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'{{For|other schools with the name RGS|Royal Grammar School (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox UK school | name = Royal Grammar School | image = RoyalGrammarSchoolNewcastle.jpg | size = 200px | latitude =54.98289624 | longitude =-1.60886407 | dms = | motto = ''Discendo Duces''<br />(By Learning, You Will Lead) | motto_pl = | established = 1525 | approx = | closed = | c_approx = | type = [[Independent school (UK)|Independent]] [[day school]] | religion = | president = | head_label = Headmaster | head = Dr. Bernard Trafford | r_head_label = | r_head = | chair_label = | chair = | founder = [[Thomas Horsley]] | founder_pl = | specialist = | specialist_pl = | street = Eskdale Terrace | city = [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] | country = [[England]] | postcode = NE2 4DX | LEA = | urn = 108549 | ofsted = | staff = 91 | enrollment = 1,247 | gender = [[Mixed-sex education|Coeducational]] | lower_age = | upper_age = | houses = Collingwood, Eldon, Horsley, Stowell | colours = | publication = | free_label_1 = Former pupils | free_1 = Old Novocastrians | free_label_2 = | free_2 = | free_label_3 = | free_3 = | website = http://www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk | website_name = Royal Grammar School }} '''Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne''', usually abbreviated as '''RGS''', is a selective British [[independent school]] for pupils aged between 7 to 18 years. Founded in 1525 by [[Thomas Horsley]], then-[[Mayor|Mayor of]] [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], it received royal foundation by [[Queen Elizabeth I]] and is the city's oldest institution of learning. The School is located in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], in [[North East England]], and is a member of the [[Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference]]. In 2008, RGS became fully [[co-education|co-eduacational]] after 450 years as an all boys' school. It has a current enrollment of more than 1,200 pupils. RGS has a long list of distinguished former pupils including academics, politicians and British aristocracy.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:People_educated_at_the_Royal_Grammar_School,_Newcastle</ref> Former students are known as ''Old Novocastrians'' or ''Old Novos'' ("Novocastrian" is [[dog Latin| macaronic Latin]] for "citizen of Newcastle"). In 2012 the [[Sunday Times| Sunday Times Schools Guide]] named RGS the top performing school in the [[North of England]] based on academic results from [[A-levels]] and [[GCSE| GCSEs]].<ref>http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/communities/jesmond-and-sandyford/2012/11/24/jesmond-rgs-is-top-school-72703-32299399/</ref><ref>http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2011/02/21/royal-grammar-school-praised-for-achievements-61634-28204637/</ref> ==History== The RGS was founded in 1525<ref name="NG1868">{{cite web |url=http://www.genuki.bpears.org.uk/NBL/Newcastle/Gaz1868.html |title=National Gazetteer (1868) – Newcastle upon Tyne |accessdate=2007-04-29|year=1868 |work=Newcastle Gazette|publisher=GENUKI Charitable trust }}</ref> by [[Thomas Horsley]], within the grounds of [[Newcastle Cathedral|St Nicholas' Church]], Newcastle. Planning is believed to have begun as early as 1477. The site has moved five times since then, most recently to [[Jesmond]] in 1906.<ref name="RGS website - history">{{cite web | author = Royal Grammar School, Newcastle | authorlink =Royal Grammar School, Newcastle | title =The School – History | year =2007 | url =http://www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/theschool/history.php | accessdate =2007-05-28 | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> The new school building was officially opened on January 17, 1907.<ref name="The Grammar: 100 years in Jesmond">{{Cite news | last = Matthews | first = Alastair | title = 100 Years in Jesmond | newspaper = The Grammar | date = 2007-02-26 | url = http://www.thegrammar.com/news/general/100-years-in-jesmond.html | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> An 1868 description reads: <blockquote>There are many public schools, the principal one being the Royal Free Grammar school founded in 1525 by Thomas Horsley, Mayor of Newcastle, and made a royal foundation by Queen Elizabeth. It is held in the old hall of St. Mary's Hospital, built in the reign of James I., and has an income from endowment of about £500, besides a share in Bishop Crew's 12 exhibitions at Lincoln College, Oxford, lately abolished, and several exhibitions to Cambridge. The number of scholars is about 140. Hugh Moises, and Dawes, author of "Miscellanea Critica," were once head-masters, and many celebrated men have ranked among its pupils, including W. Elstob, Bishop Ridley, Mark Akenside, the poet, Chief Justice Chambers, Brand, the antiquary and town historian, Horsley, the antiquary, and Lords Eldon, Stowell, and Collingwood.<ref name="NG1868" /></blockquote> [[George III of England|George III]], on reading one of [[Admiral Collingwood]]'s despatches after [[Battle of Trafalgar|Trafalgar]], asked how the seaman had learned to write such splendid English, but he answered himself, recalling that, along with [[John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon|Eldon]] and [[William Scott, 1st Baron Stowell|Stowell]], he had been a pupil of Hugh Moises: "I forgot. He was one of Moises' boys."<ref>{{cite journal|date=1 March 1910|title=Collingwood, forgotten hero of Trafalgar|journal=[[The Guardian|Manchester Guardian]]|location=Manchester, England}}</ref> ==Description== The RGS is located opposite [[Central Newcastle High School]], a [[single-sex school|single-sex girls' school]]. The RGS often shares activities such as drama and school trips with them. Throughout the school (years 3–13) are four houses, named Collingwood (yellow), Eldon (green), Horsley (blue) and Stowell (red), although the Junior School previously had separate houses, named after colours (red, white, and blue). The Senior School is located on Eskdale Terrace. The Junior School was housed on the adjoining Lambton Road, but a new Junior School on the main school site has been in use since September 2006. The RGS has [[Combined Cadet Force]] (CCF) Army and Navy contingents, open to both boys and girls from the RGS and Central Newcastle High School. The CCF provides leadership training by means of military exercises. Cadets have weekly training sessions after school, and opportunities to go on extended training and adventure trips during the holidays. The Army section of NRGS CCF are affiliated to [[the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers]], and the Navy Section are affiliated to [[HMS Calliope (shore establishment)|HMS Calliope]] which is situated on the Tyne next to the Baltic.<ref name='RGS (2004)'>{{cite web |url=http://www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/extra_curriculum.asp?navclick=cultural#ccf |title=Royal Grammar School – Extracurricular – Cultural |accessdate=2007-04-29|year=2004|work=Royal Grammar School website |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040815153855/http://www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/extra_curriculum.asp?navclick=cultural |archivedate=2004-08-15 }} CCF information is in a section part-way down the page.</ref> In recent years the school's debating society has become increasingly prominent within the debating community. In October 2004 the school hosted the first Northern Junior Debating Championship, which has now become an annual competition. It is notable for being the first competition of the school calendar. The society also regularly enters teams for other competitions, and has reached the finals' day of both the [[Oxford Union]] and [[Cambridge Union]] schools' competitions in recent years, winning the [[Cambridge Union]] competition in 2010. At a junior level, RGS reached the final of the International Competition for Young Debaters in 2006 and 2007, and won the Northern Junior Debating Competition in 2005, 2006, and 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.njdc.org.uk/history/2010/ |title=NJDC 2010 results }}</ref> The school has its own swimming pool and gym. The primary sports that are played at RGS are [[Rugby football|rugby]], [[hockey]], [[fencing]], [[Football (soccer)|football]], [[netball]], [[cricket]], [[swimming (sport)|swimming]] and [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]. Dr. Bernard St. John Trafford has been [[headmaster]] of the school since 2008. He was previously headmaster of [[Wolverhampton Grammar School]].<ref name="Trafford">{{Cite news | last = Bellis | first = Andrew | title = Wolverhampton Head to take over at RGS | newspaper = The Grammar | date = 2007-02-26 | url = http://www.thegrammar.com/news/staff/wolverhampton-head-to-take-over-at-rgs.html | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> His predecessor, James F X Miller, retired in 2008.<ref name="Miller07a">{{cite journal |title=The Headmaster Retires |journal=ONA Magazine|year=2007 |first=James|last=Miller |issue=71|page=05 }} Articles are not posted on the magazine's web site: {{cite web |title=Magazine and Newsletter|work=Old Novocastrian Association website |url=http://ona.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/mag.asp?navclick=mag|accessdate=2007-04-29 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070927121433/http://ona.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/mag.asp?navclick=mag <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-09-27}}</ref><ref name='Miller retirement'>{{cite web |url=http://www.thegrammar.com/news/james-miller-years/the-interview.html |title=James Miller: the interview |accessdate=2007-05-09|year=2007|work=The Grammar }}</ref> The Second Master is Tony Bird. There are 91 members of teaching staff in the Senior School, 6 of whom are part-time. In the Junior School there are a further 6 members of [[teacher|teaching staff]] including the [[Headmaster]] Roland Craig (since 1999), and Deputy Head Ken Wilkinson. There are also approximately 68 members of [[maintenance staff]] under the management of Richard Metcalfe, the school [[Bursar]] (who previously worked at [[Durham University]]{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}), as well as 14 private music tutors. <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:School uniform.gif|thumb|RGS school uniform as updated in 2006]] -->The RGS school uniform was updated for all new pupils as of September 2006. The school magazine, '''''Novo''''', comes out annually and features trip reports, society and sporting news, outstanding poetry and artwork, and a section on recently-joined or departing staff. A student-run newspaper, '''''the Issue''''', came into being in the late 1990s; after a period of inactivity, it was relaunched in September 2003 and contained reviews, opinion columns, road-tests and humour pieces. It was famous for breaking the big story that football was to be introduced as a core sport alongside rugby. It ran roughly twice per term until its demise in summer 2005, but was replaced in early 2006 by '''''The Grammar''''', a more serious and formal piece than the photocopied ''re-Issue'', which has both printed and internet sections. At the end of the 2009–2010 academic year, '''''The Grammar''''' folded.In 2011 a new magaze was set by a group of 6th Form students called '''''Vox''''' and is currently going strong. Since 1965, the school has held a "Prizegiving" ceremony each November, to recognise academic achievement and bring the school together. It was held at the [[Newcastle City Hall]], since no space on campus could hold all teachers, students, and parents. Due to declining interest by parents, students, and teachers, the school replaced this in 2007 with a series of smaller gatherings and a public festival. This typified the general malaise of the school and its eagerness to leave tradition for a more fashionable approach to education, much to the despair of old pupils, teachers, and parents alike.<ref name="Miller07b">{{cite journal |title=The End of Prizegiving |journal=ONA|year=2007 |first=James|last=Miller |issue=71|page=05 }} Articles are not posted on the magazine's web site: {{cite web |title=Magazine and Newsletter|work=Old Novocastrian Association website |url=http://ona.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/mag.asp?navclick=mag|accessdate=2007-04-29 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070927121433/http://ona.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/mag.asp?navclick=mag <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-09-27}}</ref> However in 2009, Headmaster Bernard Trafford announced that a new Prizegiving ceremony "RGS Day" would be hosted on the Saturday of the penultimate week of the school year. This event would invite parents of all year groups to come and would involve the Prizegivings of the entire school as well as musical and dramatic performances, sporting events, a chance for Old Novos to return to the school and the opportunity for various departments to exhibit themselves. The Junior School's Prizegiving will be held the following Wednesday but they will also have activities on RGS Day. ==Buildings and grounds== The RGS's main buildings are in a complex located on Eskdale Terrace, [[Jesmond]], Newcastle upon Tyne. There have since been a number of large-scale building operations to provide the school with better facilities and to accommodate for the expansion of the school as it prepared to admit girls at all major entrance points from September 2006. In 1997, Professor [[Richard Dawkins]] opened the new Science and Technology Centre (STC), with [[Physics]] and [[Design & Technology]] [[laboratories]] downstairs, and [[Chemistry]] and [[Biology]] [[laboratories]] upstairs. In 2003 the STC was renamed ''The Neil Goldie Centre'' in memory of Neil Goldie, who died earlier that year. At the time he was the school's Head of Science and Technology. In 1998, a new Sports' Hall containing basketball courts and updated gymnastics facilities was opened. The building also provides facilities for table tennis, fencing, and weight-training, plus a gymnasium available to pupils of the school in their free time. During the height of summer examination seasons the hall is used for pupils sitting public examinations and is closed to all other activities. In 2005, the [[music]] and [[economics]] block was demolished. A new Performing Arts Centre and Modern Languages department was completed in September 2006. It includes a 300-seat [[auditorium]] for school concerts and productions, a musical recital hall, a drama/dance [[studio]], recording facilities, a band room, a percussion room, and a number of classrooms where modern languages and music will be taught. The gala opening concert was in October 2006. Also in 2005, an extension to the school's dining hall which has been created as the new Junior School site. Coordinated with this development was the renovation of the 6th form common room to amalgamate the previously separated lower 6th and upper 6th quarters. The re-development allowed the site of the lower 6th form room to be converted to a library extension. The new common room included a tuck-shop, computer pods, and two miscellaneous annexes. A floodlit all-weather surface has been in use since January 2006, on land that once was part of the school field. Aside from the school field, which is primarily used for [[rugby union]], the school also owns land in nearby Jesmond for sports use. This was given to the school in recompense for the land it lost when the flyover was created at the top of the school- eating into some of the land owned by the school. The school is also the tenants of Sutherland Park in Benton. Sutherland Park is named after [[Arthur Sutherland]] (1878-1883) who bought the grounds of Benton Lodge in 1925 for [[Novocastrians Rugby Football Club]]. The ground and clubhouse was sold to the school at a later date. The club was set up by former pupils of the school in 1899; many Old Novos still represent and play for the club to this day. A full size football pitch was created there in early 2005. The school has also recently agreed a 50-year lease of the County Cricket Ground on [[Osborne Avenue]], Jesmond.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080703005112/http://www.newcastlecc.co.uk/saving_cricket_at_jesmond/ FRESH START SAVES HISTORIC CRICKET GROUND]. newcastlecc.co.uk</ref> The school was also a supporter of the [[Freemasonry|Freemasons]], allowing the building to be used as a masonic lodge. There are still apparent references to this: the door of the Plender Library has glass-work which could be the masonic symbol.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} ==The School Song== The RGS had a school song, with the following lyrics.<ref name="A History of the School">{{Cite book | author = Mains, Brian; Tuck, Anthony | title =Royal Grammar School Newcastle upon Tyne: A History of the School and its Community | ISBN =978-0-85362-224-6 | year =1986 | accessdate =2009-01-05 | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> The individuals named in the school song are of historical interest. :[[Thomas Horsley|Horsley]], a merchant venturer bold, Of good Northumbrian strain, :Founded our rule and built our school, In [[Henry VIII of England|bluff King Harry's]] reign, :Long shall his name old time defy, Like the castle grim that stands, :Four-square to ev'ry wind that blows, In our stormy northern lands. :'''''Chorus:''''' :''Fortiter defendit, fortiter defendit, fortiter defendit triumphans'' :''Fortiter defendit, fortiter defendit, fortiter defendit triumphans'' :Many a name on the scroll of fame, Is the heritage of our land, :[[Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood|Collingwood]] and [[William George Armstrong|Armstrong]], [[John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon|Eldon]] and [[Henry Bourne (historian)|Bourne]], [[Mark Akenside|Akenside]], [[William Scott, 1st Baron Stowell|Stowell]] and [[John Brand|Brand]], :Strong in their wisdom, wise in their strength, Wielders of sword and of pen, :Far went they forth from the school of the north, That mother and maker of men. :''(Chorus)'' :God speed the school on the shores of the Tyne, That has stood for centuries four, :Bright may the star of her glory shine, Bright as in days of yore, :Pray too that we may worthy be, To tread where our fathers trod, :Bravely to fight for truth and right, For Motherland, King and God. :''(Chorus)'' ''Fortiter defendit triumphans'' is the [[Latin]] [[motto]] of the City of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and means ''triumphing by a brave defence''.<ref name="civicherardlry">{{cite web | last =Young | first =Robert | title =Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council | url =http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/tyne_wear.html | accessdate =2007-09-14 | postscript =<!--None-->}}</ref> The RGS school song was abolished by James Miller's predecessor as headmaster, Mr. A. Cox, and it is no longer sung.{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}} <!-- link http://www.thegrammar.com/index.php?option=com_search&Itemid=68&searchword=school+song&searchphrase=exact&ordering=newest is a good start, but not enough; a) it links to a search result, not an article; b) the links in the search result fail. --> [[Image:RoyalGrammarSchoolNewcastle 1810.jpg|thumb|300px|The West Gate Road site in 1810]] [[Image:RoyalGrammarSchoolNewcastle1890.jpg|thumb|300px|The Rye Hill site in 1885]] ==School motto== The school has the motto, ''Discendo duces'' (By learning you will lead).<ref name="A History of the School" /> ==Notable former pupils== {{See also|Category:People educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle}} Former pupils are known as Old Novocastrians, which is also a demonym for a person from [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]. ===16th century=== * '''[[Nicholas Ridley (martyr)|Nicholas Ridley]]''' (died 16 October 1555). [[England|English]] [[clergyman]] and [[Protestant]] [[martyr]].<ref name="NG1868" /><ref name='DNB 101023631F'>{{cite web | last = Wabuda | first = Susan | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Index Number 101023631 | year = 2004| month= September | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101023631/ | accessdate = 2008-02-11 | postscript = <!--None-->}} Source doesn't specifically mention Newcastle RGS. It says, "After attending school at Newcastle upon Tyne, about 1518, in his middle to late teens,..."</ref> * '''[[Brandling of Newcastle|Thomas Brandling]]''' (1512–1590), founder of the Brandling land and coal owning dynasty. ===17th century=== * '''[[Brian Walton, Bishop of Chester|Brian Walton]]''' (1600–1661), English divine and scholar. * [[Robert Lilburne|Colonel '''Robert Lilburne''']] (1613–1665), [[regicide]]. * '''[[John Lilburne]]''' (1614–1657), "Freeborn John" * '''[[William Elstob]]''' (1674? -1715), [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]] scholar and [[Church of England]] [[clergyman]].<ref name="NG1868" /><ref name='DNB 101008762'>{{cite web | last = Ross | first = Margaret Clunies | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Index Number 101008762 | year = 2004| month= September | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101008762/ | accessdate = 2008-02-11 | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> * '''[[Henry Bourne (historian)|Henry Bourne]]''' (1694–1733), [[historian]] ===18th century=== * '''[[John Horsley]]''' (c. 1685–1732), [[archaeologist]] * '''[[Anthony Askew]]''' (''[[Floruit|fl.]]'' 1699–1774), [[physician]] and [[book collector]] * '''[[Mark Akenside]]''' (1721–1770), 18th century [[England|English]] [[poet]] and [[physician]] * [[Robert Chambers (English judge)|Sir '''Robert Chambers''']] (1737–1803), jurist, [[Vinerian Professor of English Law]], and Chief Justice of [[Bengal]]. * '''[[Charles Hutton]]''' (1737–1823), [[mathematician]] * '''[[John Brand]]''' (1744–1806), 18th century [[England|English]] [[historian]] * [[William Scott, 1st Baron Stowell|'''William Scott''', 1st Baron Stowell]] (1745–1836), [[England|English]] [[judge]] and [[jurist]] * [[Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood|'''Cuthbert Collingwood''', 1st Baron Collingwood]] (1750–1810), Admiral Lord Collingwood of [[Battle of Trafalgar|Trafalgar]] fame * [[John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon|'''John Scott''', 1st Earl of Eldon]] (1751–1838), [[Lord High Chancellor]] of [[Great Britain]] * '''[[George Hall (Bishop of Dromore)|George Hall]]''', [[Bishop of Dromore]] (1753–1811)<ref name="british-history RGS Newcastle">[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=51171&strquery=the%20royal%20free%20grammar%20school%20newcastle#s19 Newbottle – Newcastle-upon-Tyne| British History Online]. British-history.ac.uk (2003-06-22). Retrieved on 2012-05-26.</ref> * '''[[John Adamson (antiquary)|John Adamson]]''' (1787–1855), [[antiquary]] and [[Portugal|Portuguese]] scholar * '''[[John Bigge]]''' (1780–1843), English judge and royal commissioner * '''[[Thomas Addison]]''' (1793–1860), renowned 19th-century English physician and scientist <ref name="wehner.org">{{cite web|url= http://wehner.org/addison/cv/index.htm|title= Addison's Life<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> ===19th century=== * '''[[Albany Hancock]]''' (1806–1873), zoologist <ref name="DNB 101012184">{{cite web|url= http://oxforddnb.com/index/101012184/|title= Albany Hancock : Oxford Biography Index entry<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> * '''[[John Hancock (ornithologist)|John Hancock]] ''' (1808–1890), father of modern [[taxidermy]]. * [[William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong|Sir '''William George Armstrong''', 1st Baron Armstrong]], (1810–1900), industrialist * '''[[John Forster (biographer)|John Forster]]''' (1812–1876), [[biographer]], [[critic]] and lunacy commissioner. * '''[[William Loftus]]''' (1820–1858), discoverer of [[Uruk]]. * '''[[Richard Austin Bastow]]''' (1839–1920), [[Australian]] [[naturalist]] and [[bryology|bryologist]]. * '''[[George Swinburne]]''' (1861–1928) [[Australia]]n [[engineer]], [[politician]] and public man * '''[[Ronald Owen Hall|Ronald Hall]]''' (1895–1975), [[Anglican]] bishop ===20th century=== * [[Samuel Segal, Baron Segal|'''Samuel Segal''', Baron Segal]], (1902–1985), [[Physician]], [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] politician and Deputy [[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]] of the [[House of Lords]] * '''[[Lúcio Costa]]''' (1902–1998), Brazilian architect, designer of the Pilot Plan of [[Brasília]] * [[Douglas Macfadyen|Sir '''Douglas Macfadyen''', KCB CBE]] (1902–1968) Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at [[RAF Home Command]] * '''[[Arthur Blenkinsop]]''' (1911–1979), British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] politician * [[Richard Southern|Sir '''Richard Southern''']] (1912–2001), historian * '''[[Brian Redhead]]''' (1929–1994), presenter of BBC Radio 4's [[Today programme]] (1975–1993) * [[Peter Taylor, Baron Taylor of Gosforth|'''Peter Taylor''', Baron Taylor of Gosforth]] (1930–1997), [[Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales|Lord Chief Justice]] (1992–96) * [[Geoffrey Bindman|Sir '''Geoffrey Bindman''']] (b. 1933), lawyer <ref name="bindmans.com">{{cite web|url= http://www.bindmans.com/index.php?id=248|title= The Times Law supplement interviews Sir Geoffrey Bindman : Bindman & Partners<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> * [[George Alberti|Professor Sir '''George Alberti''']] (b. 1937), President of the Royal College of Physicians (1997–2002) * '''Norman Bilton''' (1940-2001) Commercial Radio Director * '''[[Steven Lukes]]''' (born 1941), Social and political theorist * [[Alistair Graham|Sir '''Alistair Graham''']] (b. 1942), Chairman of the [[Committee on Standards in Public Life]] * [[Jeremy Beecham|'''Jeremy Beecham''', Baron Beacham]] (b. 1944), Politician<ref name = "local.odpm.gov.uk">[http://web.archive.org/web/20070606210415/http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/balance/membrshp.pdf Members of the Balance of Funding Review Steering Group]. local.odpm.gov.uk</ref> * '''[[Peter Kellner]]''' (born 1946), [[journalist]] * '''[[Timothy Kirkhope]]''' (born 1945), Conservative Spokesman on Justice and Home Affairs <ref name="amazin.co.uk">{{cite web|url= http://www.amazin.co.uk/kirkhope/about_me.htm|title= About Timothy Kirkhope<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> * [[Ian Gilmore|Professor '''Ian Gilmore''']] (b.1947), President of the Royal College of Physicians (2006–present) * [[Derek Wanless|Sir '''Derek Wanless''']] (b. 1948), Banker & Author of reports on Health and Social Care * '''[[Norman Shiel]]''' (born 1952), Mayor of [[Exeter]]<ref name="exeter.gov.uk">http://www.exeter.gov.uk/media/pdf/d/3/CITIZEN_39_1.pdf ''(last page)''</ref> * '''[[John Harle]]''' (born 1956), [[saxophone|saxophonist]] and [[composer]]. * '''[[John Ashton (diplomat)|John Ashton]]''' (born 1956), [[diplomat]] *'''[[Jim Pollock (Rugby Union Player)|Jim Pollock]]''' (born 1958, Scotland rugby International * '''[[Ian Lucas]]''' (born 1960), MP *'''[[Jonathan Webb]]''' (born 1963), England rugby International * '''[[Bharat Nalluri]]''' (born 1964), Television Director * '''[[Paul W. Franks]]''' (born 1964), Professor of Philosophy and Judaic Studies, Yale University * '''[[Nick Brownlee]]''' (born 1967) Crime thriller writer * '''[[Paul W. S. Anderson]]''' (born 1965) Film Director * '''[[Alastair Leithead]]''' (born 1971), BBC Journalist<ref name="rgs.newcastle.sch.uk">[http://www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/bursary-campaign/appeal.php?profile=alastair-leithead (RGS) Royal Grammar School, Newcastle – Education of the highest quality for boys and girls]. Rgs.newcastle.sch.uk. Retrieved on 2012-05-26.</ref> * '''[[Caspar Berry]]''' (born 1974), professional poker player, [[screenwriter]], [[actor]] and television presenter on [[Poker Night Live]] * '''[[Nicky Peng]]''' (born 1982), English cricketer * '''[[Matt Thompson (rugby union)|Matthew Thompson]]''' (born 1982), English & Newcastle Falcons RFU player * '''[[Fraser Forster]]''' (born 1988), Professional Footballer (goalkeeper) with [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] *<!-- PLEASE DISCUSS ON THE TALK PAGE BEFORE ADDING OR REMOVING ANYONE FROM THIS LIST. ANY CHANGES NOT DISCUSSED ON TALK WILL BE REVERTED DUE TO FREQUENT VANDALISM --> ==Notable staff== * [[James Jurin]], Head Master 1709–1715 * [[Richard Dawes]], Head Master 1738–1749<ref name="NG1868" /> * [[Hugh Moises]], Head Master 1749–1806<ref>{{DNB Cite|wstitle=Moises, Hugh}}</ref> * [[Max Black]], Head of Mathematics 1931–1936 * [[Michael Roberts (writer)|Michael Roberts]] Mathematics 1931–1941 * William Feaver (art journalist and author of [[The Pitmen Painters]]) History & Art 1970s ==See also== * [[:Category:People educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle|List of Old Novocastrians with articles on Wikipedia]] ==References== {{Reflist|35em}} ==External links== * [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=43363 Early History of the School] * [http://www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/ RGS website] * [http://ona.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/ Old Novocastrians Association website] * The main school in Jesmond is at coordinates {{coord|54.983149|-1.608521|type:edu}} {{Schools in Tyne and Wear}} [[Category:1525 establishments in England]] [[Category:Educational institutions established in the 1520s]] [[Category:Educational institutions established in the 1540s]] [[Category:Independent schools in Newcastle upon Tyne]] [[Category:Schools with Combined Cadet Forces]] [[Category:Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference]] [[Category:People educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle]]'