| Loughborough Grammar School | |
|---|---|
 School crest  The main quad at Loughborough Grammar School. | |
| Location | |
 | |
Burton Walks ,, LE11 2DU England | |
| Coordinates | 52°45′55″N1°12′02″W / 52.765398°N 1.200632°W /52.765398; -1.200632 |
| Information | |
| Type | Public school Privateboarding andday school for boys |
| Motto | Vires Acquirit Eundo (Latin: "We Gather Strength As We Go") |
| Religious affiliation | Christian |
| Established | 1495; 531 years ago (1495) |
| Founder | Thomas Burton |
| Department for Education URN | 120332Tables |
| Chair of Governors | Roger Harrison |
| Head | James Neville |
| Staff | c.130 |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 10 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 789 |
| Houses | Pulteney Abney Yates Davys Boarding: Denton School |
| Colour | |
| Song | Our Father, by whose servant |
| Publication | Beyond the Barrier |
| Former pupils | Old Loughburians |
| Website | www |
Loughborough Grammar School is anindependent boys’day andboarding school inLoughborough,Leicestershire, in the Englishpublic school tradition. It was founded in 1495 with money left in the will ofThomas Burton, and has been a member of theHeadmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference since 1962.[1] It occupies approximately 110 acres of land, including a 39-acre main campus in central Loughborough and a 70-acre sports field in nearbyQuorn.[2]
It is one of four schools within the Loughborough Schools Foundation, along withLoughborough High School, Fairfield Preparatory School, and Loughborough Nursery.[3]
The Schools Foundation are separate independent schools in their own right but share a board of governors. In line with the charitable intent of its founders, Loughborough Grammar School and Loughborough High School offer a number of means-tested bursaries, called School Assisted Places (SAPs), which cover up to 100% of fees.[4]
The school was inspected by theIndependent Schools Inspectorate in 2021, where it achieved a rating of 'excellent' in all categories.[5]
Loughborough Grammar School was founded following a bequest byThomas Burton, a prosperous wool merchant from the town, who left money for priests to pray for his soul upon his death in 1495; these priests went on to found the school.[6][7]
Loughborough Grammar is one of England's oldest schools, and it is one of a small number of independent boarding schools, alongside institutions such asHarrow,Radley andWinchester in Britain that remain for boys only. Notable old boys include:Sir Thomas Abney, Lord Mayor of London and a founder of the Bank of England;Charles McCurdy, who played a central role in the reforming Liberal Party of the early 20th century; Rev.George Davys, who educated the young Queen Victoria; and the flying ace Air Vice MarshalJohnnie Johnson,[8] who destroyed more Luftwaffe aircraft than any other British pilot. Former masters of the school include the former government ministerLord Elton[9] and authorColin Dexter.[10]
The school was founded in the Parish Church in the centre of Loughborough in 1495. By 1818 the Foundation encompassed three schools, all located on the same site - the Grammar School, with 20 boys, the Reading School, with 120 boys, and the Writing School, with 80 boys.[11]
By 1844, while still located at the Churchgate site, the Grammar School had declined to just eight pupils under the ageing headmaster Stevenson, who was 72 by then. This crisis prompted the trustees of the Thomas Burton Charity to seek a new location for the school, leading to the move to Burton Walks, as it was the only significant enough piece of land owned by the charity. In 1846 the trustees of the charity applied to use the land to create a public park with a new school at its centre, and two years later 144 of the principal residents of Loughborough applied to the Attorney General for the use to include public walks.[12]
The trustees of the Burton Charity relocated the school to its present site in 1852, after the foundation stone was laid by the Bishop of Peterborough in August 1850.[13] A purpose-built site on Burton Walks became its permanent home, initially consisting of the main school building, lodgings, and a gatehouse at the Leicester Road entrance. These buildings were Grade II Listed in the 1980s.[14]
Construction of the new school went about 10% over budget, and as a result the Lecture Room originally planned was not built.[15]
The school first adopted a four-house system in 1891, with houses named School, Burton, and North & South Day Boys. This changed to a two-house system (Blues and Whites) in 1907, but reverted to four houses - North, South, East, and West - in 1920. In 1961, the houses were renamed Murrey’s, Redden’s, Bowen’s, and Foxon’s, in honour of former headmasters, before finally adopting the current names - Abney, Pulteney, Davys, and Yates - in 1990.[1]
Many former pupils of Loughborough Grammar School served in both world wars. During the First World War, 315 Old Loughburians enlisted, with 291 serving in the Army, 13 in the Royal Navy, and 11 in the Royal Flying Corps. Fifty-eight were killed in action.[16] In the Second World War, 472 Old Loughburians served, with 194 serving in the Royal Air Force, 168 in the Army, and 110 in the Royal Navy. Sixty former pupils, along with one member of staff, lost their lives.[17] Among them was Air Vice MarshalJohnnie Johnson, the RAF fighter ace credited with 34 confirmed victories, the highest total of any RAF pilot during the war.
By the early 20th century around a third of pupils at the School had their fees paid by theLocal Education Authority, and in 1939 the school became one of the country’sdirect grant grammar schools. Under theEducation Act 1944 it continued to reserve a quarter of places for local pupils free of charge. In 1967 the governors agreed a “concordat” with Leicestershire County Council to maintain direct grant status, though this widened the school’s intake and reduced academic selectivity. When the Labour government announced the abolition of the direct grant system in 1975, the governors voted overwhelmingly to leave the state sector (15 to 1).[18]
The School joined the Headmasters' Conference in 1962, following the election of then-Headmaster Norman Walter.[1]
Since its opening, the campus has undergone several expansions. The Barrow Building opened in 1925 following a period of rapid growth in enrolment, with pupil numbers rising from 106 in 1915, to 271 by November 1921.[19] The L Block, originally constructed as a science building, was opened on 30 October 1931 at a cost of £7,500. It provided upgraded laboratory facilities until 1963, when a new science building was completed. The following year, the L Block was converted into the school library. Hodson Hall, constructed in 1961, serves as the school’s principal assembly and events venue and was later extended to increase capacity. Burton Hall was opened in 1991 byColonel Sir Andrew Martin, and primarily functions as a dining hall for pupils.[20]
The Philip Tomlinson Music School was opened in 2006 and provides state-of-the-art music facilities for both the school and the wider Foundation. The building houses a 130-seat recital hall, two recording studios, over 20 instrumental teaching classrooms, and modern ICT suites. It was opened bySir Peter Maxwell-Davies, Master of the Queen’s Music.
By 2009, with over 1,000 pupils and increasing demand for science and maths, the school built a modern glass-and-steel quad on the west side of The Walks. The Chemistry Building, named after Norman Walter, opened in 2009, followed by the Murray Building in 2011 and the Physics Building in 2012. The Science and Maths Park, formally opened in 2013 by ProfessorRobert Allison, Vice-Chancellor ofLoughborough University, completed the school’s largest building programme to date.[21]
The school celebrated its quincentenary in 1995, and was visited byQueen Elizabeth II on June 26, 1996.[22] During her visit, the Queen opened the new English block, the "Queen's Building", which includes a state-of-the-art drama studio.[23] The milestone was also marked by the service atSt. Paul's Cathedral.[24]
Loughborough Grammar School is set within a multi-acre campus on the south side of the town centre; it is situated on the same site asLoughborough High School and Fairfield Preparatory School, laid out along Burton Walks. Loughborough Amherst School (formerly Our Lady's Convent School) is situated on Gray Street, about 5 minutes' walk away from the main campus. The core of the LGS campus is the quadrangle, on the eastern side of Burton Walks. Dating from 1850, Big School, consisting of the Victorian Gothic tower, original gymnasium and hall are at the head of the quadrangle, nowadays accommodating the History department, Chapel and Sixth Form common room, and are the oldest buildings on the current site. The quadrangle is completed by School House (the senior boarding house, which was built as the Headmaster's residence), the Queen's Building (1995,English and Drama), the Barrow Building (c. 1910,Classics andModern Languages), the Cope Building (2000, Modern Languages) on the north side and the Library and old laboratory buildings (now housingComputing andReligion andPhilosophy) on the south side. Big School and School House are bothgrade II listed, as is the gatehouse.[25] School House was partially destroyed by a fire in 1993.[26]
In 2025, the school’s Sixth Form Centre was named a regional winner in the Best Public or Community Building category at the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence Awards and was shortlisted for the national finals of the same competition.[27]
On the western side of Burton Walks are located the Ireland Building (Physics), the Norman Walter Building (Chemistry), Murray/Millward Building (Biology), Pullinger Building (Mathematics) as well as the Hodson Hall, where most school functions and assemblies are held, the Burton Hall, primarily a dining hall, and the Art and Design department, Sports Hall, The Year 6 classroom, swimming pool and the Combined Cadet Force's buildings. A number of houses on this side of the Walks are now owned by the School, including Buckland House, the administrative hub of the School, containing the Headmaster and Deputy Headmasters' offices as well as the general office. Other houses include Red House, formerly used for music lessons but now largely occupied by the Business Studies, Economics and Politics departments as well as reprographics; Friesland House containing Special Learning Support and Network Services, and one more houses the Bursary. Both the Headmaster of the Grammar School and the Headmistress of theHigh School traditionally reside in properties on the Walks.
TheAstroTurf,tennis, andhockey pitches are not strictly part of the school, but are shared with theHigh School, although a new hockey pitch purely for the school's use was opened in January 2019. The Music School (2006), is also another of these shared buildings, it includes a recital hall as well as practice rooms, classrooms and recording facilities.
A new £3.5 million sports centre, the Parkin Sports Centre, adjacent to the Music School and shared with the High School, was opened in 2019. It features facilities such as a sports hall, fitness suite, dance studio, and classrooms.[28]
In addition to the main campus, the School owns a 70-acre (280,000 m2) site at the nearby village ofQuorn, consisting of sports facilities, including those forrugby, football,cricket, and athletics. It was opened in 1994 bySir David Wallace, Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University.
The Burton Chapel is located in Loughborough's Parish Church, school services are held in both this chapel and a second chapel located in the School's quadrangle.
There is a public right of way along Burton Walks connecting the area ofShelthorpe withLoughborough town centre.[29]
Candidates sit an entrance examination to gain admission to the school, in January of Year 6, so as to enter Year 7 at the age of 11.[30] However, the middle school system that still prevails in North West Leicestershire led the School to introduce a smaller Year 6 intake for pupils leaving their primary schools after Year 5, as happens in a middle school system. There is also a 13+ exam, for those wishing to enter at Year 9, and 16+ entrance based on GCSE performance for boys wishing to enter at Sixth Form level.
In keeping with many other Independent Schools, the choice of subjects at the school tends to be more traditional. The most popular subjects at A Level are Mathematics, History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Geography. Subjects such as Business Studies, Psychology and Physical Education have been introduced at A Level in recent years.[31]
In 2025, 58% of entries at GCSE level were at grades 9-7 (A*-A), with 39% being at 9-8 (A*). In the same year at A-level, 45% of entries were graded at A*-A, with 18% of entries being graded at A*. 30 students had a clear sweep of AAA or higher at A-level.[32]
At GCSE, the maximum class size is 24 pupils, although most classes typically contain between 16 and 20 students. A-level classes are generally smaller, with an average of around 12 students per class.[33] Many subjects at A-level are taught co-educationally with girls from the High School.
Loughborough Grammar School runs a largeCombined Cadet Force (CCF), comprisingRoyal Navy,Army andRAF sections. About 240 pupils (including a cohort fromLoughborough High School and more recentlyLoughborough Amherst School ) are members of the CCF. Major events include the annual Remembrance Parade in Loughborough in November, and the Annual Review in May. In 2003, Lt Col George Beazley was awarded the MBE in recognition of his work with the CCF.[34] The CCF used to occupy a number of old Nissen-style huts, but these have been replaced with a purpose-built Cadet Force building, part sponsored by the MOD. This was opened in 2005. The Royal Naval section of the CCF is affiliated to the Type 45 Daring Class destroyerHMS Diamond, whilst the Army section is affiliated to theRoyal Anglian Regiment and the RAF Section toRAF Cosford.[35] The first Senior Cadet to be awarded the 'Priestly Sword' was Andy Halliwell in 2013 in recognition of his leadership.
The school runs an activeDuke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, a Scout Troop and biennial adventurous expeditions, which have visited areas such as the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, the Himalayas and Greenland. A number of clubs and societies run regularly, including the Senior Debating Society and a school newspaper made by students, entitledVOX. The school engages in regular charity fund-raising events, including non-uniform days and concerts. An example of this is in February 2018, a raffle event at a concert raised money for the Symphonic Wind Band tour to Ireland in the next summer.[36]
The major sports at the School arerugby,hockey,cricket,tennis,athletics,football, andcross country. The School competes in national competitions in these sports, and has a full structure of teams from U12 to U18 level. The senior cross-country team was victorious in February 2017 in the 46th annual relay race[37] atKing Henry VIII School, Coventry. The senior rugby, cricket and hockey teams have all toured abroad in recent years, including separate hockey and cricket tours toSouth Africa, as well as a recent rugby tour to Australia andThe Far East. Other sports includeswimming,basketball,badminton,fencing,football,golf,sailing,shooting,table tennis,karting, andbridge.Loughborough Dynamo F.C. was formed in 1955 by a group of pupils who no longer wished to play rugby.
The school operates ahouse system; every boy is placed in one of four houses: Abney (Green, after SirThomas Abney), Yates (Yellow, afterWilliam Yates), Pulteney (Purple, afterRichard Pulteney) and Davys (Sky blue, afterGeorge Davys) and boys below the Upper Sixth have a small line in one of these colours on their school tie, between larger stripes for the school's red and navy colours. The houses are named after alumni. The house system provides internal competition in a number of sporting disciplines as well asquiz,chess, bridge and music competitions, with a points system (40 for winning an event down to 10 for finishing fourth) calculating the eventual winner of the Stamper Cup. The Eagle trophy is awarded to the house that wins the most points in non-sporting house competitions.
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Old boys of Loughborough Grammar School are called "Old Loughburians". They form an old boys' association, namely the Old Loughburians Association (commonly OLA).
The school has published an annual alumni magazine since 1975. Originally titledThe Old Loughburian, it was renamedBeyond the Barrier in 2016.[38]
Notable Old Loughburians include:
Notable masters at the school include:
