Gateshead Grammar School

Updated on Dec 08, 2023

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Established 1883 (1945) Type Grammar school Motto Toil No Soil Date founded 1883		Closed 1967 Gender Boys Headquarters Low Fell, United Kingdom Ceased operations 1967

Location Prince Consort Road Low Fell, Gateshead County Durham England Local authority County Borough of Gateshead

Gateshead Grammar School was a school in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, that operated from 1883 to 1967.

History

The private school Gateshead High School For Boys opened in 1883 at the junction of Durham Road and Prince Consort Road. It was purchased by Gateshead School Board in 1894 and became a coeducational "Higher Grade School" called Gateshead Secondary School. Publicly owned Higher Grade Schools were a new breed of school, similar to the privately owned Grammar Schools but putting much more emphasis on science and art.

It was renamed Gateshead Grammar School after World War II, still coeducational, but it became boys only in 1956. The school was on the former A1.

Comprehensive

It was rebuilt on the same site in 1963, and in 1968 it became Saltwell Senior High School - a coeducational comprehensive school which lasted until the 1990s when it was closed and mostly demolished, and the youngsters were transferred to Kingsmeadow Community Comprehensive School at Dunston.

Headmasters

Past headmasters included Mr. John Bidgood, Mr. W. Walton, Mr. G.L.R. Brown and Dr. Caffrey.

Teachers

Former teachers include:

Prof John Tuck, Professor of Education from 1974-76 at Newcastle University (taught English from 1936-8)

Traditions

Its motto "Toil No Soil" was unusually in English (not Latin, Greek or French) and was taken from a quote of the Greek Poet Hesiod in his poem Works and Days, Toil is no disgrace, it is idleness which is a disgrace. The motto is interpreted as Toil (is) No Soil (soil being a synonym of disgrace) Included in list of mottos

Notable alumni

Prof H. T. Dickinson, Richard Lodge Professor of British History at the University of Edinburgh, and President from 2002-5 of the Historical Association

Muriel Forbes CBE, Chairman from 1960-1 of Middlesex County Council

David Forrest CBE, Secretary from 1983-1992 of the Charity Commission for England and Wales

Kathleen Gales, medical statistician

Alex Glasgow, songwriter

Alexander Harvey, Principal from 1946-68 of the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology (part of Cardiff University since 1988)

Arthur Holmes, geologist, forerunner in dating the Earth by radiometric dating and also proposed mantle convection as the driving mechanism for plate tectonics.

Angus Monro, Chief Executive from 1996-2001 of Matalan and from 2002-6 of Poundstretcher

Joseph McNally, Chief Executive from 1984-2001 of Compaq Computer UK

John Morton, Chief Executive from 2005-8 of the Engineering and Technology Board, and Professor of Engineering from 1986-93 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Ken Norton (cricketer)

Prof Bruce Pattison, Professor of Education from 1948-76 at the Institute of Education

Sir George Russell CBE, Chief Executive from 1982–92 of British Alcan, Chairman from 1988-92 of the Independent Broadcasting Authority and from 1991-96 of the Independent Television Commission, and now an ITV executive

David Skinner, Chief Executive from 1992-6 of the Co-operative Wholesale Society

John Steel (drummer), with The Animals

Dame Muriel Stewart, President from 1964-5 of the National Union of Teachers

Prof Alan Stuart, Professor of Geology from 1957-9 at the University of Exeter

Donald Tyerman CBE, editor from 1956–65 of The Economist

Sylvia Waugh, writer of children's books

Peter Wilsher, journalist for The Sunday Times

E. H. Young, novelist

References

Gateshead Grammar School Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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