Merchant Taylors' Boys' School, Crosby
Coordinates: 53°29′02″N 3°01′30″W / 53.484°N 3.025°W
 Merchant Taylors' Schools' Crest | |
| Motto |
Latin: Concordia parvae res crescunt ("Small things grow in harmony" - Sallust) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1620 |
| Type | Independent school; Day school |
| Head Master | Mr D Cook |
| Founder | Merchant Taylors' Company |
| Location |
186 Liverpool Road Great Crosby Merseyside L23 0QP England  |
| Local authority | Sefton |
| DfE URN | 104973 Tables |
| Staff | ~80 (full-time)[1] |
| Students | 737[2] |
| Gender | Boys |
| Ages | 7–18 |
| Houses | Armours, Harrisons, Stevens, Warings |
| Colours |
Black and Gold |
| Former pupils | Old Crosbeians |
| School Song | Crescat Crosbeia |
| Website |
www |
Merchant Taylors' Boys' School, Crosby is a British independent school for day pupils, located in Great Crosby on Merseyside.
The school's motto is that of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors: Concordia Parvae Res Crescunt. (Small things grow in harmony.)
History
The school was founded in 1620 under the instruction of the estate of John Harrison, a citizen and Merchant Taylor of London, who was born in Great Crosby, and was run under the auspices of the Merchant Taylors' Company until 1910. In 1878, the school moved to its present site, some 1000 yards from the previous, which now forms part of the Merchant Taylors' Girls' School, with whom the school shares a Governing Board and Bursar.The first Headmaster was the Revd John Kidde who was also at the time the ‘Minister of Crosby’ and a farmer of 3 acres (12,000 m2) to support his family of eight children. Kidde was apparently sacked from the post in 1651 on the grounds of mismanagement although it is thought he was forced out by Roman Catholic Sympathizers on account of his Puritan/Presbyterian ways.
Present day
Until the 1970s, Merchant Taylors' was also a boarding school. It currently caters for over 700 day pupils between the ages of 11 and 18 (with an additional 120 in the Junior School). Lessons run Monday-Friday, 08:40-16:00 (A Saturday working day was abolished in 1981). As a result of these longer school days, holidays are frequently several weeks longer than local education authority dates.
The school is independently run, and, as such, charges tuition fees. Fees were partially subsidised by the Government under the Assisted Places Scheme until the closure of that scheme in 2001. The Schools now run their own means tested Assisted Places Scheme under which about 20% of pupils benefit from free, or reduced-fee places. The schools offer around £1 million a year in bursaries. About 17 per cent of pupils at the two senior schools receive assistance, worth up to 100 per cent of the £10,119 annual fees.[3]
The School continues to perform very well in public examinations at both GCSE and A-Level, with around 60% of grades awarded at A* and A at GCSE and, consistently excellently at A-Level, where 80% and above of grades have been recorded at A*-B. 2012 saw record results at A Level, with the percentage of grades awarded at A* and A 62.3%. The School also enters students for a range of other public examinations, including Extended Project Qualifications, which have been offered since 2011.
In 2013, Merchant Taylors’ was Crosby’s best performing school with 98% of pupils at the boys’ school achieving five Cs or above in any subject at GCSE.[4]
Sports and extracurricular activities
The primary sports played by the school are rugby union, field hockey and cricket, however association football as well as samoan cricket have both recently been introduced as an 'official' school sport and looks set to challenge the more established sports over the coming years.
The school also has a boat house which is currently on loan to Southport Dragon Boat Club, in the nearby town of Southport for its rowing team. The rowing team compete in national races with a number of boys competing at national level every year.
The rugby coaching staff includes Mike Slemen, former England and British and Irish Lions international and England team selector, and former Scottish international Ian McKie.
The school also has a Combined Cadet Force, run in conjunction with Merchant Taylors' Girls' School, headed by Contingent Commander, Major (CCF), Mike Slemen. His predecessors were Squadron Leader RAFVR(T), Mark Stanley and Lieutenant Colonel (CCF), Paul Irvine. The Army section of MTS CCF is badged as Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Regiment until July 2006). In 2015, Merchant Taylors' CCF celebrated its centenary year. A new banner was presented in the nearby St. Faith's Church, with The Duke of York in attendance.[5]
In December 2011, the £5.5m Ian Robinson Sports Centre was opened. Facilities include a climbing wall, fitness suite, sports hall and dance studio. The Sports Centre is named after ex Head of Rugby, Ian Robinson, who died on a school sports tour in Australia after a white water rafting accident in 2007.[6]
Other facilities include a heated indoor swimming pool on site, a language laboratory, extensive playing fields, fully equipped science laboratories, an art and design suite, cricket nets, a self-contained music block and a share of Northern Club's facilities.
Notable pupils
Alumni of MTS Crosby are known as "Old Crosbeians"
- James Allen, (Formula One commentator)
- Tony Barrow, Beatles' press officer 1962-8
- Matthew Baylis, author and critic
- Alan Blackshaw, mountaineer
- James Burnie, Liberal MP, Bootle
- John Culshaw, record producer and television executive
- George Kruger Gray, designer
- Dick Greenwood, rugby international and Captain of the England team
- Professor Anthony Heath (1942-) Sociologist and fellow of Nuffield College
- Simon Jack, BBC finance reporter
- Ben Kay, of the England Rugby World Cup winning side of 2003
- Bruce Kenrick, founder, Shelter housing charity
- Sir Hardman Lever, accountant
- Charles James Mathews, actor
- Thomas Eric Peet, Egyptologist
- Nigel Rees, broadcaster and author
- Samuel Roukin, actor, appeared in Harry Potter films VI and VII, TV drama Appropriate Adult, and John Gill's production of An Inspector Calls.
- Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991
- Phil Sayer broadcaster
- Sir John Walton, barrister and politician
- Sir Charles Kingsley Webster, historian
- Barrie Wells, insurance entrepreneur and sports philanthropist
- Donald J. West, Emeritus Professor of Clinical Criminology, University of Cambridge
- Bertie Wilson, Second Engineer on RMS Titanic[7]
- The Witty brothers – Arthur Witty and Ernest Witty footballers
Headmasters
- 2005- David H. Cook
- 1986-2005 Simon J. R. Dawkins
- 1979-1986 David Ranald Johnston-Jones
- 1964-1979 Hyam Mark Luft
- 1942-1964 Thomas John Pinches York
- 1929-1942 Charles F. Russell
- 1921-1924 James Ralph Darling
- 1903- Henry Cradock-Watson
- 1863-1903 Samuel Crawford Armour
- 1861-1863 Robert Oliver Carter
- 1850- John Burnard
- 1829- Joseph Clark
- 1788-1829 Matthew Chester
- 1783-1817 Nicholas Rigbye Baldwin
- 1758-1783 Wilfrid Troutbeck
- 1755-1758 Edward Owen
- 1730-1755 Anthony Hassall
- 1729-1730 Robert Bellas
- 1711-1729 Gerard Waring
- 1680-1711 John Waring
- 1661-1676 John Ashworth
- 1651-1660 John Heywood
- 1620-1651 John Kidde
Notable teachers and ex-teachers
- John Pugh, Liberal Democrat MP for Southport
- Mike Slemen, former England and British and Irish Lions international and England team selector
See also
References
- ↑ "Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby". School Search. isbi Schools. 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
- ↑ http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=104973
- ↑ "How to get the best education for less". Telegraph. 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
- ↑ "Crosby pupils shine as schools toast league table success". Crosby Herald. 2013-01-31. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
- ↑ "Senior Boys › News › Schools celebrate 100 years of the Combined Cadet Force". www.merchanttaylors.com. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
- ↑ "Teacher killed on Australia trip". BBC News. 2007-08-01. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
- ↑ Titanic Town