King's School, Macclesfield Explained

The King's School
Coordinates:53.2763°N -2.1644°W
Motto:Challenge, Develop, Foster, Support
Head Label:Head of Foundation
Head:Jason Slack
Chair Label:Chair of Governors
Founder:Sir John Percyvale, Feoffees
Address:Alderley Rd, Prestbury
Country:United Kingdom
Postcode:SK10 4SP
Urn:111473
Enrolment:1,337 pupils
Gender:Co-educational
Lower Age:3
Upper Age:18
Houses:4 (Gawsworth, Adlington, Tatton and Capesthorne)
Website:https://www.kingsmac.co.uk/

The King's School, Macclesfield, is an all through co-educational private day school in Prestbury, Cheshire, England, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. It was founded in 1502 by Sir John Percyvale, a former Lord Mayor of London, as Macclesfield Grammar School.

History

The King's School was founded in 1502 within the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Macclesfield. It was re-founded by Edward VI in 1552 as the "Free Grammar School of King Edward VI". It moved to Cumberland Street, 300 metres further from the town square, in 1844. In July 2020 the school moved to a new location adjacent to its long-held Derby Playing Fields, on the outskirts of Macclesfield.[1]

In 1844 a Modern School, with a more commercial and technical curriculum, was built by the governors to run in tandem with the Grammar School. It merged with the Grammar School in 1912.[2]

The school operated as a direct-grant school and offered scholarships for boys from state elementary schools from 1926 until 1966, when its application to continue as a direct grant grammar school was refused and it became fully independent.[3] [4]

The boys' junior school was opened in 1947. In 1993 girls from age 11 to 16 were admitted and housed with co-educational juniors, and later infants, at the old Macclesfield High School site on Fence Avenue. The Sixth Form had been co-educational since 1986.[5]

The King's School's 2020 development plans involved closing the two existing school sites in Macclesfield and opening a new single site school in Prestbury, near Macclesfield.[6] The development plans involved selling off the two existing school sites for housing development to fund the new school site.[7] The school acquired greenbelt farmland adjacent to its Derby Fields site for which it subsequently sought planning permission in order to develop the existing school site and the farmland for housing.[8] Planning permission was granted to the school to build more than 250 houses on the greenbelt land in Macclesfield in July 2016.[9] The new school was built on green belt land in nearby Prestbury. Planning permission for all sites was confirmed when the Secretary of State declined to call in the plans for further scrutiny in September 2016.[10] In July 2020 King's School left Macclesfield after more than 500 years of continuous operation in the town and relocated to Prestbury.[1]

Academia

The school follows the National Curriculum for GCSE in Years 10–11 and A-Levels in the sixth form. In 2012, pupils achieved A*/A in 41% of all exams and A* – B in three-quarters of exams. Pupils achieved the best-ever GCSE results in 2012 with 33% of grades at A* grade, more than 63% of grades at A*/A and 86% at A* – B grade.

In 2011, pupils achieved 75% A* to B grade at A-level, with a 99.7% pass rate, and 60% As and A*s at GCSE.[11]

In 2023, pupils achieved at GCSE level 43% of all grades at 9/8 (A*), 65% grades 9-7, 83% 9-6. For A-Levels, 48% of all grades were A*/A, 80% of all grades were A*-B, with 7 students getting 3 A*s. [12]

Extra-curricular activities

Music

In 2003 the school's Foundation Choir won BBC Songs of Praise Choir of the Year.[13] It takes bi-annual trips to perform across Europe, having visited Barcelona, Levico Terme, Strasbourg, Lake Geneva and Budapest. In 2016 the choir performed in Prague. The choir and numerous bands also perform at nearby St Michael's Church.[14] The school's music department is equipped with a recording studio and practice rooms and offers instrumental lessons to the students.[15] The department also performs musicals such as The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes,[16] [17] a West End musical, in 2012.

Drama

The school performs two to three plays a year; one by the Boys' Division/Sixth Form, one by the Girls' Division, and one by the Juniors. Recent plays include Cinders,[18] Arabian Nights,[19] and The Ramayana. Now that the school is completely co-educational, there are performances in Infants, Junior divisions respectively and the Seniors and Sixth Form perform together. In 2023, they performed Bleak Expectations. [20] In 2024, they performed Guys and Dolls. [21]

School trips

Trips abroad are arranged by individual departments, including those by the History and Classics departments, in addition to annual foreign language exchange visits.[22] Pupils are involved in biennial World Challenge Expeditions and recent expeditions have been to Morocco,[23] Ecuador, India and most recently Namibia.[24]

The school's Outdoor Activities Club organises regular trips to Yorkshire[25] or the Peak District, that include walking, climbing and caving.

In 2023, the school undertook a 3-week expedition to Borneo. [26]

Sports

School sports include rugby, hockey, netball, cheerleading,[27] [28] and cricket.[29] [30]

Headmasters

Notable former pupils

NameCountryCapsFirst cappedLast cappedNotes
Steve Smith
(born 1951)
British and Irish Lions		0928[40] 1973197319831983professional club: Sale Sharks
Richard Pool-Jones
(born 1969)		091[41] 1998199819981998professional clubs: Biarritz Olympique and Stade Francais
Jos Baxendell
(born 1972)		022[42] 1998199819981998professional club: Sale Sharks
Tommy Taylor
(born 1991)		021[43] 2016201620162016professional clubs: Sale Sharks and London Wasps
Cameron Redpath
(born 1999)		0222021202120212021professional club: Bath Rugby

Publications

Published books by King's School teachers:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New Campus - King's School Macclesfield . King's Macclesfield . 22 March 2021.
  2. Web site: King's School, Macclesfield: Our History. Archived copy . www.kingsmac.co.uk . 20 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211109154319/https://www.kingsmac.co.uk/about/our-history . 9 November 2021.
  3. C. List of schools whose application for Direct Grant status ... have been rejected.. 31 May 1946 . 238 . 239. 2021-12-20.
  4. Web site: King's School in Macclesfield: war and peace. www.kingsmac.co.uk. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208134723/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school/history/history9.php. 8 December 2015. dead.
  5. Web site: New Beginnings. The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208135022/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school/history/history10.php. 8 December 2015. dead.
  6. Web site: The King's School in Macclesfield -Future Plans – 2020 Vision. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160121095513/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school_news/25177 . 21 January 2016 .
  7. News: Fourth Planning Application on the way.... Macclesfield Express. 2017-12-09. 29 January 2016.
  8. Web site: King's School in Macclesfield submits planning applications for new school in green belt. 16 September 2015.
  9. News: Green belt private school approved. BBC News. 27 July 2016. McCann. Phil.
  10. News: Full Steam Ahead.... 2017-12-18. Macclesfield Express. 2016-09-15.
  11. Web site: Archived copy . 10 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160817095441/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school/generic/assets/results.pdf . 17 August 2016 . dead .
  12. Web site: Examination Results - King's School Macclesfield . 2024-02-06 . www.kingsmac.co.uk . en-US.
  13. Web site: BBC One – Songs of Praise, Ten Years of School Choirs.
  14. Web site: St Michael's Concert. The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208162225/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school_news/7010. 8 December 2015. dead.
  15. Web site: Instrumental Lessons. The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20120424144603/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school_news/category/musiclessons. 24 April 2012. dead.
  16. Web site: Archived copy . 11 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151208112234/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school_news/files/2012/02/Sherlock-Holmes-Tickets-2.pdf . 8 December 2015 . dead .
  17. Web site: Sherlock Holmes in Rehearsals. The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208142022/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school_news/6920. 8 December 2015. dead.
  18. Web site: Drama Club Pantomime. The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208152423/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school_news/5759. 8 December 2015. dead.
  19. Web site: Arabian Nights. The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208171541/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school_news/6601. 8 December 2015. dead.
  20. Web site: 2023-03-02 . Bleak Expectations is a glorious celebration of English humour . 2024-02-06 . www.kingsmac.co.uk . en-US.
  21. Web site: 2024-02-01 . Guys and Dolls is coming to town! . 2024-02-16 . www.kingsmac.co.uk . en-US.
  22. Web site: Archived copy . 11 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151208171442/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school_news/files/2011/09/School-Trips-2011.pdf . 8 December 2015 . dead .
  23. Web site: Trek through the Atlas Mountains. The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208143600/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/news/stories/autumn08/morocco.php. 8 December 2015. dead.
  24. Web site: World Challenge UK – Bespoke school expeditions around the world. 24 October 2020.
  25. Web site: Yorkshire Caving Adventure. The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208170736/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school_news/4156. 8 December 2015. dead.
  26. Web site: 2023-09-07 . King's students undertake Borneo expedition . 2024-02-16 . www.kingsmac.co.uk . en-US.
  27. Web site: King's Cheerleaders are the best in Britain. The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208122514/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school_news/2443. 8 December 2015. dead.
  28. Web site: Cheshire cheerleaders impress Stateside. ITV News. 3 December 2015.
  29. Web site: Sport (Boys). The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208130042/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school/boys/sport.php. 8 December 2015. dead.
  30. Web site: Sport (Girls). The King's School in Macclesfield. 3 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208190113/http://www.kingsmac.co.uk/school/girls/gsport.php. 8 December 2015. dead.
  31. Wilmot, Darwin. A Short History of the Grammar School, Macclesfield 1503–1910. (1910) Claye, Brown and Claye. Appendix I,i
  32. News: Notes and News. archive.org/. 511. XXXVII. T.S.. Palmer. 2017-12-18.
  33. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/40175 D. R. Nicoll, Jones, Sir Eric Malcolm (1907–1986), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004
  34. News: Keeling. Neal. 'Warped and sadistic' paedophile Matthew Falder jailed for 32 years. 15 August 2021. Macclesfield Express. 19 February 2018.
  35. Web site: McKeegan . Alice . How my schoolboy dream of musical stardom came true . Manchester Evening News . 7 May 2013 . 12 May 2021.
  36. Web site: NatWest Schools Cup Player Memories: TOMMY TAYLOR. England Rugby. 3 December 2015.
  37. Web site: ESPN Player Profile . ESPN . ESPN . 22 March 2021.
  38. News: Rugby Pass Team of the Week . 22 March 2021 . Rugby Pass . Rugby Pass . 2018-12-23.
  39. Web site: Everton FC Player Profile: Alex Denny. Everton FC.
  40. Web site: Steve Smith. ESPN scrum.
  41. Web site: Richard Pool-Jones. ESPN scrum.
  42. Web site: Jos Baxendell. ESPN scrum.
  43. Web site: Tommy Taylor. Wasps.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "King's School, Macclesfield".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.