Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School (BVGS) is a selective state grammar school
in Sutton Coldfield
, Birmingham
. Founded in 1527, it is one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom. The school was a day and boarding school
until the 1880s, and retained a small number of boarders in the mid-20th century. In 2008, the school and its grounds were used as one of the main sites for the filming of the 2009 film Tormented
.
The school was founded by the Bishop of Exeter
John Vesey
(formerly John Harman) in 1527 and currently has approximately 900 pupils
. The current headteacher is David Iddon. The school is noted for having a well-respected school rugby union
and hockey teams. In 2004 BVGS became a recognised Language College
and in 2007 the school gained Training School
status. Assistant Headteacher Steve Baugh is Head of the Training School and Continuing Professional Development. The school is also a sixth form college
. It is situated on the A5127
, next to Birmingham Metropolitan College
(former Sutton Coldfield College) and the Cross-City Line.
motto, Dextra Dei Exaltavit Me means "The right hand of God hath lifted me up" or alternatively "The right hand of God has guided me". The former school motto was "Dominus Mihi Adjutor" meaning "Lord, give me counsel".
in 1527 provided an endowment from property income of £7 a year and twenty-one people were appointed Trustees to manage the school and pay a fit and proper person to teach Grammar and Rhetoric. There were no known images of John Vesey and an image hung in the "Big School" hall assumed to be John Vesey is in fact John Wilmot
It was not until 1540, however, that a second deed was set up providing for the endowed properties to be held by the Warden and Society of Sutton Coldfield and layman John Savage was appointed as the first master.
Until 1544, St Marys Hall was used as a schoolroom and then a school was built close to the church on Blind Lane, behind the Masonic Buildings (The former Town Hall) and on the site of the former Work House, behind the former Alms Houses, close to the Sons of Rest building off Mill Street.
Complaints relating to the diligence of the Trustees and the Corporation came before the Chancery Court
which ordered in 1636 that control be transferred to a new board of fourteen Trustees.
In 1728, the Corporation provided land for a new school building in the present location, one of the conditions being that the headmaster Paul Lowe should agree to teach English, writing and arithmetic to twelve parish boys. At that time there was no stipulated age of entry to the school. Entry required the ability to read, and usually to pay.
William Webb was appointed headmaster in 1764 and under him a sound basic education was provided and the school prospered. He was headmaster for 53 years until his death in 1817. His successor Charles Barker had an entirely different view of the role of the school. His interest was in the teaching of Classics
. He often had only a handful of students and in 1840, only one pupil was enrolled at the school. He was a strong supporter of the proposal for the setting up of National Schools
for the provision of general education.
In 1840, the Grammar Schools Act
tightened up controls on schools. With better controls, and a return to a basic curriculum, the school again began to prosper. Under Joseph Wright, appointed in 1859, a full general education was offered. The buildings were extended in 1861 and in 1863 there were 26 boys enrolled. This increased to 51 boys in 1866, 69 boys in 1869, and 105 boys in 1875.
The 1881 census shows the headmaster Rev. Albert Smith resident with his family, a second master Major Dunn, six staff including domestic servants and ten boarding boys. At this time there were also about eighty day boys who were expected to pay either 10s a quarter if from the parish or £2.10s a quarter if from elsewhere.
, when a school party was visiting the Black Sea area. He was accused of making a speculative currency transaction with a Polish citizen, under Article 80 of Section 1 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code
. He was released in late October 1972.
In September 1972, the school admitted no new pupils as its entry age was increased from 11 to 12. However, the entry age reverted to 11 from September 1992, when two year groups (11 and 12 year olds) were admitted to the school.
There were plans to turn the whole area comprehensive in the late 1970s, but the Conservatives gained control of Birmingham City Council in 1976, preventing this from happening.
In November 1981, 13-year-old John Haddon was abducted on his way to school from nearby Sutton Park and subsequently murdered. His body was found near Fenny Drayton
. Two males, Paul Micheal Corrigan aged 30 and 15-year-old Derek McInnes, were charged with his murder in December 1981.
Towards the end of the 20th century, a selection of the schools playing fields at the end of Boswell Road were sold off to a property development company, to fund various projects such as the "Randon Design Centre". The Randon Design Centre was constructed in 1990 at a cost of £1.5 million. The block houses the art and design and technology departments and was designed by Birmingham-based Associated Architects
. The library, which was located on the site of the Randon Design Centre, was moved into an extension constructed on the main school building. Funds from the sale are still available to the school, but the school are not allowed to sell any more of these fields.
, German
, Spanish
, Urdu
, Italian
and Latin
(As of September 2011, Latin will no longer be offered as an option to GCSE students or taught to lower school pupils. After July 2012, teaching of Latin will cease). Also present is the encouragement of community languages; with the school advocating their students' advancements in the aforementioned Urdu language in addition to Japanese
and Russian
.
The school currently teaches 10 GCSEs to pupils who are in the years 10 and 11, starting students on several compulsory subjects in year 9. These comprise compulsory English Literature
,Language, Maths, Biology
, Chemistry
, Physics
. The students have a choice of which subjects to partake out of the four remaining slots. One must be a modern language: either French, Spanish or German. Of the three remaining choices, the pupil may choose between one of the above languages, History
, Geography
, Art
, Design Technology
(of which there are several variants), Physical Education
(non-compulsory), Business Studies
, Information Communuication Technology and Religious Education
.
Sixth Form students gain the options of Geology
and Psychology
to be taken for AS or A2 level subjects.
Cup and competing in the 'super 16s' tournament
at the University of Warwick
amongst the top rugby schools and colleges in the country. In April 2008, Isaac Feau'nati
of Bath Rugby
and the Samoa national rugby union team
announced he was to retire and take up the head of rugby position at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School on June 2, 2008.
The school also focuses upon other sports and has an annual sports day, which comprises mainly track and field events. Netball is available for the girls who join the school in the sixth form.
In 2008, Bishop Vesey's became the youngest tennis team to reach the Glanvill Cup Finals, the highest standard of school tennis in Great Britain. The team consisted of three Year 10 pupils and a Year 9 pupil. The team finished tenth at the finals in Queenswood, London in June. The team are attempting to qualify for the U15 Nestle School's National Championships. Also in late 2008 the school hockey teams in the under 13 and under 15 hockey teams won the Birmingham finals. The 2008/09 under-16s made it to the final of the county cup and the 2009/10 1st XI won the County Cup Final.
it has also recently began rowing indoor and outdoor with Head of Rowing – Brian Davies and Head Rowing Coach – Ian Bousfield
and is the only school in birmingham to offer outdoor rowing as a games option, with a weekly session on powells pool in sutton park and three indoor sessions after, before and during school (lunchtime)
nasium and features several specially designed rooms with sound proofing, for music-making.
The North Tower is used as an extension to the sixth form facilities, which include a common room with cafe, an office and a study room.
An all-weather Astroturf hockey and football pitch on the "Middle Field", running adjacent to the Birmingham Cross City railway line, was funded through grants and an 18 month fundraising campaign.
The facilities at BVGS were used in conjunction with the filming of a new venture by Forward Films and Slingshot Studios, Tormented
. The film was shot on site at the school from 11th of August onwards and is due to hit cinemas by June 2009. Many pupils at the school starred as movie extras
for the filming on the school site. It is the first major motion picture to be filmed in the town of Sutton Coldfield. The cast includes Calvin Dean
, April Pearson
, Alex Pettyfer
and Tom Hopper
.
The poet R. F. Langley
taught English to sixth formers at the school in the 1980s and 1990s.
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. Founded in 1527, it is one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom. The school was a day and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
until the 1880s, and retained a small number of boarders in the mid-20th century. In 2008, the school and its grounds were used as one of the main sites for the filming of the 2009 film Tormented
Tormented (2009 film)
Tormented is a 2009 horror-comedy film starring Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Calvin Dean and newcomer Tuppence Middleton. Directed by Jon Wright and written by newcomer Stephen Prentice, the film was released on 22 May 2009 in the UK...
.
The school was founded by the Bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
John Vesey
John Vesey
John Vesey or Veysey was an English bishop.-Life:He was born John Harman, probably about 1462, the son of a yeoman farmer, in a farmhouse now known as Moor Hall Farm, Sutton Coldfield...
(formerly John Harman) in 1527 and currently has approximately 900 pupils
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
. The current headteacher is David Iddon. The school is noted for having a well-respected school rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and hockey teams. In 2004 BVGS became a recognised Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
and in 2007 the school gained Training School
Training school
For a juvenile correctional facility, see youth detention center-----A training school is an official designation, awarded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, to schools in England that provide exceptional facilities for in-service and work experience training of teachers...
status. Assistant Headteacher Steve Baugh is Head of the Training School and Continuing Professional Development. The school is also a sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
. It is situated on the A5127
A5127 road
The A5127 is a major road in England which runs between Birmingham and Lichfield, Staffordshire. For much of the route the road follows the old route of the A38 which has since been moved in order to by-pass places such as Erdington and Sutton Coldfield and form a relief road from Birmingham city...
, next to Birmingham Metropolitan College
Birmingham Metropolitan College
Birmingham Metropolitan College is a further and higher education college with eight campuses distributed within Birmingham, England. The college was created in August 2009 as a result of the amalgamation of Matthew Boulton College and Sutton Coldfield College...
(former Sutton Coldfield College) and the Cross-City Line.
Traditions
The school's LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto, Dextra Dei Exaltavit Me means "The right hand of God hath lifted me up" or alternatively "The right hand of God has guided me". The former school motto was "Dominus Mihi Adjutor" meaning "Lord, give me counsel".
History
The first foundation deed set up by Bishop John VeseyJohn Vesey
John Vesey or Veysey was an English bishop.-Life:He was born John Harman, probably about 1462, the son of a yeoman farmer, in a farmhouse now known as Moor Hall Farm, Sutton Coldfield...
in 1527 provided an endowment from property income of £7 a year and twenty-one people were appointed Trustees to manage the school and pay a fit and proper person to teach Grammar and Rhetoric. There were no known images of John Vesey and an image hung in the "Big School" hall assumed to be John Vesey is in fact John Wilmot
John Wilmot
John Wilmot may refer to:* John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester , English libertine, friend of King Charles II, and writer of satirical and bawdy poetry...
It was not until 1540, however, that a second deed was set up providing for the endowed properties to be held by the Warden and Society of Sutton Coldfield and layman John Savage was appointed as the first master.
Until 1544, St Marys Hall was used as a schoolroom and then a school was built close to the church on Blind Lane, behind the Masonic Buildings (The former Town Hall) and on the site of the former Work House, behind the former Alms Houses, close to the Sons of Rest building off Mill Street.
Complaints relating to the diligence of the Trustees and the Corporation came before the Chancery Court
Chancery Court
The Chancery Court of York is an ecclesiastical court for the Province of York of the Church of England.The presiding officer, the Official Principal and Auditor, has been the same person as the Dean of the Arches since the nineteenth century . The Court comprises the Auditor, two clergy and two...
which ordered in 1636 that control be transferred to a new board of fourteen Trustees.
In 1728, the Corporation provided land for a new school building in the present location, one of the conditions being that the headmaster Paul Lowe should agree to teach English, writing and arithmetic to twelve parish boys. At that time there was no stipulated age of entry to the school. Entry required the ability to read, and usually to pay.
William Webb was appointed headmaster in 1764 and under him a sound basic education was provided and the school prospered. He was headmaster for 53 years until his death in 1817. His successor Charles Barker had an entirely different view of the role of the school. His interest was in the teaching of Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
. He often had only a handful of students and in 1840, only one pupil was enrolled at the school. He was a strong supporter of the proposal for the setting up of National Schools
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
for the provision of general education.
19th century
On his death in 1842, James Eccleston was appointed headmaster, but was so embroiled in debt that in order to avoid prison he departed in 1849 for Tasmania.In 1840, the Grammar Schools Act
Grammar Schools Act
The Grammar Schools Act 1860 was passed by Queensland's first parliament in 1860 and allowed for the establishment of a grammar school in any town where £1000 could be raised locally. Between the years 1863 and 1892, ten grammar schools were opened under the auspices of the Act...
tightened up controls on schools. With better controls, and a return to a basic curriculum, the school again began to prosper. Under Joseph Wright, appointed in 1859, a full general education was offered. The buildings were extended in 1861 and in 1863 there were 26 boys enrolled. This increased to 51 boys in 1866, 69 boys in 1869, and 105 boys in 1875.
The 1881 census shows the headmaster Rev. Albert Smith resident with his family, a second master Major Dunn, six staff including domestic servants and ten boarding boys. At this time there were also about eighty day boys who were expected to pay either 10s a quarter if from the parish or £2.10s a quarter if from elsewhere.
20th century
On 29 July 1972, a 32-year-old art teacher, David Stephenson, was arrested by Russian officials for currency violations in OdessaOdessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, when a school party was visiting the Black Sea area. He was accused of making a speculative currency transaction with a Polish citizen, under Article 80 of Section 1 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code
Law of Ukraine
The legal system of Ukraine is based on the framework of civil law, and belongs to the Romano-Germanic legal tradition. The main source of legal information is codified law. Customary law and case law are not as common, though case law is often used in support of the written law, as in many other...
. He was released in late October 1972.
In September 1972, the school admitted no new pupils as its entry age was increased from 11 to 12. However, the entry age reverted to 11 from September 1992, when two year groups (11 and 12 year olds) were admitted to the school.
There were plans to turn the whole area comprehensive in the late 1970s, but the Conservatives gained control of Birmingham City Council in 1976, preventing this from happening.
In November 1981, 13-year-old John Haddon was abducted on his way to school from nearby Sutton Park and subsequently murdered. His body was found near Fenny Drayton
Fenny Drayton
Fenny Drayton is a village in Leicestershire England, in the district of Hinckley and Bosworth. Near to the county border of Warwickshire and using a Warwickshire County postcode, it is just off the A444 road an old Roman road, north of Nuneaton close to its crossroads with the A5...
. Two males, Paul Micheal Corrigan aged 30 and 15-year-old Derek McInnes, were charged with his murder in December 1981.
Towards the end of the 20th century, a selection of the schools playing fields at the end of Boswell Road were sold off to a property development company, to fund various projects such as the "Randon Design Centre". The Randon Design Centre was constructed in 1990 at a cost of £1.5 million. The block houses the art and design and technology departments and was designed by Birmingham-based Associated Architects
Associated Architects
thumb|right|Associated Architects' Offices at [[The Mailbox]], Birminghamthumb|right|RIBA Award Winner 2009, David Wilson LibraryAssociated Architects is a leading architectural firm based in Birmingham, England. The practice has a broad portfolio of work including arts, commercial offices, housing...
. The library, which was located on the site of the Randon Design Centre, was moved into an extension constructed on the main school building. Funds from the sale are still available to the school, but the school are not allowed to sell any more of these fields.
Subjects
Being a language college, the school teaches a wide variety of languages: comprising FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
(As of September 2011, Latin will no longer be offered as an option to GCSE students or taught to lower school pupils. After July 2012, teaching of Latin will cease). Also present is the encouragement of community languages; with the school advocating their students' advancements in the aforementioned Urdu language in addition to Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
.
The school currently teaches 10 GCSEs to pupils who are in the years 10 and 11, starting students on several compulsory subjects in year 9. These comprise compulsory English Literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
,Language, Maths, Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. The students have a choice of which subjects to partake out of the four remaining slots. One must be a modern language: either French, Spanish or German. Of the three remaining choices, the pupil may choose between one of the above languages, History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, Art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, Design Technology
Design Technology
Design and Technology is a school subject offered at all levels of primary and secondary school. In some countries such as England it is a part of the National Curriculum. It is offered in many countries around the world such as Brunei, Bermuda, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Jordan...
(of which there are several variants), Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
(non-compulsory), Business Studies
Business studies
Business studies is an academic subject taught at higher level in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, as well as at university level in many countries...
, Information Communuication Technology and Religious Education
Religious Education
Religious Education is the term given to education concerned with religion. It may refer to education provided by a church or religious organization, for instruction in doctrine and faith, or for education in various aspects of religion, but without explicitly religious or moral aims, e.g. in a...
.
Sixth Form students gain the options of Geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
to be taken for AS or A2 level subjects.
Sports
In the 2005/2006 season, the school had one of the best rugby teams in the Birmingham area after defeating all of its local rivals, reaching the fifth round of the National Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
Cup and competing in the 'super 16s' tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
at the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
amongst the top rugby schools and colleges in the country. In April 2008, Isaac Feau'nati
Isaac Feau'nati
Isaac "Zac" Feau'nati is a former rugby union player for Bath Rugby in the Guinness Premiership. Feau'nati's played as a number eight.-Career:...
of Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
and the Samoa national rugby union team
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
announced he was to retire and take up the head of rugby position at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School on June 2, 2008.
The school also focuses upon other sports and has an annual sports day, which comprises mainly track and field events. Netball is available for the girls who join the school in the sixth form.
In 2008, Bishop Vesey's became the youngest tennis team to reach the Glanvill Cup Finals, the highest standard of school tennis in Great Britain. The team consisted of three Year 10 pupils and a Year 9 pupil. The team finished tenth at the finals in Queenswood, London in June. The team are attempting to qualify for the U15 Nestle School's National Championships. Also in late 2008 the school hockey teams in the under 13 and under 15 hockey teams won the Birmingham finals. The 2008/09 under-16s made it to the final of the county cup and the 2009/10 1st XI won the County Cup Final.
it has also recently began rowing indoor and outdoor with Head of Rowing – Brian Davies and Head Rowing Coach – Ian Bousfield
and is the only school in birmingham to offer outdoor rowing as a games option, with a weekly session on powells pool in sutton park and three indoor sessions after, before and during school (lunchtime)
Facilities
The Clive Richards Centre was completed in October 2006 on the site of the former gymGym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium and features several specially designed rooms with sound proofing, for music-making.
The North Tower is used as an extension to the sixth form facilities, which include a common room with cafe, an office and a study room.
An all-weather Astroturf hockey and football pitch on the "Middle Field", running adjacent to the Birmingham Cross City railway line, was funded through grants and an 18 month fundraising campaign.
The facilities at BVGS were used in conjunction with the filming of a new venture by Forward Films and Slingshot Studios, Tormented
Tormented (2009 film)
Tormented is a 2009 horror-comedy film starring Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Calvin Dean and newcomer Tuppence Middleton. Directed by Jon Wright and written by newcomer Stephen Prentice, the film was released on 22 May 2009 in the UK...
. The film was shot on site at the school from 11th of August onwards and is due to hit cinemas by June 2009. Many pupils at the school starred as movie extras
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
for the filming on the school site. It is the first major motion picture to be filmed in the town of Sutton Coldfield. The cast includes Calvin Dean
Calvin Dean
Calvin Ainsley Dean is an English actor, known for portraying Darren Mullet in Tormented.-Background:Dean was born in Truro, Cornwall, England. He grew up in Polruan, a small fishing village in East Cornwall, attending Polruan Primary School and later Fowey Community College...
, April Pearson
April Pearson
April Janet Pearson is an English actress best known for her role as Michelle Richardson in the E4 teen drama series, Skins.-Career:Pearson joined a theatre group, located in Bristol, at just three years old...
, Alex Pettyfer
Alex Pettyfer
Alexander Richard "Alex" Pettyfer is an English actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of Stormbreaker. Pettyfer was nominated for a Young Artist Award and an Empire Award for his role. He has been...
and Tom Hopper
Tom Hopper
Tom Hopper is an English actor who has appeared in various television programmmes and films such as Merlin, Doctor Who, Casualty and Tormented...
.
Notable former pupils
- Scott AdkinsScott AdkinsScott Adkins is an English actor and martial artist who is perhaps best known for playing Yuri Boyka in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Undisputed III: Redemption and Bradley Hume in Holby City and Ed Russell in Mile High...
, actor - Richard Baker, CEO of Alliance BootsAlliance BootsAlliance Boots GmbH is a leading international, pharmacy-led health and beauty group. It has two core business activities - pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing, and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution - and has a presence in more than 25 countries...
from 2004-7 - Prof Maurice BeresfordMaurice BeresfordMaurice Warwick Beresford was an English economic historian and medieval archaeologist.-Academic career:...
, archaeologist and historian, Professor of Economic History from 1959 to 1985 at the University of LeedsUniversity of LeedsThe University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England... - Keith Bradley, politician and life peer
- Michael C. BrewerMichael C. BrewerMichael C. Brewer is musical director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. He also conducts Laudibus, a chamber choir. Brewer has a master of music degree and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1995....
, conductor - Bill Buckley (radio presenter), and TV presenter
- Robert Burton (scholar)Robert Burton (scholar)Robert Burton was an English scholar at Oxford University, best known for the classic The Anatomy of Melancholy. He was also the incumbent of St Thomas the Martyr, Oxford, and of Segrave in Leicestershire.-Life:...
, author of The Anatomy of Melancholy - Philip CoxPhilip Cox (businessman)Philip Gotsall Cox is the Chief Executive Officer of International Power, the energy company based in London, formed from National Power when Innogy de-merged from it in April 2000.-Early life:...
, CEOChief executive officerA chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
since 2003 of International PowerInternational PowerInternational Power PLC is an international electricity generator formed in 2000 by the demerger of National Power. It is headquartered at Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street in the City of London... - Cat DeeleyCat DeeleyCatherine Elizabeth "Cat" Deeley is an English television presenter and model. Since 2006, Deeley has also been the host of So You Think You Can Dance in the United States, for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition...
, model and TV presenter - Vernon HarrisonVernon HarrisonDr. Vernon George Wentworth Harrison, PhD. is a former president of the Royal Photographic Society, and a professional "research worker of disputed documents".-Biography:...
, President of the Royal Photographic SocietyRoyal Photographic SocietyThe Royal Photographic Society is the world's oldest national photographic society. It was founded in London, United Kingdom in 1853 as The Photographic Society of London with the objective of promoting the Art and Science of Photography...
1974-1976, and photography researcher - Dan HicksDan Hicks (archaeologist)Dr Dan Hicks FSA, MIfA is a British archaeologist and anthropologist based at the University of Oxford. Hicks was educated at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, Birmingham, where he was taught by R. F. Langley. He read Archaeology and Anthropology at St John's College, Oxford, gaining a first class...
archaeologist and anthropologist - Alan Hodgetts, radio presenter
- Chris JohnsonChris Johnson-Sports:* Chris Johnson , Australian rules footballer with Brisbane* Chris Johnson , Australian rules footballer with Melbourne and Carlton* Chris Johnson , Jamaican...
, rugby player - Julian KingJulian King (diplomat)Julian Beresford King, CMG , is the British Ambassador to Ireland, appointed in September 2009, succeeding David Reddaway....
, Ambassador to Ireland since 2009 - Dr Peter Knight CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Central EnglandBirmingham City UniversityBirmingham City University is a British university in the city of Birmingham, England. It is the second largest of three universities in the city, the other two being the Aston University and University of Birmingham...
from 1992 to 2006 - John LeeseJohn LeeseJohn Leese was a British newspaper editor.Leese studied at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School. He edited the Coventry Evening Telegraph in the mid-1960s, then moved to London to work on the Evening News...
, journalist and former editor of the Evening StandardEvening StandardThe Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
from 1986-1 - John Mogg, Baron Mogg
- Prof Michael Osbaldeston OBE, Director from 2003 of the Cranfield School of ManagementCranfield School of ManagementCranfield School of Management is part of Cranfield University and a leading business school in the world. Cranfield University has provided management training since the late 1940s...
- Prof John Osborne, Professor of Dental Prosthetics from 1948 to 1973 at the University of Birmingham
- Sir Peter RickettsPeter RickettsSir Peter Forbes Ricketts, GCMG is a senior British diplomat who currently serves as National Security Adviser to HM Government...
KCMGOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, Permanent Under Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeForeign and Commonwealth OfficeThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
2006- - Peter G D Robbins, rugby player, Coventry and England 1956-62
- Alan Scott CVO CBE Governor, Cayman Islands 1987-92
- Sir Bernard Scott CBE, Chairman from 1974 to 1980 of Lucas Industries, and President from 1980-1 of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and TradersSociety of Motor Manufacturers and TradersThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders is the trade association for the United Kingdom motor industry. It "promote the interests of the UK automotive industry at home and abroad".-History:...
- David Snoxell, UK Ambassador to Senegal 1997-2000, and High CommissionerHigh CommissionerHigh Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to MauritiusMauritiusMauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
from 2000-4 - Cyril Stanley SmithCyril Stanley SmithCyril Stanley Smith was a renowned metallurgist and historian of science. Smith is perhaps most famous for his work on the Manhattan Project where he was responsible for the production of fissionable metals....
, metallurgist and historian of science - Showell StylesShowell StylesFrank Showell Styles was a Welsh writer and mountaineer.Showell Styles was born in Four Oaks, Birmingham and was educated at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, Sutton Coldfield. Known to his friends as 'Pip', Showell Styles' childhood was spent in the hills of North Wales where he became an avid...
, novelist and explorer - Brian Tanner CBE, Chief Executive from 1990-7 of Somerset County Council
- Richard Wilkes 18th-century antiquarian (Staffordshire)
- Francis WillughbyFrancis Willughbythumbnail|200px|right|A page from the Ornithologia, showing [[Jackdaw]], [[Chough]], [[European Magpie|Magpie]] and [[Eurasian Jay|Jay]], all [[Corvidae|crows]]....
, ornithologist and ichthyologist - John R C Young, sprinter and rugby player, AAA 100 yards champion 1956, Harlequins and England 1958 to 61 and British Lions 1959
- Dan HemingwayDan HemingwayDaniel Philip Hemingway is a rugby union player. After spending time on loan from Leicester Tigers at Nottingham RFC, Dan has now signed a 2 year contract taking him to Leeds Carnegie...
, Leicester Tigers rugby player. - Graham Crabb, musician, Pop Will Eat Itself
- James WardellJames WardellJames Wardell is an English photojournalist, war photographer and glamour photographer.-Photography:James Wardell attended University College, Durham University and after graduating in Geography moved from his home town of Sutton Coldfield to start work as an advertising executive in 2001 at the...
, photojournalist, war photographer and glamour photographer.
The poet R. F. Langley
R. F. Langley
Roger Francis Langley was an English poet and diarist. During his life, he was loosely affiliated with the Cambridge poetry scene.-Life and work:...
taught English to sixth formers at the school in the 1980s and 1990s.