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Dartford Grammar School
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Dartford Grammar School is a selective secondary (ages 11–18) foundation school for boys in Dartford, Kent, England, which admits girls to its sixth form (ages 16–18). All of the students joining the school are from the top 25% of the ability range. The students come from Dartford, neighbouring towns and villages, and nearby London boroughs, as well as an increasing number of students from Essex. The current roll is 1242, including 461 in the sixth form.
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Encyclopedia
Dartford Grammar School is a selective secondary (ages 11–18) foundation school for boys in Dartford, Kent, England, which admits girls to its sixth form (ages 16–18). All of the students joining the school are from the top 25% of the ability range. The students come from Dartford, neighbouring towns and villages, and nearby London boroughs, as well as an increasing number of students from Essex. The current roll is 1242, including 461 in the sixth form. The school was founded in 1576 and has seen several different locations since this date. In 2007, Mr A.J.Smith, the headteacher of the school, announced, that he would becoming the 'Executive Head' of Dartford Grammar School, in order for him to continue his work at other schools. This meant that Mr W.J.Oakes would become the 'Head of School', looking after the day to day running of the school. Then, in late 2008, Mr Smith announced that he would be retiring from his post of Headteacher at Dartford Grammar School at the end of the 2008/2009 academic year, and that MR W.J.Oakes would take his place as headmaster of Dartford Grammar School. Closed for a snow day on 2nd February 2009.
Academic performance
In 2004, 99% of Year 11 gained 7+ grades A*-C in GCSE exams. A very high proportion of Year 13 students proceed to university.
The school has been included in Ofsted's website as one of England's most successful schools and colleges, having been judged to be outstandingly successful in each of the two Chief Inspector's reports, receiving 100% (outstanding in all categories) in the 2008 Ofsted inspection. Only 123 secondary schools in England have achieved this, and only three in Kent.
As of 2007, the school has been awarded the right to teach the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, becoming the first school in Britain and the first state school in the world to teach the course.
Locations and buildings
The school currently is located on Shepherds Lane, Dartford at the top of West Hill, having moved since lessons were initially given in the high street above the Corn Market house, which was demolished in 1769. The school moved to its present location in 1864. The original school house (facing Dartford Road) is now referred to as the Hardy Building, named after the novelist Thomas Hardy who was an assistant architect to Arthur Blomfield, the main architect who designed the building. The original field is now used to house the building additions, which started with the Science block in 1928 (now named the Stephenson building after the late head of Science Dr Brian Stephenson), followed by most of the remaining buildings in 1940. The three-floored classroom building is named after Major Harold Pochin, Headmaster from 1920 to 1946.
Other buildings include the Gwyn building, named after Edward Gwyn, one of the school founders, containing technology and business teaching rooms, as well as the majority of the new sixth form centre, where recently 5 new teaching rooms have been opened, in order to aid the development and growth of the school. The Beckets Sports centre is shared with the public in agreement with the school, in the same way as The Mick Jagger Centre, a £2.2m development financed with National Lottery funding by the Arts Council of England. The Mick Jagger Centre was opened in March 2000 by The Duke of Kent, hosts a number of performing arts events. The Keyes Building, named after the aforementioned Sidney Keyes contains many classrooms and also the large learning resources centre. The current school field is located next to Dartford Technology College, where the pavilion has recently been replaced.
House system
The students are divided into five Houses:
- D'Aeth (Yellow)
- Gwyn (Purple)
- Havelock (Red)
- Vaughn (Green)
- Wilson (Blue)
The House system was introduced in 1916 with four Houses (Gwyn House being added in the 1990s). D’Aeth, Gwyn and Vaughan are named after the three founders of the School: lawyer William D'Aeth, merchant Edward Gwyn and William Vaughan, a landowner and philanthropist. Havelock is named after the British General Henry Havelock, a former student at the school, and Wilson is named after another distinguished former pupil, Sir Erasmus Wilson.
Colours System
Colours can be awarded for a number of different achievements. These can range from being an honourable ambassador to the school, to achieving outstanding results in performing arts. Here is a list of colours which can be awarded:
- A badge with the school crest depicted (known as school colours) on it for representing school in rugby, cricket or athletics.
- A purple tie for success in performing arts.
- A green tie for swimming or other sports.
- A maroon tie for cricket.
- Tour Ties to recognise participation in a Foreign Sports tours
- County Sports ties can be worn or National Ties such as NYO (National Youth Orshestra) ties can be worn
Notable alumni
Former pupils of the school who still contribute to the school, either by sponsorship or simply by mere acknowledgement, are known as Old Dartfordians.
- Sir Henry Havelock, British general
- Henry Ambrose Hunt, meteorologist
- Mick Jagger, rock musician
- Sidney Keyes, pre-war poet
- Matt Morgan, comedian
- Topsy Ojo, England rugby player, London Irish fullback
- Min Patel, international cricketer
- Michael Pearson, clock-historian and author
- John Rushby, computer scientist
- Alec Stock, footballer
- Douglas Taylor, inventor of the "ski-jump" VSTOL aircraft launching ramp
- Sir Erasmus Wilson, surgeon
External links
- [https://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/index.cfm?fuseaction=summary&id=118878&bar=no Ofsted Report]
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