Established 1898 Headteacher Nathan Bulley Ages 11–18 Founded 1898 | Type Selective academy DfE URN 136283 Tables Phone +44 1924 402202 Number of students 1,333 | |
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Location High Street (A638)HeckmondwikeWest YorkshireWF16 0AHEngland Motto Nil Sine Labore; Nothing without Work | ||
Heckmondwike grammar school music department promo
Heckmondwike Grammar School (HGS) is a coeducational state grammar school in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, England.
Contents
History
The school was built by Thomas Redfearn and Samuel Wood, who lived on Eldon Street, and opened on 17 January 1898. Further north in Cleckheaton was Whitcliffe Mount Grammar School, now Whitcliffe Mount School.
HGS was a foundation school, but became an academy in September 2010.
On 18 January 2011, the Crellin Building was officially opened by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, with Ingrid Roscoe and the Mayor of Kirklees.
Admissions
HGS is a Technology College and, in addition, has recently acquired Language College specialism. The school has approximately 1,250 students aged between 11 and 18 and includes a sixth form.
Prospective pupils pass examinations in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and mathematics before entry to the school. After testing only the top 180 pupils are accepted. Schools that can select top performers are known as super-selective schools.
HGS annexe, formerly a church hall, is used for physical education, and social sciences, and as a secure test area.
Houses and forms
The school has four houses, and each pupil is allotted a house. Houses are named after notable people from the West Yorkshire area, and are Brontë (whose colour is blue), Clarke (yellow), Houldsworth (green) and Priestley (red). Activities take place between houses, with competitions such as a swimming gala, spelling bee, and house drama. A house music competition takes places once every academic year – entrants choose a solo, duet or group piece, with points awarded by a panel. The house that receives the most points in competitions wins the Lees Cup.
For years that entered the school in school year 2012-13 or earlier there are 5 forms of 30 pupils in them each year, one for each house and one form with a mix of pupils from about 3 houses. Forms are denoted by B for Brontë; C for Clarke; P for Priestley; H for Houldsworth; and S for the mixed form. However, from school year 2013-14 the forms are made up of pupils from all houses and are denoted by the number of the year and the three initials of the form tutor. From school year 2014-15 there are 6 forms per year. New pupils are admitted in year 10, and to accommodate them, one of the forms is split into 2 smaller forms, and the new pupils are split between these 2 new forms.
There are approximately 600 students in the sixth form, entering through the lower school or through neighbouring schools after completing GCSEs. Each prospective student is interviewed by a member of the senior management team.
Curriculum and performance
Heckmondwike Grammar School follows the England, Wales and Northern Ireland National Curriculum.
In 2010 and 2013/2014 the school was ranked the 5th best-performing school in England for GCSE results. and is regularly among the top 100 state schools in the country.
Pupils achieve some of the best A level results by a state school in England. Kirklees LEA has one of the highest averaged set of A-level results in England.