Lancaster Royal Grammar School

Lancaster Royal Grammar School

Motto	Praesis ut Prosis, ("Lead in order to serve ")
Established	c. 1235
Type	Academy Grammar school Day and boarding school
Headteacher	Dr Christopher Pyle
Founder	John Gardyner
Location	East Road Lancaster Lancashire LA1 3EF England
DfE URN	136742 Tables
Ofsted	Reports Pre-academy reports
Students	1,045
Gender	Boys
Ages	11–18
Colours
Publication	The Lancastrian
Former pupils	Old Lancastrians
Website	www.lrgs.org.uk

Lancaster Royal Grammar School (LRGS) is a selective grammar school (day and boarding) for boys aged 11–18 in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It also has academy status. Old boys belong to The Old Lancastrians. The school values sporting success as well as academic. It is one of England's 36 state boarding schools.

History

The school was founded between 1235–1256, probably nearer to the former, and was later endowed as a free school by John Gardyner. The first definite mention of the old grammar school is found in a deed dated 4 August 1469, when the Abbess of Syon granted to John Gardyner, of Bailrigg (near Lancaster), a lease of a water-mill on the River Lune and some land nearby for two hundred years to maintain a chaplain to celebrate worship in the Church of St. Mary, Lancaster, and to instruct boys in grammar freely, "unless perchance something shall be voluntarily offered by their friends".

In 1472, John Gardyner's will made further provisions for the endowment of the school, and also for William Baxstonden to keep the school so long as he could teach the boys. In 1682, the school was rebuilt and in 1852 was removed from the old site on the slopes by the priory to the outskirts of the city, where it now stands (though the city has expanded beyond it).

This building (now known as Old School House), which stands on the north side of East Road, was designed by the local architects Sharpe and Paley at a cost of £8.000 (£ in 2024). The foundation stone was laid on 5 May 1851 by Rt Revd James Prince Lee, the Bishop of Manchester. The title "Royal" was granted by Queen Victoria in the same year. This building is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

In 1969, the school celebrated its quincentenary and was visited by HM The Queen. In 1995, the school received a visit from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, The Rt Hon Roger Freeman MP.

In 2001, to mark the 150th anniversary of becoming the Royal Grammar School, the school welcomed The Princess Royal. In 2011, the school was granted Academy status.

Headmasters

Old School House.

Dates are of taking office.

Year	Headmaster	Year	Headmaster
13th Century
(1235)	Thomas de Kirkham	Before 1291	Magr. Thomas de Kirkham
Before 1284	Magr. William de Lancaster
14th Century
c.1311	Magr. William de Lancaster	Before 1338	John Banastre
15th Century
1472	William Baxstonden
16th Century
Before 1501	Sir Ralph Elcock	Before 1553	Robert Mackerell
Before 1547	John Lunde
17th Century
Before 1613	Mr Walden	1663	Edward Holden
Before 1613	Rev. Roger Brook M.A	1677	Rev. John Barrow M.A.
1621	Rev. John Foster	1681	Thomas Lodge
1631	Rev. James Schoolcroft M.A.	1690	Rev. William Bordley, M.A.
1653	Rev. Michael Altham
18th Century
1708	Rev. Thomas Holme.	1765	Rev. James Watson
1725	Stephen Lewis	1794	Rev. John Widditt
1733	Rev. William Johnson, M.A..
19th Century
1802	Rev. Joseph Rowley, M.A.,	1872	Rev. William Emmanuel Pryke, M.A.
1812	Rev. John Beethom, M.A.,	1893	George Alfred Stocks, M.A.
1850	Rev. Thomas Faulkner Lee, D.D
20th Century
1903	Rev. Herbert Armstrong Watson, D.D.,	1961	John Lorraine Spencer, M.A.
1912	Rev. John Henry Shackleton Bailey, D.D.	1972	Anthony Michael Joyce, M.A.
1939	Robert Raymond Timberlake, M.A.	1983	Peter John Mawby, M.A.
21st Century
2001	Andrew Jarman, M.A.	2012	Christopher Pyle, Ph.D.

Traditions

The Grammar School has a tradition of raising money for charity each year during the Lenten term. The charities are selected by the Seward Committee where boys propose and select which organisations to donate money to, generally two local, two national and two international charities. All boys take part in a yearly set run and are encouraged to collect sponsorship donations, helping raise up to £20,000 in a year. Not all the income comes from the run, though, as boys organise a large variety of events amongst which are cake sales, raffles and even a teachers' version of the BBC Radio 4 panel show Just a Minute.

When the national anthem is sung at events such as Founder's day, the second line is changed to "Long live our noble Duke" in recognition of the Duchy of Lancaster. Duke is kept irrespective of whether the ruling Monarch is male or female; despite being a woman, Queen Elizabeth II is known by tradition as the Duke of Lancaster, not Duchess.

Furthermore, the school currently upholds a tradition in the naming of the year groups, refraining from the more modern 'Year 7, 8, 9...' system, and instead keeps to the '1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year...' system, which has been in place since the 1973/74 academic year. This is a tradition which came under threat in May 2015, with a select group of teachers pushing the new system. The boys, out of pride for the badge they wear, were highly offended by the proposed change, and it was rejected outright with support from many teachers, the old Lancastrians amongst them in particular, as well as having the senior prefect team's full backing. As of September 2015, however, the names of the year groups were officially changed to the modern system ('Year 7, 8, 9...'), to avoid confusion when communicating with other schools and organisations using the modern system.

For a period the school ran a preparatory department, which was located in Gardyner House as was officially "Form 1". Although this closed in the 1950s it was not until 1973 that the year groups were renumbered - prior to September that year year groups were numbered 2, 3, 4, Shell (abbreviated to "Sh") and 5 (followed by Lower, Middle and Upper Sixth). Other traditions that ended in the 1970s were the singing of the school song (before 1972 - but still sung at Old Lancastrian meetings), the requirement to wear a school cap (ended from 1972/3 - though they were still on sale until 1979), shorts for junior boarders (which was also abolished in September 1973), and houses for day-boys (which were wound up in 1974).

Academic

The school is regularly one of the strongest boys' state schools both regionally and nationally. Pupils achieved 19% A* grades at A-level, 34% A* grades at GCSE in 2012. [2] Over 90% of students go on to further education and a number gain places at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

The 2007 Ofsted report stated that This is an outstanding school that provides very good value for money. The overwhelming majority of parents value greatly the school and its impact on their children.

In 2005 just under three-quarters of A level entries resulted in grades A or B (excluding General Studies) whilst at GCSE three-quarters of all grades were A* or A, with nearly all pupils gaining 10 passes and five pupils gaining a clean sweep of A* grades. In 2011 the A*-C grade was over 95%, only 1% below its counterpart Lancaster Girls' Grammar school.

Boarding

LRGS is a state boarding school with four boarding houses (Storey, Frankland, Ashton and School Houses) and 170 boarders. The majority of boarders come from the northwest of England; others come from across the UK and overseas. Ofsted inspectors found boarding to be Outstanding in all categories in 2013.

School Societies

LRGS is home to a wide range of student run societies, including a Literature Society, History Society, Science Society, Armchair Generals, Duke of Edinburgh's award, and the Whewell Society. The Whewell Society, named in honour of William Whewell, an old boy, was founded in 1908 and is the oldest continuous society in the school. It was founded by the sixth form as a society to promote the arts, music and debate. Since the 1950s, the society has been purely a debating society and has enjoyed success in competitions. It continues to thrive under student leadership.

Sport

The school offers a wide range of sporting activities to the boys throughout their school careers including tennis, sailing, swimming, rowing, cross country running etc. but remains a bastion of rugby union. Achievement in this code is generally accorded more importance in school events than these other sports even though the successes have been greater in rowing and cross country running, especially when the lower budget invested in them is taken into account. Nonetheless, the school has produced some notable figures in rugby union such as the former England and Bath coach Brian Ashton, former captain of Norway Erik Lund and his brother the England international Magnus Lund.

In 2011, the LRGS lst XI won the Local Football Cup, beating Morecambe High School 1-0 at the Globe Arena with a fine performance from the entire squad.

In 2015 the U13s won the Lancashire Cup Final against Audenshaw 20 points to 5

In 2012, the LRGS 1st XV reached the last 8 of the Rosslyn Park National 7s tournament and the U16s reached the last 32.

In 2010, the 1st XV, won the Lancashire Cup Final, and became champions in a hard fought match against Merchant Taylor's Crosby, this achievement was followed by the U14s and the U15s who were victorious in finals against Merchant Taylor's Crosby and Manchester Grammar School, respectively.

In 2009, the U13s and U14s reached the finals of the Lancashire Cup, however both lost narrowly against Manchester Grammar School. In the 2008/2009 season, LRGS won the Lancashire schools cup in the U18s and the U13s as well as winning the Floodlit cup for Lancashire and Cheshire in the U16s. They also set a new record with four teams reaching the county finals. While, in 2007/2008 season, LRGS won the Lancashire Cup in the U15 and U16 age groups.

In recent years the school has enjoyed an improved reputation in cricket with recent highlights including the school's 1st XI Cricket team narrow defeat in the Sir Garfield Sobers Tournament at The Kensington Oval Barbados in July 2011. The school achieved a victory over Charterhouse School in the final of the Lord's Taverners Cricketer Colts Trophy for Schools in 1999, and enjoyed a run to the semi final of the Daily Mail U18 Cup in 2004.

In 2010, LRGS became the U19 and U16 district champions for table tennis.

Jason Queally, who won gold track cycling gold in the 1km time trial at the 2000 Summer Olympics, is a former pupil.

Boat Club

Lancaster Royal Grammar School Boat Club was first founded in 1948. They were tenants of Lancaster John O' Gaunt Rowing Club from 1985 to 2011. In 2011 the Boat Club relocated to Halton Army Training Camp.

The boat club has had 15 years of national success under Tim Lucas achieving medal success in either the Schools' Head of the River Race, The National Schools Regatta or the National Rowing Championships for ten consecutive years from 1992 to 2002. The club also made at least the final of a national event from 1992 to 2006. The club has had much international success with members of the boat club rowing at a national level, including the Munich International Regatta in 2006 and the Coupe de la Jeunesse in 2006.

Cross Country Club

Although the school's main sports during the summer and winter are cricket and rugby respectively, in recent years, it is the school's cross country squad that has achieved the most recognition nationally. The school's rise to prominence began in the late 2000s under the coaching of Mr Andrew Yelland, with several LRGS athletes being chosen to represent Lancashire, at the English School's Cross Country. In 2009 for instance, the school had 6 County runners. In 2010 LRGS won the prestigious Northern School Cross Country Championships for the first time, and continued this feat in 2011 and 2012 – the latter being particularly special as LRGS were the victors in all 5 boys' races. The school also won the famous Stonyhurst Invitation Race in 2011 and 2012, recorded a 5th-place finish in the National Schools Cross Country Relays in 2011, and a 3rd-place finish in the Intermediate Boys English Schools Cross Country Cup in the same year. The club also boasts the National Schools Senior Fell Running Champions from 2011, and several National medallists – Ben Akin was 2nd at the English Schools Intermediate Boys 800m in 2009, Beau Smith was 3rd at the English National Championships over 800m the following year, and Callum Mason was 3rd at the English Schools Mountain Running Championships in 2011.

Combined Cadet Force

The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) at LRGS comprises Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force sections. Pupils in the Third Form and above are allowed to join. It parades on Tuesday afternoons after school and is voluntary. All sections participate in camps throughout the year, including an annual summer camp during the summer holidays, and an Easter camp involving adventurous training in which all three sections can participate.

The School has had its own CCF since 1914, then known as the Officer Training Corps. Its roots, however, can be traced back further still, as there are "references to the existence at Lancaster of a Cadet Volunteer Battalion in the early nineteenth century". and in 1861, the seventy-strong Battalion was presented with a silver bugle "by Mrs Lee, wife of the Headmaster".

The Royal Navy Section consists of around 16 cadets, including girls from Lancaster Girls' Grammar School, who have been participating since September 2012. The main activities offered are water-based, and the section often goes sailing on Marine Lake, Southport. Cadets in the Navy section also attend national camps and courses run by HQ CCF RN, on which cadets can gain nationally recognised qualifications in topics from power boating to first aid.

The Army Section is approximately 40 boys strong. They participate in camps throughout the year including an annual camp that lasts over a week, and an Easter Camp where they take part in firing the L98-A2 Cadet GP Rifle. Annual Camp 2007 was at a CCF Central Camp at Wathgill, in North Yorkshire.

The Royal Air Force section, similar to the Navy Section, contains female cadets. It is the most popular section with about 45 cadets, who receive flying lessons in the Grob Tutor T.1 aircraft and gliding lessons in the Grob Vigilant G 109 glider. Opportunities for flying and gliding scholarships, as well as various leadership courses, are also available to the most dedicated and talented cadets. The most recent RAF Easter camp was held at RAF Valley, with the summer camp being held at RAF Halton. An inspection, known as the Bi-ennial inspection takes place every two years. In 2012 the inspection took place at Halton Training Camp. Former pupils have gone on to become commercial pilots.

All three sections of the CCF learn how to use the L98-A2 Cadet GP Rifle. Various shooting activities take place for all three sections and new recruits in the Army section are tested on the GP Rifle during Easter at Sealand Ranges

Schools' Challenge

The LRGS senior team has enjoyed much success in the Schools' Challenge, with the most recent entry resulting in the team winning the whole competition as well as in 2010 and netting the Plate in 2011. They also won the 2012 (and 2013) competition in Westminster, beating Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School in a close final.

The juniors have won on 3 occasions (1995, 2007 and 2008) and hope to do well in this year's quiz. In Winchester, the team won the Plate Competition (for first-round losers), which equals the senior record this year. In the 2012 competition they lost to Hutchesons' Grammar School.

Notable former pupils

See also: Category:People educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School

Former pupils are known as "Old Lancastrians" and there are several branches of the club in the UK and worldwide. Notable Old Lancastrians include:

• Joe Abercrombie, author;
• Prof. Roger Ainsworth, Master of St Catherine's College, Oxford and Professor of Engineering Science from 1998;
• Robert Ascroft, Conservative MP for Oldham from 1895–9;
• Brian Ashton, England rugby union team former Head Coach;
• John Bateson, chief executive of AMEC from 1988–95;
• Brigadier Alexander Birtwistle CBE, Army officer;
• Roger Bradley, President of the Institute of Chartered Foresters from 1996–8;
• Prof. Harold Burrow, Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College from 1944–63;
• Phil Christophers, England rugby international;
• Sean Cox, plays for Sale Sharks Rugby Union team;
• James Crosby, former chief executive of the HBOS Group and former Deputy Chairman of the FSA;
• Prof. David Dernie, Head of the Manchester School of Architecture since 2005;
• Prof. Peter Dornan, Professor of Physics at Imperial College London since 1991;
• Most Rev. Edward Dunn, Archbishop of the West Indies from 1936–43;
• Phillip Fawcett, pianist.
• Don Foster, Liberal Democrat MP;
• Sir Edward Frankland (1825–1899), chemist;
• Robert Guymer CBE, Leader of Surrey County Council from 1977–81;
• Frederick Crossfield Happold (1893-1971), headmaster and army officer awarded DSO in 1916;
• Edward Hughes (1953-2006), 'one of Britain's finest potters'. Work in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
• Prof. Alexander Whyte (1847-1916), Musician and Composer.
• Lewis Henry Isaacs (1830–1908), architect, surveyor and Conservative MP;
• Air Vice-Marshal George Lamb CB CBE, Station Commander of RAF Lyneham from 1969–71;
• Magnus Lund, England rugby international;
• Erik Lund, Norwegian rugby international captain;
• Jason McCartney, Conservative MP for Colne Valley;
• Nigel Morris, co-Founder and former COO of Capital One;
• Sir Richard Owen (1804–1892), naturalist;
• Karl Oyston, chief executive of Blackpool Football Club;
• Lord Parkinson, former Conservative Party Chairman and Cabinet Minister
• Prof. Hugh Pennington Eminent biologist, head of the 1996 Pennington Enquiry, Professor of Bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen from 1979–2003;
• Colin Povey, chief executive of Warwickshire County Cricket Club and former chief executive of Carlsberg;
• Nicholas John Preston (born 1958), former rugby union England international.
• Jason Queally, gold medal-winning cyclist at the 2000 Summer Olympics;
• Sir Peter Ratcliffe, Nuffield Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford since 2004;
• Jon Richardson, one of the country's top comedians; Appeared on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Have I Got News For You – 2009 Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee;
• Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide Saatchi & Saatchi;
• Sir John Rutherford, 1st Baronet, Conservative MP for Darwen from 1895–1922;
• David Roy Shackleton Bailey (1917–2005), Latin Scholar;
• Prof. Richard Shaw CBE, Principal of the University of Paisley from 1992–2001;
• Bob Shennan, BBC radio executive and Controller of BBC Radio 2;
• Douglas Smallwood, Chairman of Diabetes UK since 2004;
• Mervyn Stone, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at UCL;
• William Swainson (1809-1884), second Attorney General of New Zealand;
• Professor Sir Bryan Thwaites;
• Prof. Paul Wellings, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wollongong since 2012;
• William Whewell (1794–1866), scientist;
• Richard Widdess, Professor of Musicology, SOAS, University of London
• Henry Wilson, Co-Founder of White Star Line, the owners of the Titanic;
• Dr. Robert Samuel Woof, OBE;
• John Woolrich, Composer, Professor of Music, Brunel University.
• John Wrathall (1913–1978), President of Rhodesia;
• Frank Wrathall, Racing driver in the BTCC

See also

• Listed buildings in Lancaster, Lancashire