Proficias Enter to Profit
Ingredere Ut
The Board of Governors at Kirkham Grammar School warmly invite applications for a new Head of the Whole School Foundation. This is a fantastic opportunity for the right person to lead our wonderful school into the next chapter of its long and successful history.
Traditional in approach, we pride ourselves in delivering excellent education that continues to develop the whole child. Our amazing staff are our greatest asset - not only do they deliver fantastic teaching and learning opportunities to our pupils, we are also a competitive and highly successful force in the sporting arena.
In order to build self-confidence, we also provide a wealth of co-curricular activities including the arts, technological and scientific clubs and societies. To support our pupils in their daily school lives, we have a dedicated pastoral team and our school dog, Bee, is loved by all around school. We are renowned for our warm, family atmosphere which captivates visitors to our school, and is usually a main contributing factor for decisions to invest in us.
We are looking to appoint an inspirational and outstanding practitioner. Someone who is academically ambitious, energetic and forward-thinking with a successful track record at senior management level and someone who will deliver our core values which are:
Family Ethos Inspirational Teaching Fulfil Potential
The successful applicant will lead an experienced team of staff, ensuring that the highest standards of teaching and learning continue to be at the heart of everything we do, including an exciting co-curricular and enrichment programme. They must be able to secure the full engagement of pupils, staff, parents and other stakeholders in the delivery of the aims and values of the school.
The Head will be a strong ambassador for the school and will work with the Board of Governors and colleagues across the school community to develop and deliver an ambitious strategic plan that will deliver a long term, sustainable future.
If you would like to visit our school to see the pupils and staff in action, please contact Mrs Alex Roberts, HR Manager, on 01772 684264.
If you share our aims and values, we would be delighted to receive an application by means of an application form, CV and supporting covering letter.
We very much look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Lorraine Wareing (Mrs) Chair of Governors
Welcome to Kirkham Grammar School!
ROOTED IN HISTORY
Nestled in the heart of central Lancashire, Kirkham Grammar School is a thriving co-educational independent day and boarding school. Originally established in 1549, it has a history of educating and developing young people for nearly 500 years.
The Foundation comprises of a Pre-School and Infant and Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form dedicated to provide an inspirational educational journey for pupils aged from three to eighteen years old.
Currently, we have 800 pupils on roll which includes a maximum of 85 living in our international Boarding House.
Originally founded as a charity school in 1549, Kirkham Grammar School celebrated its 450th anniversary in 1999. Indeed its roots can be traced back to the chantry school attached to the Parish Church of Kirkham, St Michael, as long ago as the 13th century and it was here, in the church grounds, that the school remained until it relocated to the present site on the outskirts of Kirkham in 1911. In 1665, Henry Colborne, an old boy of the school, left money and land to the school in his will, putting it in the trust of the Company of Drapers in London. Then began a long and close partnership between the Company and the school, which has continued to the
present day, though the Drapers surrendered control of the school in 1944, having endowed it with large and impressive extensions in 1938.
Independent status ceased temporarily in 1944 when the school became a voluntary aided boys’ grammar school. A further major extension, the Norwood Science Building, was opened in 1965 and subsequently extended. In 1979, the Board of Governors took the bold decision to revert to independent status and Kirkham Grammar School became a co-educational school, admitting girls for the first time. The first decade of the twenty-first century has witnessed a remarkable growth in the school’s popularity and standing, with a spectacular programme of continuous development.
The academic year 2022/2023 saw another set of excellent results in public examinations for the school. Within the context of the national re-alignment of grade boundaries it is still pleasing to be able to report a pass rate of 96% at A Level, with 14% of grades being at A*. The top ten pupils in this cohort all scored a minimum of 160 UCAS points and have gone on to study a variety of subjects including Medicine, Economics, Veterinary Medicine and Engineering at top universities in the United Kingdom including Cambridge. Since their introduction in 2019, it is also pleasing that a further extension to the Sixth Form curriculum has seen BTECs in Business and Sport become popular options. At GCSE level, results remain strong with 35% of passes at grades 7, 8 and 9 and three pupils each attaining a very impressive ten grade 9s. A large percentage of our pupils continue on to further education within Kirkham Grammar School and the overwhelming majority of these pupils progress on to higher education in both the United Kingdom and abroad.
Academic Excellence
Over the last ten years, major developments have enhanced our outstanding and stimulating learning environment. These include:-
Fulford Brown Sports Hall – construction of a designated facility for indoor sports;
Pre-School – extended and modernised;
M Block – brand new modular state of the art classrooms constructed to accommodate growing numbers of pupils whilst keeping class sizes small;
Pastoral Hub (and school dog!) – a stand-alone facility to support and nurture pupils;
Parentapps – a method of communication with parents/ guardians using the latest technology;
Google Classroom – web-based learning platform where teachers can run a class online, create curriculums, and share assignments with pupils;
New School Uniform – a high quality uniform designed to market the school as a recognised competitor in the independent sector;
Never Standing Still
Governance and Management
The school is governed by a Board of 12 Governors, who elect their own Chairman and Vice Chairman annually. Chairs of the following committees are also elected at the Governors’ Annual General Meeting:
· Pastoral and Academic Committee
· Commercial Committee
The Chairman and Vice-Chairman meet annually with staff representatives at the Salary Review Body in order to keep staff informed of Governors’ deliberations. The Head sits on all committees. The Board meets formally three times a year, as do all committees.
The Head is responsible for the overall management of the whole school from age 3 to 18 years, including the Pre-School, Infant and Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form, and Boarding House. However, in terms of the day to day running and responsibility for the Pre-School, Infant and Junior School, this is delegated to the current Headmistress.
The Senior School (age 11 to 18 years) is divided into three sections:
· The Lower School (Key Stage 3)
· The Middle School (Key Stage 4)
· The Sixth Form
All pupils in every year group are placed in a Form. Their Form Tutor is responsible for their pastoral care and general behaviour. Form Tutors report to their respected Head of Year who is there to ensure consistency across the year group and for escalation purposes. The Head of Sixth Form is also assisted by an Assistant Head of Sixth Form.
The Senior Leadership Team meets regularly and currently comprises: The Interim Head, the Senior Deputy Head and three Deputy Heads, School Business Manager, Directors of Teaching and Learning and ICT and the Headmistress of the Junior, Infant and Pre-School. All meetings are minuted by the Head’s PA.
Currently the Senior Deputy Head’s chief responsibility is for curriculum development. The Deputy Head (Pastoral) is the DSL and leads the Pastoral Team.
Governors appoint the Head, Business Manager and Head of the Junior, Infant and Pre-School. The Head appoints all of the academic staff in the Senior School and Sixth Form. Most of the support staff are appointed by the School Business Manager.
The Head of the Junior, Infant and Pre-School appoints staff for this part of the school.
Our sport is forward-thinking with a strong sense of history and values. We are proud of our outstanding national reputation for sport with very high levels of participation. Our commitment is that sport is for everyone, regardless of their performance capabilities, with a determined focus in the pursuit of excellence. We do this by providing opportunities for all to participate in a vast array of different activities.
Girls
HOCKEY
Teams at every age group with over 30 county players each year. Current regional finalists within national competitions and appearances in the England Hockey National Finals.
NETBALL
Teams compete in the Lancashire League and are current county champions and runners up in the U12 and U13 age groups in the A and B Competitions.
CROSS COUNTRY
Runners-up in the Winter Invitational Run and semi-finalists in the National Championships.
ATHLETICS
Current regional champions and ranked 12th in the country at the 2023 National Track and Field Cup Championships.
TENNIS
LTA regional finalists at U13 and U15 and National Tennis Champions in 2021.
SWIMMING
Regular fixtures at all levels with both county and regional representatives. Current ‘Bridges Baton’ champions.
Outstanding Sporting Reputation
BOYS
RUGBY
Rugby is the main sport during the Autumn Term, where we play regular fixtures against local and national opponents. We have 15 teams in total which are all coached by our highly qualified and experienced staff. We have strong links with Sale Sharks and are heavily represented at all levels of their Academy Pathway Programme. In addition, we have many boys that have gone on to represent their country and gained international caps for England, Wales, Ireland and Italy.
In the Spring Term, the rugby programme turns its focus to Rugby Sevens and 10s, where we are very successful nationally, most notably winning the Sedbergh National 10s tournament in 2022 and 2023.
CRICKET
Cricket is played in the Summer Term and is growing in popularity. 23 players toured Barbados in 2023, our U15s had an unbeaten season and we had four country representatives for Lancashire and Cumbria. We play midweek in cup competitions and have a comprehensive Saturday fixture programme on a strong circuit. We are also proud to have B team fixtures across most age groups.
ATHLETICS
Our boys continue to perform admirably on the track and field and, as Lancashire Champions, our Inter Boys regularly qualify for the North West Regional Finals.
We also offer a range of activities at lunchtimes and after school, where we provide opportunities for boys to represent Kirkham Grammar School throughout the year. Our boys have enjoyed fixtures in hockey, tennis, swimming, cross country and basketball.
INTERNATIONAL HONOURS
We are very proud that many of our Old Kirkhamians go on to pursue a career in sport and some at the very highest level.
Anya Jackson currently plays in the U18 Hockey International Team.
Daniel Bibby was a part of the Olympic GB Rugby squad in Rio 2016 and is now a member of staff at the school.
Richard Wigglesworth is currently part of the England Rugby World Cup coaching staff.
Dan Kelly, our 2018/19 1st XV captain, has also made an impressive start to his professional career, winning the premiership title with Leicester Tigers and also being involved in recent England rugby squads.
The Music Department at Kirkham Grammar School offers a traditional independent school experience centred on bands, orchestra and choral work. We have an impressive track record of pupils progressing to music conservatoires including, Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Northern College of Music. Our musicians have progressed to the highest level with appearances at the BBC Young Musician Finals, BBC Young Brass Player and the National Youth Ensembles. A truly high quality musical education!
Music
Drama
Drama and theatre education at Kirkham Grammar School operates at an outstanding and highly professional level and proves very popular with pupils. Our small drama classes enjoy great uptake at GCSE and A Level and pupils enjoy House Drama which all year groups take part in annually. We offer separate Drama Clubs for each year group, numerous theatre trips and an annual trip to London and New York’s art scene. Each year, pupils perform in two fantastic shows; a main production and a variety show, both of which use a professional set and costumes. In 2022 our production of Peter Pan received fifteen NODA nominations and won four national and one regional NODA awards.
Combined Cadet Force
CCF at Kirkham Grammar School takes place during the school timetable and is compulsory for Fourth and Fifth Year pupils. It consists of an Army and RAF section allowing pupils to choose which they prefer. It offers the chance for pupils to develop skills such as leadership, teamwork, discipline and teaching amongst others. CCF boosts pupils’ confidence and teamwork through a structured syllabus that is fully supported and staffed by the SLT and members of teaching staff.
The CCF at Kirkham Grammar School has been very successful and for the last three years the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire cadet has been a pupil chosen from Kirkham Grammar School. In 2023, a cadet from our RAF section gained a place on the International Air Cadet Exchange programme and went to Australia to represent the RAF Air Cadets. At the 2023 Summer Camp, the Army section won all first place category awards as well as Best Overall Contingent.
Life at Kirkham Grammar School
