Penistone Grammar School
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox school
Penistone Grammar School (PGS<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) is a large co-educational secondary school with a sixth form located in Penistone, South Yorkshire, England.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Founded in 1392, it is amongst the oldest extant schools in England, with alumni including Nicholas Saunderson, the probable inventor of Bayes' theorem, in the 18th century.<ref>Stephen M. Stigler (1983), "Who Discovered Bayes' Theorem?" The American Statistician 37(4):290–296.</ref> At various times in its history it has been single-sex and mixed, free and fee-paying, selective and comprehensive, boarding and day. It has undergone several moves and extensions, and today houses around 1,700 pupils from age 11 to 18.<ref name="FOI 2019">Penistone Grammar School "Current Staff and Student Numbers FOI Request 2019", 14 October 2019</ref> PGS' Ofsted overall rating is grade 2 ('Good'), following an inspection in February 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
The school was founded as the Free Grammar School of Penistone (then often spelt 'Peniston') in 1392, when it is recorded that a gift of land was made by Thomas Clarel, Lord of the Manor at Penistone, to John Del Rodes "and others". The land, Kirk Flatt, was situated in the town centre on a site opposite St. John the Baptist Church (a site later rebuilt as the Sheffield Union Bank, which later became an HSBC branch, and is today the Vault restaurant).<ref name=":0" />
Penistone Grammar School's foundation deed: Thomas Clarel, Dominus (that is Lord) de Peniston in 1392, granted to John del Rodes and others a piece of land in the Kirk-flatt, sicut se extendit et jacet inter quinque lapides per manus predicti Thomas Clarel pro metis positos, with license to grave turf on the Moors of Penistone.<ref name=":0" />
Thomas Clarel was born 28 Edward III 1355, and died by drowning in the River Don, on 1 May 1442. His will was dated 20 November 1441, and he was buried in the friary church, Tickhill, near the family's hall.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The school was originally an all-boys grammar school, accepting both boarders and day pupils.
In 1443 the Free Grammar School of Penistone received further bequests and in 1547, after the dissolution of the chantries, the school continued as the free school for the children of Penistone. Following further endowments, the school was rebuilt in 1714.
PGS played a role in creating association football. In 1836, headmaster Samuel Sunderland brought a football game to PGS from the University of Cambridge. At that time, most schools has their own ball games but when students at Cambridge wanted to play together they had to agree on one style, which later was published as the Cambridge rules. His PGS student John Charles Shaw took this game to the first two FA clubs, Sheffield F.C. in 1857 and Hallam F.C. in 1860, which first wrote their own Sheffield rules then merged them with Cambridge's to create the modern laws of the game in 1863. Another student, John Marsh, founded Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in 1867.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1886, the Charities Commission restructured the school, replacing the majority of its trustees with local government representation.<ref name="Addy 115">Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 1893, the school withdrew from its town centre site to a position about half a mile north-west of the town centre, at Weirfield House.<ref name=":1" /> The school remains on this site.
Girls were admitted for the first time in 1907 (though mixed-sex classes were not until 1911). Fulford was the last headmaster to see boarders, with PGS becoming a day school in 1921.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref>
On 28 October 1911, under the tenure of Mr Fulford, the Fulford building opened (though not called that at the time), at a cost of £8,000 (plus £780 for furnishings and equipment).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several other buildings were erected, and in 1974, PGS purchased the former Penistone Union Workhouse, later named 'Netherfields', which became the school's sixth form.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
It became fully comprehensive in 1969, with partial selection (for more distant pupils) from 1957. The school has retained its grammar school name and traditions such as the house system and speech night.
In 2011 the school entirely demolished all buildings (except Weirfield and its Stables, which were converted into flats) and replaced them with a new modern building.Template:Citation needed
The school uses a badge based on the coat of arms of the founding family, the Clarels, which shows six martlets, from which the school colors red and black are derived. The school's traditional motto is "Disce Aut Discede" ("Learn or leave") but since 2010 it has used "Never Stop Flying", a reference to martlets having no feet so always being in flight.Template:Citation needed
Present day
A £35-million school building opened on 2 May 2011, with a complete demolition of the old buildings, except for Fulford, the Stables, and Weirfield. Fulford, erected in 1909, was demolished in 2014 after protest from past students and locals.
In 2017, Penistone Grammar School introduced a controversial, zero tolerance style behaviour management scheme, under which pupils are reprimanded (known as 'getting a line') for even minor issues such as forgetting a pen or leaving a shirt untucked.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite news</ref>
After internal remodelling in 2018, work started on a £4.3 million two-storey extension in 2019, providing an additional 250 places at the school. The building was opened to students in September 2020, and is linked to the main school by a walkway through the science department.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The block is home to the modern foreign languages department and several science classrooms.
As of 2022, Penistone Grammar School is the only secondary school in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley not to have academy status, remaining under the control of the Local Authority.
The sixth form at Penistone currently has 300 students in attendance.<ref name="FOI 2019" /> Penistone Grammar School is the only school in the Local Education Authority of Barnsley to have a sixth form alongside its secondary provision.
The school maintains a 30-acre site in the west of Penistone, including extensive playing fields, used mostly for association football, rugby, cricket, and athletics. Facilities include a gym, dance studio, 3G football pitches and tennis courts. It has a theatre and music studios. It has a Combined Cadet Force.
Secondary results
Penistone Grammar School's secondary results are the best of any school in the Barnsley local authority, achieving an above average Progress 8 score of 0.46.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2023, 83% of pupils passed English and maths, with 66% of pupils achieved a grade 5 (strong pass) or higher.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sixth Form results
The sixth form has been within the top 10% of providers nationally for over five consecutive years. The majority (55%) of grades secured are A* or A, and in 2022, the average result was an A-.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Penistone Grammar School Foundation
The Penistone Grammar School Foundation is a charity (number 529458) established in January 1957, but registered in 1965.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It owns much of the school's old Kirk Flatt site and its current estate, which generates income for the school.
Houses
The school maintains a house system, with each being named after locally significant people and its former buildings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prefects remain members of their original house but join an additional group known as "Clarels" and wear red.
| House | Colour | Named after |
|---|---|---|
| Armitage | Yellow | Heather Armitage – British Olympic sprinter |
| Bowman | Purple | Eric Fisher Bowman – Headmaster 1928–1958 |
| Colwell | Green | Eileen Colwell – Children's library pioneer |
| Fulford | Orange | Joseph Woodward Fulford – Headmaster 1893–1921 |
| Saunderson | Light blue | Nicholas Saunderson – Mathematician and former student (1682–1739) |
| Weirfield | Cyan | Weirfield House – Former schoolhouse and staff area from 1893 until Template:Circa |
| House | Colour | Named after |
|---|---|---|
| Armitage | Yellow | Armitage family – Local gentry |
| Bosville | Blue | Bosville family of Gunthwaite – Local land owners |
| Clarel | Red | Thomas Clarel – Founder |
| Dransfield | Green | John Ness Dransfield – Local historian and author of A History of the Parish of Penistone (1906) |
| Netherfield | Green | Netherfield Union Workhouse – Former home to the sixth form college |
List of headmasters
| Years | Name | Education | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.1392–1433 | Rev. John Del Rodes | Custos of Saint John's Chapel | |
| c.1433–1450 | Rev. John Smyth | Chaplain | |
| 1450–1472 | Rev. William Wordsworth | Chantry Priest at St Mary's | |
| 1472–1477 | Rev. William Walker | Chantry Priest at St Mary's | |
| 1477–1534 | Rev. William Addy Snr | Chantry Priest at St Mary's | |
| 1534–1556 | Rev. William Addy Jnr | Chantry Priest at St Mary's | |
| 1556–1613 | John Hyde, MA (Cantab) | St John's College, Cambridge | |
| 1613–1630 | Richard Hey | Died 28 May 1630 | |
| 1630–1644 | John Coatehill | Died 8 May 1644 | |
| 1644–1666 | Rev. George Didsbury, BA | Clare College, Cambridge | Died 24 April 1666 |
| 1666–1668 | Rev. John Revel, BA | Christ's College, Cambridge | Resigned |
| 1668–1702 | Nathan Staniforth, MA (Cantab) | Christ's College, Cambridge | Died 24 November 1702 |
| 1702–1726 | John Ramsden | Died 12 March 1726. Buried in the same grave as Nathan Staniforth at Penistone Church. | |
| 1726–1751 | Rev. Jonathan Perkin | Christ's College, Cambridge | Died 3 May 1751 |
| 1751–1776 | Rev. Francis Haigh, BA | Christ's College, Cambridge | Died 15 November 1776 |
| 1776–1786 | Rev. Joseph Horsfall | Resigned | |
| 1786–1836 | Jonathan Wood | Wrote a biography of Nicholas Saunderson. Died 22 April 1836 | |
| 1836–1855 | Rev. Samuel Sunderland, BA | Clare College, Cambridge | Brought football from Cambridge to PGS.<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref> Vicar of Penistone. Died 18 July 1855. |
| 1855–1867 | Rev. John Wesley Aldom, MA (Dubl) | Trinity College, Dublin | Resigned |
| 1867 | Rev. Alfred Steane, BA | Resigned after three months<ref name=":1" /> | |
| 1867 | George Curtis Price, BA | Appointed but declined | |
| 1867–1868 | Walter Mooney Hatch, BA | New College, Oxford | Resigned after a few months |
| 1868–1884 | Theophilus Jackson | Resigned | |
| 1884–1885 | Othman Blakey | Resigned | |
| 1885–1888 | Harry Hardy | Resigned and became assistant 1888 | |
| 1888–1892 | Lionel Ernest Adams, BA | Owens College, Manchester<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Resigned |
| 1893–1921 | Joseph Woodward Fulford, MA (Dubl) | Trinity College, Dublin | |
| 1921–1928 | Guy Wilfred Morris, MA (Oxon) | St John's College, Oxford | Resigned, became Master at Colfe's Grammar School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1928–1958 | Eric Fisher Bowman, CBE, MA (Oxon) | Balliol College, Oxford | |
| 1958–1976 | Wilfrid Burgess Simms, MA (Oxon) | Merton College, Oxford<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1976–1997 | Martin Antony (Tony) Bould, BA | Retired 1997. Died 6 October 2014 | |
| 1997–1999 | Andrew ('Andy') White, BSc, MEd | ||
| 1999–2002 | Pamela Caunt | ||
| 2002–2007 | Glynis Gower, BSc, MSc | Retired <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2007–2017 | Joanne Higgins, BA | Resigned, became CEO of Dudley Academies Trust | |
| 2017– | Paul Crook, BEd |
Notable Old Penistonians
- Prof Nicholas Saunderson (1682–1739) – Mathematician and Lucasian Professor at Cambridge University 1711–1739<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Ebenezer Elliott (1781–1849) – Poet<ref name="Addy 115"/>
- John Charles Shaw (1830–1918) – Captain of the first football club <ref name="auto1"/>
- John Marsh (1843–1880) – Founder of Sheffield Wednesday F.C<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Alec Glassey (1887–1970) – Liberal MP for East Dorset 1929–1931
- Eileen Colwell MBE (1904–2002) – Pioneer children's librarian<ref>Template:Cite ODNB</ref>
- Sir Leonard Crossland (1914–1999) – Ford UK chairman<ref name="independent">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Max Walters (1920–2005) – Botanist<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Geoffrey Allan Crossley, CMG (1920–2009) – Diplomat and British Ambassador to Colombia and the Holy See
- Noel Moore (1928–2008) – Civil Servant who oversaw the decimalisation project
- Neil Robinson (1929–2009) – Archdeacon of Suffolk 1987–1994
- Prof Alan Mercer (1931–2014) – Professor of Operational Research<ref>[1] J. J. O'Connor and E. F. Robertson, Stefan Banach, MacTutor History of Mathematics (University of St Andrews, Scotland, April 2015)</ref>
- Heather Armitage (1933–) – British gold medal sprinter<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Roland Boyes (1937–2006) – Labour MP for Houghton and Washington (1992–1997); MEP for Durham 1979–1984
- Prof David Hey (1938–2016) – Historian<ref name="cdyerhey3">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Anne Campbell (1940–) – Labour MP for Cambridge, 1992–2005; Chair of the Fabian Society
- Prof Jean Bacon (1942–) – Professor of Computer Science at the University of Cambridge<ref>[2] Jean Bacon, an oral history conducted in 2001 by Janet Abbate, IEEE History Center, Hoboken, NJ, USA.</ref>
- Paul Copley (1944–) – Actor<ref>"Paul Copley – The Official Website – about", Paul Copley – The Official Website. Retrieved 29 April 2019.</ref>
- Marie Tidball (1984–) – Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge (2024–)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Katherine Brunt (1985–) – England Women's Cricketer<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Marc Roberts (1990–) – Professional Footballer<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- John Stones (1994–) – England Footballer<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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Prof Nicholas Saunderson, mathematician
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Statue of Ebenezer Elliott, poet
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Alec Glassey, former Member of Parliament
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Heather Armitage, Olympian
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John Stones, footballer
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Dr Marie Tidball MP, politician
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