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11–18 boys academy in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Northampton School for Boys (NSB) is an 11–18 boys secondary school in Northampton, England. It was founded as Northampton Town and County Grammar School in 1541 by Thomas Chipsey, Mayor of Northampton. Years 7 to 11 are boys-only, while Sixth Form classes are mixed. The school generally ranks among the best-performing in the county.
Northampton School for Boys | |
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![]() School crest ![]() Northampton School for Boys in the background | |
Address | |
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Billing Road , Northamptonshire , NN1 5RT England | |
Coordinates | 52.2391°N 0.8672°W |
Information | |
Type | 11–18 boys Academy |
Mottoes | A Tradition of Excellence Since 1541 / An Independent Academy for the Town and County |
Established | 1541 |
Founder | Thomas Chipsey |
Department for Education URN | 136299 Tables |
Ofsted | Reports |
Headteacher | Richard Bernard |
Gender | Boys |
Age | 11 to 18 |
Enrolment | 1528[1] |
Houses | Brightwell, Chipsey, Manley, Washington |
Colour(s) | Red/Blue |
Former pupils | Old Northamptonians |
Website | Northampton School for Boys |
The school was founded in 1541 by mayor Thomas Chipsey, as the town's free boys grammar school.[2] In 1557, the school moved to St. Gregory's church, which was adapted for its use. The School remained on this site until 1864, when it moved to the Corn Exchange in the Market Square. In 1870, additional premises were opened in Abington Square to educate a further 200 pupils. Due to its popularity, the school moved again in 1911, to new buildings constructed on the present site at Billing Road.[3]
In 1992, the school became Grant Maintained,[3] later becoming a Foundation school. Under the leadership of Sir Bruce Liddington, followed by Sir Michael Griffiths,[4] it prospered as a prominent and over-subscribed school. From 1994, the school's GCSE results improved year upon year, and became the only school nationally to achieve an 11-year period of continual improvement.[5] Michael Griffiths, headmaster, was knighted in the 2014 New Years Honours list for services to Education. Since 2014 Richard Bernard (Ex-OFSTED inspector) has taken over the role of headmaster once Sir Michael Griffiths had retired.
During the 1990s, the school allowed the admission of girls into the Sixth Form. Currently[when?] up to a quarter of the Sixth Form can be girls.[3]
In the summer of 1999 the school completed a new complex, Cripps Hall, named in honour of Sir Humphrey Cripps, philanthropist and Cambridge-educated former pupil of the school. It includes a theatre used for school productions and concerts as well as public performances. The building is home to the School's Expressive Arts and Modern Foreign Languages departments, as well as the theatre, drama workshop and Lounge.
During 2004, Northampton switched back to the two-tier system,[6] once again making Northampton School for Boys a secondary school; consequently, the school had to admit pupils from the age of eleven. To cope with the increased numbers, the school for two years occupied a second campus ("Northampton School for Boys West") at the former Cliftonville Middle School—separated from the main site by St Andrew's Hospital—for the new year sevens and eights. With the completion of the RIBA award-winning new building, all pupils were located back on the main site.
The school has achieved recognition for its success, particularly in the areas of sport[1] and music. Six music groups from the school achieved places in the 2009 finals of the National Festival of Music for Youth. Out of these, the Jazz Big Band won the tournament, and two other groups finished as runners-up in their categories. In November 2007 the Schools 'Jazz Vocal Group' was invited to perform at the Music for Youth Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.[5] In December 2005 NSB was named The Daily Telegraph State School of the Year for its achievements in sport.[8]
The school was selected to be an ambassador school for the NAGTY due to its gifted and talented programme, which was hailed as a model system by DfES.[9]
In terms of sport, the school has had a number of its former students go into professional rugby, but many have achieved international recognition in a range of sports. Particular strengths are rugby, football, cricket, basketball, cross country, athletics and rowing, but there are also competitive fixtures in hockey, swimming, badminton and netball. Saturday fixtures are still a part of NSB life, unlike most state schools.[citation needed]
On 20 May 2013, the Under 13 (year 8) age group won the English School's Football Association National Cup 4-3 AET, defeating Walkwood CE Middle School, Redditch, at Chesterfield F.C.'s Proact Stadium. This marked the first Football National Cup triumph for the school, and the second final.[citation needed]
On 16 March 2016, the Under 15 (year 10) age group won the football National Cup, securing a 2-1 victory over football specialist school Thomas Telford School, at the Madejski Stadium, Reading.[10]
The centre of the school is occupied by the 1911 Building, which over the years has been extended to include an extension to the library and which is now attached to the science and technology blocks and the new (2006) building. In the summer of 1999 the school completed the Cripps Hall, named in honour of Sir Humphrey Cripps, a former pupil of the school. It includes a theatre used for school productions and concerts as well as public performances. The building is home to the School's Expressive Arts and Modern Foreign Languages departments.
Beginning in 2005, the school has had a refurbishment and building programme, called Project 465 (the school was to be 465 years old when finished, but because of building delays it was 466), which was finished in early 2007. One of the purposes of the programme was to accommodate the newly added years sevens and eights. Constructed in a post-modern style, the building features new English and mathematics classrooms, alongside two new ICT suites, a sixth form lounge (known colloquially as "The Pod") a 'restaurant/bistro' and a concourse for indoor recreation at breaktimes.
In addition, the Edward Cripps Human Performance Centre has been built which is home to a new pool, with a floor capable of raising and lowering to change the depth of the pool, a dance studio and an extension to the fitness suite, alongside a number of changing rooms. The facilities cost £4.9 million, and was opened in December 2014 by Rebecca Adlington, a former competitive swimmer.[11]
Northampton School for Boys is heavily oversubscribed at both age 11 and age 16 and selection criteria for admission are applied. Boys at age 11 were formerly admitted on the basis of an application form, in which parents were encouraged to make the most of their child's interests and achievements.[12] The school now uses 3 criteria to admit pupils: (after a number of other, statutory priority places) a sibling link, an aptitude for music or technology, and finally an independently monitored fair allocation system using banding to create an equal spread of abilities. The sixth form is open to students from all schools and has an admissions number for external students of 60. Places are allocated by sitting a test, the top 60 being admitted. Each year there are approximately 550 first choice applications to join Y7 and 300 applications from students currently in Year 11 at other schools. Girls are admitted to the 6th form.[citation needed]
Alumni are known as Old Northamptonians.