# Altrincham Grammar School for Boys

Altrincham Grammar School for Boys is a boys' grammar school in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England.

## Admissions

The school is a fully selective non-fee paying grammar school with admission via an entrance exam. Its previous status as a foundation school allowed for a degree of independence from the local education authority, until in 2011, under the government's education reforms, it attained Academy status.

## History

The school was founded as Altrincham County High School for Boys (ACHS) in 1912 as a result of the Balfour Education Act, to provide secondary education (partly fee-paying) for an area which stretched from Sale to Knutsford.
It opened with 57 pupils and 3 staff (Headmaster, Deputy and one secretary), housed in the red brick building which still forms the central block of the school today. The south wing and the assembly hall were added in 1938 and the science block, gymnasium and workshops in 1964.
In 1974, the school passed from the control of Cheshire County Council to the newly formed Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. It remained under Trafford's control until 1996 when it became a grant-maintained school. In 1999, it evolved into a foundation school, when grant-maintained school status was abolished.
In September 2003, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) awarded the school specialist school status as a Language College.
Recent additions include new blocks for art and design, new ICT suites, the new Stamford Hall canteen, a food technology room, and The Grammar gym.
In October 2013, a new physics centre was opened by the physicist Brian Cox, housing six laboratories, a staff room and a large preparation room. In 2019, a House System was introduced. There were 4 houses; Tatton, Bradbury, Stamford and Massey. In January 2021, the school completed a new building with an additional 9 classrooms(primarily used for English and Sciences), a new library, extra toilets and a small staff room. It is aimed to allow the school to increase their pupil intake per year. In 2023, 5 new Cricket Nets and 2 new Cricket strips were installed.

## Notable former pupils

* Paul Allott – former Lancashire and England cricketer and currently Director of Cricket at Lancashire
* Roger Ashton-Griffiths – film actor
* Alan Barnes – jazz musician
* Verner Bickley - colonial administrator
* Sir Graham Brady – former Conservative MP for Altrincham and Sale West and Chairman of the 1922 Committee
* Ian Brown – solo artist and lead singer of the indie rock band The Stone Roses (testified against former Teacher Fred Talbot)
* Ewan Clarkson - author
* Nick Cohen – journalist and author
* Brendan Creed - Great Britain and England field hockey player
* Ashley Taylor Dawson – Hollyoaks actor
* Mark Foster – record-producer and DJ
* Ronald Gow – dramatist, who returned to the school to teach in the 1920s
* Prof Ian Hargreaves, Editor of The Independent from 1994 to 1996, and the New Statesman from 1996–8
* John Hopkins – conductor of the BBC Northern Orchestra from 1952 to 1957, founder of the New Zealand Youth Orchestra and Director of Music at the Australian Broadcasting Commission 1963–73
* Steve Jackson – Co-founder of Games Workshop and Lionhead
* Ian Livingstone – Executive Chairman of Eidos Interactive, co-founder of Games Workshop and publisher of Tomb Raider and Lara Croft
* Prof John Morrill, Professor of British and Irish History at the University of Cambridge
* John Squire – Lead guitarist of the indie rock band The Stone Roses
* Anthony Taylor (referee) Premier League Referee
* Andrew Western - Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston and Minister for Transformation at the Department for Work and Pensions
* Simon Wolstencroft - Rock drummer with The Fall; also played with early incarnations of The Smiths and The Stone Roses

### Former teachers

* Fred Talbot, weather forecaster (taught biology; convicted of indecent assault against two boys at the school)

## The Old Altrinchamians' Association

The Old Altrinchamians' Association is a former pupils' society with golf, football and cricket sections. The Association also holds an Annual Reunion Dinner and publishes an annual newsletter.

## Feeder schools

Most of the schools in the local area enter their qualifying students into the 11+ exams. The school does have a catchment area where pupils living nearby are prioritised over those living further away. The priority catchment area is defined as the Postal addresses of WA13/WA14/WA15/M33 and M23 which lie within the Trafford Local Authority. However some students travel all the way from Warrington and Stockport and thus commute to and from school. Students use the local Hale Railway Station, Altrincham Interchange, and school bus routes to do this.