Dr Challoner's Grammar School

{{Infobox school

| name = Dr Challoner's Grammar School

| image = Dr Challoner's Grammar School.png

| image_size = 150px

| coordinates = {{coord|51.67622|-0.60982|type:edu_region:GB_dim:100|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| pushpin_map = Buckinghamshire#England#United Kingdom

| established = {{start date and age|1624}}

| closed =

| type = Academy Grammar

| religion =

| head_label = Headteacher

| head = David Atkinson

| chair_label = Chair of Governors

| chair = Shaun Kennedy

| founder = Robert Chaloner

| specialists = Science
Languages

| address = Chesham Road

| city = Amersham

| county = Buckinghamshire

| country = England

| postcode = HP6 5HA

| local_authority = Buckinghamshire

| urn = 136419

| ofsted = yes

| staff = 150

| enrolment = 1,368{{cite web|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=136419|title=URN 136419 Dr Challoner's Grammar School|publisher=Edubase/DfE|access-date=11 September 2024}}

| gender = Boys (Year 7–11)

Co-educational Sixth Form

| lower_age = 11

| upper_age = 18

| houses = {{color box|Yellow}} Foxell
{{color box|Orange}} Holman
{{color box|Red}} Newman
{{color box|#ADD8E6}} Pearson
{{color box|Blue}} Rayner
{{color box|Green}} Thorne

| free_label_1 =

| free_1 =

| free_label_2 = Old Challoners

| free_2 =

| free_label_3 =

| free_3 =

| website = http://www.challoners.com

}}

Dr Challoner's Grammar School (also known as DCGS, Challoner's Boys or simply Challoner's) is a selective grammar school for boys, with a co-educational Sixth Form, in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England. It was given academy status in January 2011.

It was founded in 1624 in accordance with the last will and testament of Robert Chaloner. Chaloner, a Doctor of Divinity, was Rector of Amersham from 1576 to his death in 1621. He was also a Canon of St George's Chapel, Windsor from 1584.

History

In his will, Robert Chaloner left money to establish a grammar school in Amersham.{{cite journal |title=Ourselves |journal=Alauda |date=September 1960 |issue=75 |page=1}}

"… the like sume of twenty pounds yearly out of the said lands at Wavendon I give unto my wellbeloved friend Mr. William Tothill Esquire and Mr William Pennyman Esquire to erect a free gramar schoole in Amersam in the County of Bucks to be established by Deede of Feofment or otherwise as their wisdome can devise The towne and p^ish allotinge the Churche house for the schoole house or my successor a tenem^t in the occupation of Enoch Wyar now or of late for the dwellinge house of the schoole maister whome I will to be chosen by my exequitrix my successor and Mr. Tothill afterwards by my successor and sixe of the eldest Feoffees and cheefest This I leave as a testimony of my loce to them and theire children. Orders for the school—I desire my successor to p^cure from the best ordered schooles"

File:Dr Challoners Grammar School.jpg

The school was situated in Old Amersham for almost three centuries before moving, with the support of Buckinghamshire County Council, to its present position in Amersham-on-the Hill in 1905. At this time, the school embraced the principle of co-education for the first time which, according to the school's first prospectus in 1906, was "practically universal in America". Each year the boys at Challoner's celebrate Founder's Day where they attend St Mary's Church in Old Amersham where Robert Chaloner was rector.

By 1937, Challoner's was incorporated into the state system of education and by the early 1950s, the school had about 350 boys and girls on roll. However, plans for expansion to 550 pupils were overtaken by rapid population growth in the area and the decision was made to establish a separate school for girls in Little Chalfont: Dr. Challoner's High School, which opened in 1962. The two schools continue to maintain links, collaborating especially in music and drama productions, whilst Dr Challoner's Debating Society has staged collaborative events. Girls were admitted to the boys' school sixth form in 2016.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

The continued expansion of the grammar school to its present size of over 1,350 students saw major building projects in the 1950s, 1980s, and 1990s, followed by the construction of a large astroturf pitch and improvements to the sports fields. Another floor has been added on top of the old library and the new library was reopened in early 2013.

File:DCGS astroturf field.jpg

In 2002, Challoner's became one of the first Science Colleges in the United Kingdom. The school started a second special focus as a Language College in April 2007. In 2005, the school celebrated the 100th anniversary of the move to the current site on Chesham Road, also building the Centenary Sports Pitch. The school was commended by the 2007 Ofsted inspection team and rated outstanding in all 51 criteria.{{cite news|title=Full marks for Dr Challoner's|url=http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/1883994.Full_marks_for_Dr_Challoner_s/|publisher=Bucks Free Press|date=5 December 2007}}

On 1 September 2008, the school officially changed its status from a Voluntary Controlled school to a Foundation school, on the basis that "the additional autonomy which foundation status offers will enabled the school to provide an even better standard of education in the future".{{cite web |title=The Challoner: July 2008 |publisher=Dr Challoner's Grammar School |url=http://www.challoners.com/documents/challoner/Challoners%204pp%20A4%20Newsletter%20LR.pdf }} In January 2011 the school became an Academy.{{cite web|title=Open academies map and schools submitting applications|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/academies/a0069811/open-academies-map-and-schools-submitting-applications|publisher=Department for Education|access-date=23 May 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118034904/http://www.education.gov.uk/academies/a0069811/open-academies-map-and-schools-submitting-applications|archive-date=18 January 2012}}

Extracurricular

=Robotics=

Since the school founded its robotics team in 2015,{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} Challoner's has competed in national and international competitions. In 2017, the school competed in the Student Robotics competition led by University of Southampton and won two awards.{{cite web |title=Two awards in International Robotics Competition |publisher=Dr Challoner's Grammar School |url=http://www.challoners.com/c/news/april-2017/two-awards-at-international-robotics-competition }} In 2018, a team entered into PiWars, a competition involving Raspberry Pi computers hosted at the University of Cambridge. The competition consisted of autonomous and remote controlled challenges with tasks requiring computer vision. The team came out winning the whole competition and having podium finishes on the majority of the challenges.{{cite web |title=International Annihilation in Robotics Competition |publisher=Dr Challoner's Grammar School |url=http://www.challoners.com/c/news/april-2018/international-annihilation-in-robotics-competition }}

=Model United Nations=

The school has had large amounts of success with its Model United Nations society. Almost entirely student-led, teams have traveled to attend multiple international conferences including HABSMUN and LIMUN. The teams have been successful: at LIMUN 2017 over half of the 16 Year 12 students attending won awards and the Challoner's team won the conference overall.{{cite web |title=International Glory at LIMUN! |publisher=Dr Challoner's Grammar School |url=http://challoners.com/c/news/november-2017/international-glory-at-limun }} In March 2018 the society competed at SPIMUN (St Petersburg International Model United Nations) where five students won awards.{{cite web |title=Diplomacy in St Petersburg |publisher=Dr Challoner's Grammar School |url=http://www.challoners.com/c/news/march-2018/diplomacy-in-st-petersburg }} In 2017, the society won the 'We Made a Difference Award' in the 2017 Speaker's Schools Council Awards.

In January 2018, the school hosted its first conference, Challoner's MUN. With over 130 students from 11 schools,{{cite web |title=Inaugural Challoner's MUN Conference |publisher=Dr Challoner's Grammar School |url=http://challoners.com/c/news/january-2018/inaugural-challoners-mun-conference }} the conference was one of the largest student-led activities to have ever been undertaken, having been organized by an executive team of 13 students.{{cite web |title=Challoner's MUN Executive Team |publisher=Challoner's MUN |url=https://www.challonersmun.com/c/executive-team }}

Houses

The house system was re-established in 2004. An earlier house system with four houses named for those listed in the original school song as "Buckinghamshire's four mighty men"—Challoner {{color box|blue}}, Hampden {{color box|yellow}}, Milton {{color box|red}} and Penn {{color box|green}}—was abandoned in 1976.

There are currently six houses, each named after a previous headmaster:

House	Colour
class="wikitable"
Foxell	{{color box\|yellow}}
Holman	{{color box\|orange}}
Newman	{{color box\|red}}
Pearson	{{color box\|#ADD8E6}}
Rayner	{{color box\|blue}}
Thorne	{{color box\|green}}

The houses compete in a yearly competition, starting with the beginning of the school year in September and culminating at Sports Day, usually in June.{{Cite web |title=House Competition – Dr Challoner's Grammar School |url=https://www.challoners.com/c/community/house-competition/about-the-houses |access-date=2022-03-29 |website=www.challoners.com}} The range of activities include sports, drama and music to code-breaking. It also offers a leadership opportunity for students in positions such as Captains, Deputy Captains, and mentors.

Academics

Dr Challoner's students did well in two subjects nationally in 2003.{{cite news|title=Challoner's pupils among country's top performers|url=http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/localnews/amersham/3686517.Challoner_s_pupils_among_country_s_top_performers/|publisher=Bucks Free Press|date=19 September 2003}} It was one of two schools named by the Department of Education (the other being Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe) as the best performing schools nationwide in the 2003 GCSEs{{cite news|title=RGS and Dr Challoner's named among the best schools in country|url=http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/archive/2003/01/23/Buckinghamshire+Archive/5173997.RGS_and_Dr_Challoner_s_named_among_best_schools_in_country/|publisher=Bucks Free Press|date=23 January 2003}} and named the country's best grammar school in 2011.{{cite news|title=Dr Challoner's named England's best grammar school|url=http://www.buckinghamshireexaminer.co.uk/south-bucks-news/local-buckinghamshire-examiner-news/2011/01/17/dr-challoner-s-named-england-s-best-grammar-school-114018-28001220/|publisher=Buckinghamshire Examiner|date=17 January 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721060137/http://www.buckinghamshireexaminer.co.uk/south-bucks-news/local-buckinghamshire-examiner-news/2011/01/17/dr-challoner-s-named-england-s-best-grammar-school-114018-28001220/|archive-date=21 July 2012}} In the 2011 GCSEs, boys achieved a 100% pass rate with 50 of the 183 candidates earning all A*-A grades.{{cite news|title=Triumphant GCSE results for Dr Challoner's Grammar School|url=http://www.buckinghamshireexaminer.co.uk/south-bucks-news/gcses/2011/08/25/triumphant-gcse-results-for-doctor-challoner-s-grammar-school-114018-29301179/|publisher=Buckinghamshire Examiner|date=25 August 2011}}

Notable former pupils

{{See also|Category:People educated at Dr Challoner's Grammar School}}

Notable former students include:

Chris Cleave – novelist{{cite web |title=Interview: Chris Cleave |url=https://www.3ammagazine.com/litarchives/2005/sep/interview_chris_cleave.shtml |website=3ammagazine |access-date=14 January 2023}}
Dame Sandra Dawson – Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge University{{cite web|url=http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/4735681.Famous_ex_pupil_returns_to_Amersham_school/|title=Famous ex-pupil returns to Amersham school|website=Bucks Free Press|access-date=20 March 2018}}
Dominic Goodman – cricketer for Gloucestershire{{cite web |title=Dominic Goodman |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/dominic-goodman-1194967 |access-date=2021-04-29}}
Roger Hammond – professional cyclist{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2007/apr/22/cycling.news|title=Cycling: Hammond handles his personal hell|first=Will|last=Buckley|date=21 April 2007|website=The Guardian|access-date=20 March 2018}}
Greg Hands – Conservative MP for Chelsea & Fulham, Chairman of the Conservative Party and former Minister of State for Trade Policy{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/jun/01/conservatives.politics|title=Which Tory went where?|first=Guardian research|last=department|date=31 May 2007|website=The Guardian|access-date=20 March 2018}}
Elizabeth Laverick – engineer{{cite web|url=http://ethw.org/Oral-History:Elizabeth_Laverick|title=Oral-History:Elizabeth Laverick – Engineering and Technology History Wiki|website=ethw.org|access-date=20 March 2018}}
Margaret Mee – botanical artist{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/60330|publisher=Oxford University Press|title=Mee [née Brown; other married name Bartlett], Margaret Ursula}}
Roger Moore – actor{{cite web|url=http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/15303716.James_Bond_actor__Sir_Roger_Moore__dies_aged_89/|title=Tributes pour in as James Bond actor, Sir Roger Moore, dies aged 89|website=Bucks Free Press|access-date=20 March 2018}}
John Mousinho – footballer{{cite web|url=http://www.challoners.com/c/news/july-2016/celebration-of-sport-evening|title=Dr Challoner's Grammar School|website=www.challoners.com|access-date=20 March 2018}}
Andrew Orr-Ewing – professor of physical chemistry at Bristol University{{Cite web|url=https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=SHTdyAoAAAAJ&hl=en|title=Andrew Orr-Ewing|website=scholar.google.co.uk}}
Kenneth Page Oakley – anthropologist{{cite web|url=http://www.aim25.com/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=19414&inst_id=129&nv1=search&nv2=|title=AIM25 collection description|website=www.aim25.com|access-date=20 March 2018}}{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31509|title=Oakley, Kenneth Page (1911–1981), anthropologist |year=2004 |access-date=20 March 2018|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/31509}}
Dominic Raab – Former Conservative MP for Esher & Walton, formerly Lord Chancellor, Deputy Prime Minister and former Foreign Secretary.
Matt Watson – cricketer{{cite web|title=Profile of Matt Watson|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/249903.html|work=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=10 April 2020}}
Sam Westaway – cricketer{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/508444.html |title=Player profile: Sam Westaway |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=2020-06-07}}
Tom Blomfield - founder and former CEO of Monzo{{Cite web |last=Aaronovitch |first=David |date=2018-04-13 |title=Tom Blomfield: the man who made Monzo |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/tom-blomfield-the-man-who-made-monzo-g8z59dr8n |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}
Kyle Kothari - Olympic diver{{Cite tweet |author=DCGS Sport & PE |user=DCGSSport |number=1663178419889217536 |title=Congratulations to ex-DCGS Kyle Kothari…}}
Raphael Weatherall - cricketer for Northamptonshire{{Cite web |title=Buckinghamshire Schools Boys County Championships |url=https://www.englishschoolsgolf.org/competition.php?compid=3962 |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=www.englishschoolsgolf.org}}
Staz Nair - actor & singer{{Cite web |date=2012-10-03 |title=Bucks singer given X Factor hope |url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/9963650.bucks-singer-staz-nair-given-x-factor-hope/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=Bucks Free Press |language=en}}

Headteachers

Edward Rayner 1624–1640
? Angell 1640–1650
Humphrey Gardiner 1650–1676
John Hughes 1676–1697
? Crowfoot 1697–1702 (Dudley Penard officiated – 1698)
Benjamin Robertshaw 1702–1706
not known 1706–1790
Richard Thorne 1790–1822
Henry Foyster 1822–1826
Matthew Stalker 1826–1849
W. S. Newman 1849–1850
Edmund J Luce 1850–1862
W. H. Williams 1862–1880
Frederick Weller 1881–1883
W. J. Foxell 1883–1886
Colin J. Creed 1886–1888
Lewis H. Pearson 1888–1889
E. P. Cooper 1889–1897
E. H. Wainwright 1897–1908
R. E. Yates 1908–1935
J. E. Simpson 1935–1937
T. P. Oakley (acting) 1937–1938
Neville Harrow 1938–1956
R. Simm (acting) 1941–1945
W. C. Porter 1956–1964
D Holman 1965–1972
J. A. Loarridge 1972–1992
G. C. Hill 1993–2001
Mark A. Fenton 2001–16{{cite web|url=http://www.getbucks.co.uk/news/local-news/bucks-headteacher-step-down-after-9571033|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705210350/http://www.getbucks.co.uk/news/local-news/bucks-headteacher-step-down-after-9571033|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 July 2015|title=Bucks headteacher to step down after 15 years in the role – Get Bucks|date=5 July 2015|access-date=20 March 2018}}
David Atkinson 2016–{{cite web|url=http://www.getbucks.co.uk/news/local-news/new-head-been-announced-prestigious-10435558|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125092932/http://www.getbucks.co.uk/news/local-news/new-head-been-announced-prestigious-10435558|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 November 2015|title=New head has been announced at a prestigious grammar school – Get Bucks|date=25 November 2015|access-date=20 March 2018}}