Hall Cross Academy
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Hall Cross Academy (formerly Hall Cross School and Doncaster Grammar School), is a co-educational academy in
Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
,
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...
, England. The 2012–2013 term saw the establishment change its name to Hall Cross Academy. It is named after the Hall Cross on Hall Cross Hill, on the opposite side of the main road through Doncaster.


Academic performance

GCSE results for the school are slightly above average. At A-level it performs well, with some of the best results in South Yorkshire, and the third best in Doncaster LEA. Results in Doncaster at GCSE are notably low, but they are much better at A level, similar to the situation in Grimsby and Hull.


Admissions

The academy is split over two sites, with the Upper academy located in the centre of
Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
(in the Town Fields area) and the Lower academy in the north of
Bessacarr Bessacarr () is a suburb on the south-east edge of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Consisting of mostly private residential development from the 1960s onward, it also contains some of the most expensive property in Doncaster, around St Wi ...
, near the Dome. Hall Cross Academy has
specialist A specialist is someone who is an expert in, or devoted to, some specific branch of study or research. Specialist may also refer to: Occupations * Specialist (rank), military rank ** Specialist (Singapore) * Specialist officer, military rank in ...
status as a
Science College Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme (abolished in 2011) in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathem ...
. The total number of pupils who attend the academy is over 2000. It features as an integral part of the community, providing access to facilities for many primary schools, which also form part of its large catchment area. The headteacher of the academy is Mr Simon Swain.


The Gilbert Scott building and Christchurch House

The Gilbert Scott building is the oldest building on the Town Centre site, it was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and was built in 1869. Downstairs it features a plaque dedicating the building to Queen Victoria. The upper floor houses the school's library and an IT suite. The building is a classic example of Victorian Gothic Revival, featuring a large
Hammerbeam roof A hammerbeam roof is a decorative, open timber roof truss typical of English Gothic architecture and has been called "the most spectacular endeavour of the English Medieval carpenter". They are traditionally timber framed, using short beams proj ...
decorated with flowers cut into the massive oak beams which may, in fact, be stained pine. The building also features a tower at one corner. Inside the library there are two massive Gothic-style glass windows at either end, one of them being stained glass, designed and executed by former pupil C. Rupert Moore, which was unveiled in 1938 as a tribute to "Old Boys" from the school who died in World War I. The library features a large number of Victorian plaques, dedicated to past headteachers of the school as well as to staff and students killed in the two world wars. The most recent plaque commemorates the visit by Prince Charles to the school in 1989. Christchurch house is the school's equivalent of a "6th form block". It is a large detached Victorian Townhouse which overlooks the local church that the house is named after. The house features a grand wooden staircase, stained glass skylights, and a statue of the Venus de Milo which originally resided in the Girls' School, built in 1918. When the school was disbanded, the statue was moved to Hall Cross Academy.


Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day is one of the most important days in the academic calendar. The academy has held a ceremony every year since 1918 to remember those who attended the school and died in battle. The service begins at 9am. Speeches are made by the Head Teacher who gives thanks to those who died as a result of conflict. Two poppy wreaths are then carried down the corridor to the library by the Head Boy and Head Girl. They are then laid by the World War One and World War Two plaques respectively, while the Last Post is played on the trumpet, with the sounds carrying through to the library.


Railways

High Speed Train High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...
power car no. 43045 was named 'The Grammar School, Doncaster AD1350' in Spring 1984. It was last in revenue earning service with
East Midlands Trains East Midlands Trains (EMT) was a British train operating company owned by the transport group Stagecoach, which operated the East Midlands franchise between November 2007 and August 2019. Following the Department for Transport (DfT) award of ...
and was stored at Long Marston, not carrying its former name. The nameplate removed from the locomotive was kept in the collection of
railwayana Railroadiana or railwayana refers to artifacts of currently or formerly operating railways around the world. Background Railroadiana/railwayana can include items such as: * Railway books and magazines * Model railway locomotives, rolling stoc ...
originally located in the tower of the academy along with a large collection of amassed by the Doncaster Grammar School Railway Society, to which, at one point, one in six pupils belonged. The collection also includes nameplates from two locomotives destroyed as a result of the
Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash The Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash was a three-train collision at Harrow and Wealdstone station in Wealdstone, Middlesex (now Greater London) during the morning rush hour of 8 October 1952. The crash resulted in 112 deaths and 340 injuries, 8 ...
. This collection is now in the Railway Heritage Centre of the Danum Museum.


Old Danensians

Alumni and former staff of Doncaster Grammar School, Doncaster High School for Girls, Hall Cross Comprehensive School and Hall Cross Academy, known as Old Danensians, are able to join the Old Danensians' Club. The object of the club is to maintain connections between past members of the School with one another and the School, and generally promote the welfare of the foundation.


Notable faculty members

*
H. J. Blackham Harold John Blackham (31 March 1903 – 23 January 2009) was a leading British humanist philosopher, writer and educationalist. He has been described as the "progenitor of modern humanism in Britain". Biography Blackham was born in West Bromwi ...
(taught divinity in the early 1930s) *
Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...
Ernest Kinghorn, Labour MP from 1945 to 1951 for
Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth ( ), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside resort, seaside town which gives its name to the wider Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. Its fishing industry, m ...
(taught languages)


Alumni


Hall Cross Comprehensive School

* David Firth, animator behind
Salad Fingers ''Salad Fingers'' is a British adult animated web series created by David Firth in 2004. It revolves around the eponymous Salad Fingers; a thin, green, mentally troubled man who inhabits a desolate world. As of September 2023, thirteen episode ...
, the fat-pie website and one half of the cult mockumentary anti-hero, MC Devvo *
Barry Middleton Barry John Middleton (born 12 January 1984) is a British field hockey player. He played as a midfielder and forward for England and Great Britain and is the most capped British hockey player in history and captained his country for many years. ...
, England international hockey player. *
Louis Tomlinson Louis William Tomlinson ( ; born 24 December 1991) is an English singer, songwriter, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Doncaster, England, Tomlinson auditioned for British singing competition ''The X Factor'' as a solo artist in 2010, w ...
, singer and songwriter. *
Tan France Tanveer Wasim "Tan" France (né Safdar; born 20 April 1983) is a British-American fashion designer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as the fashion expert for the Netflix series '' Queer Eye'', host of the web series '' ...
, fashion designer and television personality, founder of brand Kingdom & State and fashion expert on ''
Queer Eye ''Queer Eye'' is a television franchise based upon a team of gay professionals (the "Fab 5") giving lifestyle and fashion makeovers to guests. ''Queer Eye'' may refer to: * ''Queer Eye'' (2003 TV series), an American reality television series on ...
''. * Lee Cowling, former professional footballer and football coach for Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Mansfield Town. *
Darius Henderson Darius Alexis Henderson (born 7 September 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in Sutton, England, (although he is often mistakenly cited as being born in Doncaster, where he moved at a young age and ...
, former professional footballer for Sheffield United, Watford, Millwall and Nottingham Forest.


Doncaster Grammar School for Boys

*
Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe, (12 May 1816 – 29 April 1905), known previously as Sir Edmund Beckett, 5th Baronet and Edmund Beckett Denison, was an English lawyer, mechanician, and controversialist, as well as a noted horologist ...
(briefly) *
H.J. Blackham Harold John Blackham (31 March 1903 – 23 January 2009) was a leading British humanist philosopher, writer and educationalist. He has been described as the "progenitor of modern humanism in Britain". Biography Blackham was born in West Bromwi ...
, philosopher and humanist *
Rodney Bickerstaffe Rodney Kevan Bickerstaffe (6 April 1945 – 3 October 2017) was a British trade unionist. He was General Secretary of the National Union of Public Employees (1982–1993) and UNISON (1996–2001), Britain's largest trade union at the time. He l ...
, former leader of Britain's largest trades union, UNISON. * Prof Thomas Charlton, Jackson Professor of Engineering from 1970 to 1979 at the
University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...
, and Professor of Civil Engineering from 1963 to 1970 at
Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...
*
Ronald Dearing Ronald Ernest Dearing, Baron Dearing, (27 July 1930 – 19 February 2009) was a senior civil servant before becoming chairman and chief executive of the Post Office Ltd. Early life Dearing attended Willerby Carr Lane County Primary School bef ...
, CB, former chairman of the Post Office, chancellor from 1993 to 2000 of the
University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...
, and known for the
Dearing Report The Dearing Report, formally known as the reports of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, is a series of major reports into the future of Higher Education in the United Kingdom, published in 1997. The report was commissioned b ...
which laid the foundations of tuition fees (
top-up fees Tuition fees were first introduced across the entire United Kingdom in September 1998 under the Labour government of Tony Blair to help fund tuition for undergraduate and postgraduate certificate students at universities; students were required ...
) at universities. * Sir Eric Denton CBE, marine biologist, Royal Society Research Professor from 1964 to 1974 at the
University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a public university, public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Br ...
* Percy Elland, editor from 1950 to 1959 of the
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
* Prof Robert Fox, Professor from 1988 to 2006 of the History of Science at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
(
Linacre College Linacre College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The college was founded in 1962 and is named after Thomas Linacre (1460–1524), founder of the Royal College of Physicians as well as a distinguished re ...
) *
Kevin Marsh Kevin Marsh (born 14 November 1954) is the Editor of the BBC College of Journalism. Early life He was born in Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1954 to John and Elizabeth Jill Marsh. He attended Doncaster Grammar School from 1966–73 a ...
, BBC executive, Editor from 2002 to 2006 of the ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...
'' programme * Prof
Roger Needham Roger Michael Needham (9 February 1935 – 1 March 2003) was a British computer scientist. Early life and education Needham was born in Birmingham, England, the only child of Phyllis Mary, ''née'' Baker (''c''.1904–1976) and Leonard Wil ...
CBE, Professor of Computer Systems from 1981 to 1998 at the
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
, Head of the
University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory The Department of Computer Science and Technology, formerly the Computer Laboratory, is the computer science department of the University of Cambridge. it employed 56 faculty members, 45 support staff, 105 research staff, and about 205 researc ...
from 1980 to 1995, and invented important algorithms ( Needham-Schroeder protocol) for computer security * Rev Prof Christopher Rowland,
Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture The position of Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture was established at the University of Oxford in 1847. This professorship in the critical interpretation or explanation of biblical texts, a field known as exegesis, was ...
since 1991 at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
* Prof Denis Sargan, Professor of Econometrics from 1964 to 1984 at the
London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
(LSE). *
John Scott-Scott John Lanfear Scott-Scott (22 June 1934 – 12 December 2015) was a British mechanical and aerospace engineer. After graduating from the University of Birmingham, he joined Armstrong Siddeley Motors in 1955, becoming a hydrodynamicist at their Roc ...
, rocket scientist *
Edward Smallwood Edward Smallwood (1861 – 26 February 1939) was an English coal merchant and Liberal Party politician. Family and education Smallwood was the son of James and Mary Smallwood from Birchwood, Derbyshire. He was educated at Doncaster Grammar Scho ...
, Liberal MP from 1917 to 1918 of
Islington East Islington East was a United Kingdom constituencies, constituency which returned one Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United ...


Doncaster High School for Girls

* Madge Adam, astronomer. *
Margo Gunn Margo Gunn (born 8 February 1956) is an English actress and a teacher of drama and theatre studies. Born in Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, Gunn attended Doncaster Grammar School for Girls. She appeared in ''Taggart'' "Cold Blood ...
, actress * Jane Harrison, one of four women to have been awarded the
George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational Courage, gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, ...


Doncaster Grammar School

* Thomas Britten, international footballer (
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
1878 and 1880)The English players in 1870s Scottish football
Andy Mitchell, Scottish Sport History, 12 April 2021
* John Cartwright, emeritus Professor of the Law of Contract,
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
*
Gillian Coultard Gillian Coultard (born 22 July 1963) is an English former football player, and former England captain. She is one of England Women's most capped internationals, with 125 appearances, and was the highest capped outfield England international f ...
, football player, former Captain of the England Woman's football team


Gallery

File:Hall_x_today.jpg, An external view of the academy Image:Hall_x_library.jpg, The library, as seen from the balcony Image:Hall_x_library_window.jpg, A close up of the stained glass library window Image:Hall_Cross_001.jpg, Students at the Thorne Road site, 1887 Image:Hall_Cross_009.jpg, The first students to attend the Thorne Road site, 1870 Image:Hall_Cross_005.jpg, The original school building, 1869


See also

*
List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom This list of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom contains extant schools in the United Kingdom established prior to 1800. The dates refer to the foundation or the earliest documented contemporary reference to the school. In many cases the date ...
*
Listed buildings in Doncaster (Town Ward) Town ward is a Ward (electoral subdivision), ward in the metropolitan borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The ward contains 105 Listed building#England and Wales, listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for ...


References


External links


Hall Cross Academy website

2007 Ofsted report



EduBase
{{authority control Educational institutions established in the 14th century 1350 establishments in England Grade II listed buildings in South Yorkshire Grade II listed educational buildings Secondary schools in Doncaster George Gilbert Scott buildings Academies in Doncaster