- Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield
Infobox UK school
name = Queen Elizabeth Grammar School
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motto = "Turpe Nescire"
(Latin :"It is a disgrace to be ignorant")
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established =1591
approx =
closed =
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type = Private Grammar School
religion = Christian/None
president =
head_label = Headmaster
head = M.R. Gibbons AKC
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city =Wakefield
county =West Yorkshire
country =England flagicon|England
postcode = WF1 3QX
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enrollment =
gender = Boys
lower_age = 7
upper_age = 18
houses =
colours = Black & Gold color box|Blackcolor box|Gold
publication =
free_label_1 = Former pupils
free_1 = Old Savilian
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website = http://www.wgsf.org.uk/
website_name =Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS) is an independent fee-paying school in
Wakefield ,England . QEGS is distinct from most other schools in that it was founded by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in1591 at the request of leading citizens inWakefield (headed by Thomas Saville and his two sons) 75 in total and some of whom formed the first governing body. [ [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wakefield/cathedral/cath16.html History of Wakefield Cathedral 16th Century ] ]In
1854 QEGS moved to its present site in Northgate,Wakefield , into premises designed by the architect Richard Lane [cite web |url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=445042 |title=Images of England—Detailed Record |accessdate=2008-07-03 |publisher=English Heritage ] and formerly occupied by the West Riding Proprietary School. [cite web |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-hgHAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA172&lpg=PA172&dq=%22West+Riding+Proprietary+School%22+richard+lane&source=web&ots=_o9wiaSodU&sig=SKVat_YY_APXKafxGN0j9nXOK2k&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA172,M1 |title=The Annals of Yorkshire from the Earliest Period to the Present Time By Henry Schroder, page 172 |accessdate=2008-07-03 |publisher=Published by George Crosby, 1852 ] [cite web |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=C4EAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=Loudon%27s+Architectural+Magazine+Richard+Lane&source=web&ots=Ql-g_EGi6J&sig=sbnlwViKF6Wz0Uayaw6Hd0XB4vI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result |title=Loudon's Architectural Magazine, And Journal of Improvement in Architecture (edited by John Claudius Loudon), page 142 |accessdate=2008-07-05 |publisher=Published by Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown Green & Longman; and Weale Architectural Library, 1834 ]Under the
Tripartite System , QEGS was aDirect-Grant school, but following the abandoning of thegrammar school system in Yorkshire, it became fully independent again.The school is part of a "foundation", with both QEGS Senior and Junior schools joined together, along with the nearby "
Wakefield Girls High School ", "Wakefield Girls Junior School", and "Mulberry House", which is a nursery and pre-prep department.As of 2007, The current
headmaster of the school is Mr. Michael R Gibbons, who succeeded Mr Robert Mardling in2001 . The current Deputy-Headmaster is Mr. J S Slack, who replaced Andrew Derbyshire in2005 .QEGS is a member of the
Headmaster's Conference .Education
The school is renowned nationally for attaining excellent pass rates in both A-Levels and GCSE's. In 2006, the pass rate for GCSE (5 or more at Grades A* - C) was 100%, which was matched by the A-Level students who also achieved a 100% pass rate. [ [http://www.isbi.com/isbi-viewschool/1960-QUEEN_ELIZABETH_GRAMMAR_SCHOOL_SENIOR_SCHOOL.html Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (Senior School) ] ]
Facilities
A new building (the Saville Building) was opened in
2005 byTed Wragg , the famous educationalist. The new building provides a new 6th Form Centre, English Department, state-of-the-art Theatre, and Learning Resources Centre for the pupils of QEGS. One of the most popular new developments is a cafe in the 6th Form Centre, which has been nicknamed "Janini's Paninis" by students, a title which has since become the 'official' term for the cafe.port
The school is often remarked for its sporting ability, having achieved frequent success in a number of sports. Over 83% of the school boys represent QEGS in one sporting event or another. The most popular
sport isRugby Union , followed byCricket ,Hockey , Athletics andBasketball . In 2006, the under-15's Rugby side reached the "Daily Mail Cup " final, but were unable to match the achievement of the 1996 U-15 team who won atTwickenham . As well as plenty of sporting opportunities, the School also gives students the chance to participate in theDuke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme .In Popular Culture
*
David Storey 'sBooker Prize winning novel "Saville" (1976) includes an account of the experiences of a working class boy at a Yorkshire grammar school in the 1940s. Storey, like the protagonist of "Saville" a miner's son, is an old boy of QEGS.
*The school is mentioned in the novel "Nineteen Seventy-Four " byDavid Peace .Notable Old Savilians
:See also .
Academia
*
John Wolfenden, Baron Wolfenden , Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading, and chair of the Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution, which in 1957 published theWolfenden Report that recommended the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
* T.D. Barnes, Professor of Classics in the University of Toronto 1976-2007
* Professor Alan M. Taylor, Director, Center for the Evolution of the Global Economy, Department of Economics,University of California , DavisThe Arts
Music
*Lukas Wooller , keyboardist with the bandMaxïmo Park .
* Andrew Cocup, AKA Andy Cato from the bandGroove Armada .
*Kenneth Leighton , classical andAnglican church music composer.
* Sam 'Whiskas' Nicholls, guitarist with Leeds alt-rock band¡Forward, Russia! and founder ofDance to the Radio record label.
* John Scott, famous choirmaster and organist.
*Noel Gay , famous composer ofpopular music Literature
*David Storey , playwright and novelist, winner of theBooker Prize in 1976 for Saville.Film
*David Firth , animator and dark comedy writer, best known for theDevvo andSalad Fingers series.Politics
*
Richard Henry Lee , sixthPresident of the United States in Congress assembled .
*Jonathan Baume , trade unionist
*William J. Howard , American-born Politician and Free Trade activist.port
* Mike Harrison, former captain
England national rugby union team .
*Mike Tindall , world cup winningrugby union footballer.
* Mike Smith, England and Gloucestershire cricketer
*Ben Woods , flanker forNewcastle Falcons andEngland Saxons rugby union.
*Greg Wood , former England U19 cricket captain
*Alister MacKenzie , British golf course designer (1870-1934)
*Adam Pearson ,Current Derby County Chairman, former commercial director ofLeeds United football club and former chairman ofHull City A.F.C.
* Matthew Lynas, current RRC 100km champion
* Andrew Tunningley, former full back with Saracens and England AMiscellaneous
*
John George Haigh ,serial killer in England in the 1940s.
* John Radcliffe, British physician (1652–1714).Religion
* The Rt Revd and Rt Hon The Lord Hope of Thornes, former
Archbishop of York .
* John Hopkins, Cambridge University academic.References
External links
* [http://www.wgsf.org.uk Queen Elizabeth Grammar School website]
* [http://www.qegsdofe.co.uk The Schools Duke of Edinburghs Award Website ]
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