The King's School, Macclesfield

Infobox UK school
name = The King's School in Macclesfield


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motto = "Nil Nisi Malis Terrori"
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established = 1502
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type = Public School
religion = Church of England
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head_label = Head of Foundation
head = Dr. Steven Coyne
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town = Macclesfield
county = Cheshire
country = United Kingdom
postcode = SK10 1DA
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enrollment = c. 1500
gender = Mixed 5-11, Single Sex 11-16, Mixed 16-18
lower_age = 5
upper_age = 18
houses = 4
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website = http://www.kingsmac.co.uk
website_name = www.kingsmac.co.uk

The King's School, Macclesfield is a public day school in Macclesfield, England, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. It was founded in 1502 by Sir John Percyvale, a former Lord Mayor of London, as Macclesfield Grammar School. It was refounded on April 26, 1552 by King Edward VI from whom it takes its name. The school celebrates "Founders Day" every year with a Church service on the last day before February half term or the Easter Holidays. Pupils also attend a Christmas service on the last day before the Christmas Holidays.

The school motto is 'Nil Nisi Malis Terrori' (No terror, except to the bad).

History

The school operated as a direct-grant grammar school for boys, so that state pupils who had passed the eleven plus exam were able to attend with their fees paid by the local authority. When the direct-grant system was ended in the 1970s it chose to go fully independent and fee-paying. A junior school was opened in 1961 and the school bought the old Macclesfield High School for Girls to set up a girls' division which opened in 1993 (the Sixth Form had been co-educational since 1986). The Boys' Division and Sixth Form are located on the Cumberland Street site and the Junior School, Infants and Girls' Division are all situated on Fence Avenue. The current headmaster is Dr Stephen Coyne, Principal of the Boys' Division is Mr Ian Robertson, Principal of the Sixth Form is Timothy Andrew and the Principal of the Girls' Division Mrs Elizabeth Spence, the Principal of the Junior Division is Mr Geoff Shaw.

Extracurricular

The school takes great pride in its musical exploits, particularly since the Foundation Choir won BBC "Songs of Praise" Choir of the Year 2003, and they have started performing yearly musicals starting this year (2006), with "Salad Days".

School sports include rugby, hockey, netball, cheerleading and cricket and there are several teams for boys and girls throughout the school. In recent years the boy's rugby team has been particularly successful, enjoying an unbeaten season and winning the Rugby World "Team of the Month" accolade twice, thanks largely to an experienced and talented core of 1st XV players. The 2006 Boys, hockey XI who were both national champions and who have had 2 players, Jeff Dodd and Andrew Swales representing their country.

Acting is also a popular extracurricular activity and the school performs 2 or 3 plays a year (one by the Boys' Division and Sixth form, one by the Girls' Division, and one by the Juniors). Recent titles include "Cyrano de Bergerac", "Under Milk Wood", "Beauty and the Beast", "Wind in the Willows" and "Alice in Wonderland". The Boys'/VIth Form production "Cabaret Voltaire" has been a great success. "Ashgirl" will be the Girls, Division's production for the 2007/8 year. The Sixth Form and the Boys' Division are performing "Oliver!" and David Farr's "Ramayana" this year.

King's has also participated in the Lego League competition, in which a school team must design and build a robot to complete certain tasks and create a presentation about the theme for that year's competition. The theme for 2006 was nanotechnology, in which the 'King's Crusaders' won the Best Presentation Trophy for their dramatic explanation of how nanobots can help cure cancer. Their robot made it into the semi-finals.

Much charity work is also done - the school often holds cake days and other events in order to raise money for a certain cause.

The outdoor activities club is popular at the school and often organises trips to Yorkshire or the peak district. Activities include walking, climbing and caving. On Wednesday afternoons the outdoor activities club also features as a 6th form activity

Former Pupils

Among famous former pupils are: Peter Moores the recently appointed England Cricket Coach, priest and historian Rev. Thomas Taylor, politician Alan Beith, ill-fated Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis and drummer Stephen Morris "Big Brother" 2004 contestant Stuart Wilson. Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon and Duncan Robinson, master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, also attended the school. Another old boy was John Bradshawe, chief prosecutor of Charles I and first man to sign his death warrant.

One former pupil the school has made it clear they would rather forget however is Tristan Mark O'Neill, who went on to form the infamous politically-incorrect punk band the Macc Lads. He has since made his mark as a local historian.

Publications

Numerous teachers from the school have published books, such as Dr Gillian Banner's "Holocaust Literature: Schulz, Levi, Spiegelman and the Memory of the Offence", Dr Lynda Palazzo's "Christina Rossetti's Feminist Theology" and Mr D C Hill's "For King's and Country".

External links