Talk:Gravesend Grammar School

New Additions
An Old Boy here (graduated in '99). Thought the article could do with expanding, so have added some stuff. If any of this is out of date, please update!

I've changed the 'Building' section to 'The School' so it can serve as a general overview of the school and it's history, rather than just focussing on the school building and facilities. I'll be adding some stuff in here about the school accepting pupils at aged 11/12 in 1992 when the 11+ was reinstated, but need to find out about how long before that the school had not been accepting boys at this age (if that makes sense!). Kantiandream 10:11, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

Oh, and I just deleted the 'See Also' section, as it refers only to the wiki page on Gravesend; this is redundant when you consider that the reader is already linked to that page in the first paragraph of the article! Kantiandream 10:14, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

jsut wondering if you remembered the song word for word, or if you wrote it down somewhere. It's actually a bit out of date now, 'since has been raised to "1000 fellows" to accomodate the increased student body, but shall change it as appropriate Ariasne 17:01, 1 May 2006 (UTC)


 * I got the text for the school song from a post on a message board at the Friends Reunited website. As far as I recall, it's accurate, though obviously you should feel free to correct if I'm wrong! So you're up to 1000 fellows now? I figured 800 would be out of date by now! Kantiandream 08:41, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

yeah, has been 1000 for a year or two now, and it fits into the tune even more poorly than eight hundred did :P Ariasne 13:48, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

Suggested Sections
Some stuff that the article could do with including. Kantiandream 10:11, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

School Prayer
There was a school prayer that the deputy head (who I see is still Mr Simpson!) would read out at the start and end of the school year; is this prayer still in use? If so, perhaps someone could get hold of the text to put here. Kantiandream 10:11, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

as far as i'm aware, the prayer isn't read out any longer. Rumour has it that the current head attempted to remove the school song, however this has not lasted and it is back with full force... Ariasne 16:40, 1 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Remove the school song? Sacrilege! I'm not sad to see the school prayer gone though. Kantiandream 08:41, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

Prefect System
Is this still in place? Kantiandream 10:11, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

yes, the system is in place, shall add a description of it Ariasne 16:40, 1 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Good stuff; is it still managed by Mr Dunne, or has he left now? Kantiandream 08:41, 3 May 2006 (UTC)


 * No, he's still here and organising everything like that. Its hard to imagine him ever not Ariasne 13:49, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

Head Boy & Deputies
How does this work now? Kantiandream 10:11, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

As far as i'm aware it hasn't changed from '99, but i only started in '00, so no idea. The candidates submit manifestos to the appropriate teacher and hustings are held a week or two before easter. The lower sixth and the staff cast their votes for the head boy and five deputies, and then the headmaster interiews the top candidates. Ariasne 16:40, 1 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Interesting. In my day (God I hate that phrase!) the students got to vote, but the senior teachers decided who won, and the student vote only operated as a guide to what we thought, not necessarily influencing the final choice at all. Kantiandream 08:41, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

School Badge
Could someone get a digital copy of the school badge and place it at the start of the article (top right)? There's one on the school website, but I imagine just lifting it would be against wiki procedures. Kantiandream 10:11, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

I would, but am not sure where to get one from, as i don't think i still have anything (other than black and white letter headings and my tie, which is miniscule) which has the badge on. Ariasne 16:40, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

Shall make all these changes as appropriate.Ariasne 16:40, 1 May 2006 (UTC)


 * I've moved the image to the right of the screen for presentation. Kantiandream 08:41, 3 May 2006 (UTC)


 * thanks. i added this at school and didn't have time to work out how to move it across the page Ariasne 13:48, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

Opening paragraph
Can it be said that "under the leadership of ..." "results have declined dramatically"? Not many leaders would want this said about them! If I were the head I would take extreme exception! And how much is "dramatically"? - 5%? 10%? Is it just the statistical results, which are becoming more and more a cause of scepticism? It strikes me as a good example of POV.

One wonders how many US school articles would be written this way. My experience of reading them is that all is sweetness and light - never would an adverse criticism creep in, I am quite sure! Peter Shearan 08:16, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

Old Gravesendians
Does the very short article Old gravesendians refer to old boys from this school? If so, it could be linked and enhanced. Welsh 21:37, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Old Gravesendians is the name of a local rugby club, originally consisting of old boys, though this is no longer the case. The page you linked seems to have been deleted now, but the process is a relatively common, in South-East England at least. Ariasne 18:43, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Could someone do a section on famous/notable old boys? I remember a painting in the school hall and a rumour that he was one of the 'Dambusters', but my knowledge is somewhat hazy (to be fair I left in 1989).

I had considered doing this, but Robert Anthony Maurice Palmer, the man you mentioned, is the only one I knew of, and I don't think he warrants a new section all to himself. Until others can be found, I'll just put him in the "Other" section. Ariasne 11:02, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

In which case I would add Sir Thomas Richard Edmund Southwood, Kt, DL, FRS (20 June 1931 – 26 October 2005), Professor of Zoology and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. Mithrandir1967 19:49, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

In regard to the dates next to all these Old Boys, there are a number of inconsistencies. Robert Palmer's are the years he was alive, while Brian Newbould's would seem to be recording his dates at Hull. I don't know what policy is regarding this, Dartford has no dates, while Eton seems to have birth and death years. Regardless of what system, I think they should be standardised where possible. Ariasne 20:49, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

I was mulling that myself but you will see that if the dates are immediately after the name then they are the born/died dates whilst if they are after the "office" then they refer to the time in that "office". If you look at Eton College they adopt this practice but have the "office" dates without brackets, so I will do that. Incidentally Robert Palmer was an "Acting Wing Commander", although I will see how he is described in his VC citation. Mithrandir1967 21:51, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

John Selwynn Gummer deleted from list of old boys as his own website states that he went to King's Rochester & makes no mention of Gravesend Grammar. Citation needed if he is to be put back on the list.

Thank you for your challenge on John Selwyn Gummer - it was always said that he attended the school to complete his A Levels having left Kings (his father being the rector at St George's at the time). We have now looked at the orginal records from 1956-1960 and can find no record of him. It is good to put this "myth" to bed. Unfortunately there seems to be an assumption that just because some lived in, or was associated with, Gravesend and then went on to be "successful" that they must have attended the Grammar School. We are currently finding that with Paul Greengrass, (Director of United 93), who definately lived in Gravesend, but actually attended Sevenoaks School. Mithrandir1967 18:11, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Actually new research shows that Paul Greengrass did attend the Grammar School (1966 - 1969)but left after three years on a scholarship to Sevenoaks. Mithrandir1967 (talk) 15:48, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

WikiProject class rating
This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 10:16, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

Radio Logic
Removed line referring to radio logic, as it is currently defunct. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.139.55.131 (talk) 21:15, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

--Remove the radio logic website link as well, it just directs to an empty page... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.139.55.131 (talk) 21:21, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

Sport
"Master in charge" --> Never EVER heard that term used before...

Master in Charge was the title used up until a few years ago for those Masters who led various sports. So there was a MiC for Hockey, Rugby, Cricket etc and sometime a 2iC for the deputy. They are now known as Subject Lead(er)s.Mithrandir1967 (talk) 21:42, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 16:37, 29 April 2016 (UTC)

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Girls???
So where do girls go who pass the 11+ in Gravesend? Not to Gravesend Grammar until they are at least 16, to judge by the opening paragraph… Paul Magnussen (talk) 00:45, 1 September 2023 (UTC)