The Main School's West Face. The photo (left) was taken after construction in 1916. The photo (right) was taken in 2012.
The school was founded in 1487 by Sir Edmund Shaa, the 1482 Lord Mayor of London whose will provided for a school and a small chapel in St Mary's Church in Stockport and funds to maintain a priest to chant masses and teach grammar.[1] Alexander Lowe, the mayor of Stockport, left the school a permanent home in Chestergate in his will.
The school became increasingly successful with pupils being accepted at the ancient universities of Oxford, Cambridge and St Andrews, while the curriculum became increasingly broad with the rudiments of Greek joining a study of Latin, the Christian religion, writing in English and arithmetic.[2][3] Five years after the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths met to discuss the possibility of transferring the school to a different site, new buildings open where Greek Street meets New Wellington Road. As well as paying for the building, the Goldsmiths also increased the salaries of the headmaster and usher and paid the running costs.[1]
Current site on Buxton Road
The Greek Street building became unsuitable for the demands of a modern school, and the school was relocated in 1915 to its present site [1] and was inaugurated on 29 January 1916 by the chairman of the Cheshire county council.[3][failed verification]
Move to coeducation
Path to Convent Site
In 1980, girls were admitted to the school. [citation needed]
The school site
The Mile End buildings 1916-1980
View of the Hallam Hall across the Old Quad
The Hallam Hall, seen from across the Old Quad below was named after the Mayor of Stockport and major benefactor Ephraim Hallam. This was originally the School’s Assembly Hall and later the main library but due to the expansion of the School site, which included a new, multi-resource 14000 book library, the hall was converted into an entertainments room. [citation needed]
The main school building was constructed with a Victorianneo-Gothic style of architecture. Other buildings which have been constructed since then have mostly remained continuous with the general style of the main site, particularly the muted red brick and distinctive yellow limestone bands which feature heavily on the main building.[citation needed]
New Woodsmoor building 2013 - present
In 2011, planning permission was received to erect a new teaching block on the Woodsmoor side of the site,[4] to replace the Woodsmoor hall and laboratories that were demolished in 2010.[5] The build was completed in June 2012, and the "black and white tower" and classics block were demolished later that year.[citation needed]
Academic performance
In 2023, the average grade at A-Level was B+, compared to B in all schools in Stockport and B nationally.[6]
Extracurricular Activities
The school offers over 200 extracurricular activities to its pupils,[7] with the Independent Schools Inspectorate rating the school's extracurricular provision as "outstanding" in 2011.[8]
In 1985 SGS represented the USSR at the 40th anniversary Model United Nations conference held at Central Hall, Westminster, to celebrate the first United Nations General Assembly. In 1990 the SGS delegation won the best delegation award at The Hague Model United Nations.
The school has hosted a biennial Model United Nations (MUN) conference since March 2006. At 2008's conference, Labour MP and former home secretary David Blunkett was the school's guest speaker. At 2012's conference, Senior Liberal Democrat MP, Andrew Stunell was the guest speaker.[12]
Expeditions
The school runs a series of expeditions for Sixth Formers every two years[13] to places such as Venezuela, Vietnam, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda and in 2015 an expedition to Bolivia & Peru.[14] In 2017, an expedition took 41 students to Borneo. Pupils participate in planning the trips and manage their own finances, accommodation, food and transportation.[13]
Publications
The Stopfordian
The school's annual publication in 2012 was The Stopfordian, a comprehensive review of the school year.[15] A predecessor was named simply Stockport Grammar School Magazine.
Taking Stock
The school has published Taking Stock, a newsletter rounding up recent news and photographs.[16]
Old Stops' Review
Old Stops' Review, a new annual magazine containing news from ex-pupils,[17] was first published in 2011.
Old Stopfordians
Former pupils are known as "Old Stopfordians", not to be confused with simply Stopfordians (the demonym of Stockport being "Stopfordian"), or the former pupils of Bishop Stopford's School at Enfield, who are also known as Old Stopfordians.
This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(January 2024)
John AmaechiOBE (1970-), English retired NBA basketball player and broadcaster in the USA
