Bridgnorth Endowed School, formerly known as Bridgnorth Grammar School is a coeducational secondary school with academy status, for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. Founded in 1503 by the Corporation of the Borough of Bridgnorth, the school developed from a town grammar school into a comprehensive school during the 20th century and then became an state school and is a specialist Technology College.
With its main entrance in Cliff Road off Northgate, a road in the city centre where a school building opened in 1908 it was merged with Bridgnorth Girls' Public High School in 1929, and the grammar school's name was changed to Bridgnorth Endowed School in 1974.
Contents
History
16th, 17th and 18th centuries
Bridgnorth Endowed School was founded in 1503 during the reign of Henry VII as a 'common school' established by the Corporation of the Borough of Bridgnorth. Its early funding included revenues from the chantries of St Leonard's Church. After the dissolution of the chantries in 1548, during the reign of Edward VI, an annual payment of £8 from the Exchequer was assigned in perpetuity to a schoolmaster maintaining a grammar school in Bridgnorth.
A barn, which had been used as the chapel of St John the Baptist (the new Bridgnorth Town Hall was also built in 1652 using material from a dismantled barn), first housed the school. This stood on the north side of St Leonard's churchyard outside St Leonard's Church. By the end of the sixteenth century, the former chapel of St John the Baptist was being described as the 'old school-house'. The former chapel of St John the Baptist was replaced in 1595, in the reign of Elizabeth I, by the present building in St Leonard's Close known as the 'Old Grammar School ', which now houses a firm of accountants. The building appears to have been erected by Sir Rowland Hayward, a Bridgnorth-born merchant who became Lord Mayor of London and a Member of Parliament for the City of London. Hayward's son, Sir John Hayward, referred to his father's foundation of the school in his will of 1635. Sir Rowland appears to have charged a property at Bridgnorth with an annual payment of £20 to the school, a payment later rendered by the Apley estate after Sir William Whitmore's purchase of the land in question in 1623. In 1785, during the reign of George III, the 'Old Grammar School' was renovated with gifts of £200 each given by the town's members of Parliament, Major Whitmore and Admiral Pigot. The 'Old Grammar School' building still stands in St Leonard's Close.
During the reign of Charles I in 1639, Sir William Whitmore erected a house on the east side of St Leonard's Church which part was to be occupied by the headmaster at a nominal rent, and the remainder by the minister of St Leonard's Church. Whitmore's building, now Grade II* listed still stands in St Leonard's Close. The school was named by Edward Careswell of Bobbington as one of the several free grammar schools in Shropshire, also including Shrewsbury, Newport, Wem, Shifnal and Donnington to benefit by his will, which in 1690, during the reign of William III and Mary II devoted certain local properties to the maintenance of eighteen, later reduced to ten, scholars from these schools at Christ Church, Oxford University. These Careswell Exhibitions were first awarded in 1746, during the reign of George II. For 160 years Bridgnorth shared in the resulting close connexion between Shropshire and Christ Church, Oxford, until in 1905 the Exhibitions became tenable elsewhere.
19th century
In 1817 the Town increased its subsidy to £30, but in 1821 there were only ten boys, when the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, who had been asked to recommend a candidate, proposed as headmaster 24-year-old Thomas Rowley of Middleton Scriven. The numbers rose to about 150. In 1841 Rowley was attacked by some members of the Town Council who complained of the treatment of the day-boys by the boarders and of the school's concentration on the Classics; but the Borough Treasurer wrote in Rowley's defence that the day-boys can hardly not have benefited from the specialist teachers whom Rowley was able to engage. The East Window of the St Leonard's Church was replaced in memory of Rowley. Rowley's successors after 1850 had not his ability, and accordingly the school's numbers and reputation, and their own emoluments, declined. Unsuccessful attempts were made to acquire some of the funds of the Careswell trust for the improvement of the school's buildings and endowments.
20th century
In 1909 the school passed into the control of Shropshire County Council, the new Grammar School building at Northgate having been built in 1908. (This building still forms the core of the present-day school and in 2003 a clock was placed on the outside of the building to mark the school's 500th anniversary.) In the years immediately previous to 1908 classes were held in three places – the Headmaster's House in St Leonard's Close, the Foster Memorial Institute in the High Street, and the 'Old Grammar School' building in St Leonard's Close. Until 1929, the Bridgnorth Girls' Public High School led an independent existence in the new Grammar School building at Northgate.
During the First World War some 250 old boys of the Grammar School served, of whom 39 – including three masters of the school – died. In their memory, a carved oak tablet listing the dead was unveiled in the entrance hall of the Northgate building, and a further memorial in the form of the school library was opened in 1930.
The Grammar School and the Bridgnorth Girls' Public High School were finally combined in 1929. The mixed school was 'transitionally aided' under the Education Act 1944; in 1955 it became voluntary controlled.
The school's name was changed from Bridgnorth Grammar School to Bridgnorth Endowed School in 1974 when it began the transition from a selective to a comprehensive intake. The new name reflected the Endowed School's history, referring to the endowments it had received. In the nineteenth century, the terms endowed school and grammar school were used interchangeably, as in the Endowed Schools Act 1869. In the second half of the twentieth century, the Endowed School's buildings and sporting facilities on the Northgate site were greatly expanded with a new Lower School complex and a new Leisure Centre which the Endowed School had sole use of during the school day.
School structure
The school has used a house system for pupils. Until 1983, its four houses were named Clive (green), Darwin (yellow), Hayward (pale red), and Talbot (azure blue), after historical figures associated with Shropshire. Between 1983 to 2021, the school had three houses: Hardwicke (yellow), Rowley (pale red), and Washbrook (green). These commemorated former headmaster Thomas Rowley and former pupils Cedric Hardwicke and Cyril Washbrook. In 2021, the school returned to four houses: invictus (unconquerable - blue), scientia (knowledge - green), veritas (truth - red), and virtus (courage - yellow).
Curriculum
The Lower and Middle Schools
The curriculum followed throughout years seven, eight and nine (Key Stage 3 of the National Curriculum) includes the full range of National Curriculum subjects plus a second foreign language and PHSE. In years nine, ten and eleven (Key Stage 4 of the National Curriculum), all pupils follow an extended core curriculum allowing all pupils to experience a broad range of subject areas up to the age of sixteen as well as reflecting the requirements of the National Curriculum. All pupils in years seven to eleven are expected to wear the school uniform, which includes a navy blue blazer with the school badge and a house tie. They are extremely tough on your uniform.
The Sixth Form
There was a sixth form of 150 students until recent years. AS and A2 subjects offered to 6th form students in years 12 and 13 included Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Design, Drama and Theatre Studies, English Language, English Literature, French, Further Maths, Geography, History, Information Technology, Maths, Music, Music Technology, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology, Religious Education, and Spanish. Year 12 students took four subjects at AS, and continued with three subjects at A2 in Year 13. Sixth form pupils did not need to wear school uniform.
OFSTED Inspections
The Endowed School was inspected by OFSTED in 2003 and 2008. In 2003 the inspectors' overall evaluation was that 'this is a very good school.' In 2008 the inspectors agreed with the school's own self-evaluation that the school is providing 'a satisfactory standard of education ', and that 'many elements are good'. The 2003 OFSTED inspection had identified modern foreign languages as unsatisfactory. However, in 2008 the inspectors noted that there had been a 'great improvement in the leadership of modern foreign languages since the last inspection.' An OFSTED inspection has recently taken place; the school received a 'satisfactory' in most areas, pupils' behaviour being one of the best, rated as 'good', while the maths department was the least achievable. OFSTED stated that the improvement in maths and English was a minor improvement and more work should be done to improve. From parents, they noted that many teachers have been on leave, saying that it disrupts their child's learning capabilities.
In 2011, the school got satisfactory (3), with many of the student categories earning good (2).
Extracurricular activities
The Endowed School offers a wide range of extracurricular activities. Pupils can partake in modern, classical and musical drama productions. Instrumental lessons are also available to pupils. Pupils can take part in aerobics, athletics, badminton, basketball, bowls, cricket, cross-country running, dance, darts, gymnastics, hockey, netball, rounders, rugby, snooker, soccer, horse club, craft club, squash, swimming, and tennis. Several pupils have been recently selected for County Cricket and Athletics. There are school trips abroad. Pupils also take part in charity activities. In Autumn 1989, a pupil was awarded an Army Scholarship for eventual entry to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst subject to clearances and examination results.
Notable alumni
Former pupils are known as 'Old Bridgnorthians'.
Ross Antony (1974–), singer and TV entertainer in Germany.
Thomas Beddoes (1760–1808), physician and scientific writer.
David Breakwell (1946–), cricketer.
Peter Bullock (1937–2008), soil scientist. who was a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Robert William Eyton (1815–1881), Rector of Ryton and author of The Antiquities of Shropshire (1853–60).
James Fraser (bishop), Bishop of Manchester; attended Bridgnorth School.
Osborne Gordon (1813–1883), influential Oxford don.
John Josiah Guest, 1st Baronet (1785–1851), engineer, entrepreneur, and Member of Parliament.
Cedric Hardwicke, KBE (1893–1964), Hollywood and stage actor.
Rob Hornby, jockey (1995–).
David Humphries (1953–2020), cricketer.
Ralph Lingen, 1st Baron Lingen (1819–1905), permanent secretary of the Treasury.
John Lloyd (1833–1915), barrister, local politician and political reformer in London
William Macmichael (1783–1839), physician to Kings George IV and William IV and author of The Gold-Headed Cane. (1827).
Former headteachers
The school's documented former headteachers include:
Richard Cornes (1677–1726), who also served as an incumbent of St Mary's Church in Bridgnorth.
Hugh Stackhouse (1726–1743), who also served as an incumbent of St Mary's Church. Who was a clergyman and theological writer who bequeathed his collection of books to Bridgnorth.
After 1766, no usher was appointed; but the emoluments could not now support even a single master unless he could attract boarders to the school.
Thomas Rowley (appointed 1821; left 1850), whose teaching of the classics attracted boarders and increased the school's enrolment to about 150.