory Kelly's Directory (or more formally, the Kelly's, Post Office and Harrod & Co Directory) was a trade directory in England that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses o ...

of Lincolnshire'' 1855, p. 380Donington, Lincs; '' White’s History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire'' 1882 A pupil of the Cowley's charity school was

Matthew Flinders Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British navigator and cartographer who led the first inshore circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then called New Holland. He is also credited as being the first person to u ...

, who at age 12 then attended

Horbling __NOTOC__ Horbling is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the B1177, south-east of Sleaford, north-east of Grantham and north of Billingborough. Village population recorded in the ...

Grammar School where his father expected him to learn Latin.Welbourne, Dave
"One of Lincolnshire’s famous sons is Matthew Flinders, the explorer. In 2014 we commemorate the 200th anniversary of his death"
''Lincolnshire Life'', January 2014 issue. Retrieved 10 January 2015 The free school established by Thomas Cowley evolved into a

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

, with the Cowley charity providing significant funding."Administrative correspondence relating to the governance of Donington Grammar School, Lincolnshire, 1919"

JANET Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) * Janet (French singer) (1939–2011) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psych ...

(archiveshub.ac.uk), accessing archives GB 159 MS 81 (1919) of Professor

Henry Hurd Swinnerton Henry Hurd Swinnerton (1875–1966) was a British geologist. He was professor of geology at University College Nottingham from 1910 to 1946. Swinnerton was educated at the Royal College of Science, and earned a doctorate in zoology (D.Sc.) from t ...

of the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...

. Retrieved 27 July 2015 By 1858 the school, which was governed by a scheme approved by the

Master of the Rolls The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the President of the Court of Appeal (England and Wales)#Civil Division, Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales a ...

, John Romilly, also provided for an upper girls' school, an elementary boys' and girls' school, and an infants school. The grammar school held 80 pupils, with an average attendance of 40. At the time a new scheme was proposed to develop the Girls' department with a yearly endowment of £25 to provide minor scholarships and accommodation for resident pupils, with the inclusion of teaching of the "art of cookery." The Grammar and Girls' Upper School were not exclusive to Donington, but were open to pupils from the whole county, with fees being £4 yearly for boys, and £3 for girls. The school covered 5 acres and included a residence for the masters and mistresses, a house for the headmaster, a recreation ground, cricket field, gymnasium, and playgrounds. In 1871 the Grammar school's football team entered the first ever edition of the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...

, but withdrew and did not complete a game. Grammar school status was held until 1949. A

secondary modern school A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Schools of this type continue in Northern Ireland, where they are usually ...

was then established in its place using the Thomas Cowley name, which in 1995 became a comprehensive secondary school. In September 2006 the comprehensive school was designated as specialist

Technology College In the United Kingdom, a Technology College is a specialist school that specialises in design and technology, mathematics and science. Beginning in 1994, they were the first specialist schools that were not CTC colleges. In 2008, there were 59 ...

, and in September 2012 it converted to Academy status.

Notable former pupils

Donington Free School (est. 1718): *

– navigator and cartographer Donington Grammar School: * Donald Bruce, Baron Bruce of Donington – soldier, businessman and politician *

Eric Houghton William Eric Houghton (29 June 1910 – 1 May 1996) was an English footballer and manager. Eric Houghton was born in Billingborough, Lincolnshire and educated at Donington Grammar School. He signed for Aston Villa as a seventeen-year-old an ...

– footballer and manager *

Sarah Swift Dame Sarah Ann Swift, GBE, RRC (22 November 1854, Kirton Skeldyke, Lincolnshire – 27 June 1937, Marylebone) was an English nurse and founder in 1916 of the Royal College of Nursing, thereby introducing Nurse registration. Early life Swift was ...

– founder of the

Royal College of Nursing The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a registered trade union in the United Kingdom for those in the profession of nursing. It was founded in 1916, receiving its royal charter in 1928. Queen Elizabeth II was the patron until her death in 2022. ...

References

External links

Cowley Academy Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas Cowley High School 1719 establishments in England Educational institutions established in 1719 Secondary schools in Lincolnshire Academies in Lincolnshire