Holgate School was a state school in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. It was closed in 2012, when it was merged with The Kingstone School to form Horizon Community College. After Holgate closed, it got demolished and the site was turned into a car park for Horizon Community College.
It was awarded the status of Sports College in 2005 for its attention to sporting achievements.
Holgate School was founded in 1546 in Hemsworth by Robert Holgate, the Archbishop of York. In 1888 it was re-organised and moved to Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The grammar school had around 850 boys and moved to its present site in 1912. The school has now closed due to the conjoining of the two Barnsley schools Holgate and Kingstone, coming together to form Horizon Community College.
In January 1981, Michael Parkinson said that Barnsley Grammar School was to his education what myxomatosis was to rabbits.
In 1978 it became a fully co-educational comprehensive school, having first admitted its first comprehensive first year intake in 1973. The sixth form went soon after, in 1980.
It got GCSE results under the England average but about average for Barnsley. Like all schools in Barnsley, except the Barnsley Academy, it had no sixth form, with A levels taken at Barnsley College.
Sam Nixon - a UK pop singer and television presenterAzeem Rafiq, cricketerBarnsley and District Holgate Grammar School
Frank Atkinson CBE, Director from 1970-87 of Beamish Museum, President from 1974-5 of the Museums AssociationDenis Barker, former BP executiveSir Stuart Burgess CBE, Chairman from 1995-2004 of Finsbury Worldwide PharmaceuticalDonald Chapman, Baron Northfield, Labour MP from 1951-70 for Birmingham NorthfieldProf Norman Chapman, G. F. Grant Professor of Chemistry from 1956-92 at the University of HullProf Gordon Cherry, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning from 1976-91 at the University of BirminghamProf John Coyne CBE, Vice Chancellor, University of Derby 2004-2015Prof Donald Davie, poetBrian Fieldhouse, Chief Executive from 1990-5 of West Sussex County CouncilBrian Glover - actorMichael Green, Controller from 1986-96 of BBC Radio 4, and Chairman from 1990-5 of the Radio AcademyJimmy Greenhoff, and his brother Brian, footballersProf Alan Hall FRS, Director of Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, New York 2006-2015Harry Hill, Chief Executive from 1998-2007 of Countrywide plc, and founded Rightmove in 2000Sir Ronald Holroyd, former ICI executiveEric Illsley, former Labour MP from 1987-2011 for Barnsley Central, sentenced to 12 months in February 2011Tom Johnson, footballerJohn Malcolm, actorMartyn Moxon - Director of Pro Cricket at Yorkshire CCCSir Michael Parkinson - broadcaster and journalistJack Pickering, footballerWilliam Prior CBE, Chairman from 1979-84 of the Yorkshire Electricity BoardPaul Quinn - lead guitarist of SaxonNeil Rhodes, Chief Constable since 2012 of Lincolnshire PoliceStan Richards, actor best known for playing the role of Seth Armstrong in the soap opera Emmerdale from 1978-2004Denis Roberts, former Managing Director at the GPO, and Chairman from 1981-85 of the British Philatelic TrustDave Rollitt, rugby union playerProf Harry Rothwell, Professor of History from 1945-68 at the University of SouthamptonRev Canon Geoffrey Shaw, Principal from 1979-89 at Wycliffe Hall, OxfordWilliam Taylor CBE, Conservative MP from 1950-64 for Bradford NorthHoward Thackstone, Chief General Manager from 1962-6 of Midland BankNorman West, Labour MEP from 1984-98 for Yorkshire SouthDavid Woodhall CBE, Chief Executive from 1982-92 of the Commission for New Towns (became English Partnerships)George Wright (bishop),Peter Dews (director), theatre director (taught 1952-3)Joseph Soar MBE, Organist and Master of the Choristers from 1952-54 at St David's Cathedral (taught Music from 1904–15)