Spalding Grammar School (SGS), fully known as The Queen Elizabeth Royal Free Grammar School Spalding, is an 11–18 boys'
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 Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...
in
Spalding,
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
, England. By November 2015, a total of 985 boys were enrolled at the school, 277 of which were enrolled on 16 to 19 study programmes.
History
The school was founded in 1588 by
royal charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...
, applied for by a Rev. Johnson, and within part of
Spalding Parish Church, called St Thomas's Chapel, until the 19th century. It was founded on its current site in 1881.
The school amalgamated with Moulton Grammar School of
Moulton in 1939. Moulton Grammar School was founded under the will of John Harrox (died 1561) who was steward to Sir John Harrington of Weston. The School opened in 1562 with ten pupils and continued to educate boys from the district until it amalgamated with Spalding. The old school buildings still exist but are now private residences. The school magazine, '' The Bentleian'', dates to July 1922.
Anne, Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...
visited on the morning of Thursday 19 May 1988, and attended a service in the parish church, conducted by the
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.
The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of Nort ...
,
Bob Hardy, for the school's 400th anniversary; the school received its royal charter on 18 May 1588. Anne arrived by helicopter on the playing fields of Spalding High School at 10.50am.
In October 2018, a decision was made by the school to stop sixth form pupils from using "ever-larger bags" to carry books, which were seen by the school as an injury danger to younger pupils. A temporary online petition was organised against the order.
Overview
Admissions
Spalding Grammar School admits pupils aged 11 to 18 from the council district of
South Holland
South Holland ( ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.8 million as of January 2023 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely populated areas. ...
- an area of - some pupils travelling over to reach the school.
In years 7 to 11, only boys are admitted. In sixth form (years 12 and 13), both boys and girls are admitted. Spalding Grammar is a selective school, and its entrants in the lower school are permitted only by taking the county-wide
11+ tests. The current number of pupils is 985. The sixth form has 277 pupils. There are 68 teaching staff.
School site
The school is in the south of
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
, on
Priory Road in
Spalding.
A sports hall was opened by boxer
Henry Cooper
Sir Henry Cooper (3 May 19341 May 2011) was a British heavyweight boxer. He was undefeated in British and Commonwealth heavyweight championship contests for twelve years and held the European heavyweight title for three years. In a 1963 fi ...
in November 1993. In January 2006 new buildings were opened for ICT, sociology, technology, English and drama (with a performing arts studio). The Modern Languages lab was also built at the same time as the new buildings were opened. In late 2009, a new Business Studies block, new staff room and atrium were also built.
Awards and recognition
In 2024 and 2015 the school received an
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training ...
rating of Grade 2 "Good", following a previous rating of a Grade 1 "Outstanding" in 2011, and "Good" in 2007. The school converted to
academy
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
status on 1 February 2013.
In 2006, the school was granted
Specialist Status
Specialist schools in the United Kingdom (sometimes branded as specialist colleges in England and Northern Ireland) are schools with an emphasis or focus in a specific specialised subject area, which is called a specialism, or alternatively in ...
as a
Languages
Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing. Human language is ch ...
and
Engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
College. It became the first school in Lincolnshire to gain joint specialist status in these subjects. Accompanying the specialist status was building work to improve general aspects of the school, and to provide a Language Lab and Engineering Lab for the teaching of the subjects. The school converted to academy status on 1 February 2013.
Notable alumni
*
Maurice Johnson (antiquary)
Maurice Johnson (1688–1755), of Spalding, was the founder of 'The Gentlemen's Society' (Spalding Gentlemen's Society).
Johnson was educated at Spalding Grammar School. He studied law.
In 1717 he assisted in the re-establishment of the Society ...
(c.1700–5)
*
William Hobson Mills, organic chemist who investigated
stereochemistry
Stereochemistry, a subdiscipline of chemistry, studies the spatial arrangement of atoms that form the structure of molecules and their manipulation. The study of stereochemistry focuses on the relationships between stereoisomers, which are defined ...
and found the Mills-Nixon effect
*
Harrison Burrows - Professional footballer for
Sheffield United
*
Will Wand - Professional rugby player for
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home ...
*
Stuart Storey - British sports commentator and former 110m hurdler
See also
*
Spalding High School - Selective all girls school, but accepts boys into their sixth form.
References
External links
Spalding Grammar SchoolEduBase
{{Authority control
Boys' schools in Lincolnshire
Grammar schools in Lincolnshire
1588 establishments in England
Educational institutions established in the 1580s
Spalding, Lincolnshire
Academies in Lincolnshire
*
Schools with a royal charter