Oakwood Park Grammar School

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Coordinates: 51°16′12″N 0°29′56″E / 51.270°N 0.499°E / 51.270; 0.499
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Oakwood Park Grammar School
Grammar School;
Academy
MottoStrive and Serve
Established1918
Department for Education URN136727 Tables
OfstedReports
Chairman of GovernorsJ. Murton
HeadmasterKevin Moody
Staff65
GenderBoys (co-ed Sixth Form)
Age11 to 18
Enrolment994[1]
Houses  Broughton
  Fisher
  Hazlitt
  Sadler
  Wilberforce
Colour(s)  Maroon
  Blue
Publication@Oakwood
Websitehttp://www.opgs.org/

Oakwood Park Grammar School is a

examination (11-plus) and boys and girls at 16+ on their GCSE
results. The current headteacher is Kevin Moody. The school is popularly known by its initials OPGS, Oakwood or Oakwood Park

History

OPGS was founded in 1918 as the Co-educational Junior Technical School for Boys and the Junior Commercial School for Girls.[2] The school was based at two sites in Maidstone town centre: Faith Street and Tonbridge Road. The school admitted pupils at the age of 11 and 13. The school was also known as the Maidstone Technical School.

By the 1950s the school had outgrown these two sites and a new site was found at Oakwood Park, further along on the Tonbridge Road. The school moved into its new premises between September 1958 and September 1959.

Geoffrey Francis Fisher
. It was then known as the Maidstone Technical School for Boys. In 1963 it became the Maidstone Technical High School for Boys.

The introduction of

grammar schools but were not allowed to call themselves as such. Now the school had to compete with Maidstone Grammar School
for pupils.

In 1983 the use of the "grammar school" title was relaxed and on 10 October 1983 Maidstone School for Boys became Oakwood Park Grammar School.[2][3] In the 1980s the school started admitting girls into the sixth form.

Enrolment declined in the late 1980s and

grant maintained status, giving it independence from KCC. Enrolment increased thereafter and in September 1993 grammar schools across the area started admitting pupils at the age of 11 (year 7).[citation needed
]

After the scrapping of grant maintained status in the late 1990s, OPGS became a community school, reverting to KCC control. The school became a mathematics and computing specialist college in 2003.[1] The school then became a foundation school, giving it some independence from Kent County Council. On 1 May 2011 the school officially became an academy, meaning that Kent County Council no longer have any responsibility for the school apart from co-ordinating admissions.

Extracurricular activities

OPGS's extracurricular activities are extensive and varied. The school has sports teams in football, rugby, cricket, basketball, rowing and athletics which compete at local, county and national levels.

Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and has numerous overseas trips.[4]
Oakwood focus on these aspects greatly and it is very unusual for a grammar school to emphasise the importance of extracurricular work. This is also done though volunteering day which is held each year and in which all students volunteer for one school day to gain experience and to give back to the community.

Houses

OPGS used to have houses named after local villages – Allington, Brenchley, Chillington, Detling, Egerton and Farleigh. This house system was abandoned in the 1980s.

The house system was re-introduced in 2009 due to the school's growing size and to accompany the school's 50-year anniversary. The school's five houses are:[5]

Headteachers

  • To start late 2024: S. Craig
  • 2006–2024: Kevin W. Moody
  • 1992–2006: Mike J. Newbould
  • 1985–1992: A. G. Sandford
  • 1966–1985: John A. Skinner
  • 1956–1966: R. H. Voice
  • 1933–1955: H. Collins
  • 1918–1933: James Quick

Alumni

OPGS has helped nurture students through various career paths.

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c "About Oakwood Park". School. Oakwood Park Grammar School.
  2. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Jon (2009). "A rose by any other name". Oakwood Park Grammar School. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ISBN 9780851155876
    .
  4. ^ a b c d e "Extra Curricular". School. Oakwood Park Grammar School.
  5. ^ "House System". Community. Oakwood Park Grammar School.
  6. ^ "James Hall". 25 January 2013.
  7. ^ "Maidstone band shortlisted for prestigious award". Kent Online. Retrieved 17 April 2018.

https://books.google.fi/books/about/Maidstone_Technical_High_School_for_Boys.html?id=7jndPAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

External links

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