Oldham Hulme Grammar School


Oldham Hulme Grammar School, formerly Hulme Grammar School, is an independent grammar school in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.

History

The school was founded in the 19th century under the Endowed Schools Act 1869. The foundation of the school followed some time after an earlier Oldham Grammar school, dating from 1611, became defunct. Hulme Grammar School sometimes claims to have been founded in 1611, though the claim to be a continuation of this earlier school is contentious. When the school was founded it obtained some money from a charitable trust created in 1691 by a bequest from William Hulme, after whom the school is named. The school was a direct grant grammar school from 1946 until 1976. It reverted to independence with the phasing-out of the Direct Grant scheme, and is now an independent school which selects its students by examination and interview. The main buildings were erected in 1895 by the Hulme Trust.

Features

The Principal of the Hulme Grammar Schools is Mr. Craig Mairs. Previously the boys' and girls' schools had separate heads. The boys' head, Mr Kenneth Jones, retired in 2006 which resulted in the executive decision by the governors to appoint a new head of both schools. Dr Paul Neeson was appointed as the first principal of Oldham Hulme Grammar Schools.
Boys and girls are taught separately from the ages of 11 to 16, but there is a joint sixth form. The combined number of pupils is around 770.
There are coeducational junior schools for pupils aged 7 to 11 - "Hulme Court" for the year 3 and 4, and "Estcourt" for the year 5 and 6. There are also mixed nursery and infants classes hosted at 'Thorneycroft'.
In recent years the number of admissions to the school has been reduced. Thus up to the mid-1990s the school was admitting 120 boys per year; in recent years the number admitted has been in the 90s, though in 2009, 120 were admitted.

Notable alumni