The Crypt School


The Crypt School is a grammar school with academy status for boys and girls located in the city of Gloucester. This school has become the only coeducational selective school in Gloucester. This school has been an all boys school for almost 500 years but in 2018, it finally became coeducational. The sixth form has been coeducational for about 30 years and soon the crypt school will be fully coeducational. In 2018 the school allowed about 1/3 year seven girls, and 2/3 year seven boys, allowing 150 new students into the school. The school was founded in 1539 by Joan Cooke with money inherited from her husband John.

History

Founders

John Cooke was a wealthy brewer and mercer of Gloucester, one of the City's earliest aldermen, serving as sheriff in 1494 and 1498. He held the office of mayor four times, in 1501, 1507, 1512 and 1518. He was a great benefactor of the City. His will started the process in motion for the establishment of a grammar school in Gloucester, and the scheme was finally given effect by his wife Joan who survived him by 17 years, dying in 1545. It was Joan therefore who created the tripartite deed of 1539, deemed to be the founding charter. The school remains today the most ancient in Gloucester. A full account of the couple and their good works is contained within the book by Roland Austin published in 1939 "Crypt School". A contemporaneous portrait of the pair, John in his mayoral robe, shaking hands in union, is held within the collection of Gloucester City Council.

Site

In the school's 500-year history it has been sited in three different locations within the city of Gloucester. The original school was part of St Mary de Crypt Church in Southgate Street and the schoolroom can still be seen there. Later, in 1889, the school moved to Greyfriars, known better as Friar's Orchard, and in 1943, to its present site at Podsmead. The site on which the modern school is situated is land given to the school by Joan Cooke in 1539.

Status

Despite attempts to change the school, notably in the 1960s with the move to comprehensive schools, the Crypt remains a selective boys grammar school. In 1987, there was the admission of girls in the sixth form entering in at the age of 16. Since April 2011, the school has been an academy independent of local authority control. The school will be fully co-educational by 2018.

Primary school

In May 2018, the school announced plans to create a primary school, linked to the secondary school being built on the current Podsmead site. The new primary school would, unlike main school, be unselective and would be a free school.

Facilities

Facilities at the school include:

Religion

'Carmen Cryptiense', written in April 1926 with words by D. Gwynne Williams and music by C. Lee Williams.