Bishop Vesey's Grammar School (BVGS) is a grammar school and Language College in the Sutton Coldfield area of Birmingham, England, one of the oldest schools in United Kingdom which celebrated its 450th anniversary in 1990. The school is also a Sixth Form College. Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Hill north of Sutton town centre. ... Birmingham (pron. ... The County of West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a population of around 2,600,000 people. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... A Local Education Authority (LEA) is the part of a council in England or Wales that is responsible for education within that councils jurisdiction. ... The Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) is a non-ministerial United Kingdom government department, established on 1st September 1992. ... Grammar school can refer to various types of schools in different English-speaking countries. ... Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the UK. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages. ... Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Hill north of Sutton town centre. ... Birmingham (pron. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales or Northern Ireland where students aged 16 to 18 complete post-compulsary further education qualifications, such as A Levels. ...

It was founded by The Bishop of Exeter Bishop John Vesey (formerly John Harman) in 1527 and currently has about 800 pupils. The current headteacher is David Iddon. The school is noted for having a well respected school rugby team in Birmingham and in 2004 became a recognised language college. The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. ... Bishop John Vesey, originally John Harman born around 1462. ... January 5 - Felix Manz, co-founder of the Swiss Anabaptists, was drowned in the Limmat in Zürich by the Zürich Reformed state church. ... The human eye The pupil is the central transparent area (showing as black). ... In the UK and elsewhere, a head teacher is the most senior teacher in a school. ... A rugby union scrum. ...

The school's Latin motto, Dextra Dei Exaltavit Mei means "The right hand of God hath lifted me up;" The former school motto was "Dominus Mihi Adjutor" meaning "Lord, give me council." The school was a day and boarding school until the 1880s. Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... A boarding school is an educational institution where some or all pupils not only study, but they also live, amongst their peers. ...

History

The first foundation deed set up by Bishop John Vesey in 1527 provided an endowment from property income of £7 a year and twenty one people were appointed Trustees to manage the school and pay a fit and proper person to teach Grammar and Rhetoric. Bishop John Vesey, originally John Harman born around 1462. ...

It was not until 1540 however that a second deed was set up providing for the endowed properties to be held by the Warden and Society of Sutton Coldfield and layman John Savage was appointed as the first master. Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Hill north of Sutton town centre. ...

Until 1544 St Marys Hall was used as a schoolroom and then a school was built close to the church on Blind Lane. Behind the Masonic Buildings (The former Town Hall) and on the site of the former Work House, behind the former Alms Houses, close to the Sons of Rest building off Mill Street.

Complaints relating to the diligence of the Trustees and the Corporation came before the Chancery Court which ordered in 1636 that control be transferred to a new board of fourteen Trustees. The Chancery Court of York is an ecclesiastical court for the Province of York of the Church of England. ...

In 1728 the Corporation provided land for a new school building in the present location, one of the conditions being that the headmaster Paul Lowe should agree to teach English, writing and arithmetic to twelve parish boys (At that time there was no stipulated age of entry to the school, the qualification required being the ability to read and usually to pay).

William Webb was appointed headmaster in 1764 and under him a sound basic education was provided and the school prospered. He was headmaster for 53 years until his death in 1817. His successor Charles Barker had an entirely different view of the role of the school. His interest was in the teaching of Classics. He often had only a handful of students and in 1840 only one pupil was enrolled at the school. He was a strong supporter of the proposal for the setting up of National Schools for the provision of general education. Classics, particularly within the Western University tradition, when used as a singular noun, means the study of the language, literature, history, art, and other aspects of Greek and Roman culture during the time frame known as classical antiquity. ...

On his death in 1842 James Eccleston was appointed Headmaster, but was so embroiled in debt that in order to avoid prison he departed in 1849 for Tasmania.

In 1840 the Grammar Schools Act tightened up controls on schools and with better controls and a return to a basic curriculum, the school again began to prosper. Under Joseph Wright, appointed in 1859, a full general education was offered. The buildings were extended in 1861 and in 1863 there were 26 boys enrolled. This increased to 51 boys in 1866, 69 boys in 1869 and 105 boys in 1875. The Grammar Schools Act was passed by Queenslands first parliament in 1860 and allowed for the establishment of a grammar school in any town where £1000 could be raised locally. ...

The 1881 census shows the headmaster Rev Albert Smith resident with his family, a second master Major Dunn, six staff including domestic servants and ten boarding boys. At this time there were also about eighty day boys who were expected to pay either 10s a quarter if from the parish or £2.10s a quarter if from elsewhere.

Sports

In the 2005/2006 season, the school had one of the best rugby team in the Birmingham area after defeating all of its local rivals, reaching the 5th round of the National Daily Mail Cup and competing in the 'super 16s' tournament at Warwick University amongst the top rugby schools and colleges in the country. Birmingham (pron. ... The Daily Mail is a British tabloid newspaper first published in 1896. ... A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a single sport or game. ... University of Warwick Motto: Mens agitat molem Logo © University of Warwick The University of Warwick is a world-class campus university which, despite its name, is located mainly inside the southern boundary of Coventry, England, some 11 km ( 7 miles) from the town of Warwick, the remainder of the campus...

The school also focus upon other sports and have an annual sports day, which comprises mainly of track and field events. Netball is available for the girls who join the school at Sixth Form.

Facilities

Construction of the new music centre (The Clive Richards Centre) on the site of the old gymnasium began in January 2006 has now been completed, leaving room for further development in the former music department in the North Tower. The Clive Richards music centre features several specially designed rooms with sound proofing. This was scheduled for completion in September 2006, but was not completed until October 2006. The Music Centre is now in full use in the School Syllabus. For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Modern indoor gymnasium with pull-down basketball hoops. ... January 2006 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accuses European nations of trying to complete the Holocaust by creating a Jewish camp Israel in the Middle East. ...

There are now plans afoot to transform a school playing field adjacent to the Birmingham Cross City railway line into an all-weather hockey and football pitch with flood lights in a project known as the "Middle Field Project". The project is being funded through grants and a fundraising project.

The North Tower is currently undergoing refurbishment work following the transference of the music department. The building will be used as an extension to the current sixth form facilities, which already include a common room with cafe, an office and a study room.

Famous alumni

Famous people who have been pupils at the school include Cat Deeley who was a pupil in the Sixth Form. However, due to her popularity in the modelling industry, she was often away from the school for photo shoots. Past student Chris Johnson, a former England U21 and current Bedford Blues rugby union player, teaches English and coaches the school's 1st rugby team. Catherine Elizabeth Cat Deeley (born October 23, 1976) is a popular English disc jockey, television personality and former fashion model, who rose to fame at the age of 21, co-hosting the well-known childrens series SMTV Live, alongside Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. ... Official website www. ...

Reference

• The History of Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, Kerry Osbourne

External links

• Official website
• www.bishopvesey.co.uk