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Bangor Grammar School

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Coordinates: 54°39′54″N 5°39′36″W / 54.665°N 5.660°W / 54.665; -5.660
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54°39′54″N 5°39′36″W / 54.665°N 5.660°W / 54.665; -5.660

Bangor Grammar School
Address
Map
College Avenue

Bangor
,
Down
,
BT20 5HJ

United Kingdom
Information
TypeVoluntary school
Motto"Justitiae tenax"
(Maintain Justice)
Established1856
FounderCol, The Hon. Robert Ward PC MP(Eire)
Local authoritySEELB
Chairman of the BoardMr J. Adrain, B.Sc (Econ), FCA
HeadmasterMr Stephen Connolly, MA
ChaplainsRevd Nigel Parker, BSc
Revd Willis Cordner, BTh
GenderBoys
Age4 to 18
EnrollmentApprox 1000
HousesCrosby, Dufferin, School, Ward
Colour(s)Royal Blue, Yellow    
PublicationThe Gryphon and The Gryphitti
Former pupilsGrammarians
Chair of the GrammariansMr Trevor Gray
Websitehttp://www.bangorgrammarschool.org.uk

Bangor Grammar School (The Grammar or B.G.S.), is an all-boys, voluntary grammar school situated in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1856 by the Conservative politician and Bangor man, Col The Hon. Robert Ward PC MP(Eire) who lived at Castle Ward. The school currently comprises two parts, Connor House, a preparatory school for pupils aged 4–11 and a secondary school for pupils aged 12–18.

Traditionally, Bangor Grammar has a strong record of educating boys, and pupils perform well in academic examinations. In the 2009/2010 academic year, 96% of boys sitting GCSE examinations gained seven passes at grade C or higher and 70% of boys sitting A2 examinations achieved three passes at grade C or higher.

The Headmaster of the school is a member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Since 2000 the position has been filled by Mr Stephen Connolly, MA

The school has played a central part in the life of the town of Bangor for many years due to its location and influence. Old boys of Bangor Grammar School are known as Grammarians.

History

Bangor Grammar School Sites
Bank of Ireland Building
Original site on Main Street (1856-1901), now site of a Bank of Ireland building.
Crosby House
Current site on College Avenue (1905-present), building in foreground is Crosby House.

Endowment for the school came from the will of local gentleman and politician Col The Hon. Robert Ward PC of Castle Ward. The Hon. Ward was the fourth son of 1st Viscount Bangor and grandson of Michael Ward MP. The Hon. Ward bequeathed £1,000 to be, "…expended in building and endowing a School-house for the education of boys in Mathematics, Astronomy and Navigation…", in his family home town and parliamentary constituency.

Initially established as Bangor Endowed School, the school was originally situated on the site of the modern day Bank of Ireland building on the corner of Main Street and Castle street. By the turn of the 20th century the school had changed its name to Bangor Grammar School and because of a growth in school population moved from site to site over a number of years. With the help of Mr W.K. Crosby, the school moved to a new site on College Avenue, in the northwest of Bangor in 1906. The present-day facade visible from College Avenue is a combination of two buildings: Crosby House (known as the Crosby Buildings), which dates back to 1905 and was named after the school's benefactor; and a later extension to the north, which was added as a Headmaster's residence around the time of the outbreak of The Great War (1914–1918).

Despite Northern Ireland not being subject to conscription like the rest of the United Kingdom, a significant number of Grammarians volunteered for the British Armed Forces and fought in both World Wars, in particular the Second World War (1939–1945). The school population was comparatively small at this time, reaching just 200 pupils in 1930 as opposed to 878 pupils in 2008 [1].

Two commemorative plaques are erected in the school assembly hall listing the names off all ex-pupils that died whilst serving in the British Armed Forces during both World Wars. The school's Debating Society minutes present a record of motions brought to the house concerning key events of the times, including a motion concerning the Munich Agreement and the veracity of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's assertion that it would secure, "…peace for our time."

Future Site Plans

A three year campaign to gain funding from the Department of Education for a new school building for Bangor Grammar School came to a successful end on March 1, 2006 when funding was granted. The new location of the school building will be outside the town centre, on the current Bangor Academy site on the Gransha Road. It is estimated that the new school will take at least five years to complete. Following an announcement from the school on Feb 5, 2010 the development has had to be put on hold due to the current economic climate which has resulted in a cut in the Department of Education's budget for the next financial year. It is hoped that construction will now begin during the spring of 2011, disappointing many who believed it would be built and running by the summer term 2010.

Associations with other schools

As is the case for many single-sex schools Bangor Grammar maintains close links with its sister single sex school in Bangor, Glenlola Collegiate. The two schools regularly participate in joint activities, most notably the Combined Cadet Force, which meets in an MoD-funded, purpose-built site on The Grammar's campus; the two Scripture Union Societies which hold joint meetings and activities; and the two drama departments, which collude in student productions.

Indicative to the close relationships of the two schools is the arrangement between the two during the 1980s, whereby students wanting to study A-level subjects which were unavailable at Glenlola but offered at The Grammar were able to attend the boy's school for those classes [citation needed]. Together with Glenlola Collegiate, Bangor Grammar is a member of the Bangor Learning Partnership, which includes Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College and St Columbanus' College [citation needed].

Clubs and societies

Sport

School Playing Fields.
School Playing Fields at Ballymacormack, near Groomsport.

Bangor Grammar has won the rugby Ulster Schools Cup on five occasionsCite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).. During the late 1980s they appeared in four finals from 1985 to 1988, winning three of them. Former distinguished 1st XV players include Mark McCall (Irish international and former Ulster coach), Jan Cunningham (a member of the Ulster team which won the Heineken Cup), Bryn Cunningham (Ulster Rugby), Kieron Dawson (London Irish and Ireland), Kenny Hooks (Ireland international), Dick Milliken (Ireland and the British Lions), Roger Clegg (Bangor, Ulster and Ireland) and Don Whittle (Bangor, Ulster, London Irish & Ireland)[2].

Bangor Grammar have won Ulster and All Ireland schools titles in hockey. The most notable hockey player from the school include Olympic Gold medallist (Seoul 1988) and bronze medallist (1984 Los Angeles) Stephen Martin.

In 2005, a badminton double was achieved in the Ulster Finals of the Minors Division 2 and the Seniors Ulster Cup. The Minors beat RBAI in the League Final 4-2 and the Seniors won 4-2. The Seniors were also in the Division 2 final but were beaten by Belfast Royal Academy, a Division 1 team.

Former Northern Ireland International and current Glentoran football player Keith Gillespie attended Bangor Grammar.

Debating

The Debating Society is Bangor Grammar's oldest society, having been established in 1927 by A.L. Hawtin. Providing an insight into past pupil's opinions are the minutes of the society, which have been maintained since its inception. The Senior Debating Team in 24 April 2009 defeated Our Lady's and St Patrick's of Knock in the final of the Northern Ireland Schools Debating Competition, won Schools Cup in 2004, the Best Speaker's Shield in 2006, and has been a finalist seven times. The Senior Debating Society is currently run by Mr. S. J. Wolfenden. The Junior Debating society is presided over by Mr M Dickson.

Music

Bangor Grammar School employed Mr Ian Hunter, BA, CertEd, LTCL, LGSM as its first Director of Music in 1969; a post that he held for 32 years before retiring in 2001. Mr Hunter's replacement is the current Director of Music, Mr Jonathan Rea, MA (Cantab.) LTCL.

The school has a long, musical history, with its concert band playing at many events throughout the year including Speech Day, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and the Spring Concert. The concert band also plays annually at Bloomfields shopping centre in Bangor, raising money for charitable causes. Past charities include MacMillan Cancer Care and Abaana.

A recording entitled 'Christmas Music from Bangor Grammar School' was made in 1990 under the direction of Mr Ian Hunter, which featured the Gryphon Consort, the school orchestra and brass ensemble and various congregational carols.

The department has recorded and produced two CD albums: A String of Pearls (2004) and The Christmas Album (2005), both under the musical direction of Mr Jonathan Rea.

In the 2006/2007 academic year, the school celebrated its sesquicentennial anniversary (150th) with agala concert was organised in Belfast's Waterfront Hall on 14 October 2006.

Bridge

The school has a bridge club in recent years run by Mr Chris Harte, up until his retirement in 2009.

Notable past pupils

David Trimble

Politics

Colin Bateman

Media and Society

Two Door Cinema Club

Music

David Feherty (with Tiger Woods)

Sport

Furthermore, Steve Williams, a notable former Wales Rugby Union international, is a regular substitute teacher at the school as of 2010.

The school song

Bangor Grammar School has a Latin school song. It was written in 1950 by Miss Elsie Patton and set to music by Dr Emery, the school's music teacher. It is sung on major school occasions, competitive events and Scripture Union weekends. It has also become customary for it to be sung at the conclusion of Senior Debating Society meetings.

References

  1. ^ Northern Ireland Assembly - Department of Education Interior Correspondence [1] See Page 7, Under the list of SEELB voluntary schools. Retrieved 26 August 2010 .
  2. ^ "Ulster Rugby : News Archive - An Exile Returns Home". Retrieved 20 December 2010.
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