Calderstones School

Infobox School2
name = Calderstones School


motto = "Ex hoc metallo virtutem" ("Out of this rough metal, we forge virtue")
established = January 11 1922
type = Secondary Comprehensive
head_name = Headmaster
head = Mr Brian Davies
head_name2 = Deputy Headteachers
head2 =
city = Liverpool
state = Merseyside
country = England
students =
teaching_staff =
free_label = Specialist Status
free = Science College
website = [http://www.calderstones.co.uk/ Calderstones School]

Calderstones School is an English comprehensive school located on Harthill Road in the Liverpool suburb of Allerton. It was founded in 1922 as Quarry Bank High School and its first intake of 225 pupils was on 11 January 1922. The schools old boys' organisation was appropriately known as the Ashlar society. The first headmaster of the school was R.F.Bailey and he formed the school on the principles of public school houses. Subsequently the first year boys' house was named Bailey and the forms in it were 1R, 1F, and 1B.

History

In 1961, in a move deemed years ahead of its time, long-serving headmaster W.E.Pobjoy took the decision to abolish corporal punishment. In 1967 Quarry Bank High (boys only) merged with neighbouring Calder High School (girls) and nearby Morrison School and adopted the name Quarry Bank Comprehensive School. The same year saw the abolition of the school's house system, whereby the pupils were divided between Mersey, Esmeduna, Wavertree, Sefton, Allerton, Childwall, Aigburth and Woolton Houses. In 1985 "QB" merged with Aigburth Vale High School, which left the school operating at four discrete locations and with 1800 pupils; it was also then that it adopted its current name. In 1989 the school divested itself of its Aigburth and Morrison facilities, retaining only the original Calder House and Quarry Bank estates. A new building to replace the old Morrison Wing site was built within the existing school site. The old Morrison Wing is now home to a Tesco superstore on Mather Avenue in Allerton. Aigburth Vale High School also no longer exists and is now home to a number of private apartments.

Refurbishment

In 2001 the school underwent a major refurbishment as part of the Private Finance Initiative scheme. The entire site has been overhauled, with the old Calder Wing now virtually demolished. Only Calder House is now left from the old Calder Wing and this now houses the Sixth form. A new Arts Wing has been built which houses the English, MFL, Arts and Music departments. The old Quarry Wing was divided up into 2 separate buildings. One is Quarry House which houses both the ICT and History departments whilst also containing the main office for the school. The main classroom core of the Quarry Wing is now known as the Science Wing and houses a very large number of science labs. The school was also awarded 'Specialist Science Status' in 2001 which allows it to provide first class science facilities for its pupils.

Alumni

Among Quarry Bank's old boys are Labour cabinet ministers William Rodgers (who adopted the name "Quarry Bank" as part of his baronial title) and Peter Shore. So too is Peter Goldsmith (Lord Goldsmith of Allerton) who was appointed as the Labour government's Attorney General in 2001. Actors Derek Nimmo and Judith Kelly also studied there. Current FA chief executive Brian Barwick was also an attendee. Beatle and peace activist John Lennon attended Quarry Bank High School, and it was here that he formed the skiffle band, The Quarrymen - his childhood friend Pete Shotton also attended the school. [Paul McCartney first met Lennon after seeing The Quarrymen play at a church bazaar. - "The Beatles" Davies, H: London, Mayflower, 1978 (2nd edn) ISBN 0583115306] On the sporting front, both Joe Royle and Steve Coppell, English football internationals, attended the school.

Other old boys of Quarry include Les Dennis, the TV personality; Clive Barker writer of countless books and the films "Hellraiser" and "Candyman"; actor Doug Bradley, who played the 'Pinhead' character in "Hellraiser"; and John Power, previously a member of The La's and founding member of Cast. Scriptwriter Jimmy McGovern, of "Brookside" and "Cracker" fame, was a teacher at the school for some time.

Nearby

Calderstones Park is just across the road from the school's premises. The parish church of All Hallows Allerton, at the bottom of Harthill Road and across from the school's playing fields, boasts an unequalled display of stained glass windows made by William Morris from Edward Burne-Jones's designs.

References

External links

* [http://www.calderstones.co.uk/ Calderstones School]