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Boston Grammar School

Coordinates: 52°58′28″N 0°01′16″W / 52.97437°N 0.02103°W / 52.97437; -0.02103
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Boston Grammar School

School badge

Boston Grammar School in Lincolnshire, from the west.
Address
Map
South End

, ,
PE21 6JY

England
Coordinates52°58′28″N 0°01′16″W / 52.97437°N 0.02103°W / 52.97437; -0.02103
Information
Type11–18 boys Grammar school;
Academy
MottoFloreat Bostona
Established1555; 469 years ago (1555)
FoundersPhilip and Mary
Department for Education URN139180 Tables
OfstedReports
Chairman of GovernorsTammy Doughty
HeadteacherJohn McHenry
GenderBoys
Age11 to 18
Enrolment812[1]
HousesMuston
Laughton
Gannock
Parry
Colour(s)  
PublicationThe Grammar Gazette
AlumniOld Bostonians
WebsiteBoston Grammar School

The Boston Grammar School is an 11–18 boys selective grammar school and sixth form college located in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. A recent 2021 Ofsted report assessed the school overall as 'good'[2]

By October 2021, a total of 812 pupils attending the school, 201 of which were in the sixth form provision at the school. [3]

History

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Establishment

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The school was founded by charter of Philip and Mary in 1555. The oldest sections of the school were built in 1567, formerly referred to as the "big school" and now used as the school library. South End Site became the model for Boston Latin School which was the first school in what was to become the United States of America. The school still retains the Latin motto 'Floreat Bostona' (May Boston Flourish). This motto also forms the title of the official school song, written by Dr G.E. Pattenden, headmaster from 1850 to 1887, which he referred to as 'my school hymn'. The song is still sung at official school occasions such as Prizegiving, Charter Day and Beastmart.

In the 1960s when under Holland County Council Education Committee, it was a voluntary controlled school with around 620 boys. The school had a CCF.

Sixth form

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Girls are now admitted to the sixth form. There were 597 pupils on the roll as at April 2008, including 170 in the sixth form. The school has been awarded Technology College and sports specialist status. In December 2012, Boston Grammar School shut its doors for the final time as a selective school, run by the local authority. In January 2013, Boston Grammar School re-opened as a selective academy.

Academy status

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On 1 January 2013, Boston Grammar School became a converter academy, under the leadership of the then headteacher, Mr Paul Marsh. No changes were made to the school uniform and the school retained its existing name. This ended the federation between Boston Grammar School and Boston High School, with both schools now having an independent governing body, budget and establishment number.[4]

Federation plans

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In 2006, there were controversial plans by Lincolnshire County Council to federate Boston Grammar School with the local girls grammar school Boston High School, with effect from September 2011.[5] In 2010 it was announced that due to the withdrawal of Building Schools for the Future funding by the new coalition government,[6] that both schools would operate as two separate schools, still under a federation – on two sites – with one governing body. This arrangement ended when Boston Grammar School became an academy in 2013.[4]

Overview

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School Houses

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There are four houses in the school named after important figures in the school's history. Each is associated with a different colour which is reflected in PE shirts, and boys are assigned to a house when they join the school on an arbitrary basis in order to create different groups for school activities, including Sports Day.

Laughton 
John Laughton left a bequest to the local bluecoats' school. On its closure this was subsequently given to the grammar school

Muston 
Robert De Muston was the first schoolmaster of Boston in 1329.

Gannock 
William Gannock was the Mayor of Boston at the time the school was built on its current site in 1567.

Parry 
John Parry the Liberal MP for Boston who in 1875 gave a gold medal to the scholar of the year. This medal is still awarded to the student who attains the best A-level results each year.

Beast Mart

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Beast Mart is an annual half-day holiday, awarded to boys to commemorate the annual cattle market that took place traditionally in the school yard (the Beast Yard). The Beast Mart declaration takes place one day in December each year. The Council Chief Executive (in place of the historical Town Clerk) reads the declaration of the Beast Mart and the Mayor requests that the headmaster give the school a half-day holiday. The head of school then leads three cheers to the King and the Mayor calling "hip, hip, hip!"

Charter Day

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A celebration of the granting of the school charter takes place annually at St Botolph's Church, Boston, (known locally as Boston Stump). During this celebration the school song is traditionally sung.

Prizegiving

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An annual prizegiving ceremony is held in December of each year. During this event a number of awards recognising achievement in academic disciplines, sport and other areas are awarded. Old boys are often in attendance, including the previous year's A-level students who return to receive their A-level certificates. The Parry Gold Medal is awarded to the student who achieved the best A-level results. A guest speaker is always invited, and notable guests of honour have included Helen Sharman, Barry Spikings and Mark Simmonds MP.

Notable formers

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Pupils

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Notable staff

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Boston Grammar School Inspection Report". Ousted. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". 5 October 2021. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Boston Grammar School Inspection Report". Ousted. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Home". bostongrammarschools.co.uk.
  5. ^ "Parents angry at plan to 'federate' grammars". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023.
  6. ^ "School buildings scheme scrapped". BBC News. 5 July 2010.
  7. ^ Estensen, Miriam (1 August 2010). The Life of George Bass: Surgeon and sailor of the Enlightenment. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-0948065682.
  8. ^ Blackbourn, G. P.; Cottingham, M. J.; Medlock, W. P. B., eds. (1973). "The Bostonian". Illustrated by B. J. Bolland. Boston Grammar School. p. 1. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  9. ^ Adeney, Martin (27 July 2016). "Richard Budge obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 April 2021. At Boston grammar school he discovered a profitable sideline in painting landscapes and a liking for the surrealists
  10. ^ O'Connor, J. J.; Robertson, E. F (January 2012). "Joseph Langley Burchnall". MacTutor. School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, Scotland. Retrieved 13 April 2021. Joseph was educated at Boston Grammar School, supported by a Holland County Council Scholarship, where he won the Parry Gold Medal in 1908
  11. ^ a b c d e Mould, Paul (2000). Centennial Anthology. Boston, England: Paul Mould. ISBN 0952870835.
  12. ^ "Can Boston's Danny Butterfield earn a second memorable cup success against Liverpool?". Boston Standard. Boston, Lincolnshire, England. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2021. It was back in October 2001 that the former Boston Grammar School pupil was part of the Grimsby Town side which recorded a 2–1 victory on Merseyside to knock Liverpool out of the Worthington Cup
  13. ^ Almond, John (June 2015). "Lincolnshire's motorcycle racing stars of the 1950s – George Catlin and Bernard Codd". Lincolnshire Life. Lincoln, England: County Life Ltd. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  14. ^ (Retrieved 13 April 2021 from archive) Business Update – CBI Annual Conference 2015 CBI
  15. ^ "John Cridland CBE". Brunel University London. Brunel University London. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  16. ^ Enderby, David (Retrieved 20 November 2012) George Edward Hale Enderby – Pioneer and architect of modern anaesthesia BMJ
  17. ^ "Boston footballer joins Alan Shearer and Brad Friedel in Blackburn Rovers Hall of Fame". Boston Standard. Boston, Lincolnshire, England. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2021. Former Boston Grammar School pupil Garner signed non-contract forms for Boston United as a 16-year-old, but was snapped up by Blackburn Rovers four weeks later
  18. ^ "Wyn Harness – Journalist of unbending standards". The Independent. London, England. 18 September 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Keyboardist hits the high note". Boston Standard. Boston, Lincolnshire, England. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2021. Ex-Boston Grammar School pupil Carl used to play for Boston Youth Jazz Orchestra
  20. ^ Bremer, Francis J. (30 May 2012). First Founders: American Puritans and Puritanism in an Atlantic World. University of New Hampshire Press. p. 213. ISBN 978-1584659594.
  21. ^ "University to honour county-born oscar winner". University of Lincoln. University of Lincoln. 4 September 2006. Retrieved 13 April 2021. Mr Spikings, a Boston Grammar School old boy and former Boston Standard news reporter, won an Oscar for 'The Deer Hunter' in 1978
  22. ^ Holmes, Damian (21 January 2021). "CORONAVIRUS: Jonathan Van-Tam's mother gets her vaccination". Boston Standard. Boston, Lincolnshire, England. Retrieved 13 April 2021. The mother of the former Boston Grammar School pupil who is now Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam was given her covid-19 vaccine this morning
  23. ^ "David Ward will be Guest speaker at East Midlands Spring Conference". Leicester Liberal Democrats. East Midlands Liberal Democrats. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2021. Although born in Lincolnshire and attending Boston Grammar School, David has lived in Bradford for over thirty years
  24. ^ Peter Yerburgh, Vol. 134, yarbroughfamily.org, p. 33
  25. ^ Alumni Cantabrigienses, Part II, Vol. II (1944), p. 369
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