| Bristol Grammar School | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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University Road , BS8 1SR England | |
| Coordinates | 51°27′29″N 2°36′17″W / 51.457965°N 2.604748°W |
| Information | |
| Other name | BGS |
| Type | Private day school Grammar School |
| Motto | Latin: Ex Spinis Uvas (Grapes From Thorns) |
| Established | 1532 |
| Founders | Robert and Nicholas Thorne |
| Local authority | Bristol City Council |
| Department for Education URN | 109369 Tables |
| Headmaster | Jaideep Barot[1] |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age range | 4–18 |
| Enrolment | 1,389 (2024)[2] |
| Capacity | 1,410[2] |
| Houses |
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| Colour(s) | Maroon and navy |
| Song | Carmen Bristoliense |
| Publication |
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| Alumni | Old Bristolians |
| Website | www |
| "Bristol Grammar School, registered charity no. 1104425". Charity Commission for England and Wales. | |
Bristol Grammar School (BGS) is a 4–18 mixed, private day school in Bristol, England. It was founded in 1532 by Royal Charter for the teaching of 'good manners and literature', endowed by wealthy Bristol merchants Robert and Nicholas Thorne who made their money through the work and trade of enslaved Africans.[3] The school flourished in the early 20th century under headmaster Sir Cyril Norwood (1906–1916), embodying "the ideals and experiences of a leading public school".[4][5] Norwood went on to serve as the master at Marlborough College and Harrow, and as president of St John's College, Oxford.
The headmaster, Jaideep Barot MA MSc, is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) and was appointed in September 2018. The school was first cited in the Public Schools Year Book in 1907, and former headmaster John Mackay (1960–1975) served as the chairman of the HMC in 1970.[6] Founded as an all-boys school, Bristol Grammar is now fully co-educational having first admitted girls in 1980. The school counts among its alumni prominent personalities including Nobel laureate Sir John Pople, former British ambassador to the US Lord Oliver Franks, and founder of Penguin Books Sir Allen Lane. It has educated members of both houses of the UK Parliament and has a strong legal tradition, having educated three present Lord Justices of Appeal (Sirs Rabinder Singh, Mark Warby and Timothy Holroyde).
The school is divided into four sections: the Infant School (ages 4–6), the Junior School (ages 6–11), the Senior School (ages 11–16) and Sixth Form (ages 16–18). The Junior School was ranked in 2016 by The Good Schools Guide as one of the best value prep schools in the UK.[7] The Senior School and Sixth Form rank academically amongst the best performing independent schools in South West England.[8]
- ^ "Staff and Governors at Bristol Grammar School". www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk.
- ^ a b "Bristol Grammar School". Get information about schools. GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ "Bristol's 16th Century Slave Traders: The Spanish Connection". Bristol Museums Collections. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ McCulloch, Gary (2007). Cyril Norwood and the Ideal of Secondary Education. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-230-60352-3.
- ^ Aldrich, Richard (2004). Public Or Private Education?: Lessons from History. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge. p. 58. ISBN 978-0713040616.
- ^ Robert Young (10 November 1999). "Obituary: John Mackay". Independent.
- ^ "Top 10 best value prep schools". The Telegraph. 8 August 2016.
- ^ Yong, Michael (25 November 2016). "Two Bristol schools named among top independent institutions in South West". Bristol Post. Retrieved 14 August 2017.