Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys
Encyclopedia
Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys is a selective boys school of over 1000 pupils and staff, located in the outskirts of Canterbury
, Kent
. It holds both Foundation and Grammar school
(selective) status and has 'specialist college'
status in science.
Its sister school is Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
.
Students from all over East Kent typically join the school in Year 7 and can then stay on until GCSE examinations in Year 11. However, the majority of students decide to stay on into the sixth form
, where a large number gain entry into universities
, both in the UK and abroad. Notably, while the lower school (Years 7-11) is limited to boys, the sixth form is mixed.
It is situated on the B2068 towards the Canterbury bypass, south of the city.
succeeding the Blue Coat Boys' School
housed at the Poor Priest's Hospital in order to provide better education for the lower proportion of the Middle Class
. The schools were originally called the Canterbury Middle Schools, but in order to dispel the impression that the schools were socially exclusive (the pair were often collectively known as the "middle class school"), they were renamed in 1887 after Simon Langton
, Archdeacon of Canterbury (previously the Archbishop of York
), who left behind endowments to the Poor Priest's Hospital after his death in 1248.
The school was initially built on the site of what is now the Whitefriar's Shopping Centre
in central Canterbury. The buildings were built of red brick, dressed with Bath stone
, the construction of which cost approximately £3000, and the design was simple with little decoration.
with a black and yellow band and a separate cap for the winter months. However by 1927 the black and yellow design was fairly widely replicated by other schools and so was replaced by a red, blue and gold blazer
and hat with a coloured button on the crown to signify the wearer's House
.
By 1900, the school had a range of traditions. On 24 May, Queen Victoria's birthday, Empire Day was celebrated by a parade and the raising of the Union Flag
in the playground, a speech by the headmaster, and a holiday. At the end of each Christmas
term, boys would put on an "Entertainment", and over the Christmas holidays they would be expected to read a classic set by the headmaster.
The first Annual Commemoration Service was held in July 1911, and has continued since, being interrupted during wartime only.
, that the school could not be a denominational
one, as it was not part of the foundation of the cathedral
, and it had neither the original grant of Elizabeth I
or the Act of George II
.
In a letter to The Guardian
in 1906, the school was described by David Dorrity, who was the rector of St. Ann's Church, Manchester
, as a secondary school that "is made use of by all who can afford to pay the fees to the denominational schools." He also appears to quote from the school's prospectus of the time:
In the Second World War, the school was at first used as a reception centre for evacuees
from London
and the Medway towns
; both staff and senior students helped to billet and feed the influx of children. The school was badly damaged in the Blitz
, but continued on the Whitefriars site until it was relocated at its current site at Nackington
in 1958.
In 2010, 55% of Simon Langton's pupils received the English Baccalaureate, this is perhaps due to the tendency that struggling pupils are allowed not to sit a language at GCSE.
The CERN
Courier described the school as "one of the most active in implementing innovative ways of teaching science in the UK".
project (both in collaboration with CERN), the Imperial College
plasma
physics project, the Faulkes Telescope Project
, and MBP2 (Myelin Basic Protein
Project) with the help of the University of Kent
in support of the Wellcome Trust
.
Channel 4 News
stated that "boys[at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys] have gone well beyond the curriculum to take part in cutting-edge scientific experiments; plasma physics, space satellites and medical research", and even went as far to say that the school had "outwitted NASA" with the LUCID project.
took up the newly formed position of Writer in Residence at SLBS, a position he said he is "honoured to accept". Simon will visit the school on a regular basis to hold creative writing sessions for students as well as judging the annual Scarrow Award for Fiction.
as founding members of the Wilde Flowers
, Caravan
and Soft Machine
were alumni.
Robert Wyatt
is probably the most well known of the musicians that stemmed from Soft Machine. Ian MacDonald
, then editor of NME
, was quoted in 1975 to have described the school as "an exclusive, private establishment for the sons of local intellectuals and artists. Very free, emphatically geared to the uninhibited development of self-expression. A hot-bed to teenage avant-garderie."
Other musical Langtonians include the following:
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. It holds both Foundation and Grammar school
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...
(selective) status and has 'specialist college'
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
status in science.
Its sister school is Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School is a single-sex voluntary controlled grammar school in Canterbury, Kent, England. The school originated in the Middle Ages as an educational foundation for children in Canterbury, emerging as a separate school for girls in 1881...
.
Students from all over East Kent typically join the school in Year 7 and can then stay on until GCSE examinations in Year 11. However, the majority of students decide to stay on into the sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
, where a large number gain entry into universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, both in the UK and abroad. Notably, while the lower school (Years 7-11) is limited to boys, the sixth form is mixed.
It is situated on the B2068 towards the Canterbury bypass, south of the city.
Foundation
The school was founded along with its sister school in 1881,succeeding the Blue Coat Boys' School
Charity school
A charity school, also called Blue Coat School, was significant in the History of education in England. They were erected and maintained in various parishes, by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants, for teaching poor children to read, write, and other necessary parts of education...
housed at the Poor Priest's Hospital in order to provide better education for the lower proportion of the Middle Class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
. The schools were originally called the Canterbury Middle Schools, but in order to dispel the impression that the schools were socially exclusive (the pair were often collectively known as the "middle class school"), they were renamed in 1887 after Simon Langton
Simon Langton (archbishop)
Simon Langton was an English medieval clergyman who served as Archdeacon of Canterbury from 1227 until his death in 1248. He had previously been Archbishop-elect of York, but the election was quashed by Pope Innocent III.-Life:...
, Archdeacon of Canterbury (previously the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
), who left behind endowments to the Poor Priest's Hospital after his death in 1248.
The school was initially built on the site of what is now the Whitefriar's Shopping Centre
Whitefriars Shopping Centre
Whitefriars Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in Canterbury, Kent, England.-Before Whitefriars:The Whitefriars Shopping Quarter is situated on the site of the former multi-storey car park and Ricemans department store...
in central Canterbury. The buildings were built of red brick, dressed with Bath stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
, the construction of which cost approximately £3000, and the design was simple with little decoration.
Uniform and Traditions
The first piece of uniform was introduced in 1887; a straw hatStraw hat
A straw hat is a brimmed hat that is woven out of straw or reeds. The hat is designed to protect the head from the sun and against heatstroke, but straw hats were also used in fashion and as a decorative element of a uniform.- Manufacture :...
with a black and yellow band and a separate cap for the winter months. However by 1927 the black and yellow design was fairly widely replicated by other schools and so was replaced by a red, blue and gold blazer
Blazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
and hat with a coloured button on the crown to signify the wearer's House
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
.
By 1900, the school had a range of traditions. On 24 May, Queen Victoria's birthday, Empire Day was celebrated by a parade and the raising of the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
in the playground, a speech by the headmaster, and a holiday. At the end of each Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
term, boys would put on an "Entertainment", and over the Christmas holidays they would be expected to read a classic set by the headmaster.
The first Annual Commemoration Service was held in July 1911, and has continued since, being interrupted during wartime only.
Relation to the Church
It was established as early as 1876 by Dr. George Blore, Headmaster of The King's SchoolThe King's School, Canterbury
The King's School is a British co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in the historic English cathedral city of Canterbury in Kent. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group....
, that the school could not be a denominational
Religious education
In secular usage, religious education is the teaching of a particular religion and its varied aspects —its beliefs, doctrines, rituals, customs, rites, and personal roles...
one, as it was not part of the foundation of the cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, and it had neither the original grant of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
or the Act of George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
.
In a letter to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 1906, the school was described by David Dorrity, who was the rector of St. Ann's Church, Manchester
St Ann's Church, Manchester
St Ann's Church, Manchester, was consecrated in 1712. Although named after St Anne, it also pays tribute to the patron of the church, Ann, Lady Bland. St Ann's Church is a Grade I listed building.-Architecture and setting:...
, as a secondary school that "is made use of by all who can afford to pay the fees to the denominational schools." He also appears to quote from the school's prospectus of the time:
- “Religious instruction is given, but is restricted to lessons from the Bible, and exemption from this instruction or from attendance at prayers may be claimed on written notice being given to the head master.”
First and Second World Wars
During World War I, the Simon Langton schools were used by the military. The "New Wing" of Simon Langton Boys was adopted by the South East Mounted Rifles, who transformed the playground into a parade ground, and the playing fields were put to use by the army.In the Second World War, the school was at first used as a reception centre for evacuees
Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II
Evacuation of civilians in Britain during the Second World War was designed to save the population of urban or military areas in the United Kingdom from aerial bombing of cities and military targets such as docks. Civilians, particularly children, were moved to areas thought to be less at risk....
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Medway towns
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
; both staff and senior students helped to billet and feed the influx of children. The school was badly damaged in the Blitz
Blitz
-Armed conflict:*The Blitz, the German aerial attacks on Britain in WWII. The name Blitz was subsequently applied to many individual bombing campaigns or attacks.*Blitzkrieg, the "lightning war", a strategy of World War 2 Germany-People:...
, but continued on the Whitefriars site until it was relocated at its current site at Nackington
Nackington
Nackington is a village near Canterbury in Kent, England....
in 1958.
Headmasters
- G. H. Nelson (1881–1884)
- W. P. Mann (1884–1908)
- J. H. Sharp (1908–1925)
- L. W. Myers (1926–1954)
- D. C. H. RieuD. C. H. RieuDominic Christopher Henry Rieu was a classical scholar and son of the famous E. V. Rieu. After attending Highgate School, he studied English and Classics at Queen's College, Oxford. As part of the West Yorkshire Regiment in 1941, he was injured at Cheren and subsequently awarded the Military Cross...
(1955–1977) - J. Harris (1977–2001)
- M. N. F. Baxter (2001–present)
Academic performance
The 2009 Ofsted inspection notes that the school "provides a good quality of education for its students", and goes on to say that "achievement is good because the targets the school sets are appropriately demanding and students make good progress during their time at the school, and very high standards." It did however state that The Langton needed to "give students more opportunities to play an active role in more lessons."In 2010, 55% of Simon Langton's pupils received the English Baccalaureate, this is perhaps due to the tendency that struggling pupils are allowed not to sit a language at GCSE.
The CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
Courier described the school as "one of the most active in implementing innovative ways of teaching science in the UK".
The Langton Star Centre
The Langton Star Centre is an organisation led by Dr. Becky Parker MBE that supports research groups of students involved in cutting-edge scientific research, the principal aim of which is to "increase interest in science and engineering amongst post-16 school students such that they move on to study these subjects at university and take up careers in science and engineering." Projects run by the centre include the CERN@school project, the LUCIDLUCID
LUCID, , is a cosmic ray detector being built for a satellite of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd at the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, in Canterbury, England...
project (both in collaboration with CERN), the Imperial College
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
physics project, the Faulkes Telescope Project
Faulkes Telescope Project
The Faulkes Telescope Project is supported by the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust. It provides access to 1,500 hours of observing time on two 2-metre class telescopes located in Hawaii and Australia...
, and MBP2 (Myelin Basic Protein
Myelin basic protein
Myelin basic protein is a protein believed to be important in the process of myelination of nerves in the central nervous system .MBP was initially sequenced in 1971 after isolation from myelin membranes...
Project) with the help of the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
in support of the Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
.
Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News is the news division of British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since the broadcaster's launch in 1982.-Channel 4 News:...
stated that "boys
Writer in Residence
In November 2006, the acclaimed author Simon ScarrowSimon Scarrow
Simon Scarrow is a UK-based author, born in Nigeria and now based in Norfolk. He completed a master's degree at the University of East Anglia after working at the Inland Revenue, and then went into teaching as a lecturer, firstly at East Norfolk Sixth Form College, then at City College Norwich.He...
took up the newly formed position of Writer in Residence at SLBS, a position he said he is "honoured to accept". Simon will visit the school on a regular basis to hold creative writing sessions for students as well as judging the annual Scarrow Award for Fiction.
The ASD Department
This department is the first programme for pupils with autism spectrum disorder in a grammar school in England. This programme seeks to facilitate inclusion into mainstream education by encouraging positive policies to promote social integration. The department currently houses ten pupils.Notable former pupils
Alumni of the School are given the opportunity to join the Old Langtonian Association which organises events and get-togethers for former members of the School.Musical alumni
The school has been linked with the music of the Canterbury sceneCanterbury Scene
The Canterbury scene is a term used to loosely describe the group of progressive rock, avant-garde and jazz musicians, many of whom were based around the city of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
as founding members of the Wilde Flowers
Wilde Flowers
The Wilde Flowers were a popular music group based in the vicinity of Canterbury, England. The group was active between 1964 and 1967 but never released any records during its existence; however it led to the formation of two other groups that became well-known and influential: Soft Machine and...
, Caravan
Caravan (band)
Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. Caravan rose to success over a period of several years from 1968 onwards into the 1970s as part of the Canterbury scene, blending...
and Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
were alumni.
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
is probably the most well known of the musicians that stemmed from Soft Machine. Ian MacDonald
Ian MacDonald
Ian MacCormick was a British music critic and author, best known for Revolution in the Head, his forensic history of The Beatles which borrowed techniques from art historians, and The New Shostakovich, a controversial study of the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich...
, then editor of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, was quoted in 1975 to have described the school as "an exclusive, private establishment for the sons of local intellectuals and artists. Very free, emphatically geared to the uninhibited development of self-expression. A hot-bed to teenage avant-garderie."
Other musical Langtonians include the following:
- Adrian BrettAdrian BrettAdrian Brett is a British male flautist.In 1979, Brett released an album entitled Echoes of Gold, Warwick Records which appeared in the Top 20 of the UK Albums Chart Brett received a gold disc for successful sales....
- flautist - Tony CoeTony CoeAnthony George Coe is a composer and jazz musician who plays clarinet, bass clarinet, and tenor saxophone.Coe began his performing career playing with Humphrey Lyttelton's band from 1957 to 1962...
- jazz musician - Ben HancoxBen HancoxBen Hancox is an English violinist, who is most famous for co-founding the Sacconi String Quartet in 2001.-Pre-Sacconi life:Hancox started playing the violin at the age of four. In his late teens he studied with Serguei Fatkouline in Madrid and Bonn, before being accepted into the Royal College of...
- violinist, played at the royal wedding 2011 - Joseph McMannersJoseph McMannersJoseph McManners is an English actor and singer. He lives on a non-working farm in Petham near Canterbury and recently left Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys for Tonbridge School after being awarded a drama and academic scholarship.-Singing career:McManners decided to become a singer after he...
- Mark PadmoreMark PadmoreMark Padmore is a British tenor appearing in concerts, recitals, and opera.Born in London 8 March 1961, and raised in Canterbury, Kent in England. Padmore studied clarinet and piano prior to his gaining a choral scholarship to King's College, Cambridge...
- tenor - Trevor PinnockTrevor PinnockTrevor David Pinnock CBE is an English conductor, harpsichordist, and occasional organist and pianist.He is best known for his association with the period-performance orchestra The English Concert which he helped found and directed from the keyboard for over 30 years in baroque and early classical...
- harpsichordist
Other alumni
Other famous Langton alumni include the following (listed alphabetically):- Tony BuzanTony BuzanAnthony "Tony" Peter Buzan is an author and educational consultant. He is a proponent of the techniques of Mind Mapping and mental literacy. He claims to have worked with "corporate entities and businesses all over the world; academics; Olympic athletes; children of all ages; governments; and...
(briefly), psychologist known for mind mapMind mapA mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Especially in British English, the terms spidergram and spidergraph are more common, but they can cause confusion with the term spider diagram used in mathematics...
s - Gideon CoeGideon CoeGideon "The Guv'nor" Coe is a radio DJ, presenter, sportscaster, voiceover artist and journalist.Coe was one of the child presenters of the BBC 1 children's programme "Why Don't You?"....
- radio DJ currently on Radio 6, 10:00 - 13:00, and sometime journalist. - Professor Sir Bernard CrosslandBernard CrosslandProf Sir Bernard Crossland CBE, FRS was an engineering educator with a career spanning some seven decades. He was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1987 and was knighted in 1990 for services to Northern Ireland.-Life:...
, Professor and Head of Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from 1959-82 at Queen's University Belfast - Rt Rev Archibald Howard CullenArchibald Howard CullenThe Rt Rev Archibald Howard Cullen was the 6th Bishop of Grahamstown. He was born on 24 September 1887 and educated at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys and Queens' College, Cambridge. Ordained in 1916, his first post was a curacy in Coalbrookdale. He was then a temporary Chaplain to the...
- Steve Goldsmith (cricketer)Steve Goldsmith (cricketer)Steve Clive Goldsmith is a former English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler. During his career, he played First-class cricket for Kent and Derbyshire....
- Nik GowingNik GowingNik Keith Gowing is a British television journalist. He was educated at the Simon Langton Grammar School in Canterbury and Latymer Upper School in London, followed by Bristol University....
- news presenter - Wing CommanderWing Commander (rank)Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Jack Hoskins - F. W. JordanF. W. JordanFrank Wilfred Jordan was a British physicist who together with William Henry Eccles invented the so-called "flip-flop" circuit in 1918. This circuit became the basis of electronic memory in computers....
, physicist who invented the flip-flop circuitFlip-flop (electronics)In electronics, a flip-flop or latch is a circuit that has two stable states and can be used to store state information. The circuit can be made to change state by signals applied to one or more control inputs and will have one or two outputs. It is the basic storage element in sequential logic...
in 1918 with William EcclesWilliam EcclesWilliam Henry Eccles was a British physicist and a pioneer in the development of radio communication.He was born in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England. Following graduation from the Royal College of Science, London, in 1898, he became an assistant to Guglielmo Marconi, the Italian radio... - Raymond KendallRaymond KendallRaymond Edward Kendall , QPM is a British law enforcement officer and former Interpol Secretary-General.-Biography:Kendall commenced military service in the Royal Air Force in 1951, serving in Malaya . He joined the Metropolitan Police in 1962, spending most of his service in Special Branch and...
, Secretary General from 1985-2000 of InterpolInterpolInterpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation... - Sir Freddie LakerFreddie LakerSir Frederick Alfred Laker was a British airline entrepreneur, best known for founding Laker Airways in 1966, which went bankrupt in 1982...
- airline entrepreneur was an alumnus of the school - Denis Lemon - Founder and editor of Gay NewsGay NewsGay News was a pioneering fortnightly newspaper in the United Kingdom founded in June 1972 in a collaboration between former members of the Gay Liberation Front and members of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality...
- Adam Roberts (British Writer) -- science fiction novelist
- Sir Alec RoseAlec RoseSir Alec Rose was a nursery owner and fruit merchant in England who had a passion for amateur single-handed sailing, for which he was ultimately knighted....
— knighted by Elizabeth II the day after circumnavigating the world single-handedly - Frank Twyman, President from 1930–2 of the Optical Society, invented the Twyman–Green interferometer, and wrote the book Prism and Lens Making
- BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Ernest Walter Davie WesternErnest Walter Davie WesternBrigadier Ernest Walter Davie Western was the first son of Walter Western and Elizabeth Ann Heard . E.W.D. Western was born on 2 Feb, 1901, in Gibraltar. He was educated at the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, Canterbury, in 1918...
DSO
Miscellanea
- A former headmaster, John Harris, was Vice-Chairman of the National Grammar Schools AssociationNational Grammar Schools AssociationThe National Grammar Schools Association is an organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigns for the promotion of selective education.-History:It was formed in the 1970s...
. - In February 2006, 300 students of the school were struck down by influenzaInfluenzaInfluenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
. - In 2010 the school became one of the first sites in the world to utilise the kinetic energy from the students' walking over pressure pads in a corridor with PaveGenPaveGenPavegen is a startup technology company that has developed paving slabs to convert energy from people's footsteps into electrical power. The slabs are to be trialled at the 2012 Summer Olympics site....
systems technology that converts the energy from footsteps into electricity.