Чэдл-Халмская школа: История и современность

the independent school

Cheadle Hulme School is a coeducational private day school in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, England, for pupils aged 3 to 18, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Founded in 1855 as The Manchester Warehousemen and Clerks' Orphan Schools, it sent pupils to an existing school in Shaw Hall, Flixton, before it moved into its own premises in Park Place, Ardwick, in 1861, and to its current location in 1869. The school became independent in 1976 when the Labour government abolished the direct grant system. The school grounds covers 83 acres,

In the early 1850s, life expectancy for those working in the inner cities was extremely poor and Manchester was no exception. Many of these workers were worried about the fate of their children should they die. A school for the orphans of warehousemen and clerks, which later became the Royal Russell School, had already been set up in London in 1853, and on 20 September 1854, a representative from the London school met with some Manchester men (one of whom was Ezekiel Browne) in the Albion Hotel to gather support for it. During the discussion, support for a local school became clear, and following this meeting a committee was formed to develop the idea. The school was to be called "The Manchester District Schools for Orphans and Necessitous Children of Warehousemen and Clerks", and it was to be open to all children, regardless of gender or religious background. The proposal was advertised to warehousemen and clerks across the north west of England; the men were asked for one guinea or more per year, which would pay for their child's education and well being, should the father die and the family left "necessitous". A set of rules was created, which outlined how the school should be run; these were adopted at the first meeting of the subscribers of 26 February 1855. These rules included the ages of admission (between 7 and 12 years old), with boys being taught until the age of 14, and girls until the age of 15, and that the school was for orphans and necessitous children of warehousemen and clerks only. Proposals for a complementary day school were discussed extensively, but this idea was postponed until the orphan school had been successfully set up. In July 1855, the committee sent out advertisements for the election of the first children to the school. The earliest scholars were elected by subscribers to the institution; the condition of their election depended on a few factors, including how long the child's father had subscribed and the family's circumstances. Subscribers had a number of votes depending on how much money they had subscribed. Fifteen applications had been received by September, and on 29 October 1855, commonly referred to as the school's founding date, six children were elected into the school at the Athenaeum in Manchester. At this time there were no premises or staff since the committee wished for more time to plan for their own premises and staff. The children were instead sent to an existing boarding school in Shaw Hall, Flixton.

Since the beginning, the school had been a boarding school, originally for the orphans (fatherless children) (known as "Foundationers") for whom it was established. As early as 1862, it started to accept fee paying boarders and an increasing number of day pupils to help to support the "Foundation Scheme". From 1921 the school had also decided to become part of the government's education programme, choosing in 1926 to become part of the Direct Grant system, with some of the day pupils funded by grants from the Board of Education. However, boarding remained the keystone of the school's objects and the cornerstone of its pastoral and sporting activity (even as late as the 1960s), but the number of Foundationers was declining. In the 1950s the annual subscription to the Foundation Scheme was raised from one guinea to two guineas, but with the creation of the Welfare State joining the scheme became increasingly less popular. In 1955 there were 82 Foundationers and 44 paying Boarders. Seven years later, these figures had reversed.

During World War I, the school hospital was used by the Red Cross for treating over 1,400 injured soldiers. Students from Manchester High School for Girls and Fairfield High School for Girls Droylsden were evacuated to the school during World War II. Sixty Old Waconians lost their lives in World War I, and 46 in World War II. The Broomefield (What used to be the headmaster's house) was built in 1906 had additional air raid shelters put in the cellars during the Second World War. There is said to be a ghost on the third floor of the building (presently the History department) called "Stepdrag" a soldier who is said to have died in the war and drags his feet along the corridors at night.

By the 1950s and 1960s, Cheadle Hulme School had become a renowned direct grant grammar school, deciding to become, again, independent in 1976 when the Labour government abolished the Direct Grant Scheme.

Built in 1970, the main Junior School building houses ten classrooms. An Infant Department was opened in 1998 and expanded further in September 2002 to accommodate an extra class at Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. There are two classes in each year group from Reception to Year 4, increasing to 3 classes from Year 5 within the Junior School. Students progress to the next year group automatically in the Junior School, then all pupils are required to take our entrance exam into the Senior School with the vast majority of pupils moving up into the Senior School. There are a wide range of clubs ranging from food club to tennis. Pupils have two sports lessons and one swimming lesson per week and the Year 5 and 6 students take part in regular matches in football, netball, hockey, swimming, cricket and athletics. Music lessons are held once a week in the Infants and twice a week in the Juniors. Pupils have regular opportunities to perform in assemblies, concerts and dramatic productions. The Junior School has many facilities available to it including a library, swimming pool, field, astro turf pitch and tennis and netball courts. The current headteacher of the Junior School is Mr Vincent Weightman.

The school offers a wide range of subjects, with students taking GCSEs at the age of 16 and A Levels in the sixth form.

The school offers a wide range of musical opportunities to students, including a choir and various bands (concert, wind, big band). The school offers music scholarships for entry at 11+ and Sixth Form. MPs Mark Hunter, Graham Brady and Kate Green and BBC North West political editor Arif Ansari.

Model United Nations (MUN) is a popular student activity. The school has developed a fine reputation as a leading MUN school, with students having won numerous awards for the standard of their debate and research skills at conferences across the United Kingdom and in Europe. As well as attending many large international conferences, the school also plays host to Model United Nations Cheadle Hulme (MUNCH). MUNCH is a popular MUN conference attended by schools from across the United Kingdom and, increasingly, from around the world.

Alex Stokes (1919–2003), biochemist, co discoverer of the structure of DNA.