N10 Senior school prospectus
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
S T A F F O R D
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
WELCOME
Headmaster’s Welcome
At Stafford Grammar School we believe that children and young
people can achieve their full educational and personal potential
when they are happy, supported and cared for. That’s why the
individual, every individual, is at the heart of all we do.
Stafford Grammar School enables pupils to achieve excellence
– whether in the classroom, on the sports field, on the stage or in
our many music groups. We aim to find and nurture the best in
every pupil. We want every pupil to develop confidence and to
achieve success in the warmth of a family atmosphere.
“Stafford Grammar School
provides a supportive yet
challenging environment
with the opportunity for students
to reach their full potential.”
This prospectus can only give you a sense of what makes
Stafford Grammar School so special. The real essence of our school
has to be experienced first-hand. Please come and visit us. You will
be most welcome and I would love to show you around our school.
Mr L H Thomas
Mr L H Thomas
Headmaster
Stafford Grammar School
1
www.staffordgrammar.co.uk
www.staffordgrammar.co.uk
THE SCHOOL
“From their first day our
daughters have honestly
loved every minute of
their school life at Stafford
Grammar.”
Stafford Grammar School’s history, although short,
is quite remarkable and unique. A group of parents
met in 1981 to discuss the possibility of starting a
new independent day school. In September 1982,
the school was officially opened by its first patron
the Right Honourable, the Earl of Shrewsbury. Dr
Garrood, the founding Headmaster, began his first
day with 17 pupils. Since then, the school has grown
to its present size of around 500 pupils including
Stafford Preparatory School which opened in 2007.
The original school building is a fine Victorian manor
house designed by Pugin and originally owned by the
Whitgreave family. Set in almost 50 acres of attractive
grounds there are facilities for all major team sports
including a fully equipped Sports and Music Centre
and floodlit tennis and netball courts.
The school has developed a formidable academic
reputation as a centre of excellence. On the sporting
front, Stafford Grammar School pupils achieve
enviable local, county, regional and national success.
The school’s achievements in music and drama
are equally impressive and continue to provide
numerous opportunities for local and international
community links.
Stafford Grammar School
4
ACADEMIC LIFE
We provide a broad, balanced and stimulating
education which offers pupils the opportunity to
succeed in a wide range of subjects. Our aim is to
enable all pupils to develop their individual talents
fully. Inspirational teachers, small classes, a traditional
curriculum and enthusiastic pupils encourage
outstanding academic achievement.
We strive to foster a love of learning and encourage
all pupils to reach their full potential at GCSE and
A level. Along the way we focus on developing each
pupil’s skills and personal qualities in preparation for
their future careers.
“Stafford Grammar
School has given our son a
wonderful desire to achieve
and progress in life through
its hard work ethic and
focused approach to excel.”
Academic opportunities are not limited to the
curriculum. We encourage our pupils to look beyond
examination board requirements and provide
opportunities to participate in challenging academic
competitions including the prestigious Design and
Technology Arkwright Award, The Bank of England
Target 2.0 competition, UK Mathematics Challenge
and the Chemistry Olympiad, to name a few. Subject
departments also regularly organise visits to places of
interest throughout the UK and abroad.
Stafford Grammar School
5
www.staffordgrammar.co.uk
www.staffordgrammar.co.uk
ACTIVITIES
“Stafford Grammar School
is more than a school. It
is a place bursting with
opportunities and talent.”
We believe the development of a healthy body and a
sound character, the fostering of spiritual awareness
and sensitivity and the promotion of creativity to be
as important as academic excellence.
We are proud of our tradition of involving large
numbers of pupils in teams and building a healthy
team spirit. Rugby, hockey, football, netball, cricket,
rounders, tennis, badminton, basketball, volleyball,
athletics, gymnastics, health-related fitness, zumba
and Gaelic football are all taught within P.E lessons
and are available as extra-curricular activities. The
school has an excellent sports hall, fitness suite and
extensive sports fields enabling block fixtures.
Our pupils have an incredible record of competitive
success with teams often winning local, county,
regional and national competitions and individual
pupils regularly securing places in county teams.
Sporting excellence at Stafford Grammar School is
demonstrated by pupils achieving success at national
level in swimming, athletics, rounders, football and
cricket.
Stafford Grammar School
8
ACTIVITIES
Music and Drama flourish at Stafford Grammar School.
Choirs and instrumental groups, an orchestra, a concert
band and a very popular ‘big band’ perform regularly
in musicals and concerts in school and within the
local community. Music tours are also arranged, most
recently to Paris, Rome and Barcelona. Pupils have the
opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument with
tuition available from specialist peripatetic teachers. The
Drama and Music departments collaborate to produce
many school plays and major musical productions in the
Library Theatre. The latest production of Les Misérables
proved to be an outstanding success. Pupils can also gain
enormously from LAMDA tuition.
“We could not have asked
for more.”
“The school is a very
special place.”
The school’s Art and Design and Technology
department provides many opportunities for pupils to
further their creative talents both during lessons and
extra-curricular clubs. There are frequent competitions
and exhibitions of pupil work as well as major projects
such as the Year 9 Business and Industry event. The
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award enjoys immense success at
our school. Many pupils benefit from the expertise of
the team of teachers who train and guide them from
Bronze through to Gold award. Young Enterprise is also
very well established.
Stafford Grammar School
9
www.staffordgrammar.co.uk
www.staffordgrammar.co.uk
SIXTH FORM
“I would not swap the last
two years for anything.”
“There’s always help at
hand when students need
care and advice.”
We are incredibly proud of our Sixth Form students.
At its heart, the purpose of our Sixth Form is to give
students the necessary life skills to empower them to
make informed choices. Our students’ outstanding
success at A-level is never accidental. With graduate
teachers passionate about their subjects and excellent
staffing ratios, students are closely guided and
supported to gain the qualifications and study skills
necessary for Higher Education.
A team of specialist tutors guides students through the
entire UCAS process and professional careers advice
is available. The expertise of academic staff provides
the best possible support for students with their HE or
career aims. Individual student attention is at the very
centre of what we do. The extensive tutor programme
is tailored to the needs of our students and we aim to
develop self-confidence and encourage all students
to actively participate in the life of the school and
the local community. Sixth Form students develop
effective leadership and team working skills and are
encouraged to initiate their own groups and societies.
Recently, this has led to the development of a debating
society and a medical society. Students also volunteer
to lead various music and drama groups, as well as
supporting pupils in the Preparatory School.
Stafford Grammar School
12
PASTORAL CARE
Excellent teaching is not the only requisite for a good
education. In order to achieve their potential pupils
need to be healthy, feel safe, be happy and enjoy
learning. Pastoral care at Stafford Grammar School
is outstanding. Our small classes enable form tutors
and Heads of House to know each of their pupils
really well. Every pupil is valued and respected as an
individual. We place great emphasis on close contact
with parents, believing that issues are best addressed
together and as early as possible.
“During his time at Stafford
Grammar School, we have
watched our son grow into
a young adult of whom we
are very proud.”
Pupils become members of one of our three houses:
Anson, Fitzherbert or Talbot. The thriving house
system is at the heart of the school community and it
provides pupils with continuity and strong communal
bonds. Through this, pupils benefit from a large
number of competitions ranging from baking and
public speaking to the Polyathlon, in which houses
compete in a wide range of sports. The houses also
compete in our annual swimming gala. The emphasis
is on friendly rivalry, co-operation, building selfconfidence
and widening participation for all pupils.
The school nurse liaises closely with pupils, parents,
teachers and outside agencies to secure the well-being
of each pupil.
Stafford Grammar School
13
www.staffordgrammar.co.uk
S T A F F O R D
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Burton Manor, Stafford, ST18 9AT
Tel: 01785 249 752 Fax: 01785 255 005
Web: www.staffordgrammar.co.uk Email: headsec@staffordgrammar.co.uk