Grammar schoolFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThis article is about a type of school in the United Kingdom and in former British territories. For the first stage of schooling in the United States, see Elementary school (United States).Sutton Grammar School in Sutton, London, one of five remaining grammar schools in the London Borough of SuttonA grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other nglish!speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages "ut more recently an academically orientedsecondary school#$he original purpose of medieval grammar schools %as the teaching of Latin# &ver time the curriculum %as "roadened, first to include Ancient Greek, and later nglish and other uropean languages, natural sciences, mathematics, history,geography, and other su"'ects# (n the late )ictorian era grammar schools %ere reorganised to provide secondary education throughout ngland and Wales* Scotland had developed a different system# Grammar schools of these types %ere also esta"lished in British territories overseas, %here they have evolved in different %ays#Grammar schools "ecame the selective tier of the $ripartite System of state!funded secondary education operating in ngland and Wales from the mid!+,-.s to the late +,/.s and continuing in 0orthern (reland# With the move to non!selectivecomprehensive schools in the +,/.s and +,1.s, some grammar schools "ecame fully independent and charged fees, %hile most others %ere a"olished or "ecame comprehensive# (n "oth cases, many of these schools kept 2grammar school2 in their names# Some parts of ngland retain forms of the $ripartite System, and a fe% grammar schools survive in other%ise comprehensive areas# Some of the remaining grammar schools can trace their histories to "efore the +/th century#Contents3hide4 +arly grammar schools 5)ictorian grammar schools 6Grammar schools in the $ripartite System -7ontemporary British grammar schoolso -#+nglando -#50orthern (reland 8Grammar schools in other countrieso 8#+Australiao 8#57anadao 8#69ong Kongo 8#-:epu"lic of (relando 8#8;alaysiao 8#/Singaporeo 8#1United States /See also 1:eferences s School, 7anter"ury ?founded 8,1@ and the King>s School, :ochester ?/.-@#3+4354 $he schools %ere attached to cathedrals and monasteries, teaching Latin A the language of the church A to future priests and monks# &ther su"'ects reBuired for religious %ork %ere occasionally added, including music and verse ?for liturgy@, astronomy and mathematics ?for the church calendar@ and la% ?for administration@#364Winchester 7ollege 7hapelWith the foundation of the ancient universities from the late +5th century, grammar schools "ecame the entry point to a li"eral artseducation, %ith Latin seen as the foundation of the trivium# Cupils %ereusually educated in grammar schools up to the age of +-, after %hich they %ould look to universities and the church for further study# $he first schools independent of the church A Winchester 7ollege ?+6 grammar school esta"lished in a to%n %ith an older "oys> grammar school %ould often "e named a 2high school2#Under the ducation ?Administrative Crovisions@ Act +,.1 all grant!aided secondary schools %ere reBuired to provide at least 58 percent of their places as free scholarships for students from pu"lic elementary schools# Grammar schools thus emerged as one part of the highly varied education system of ngland and Wales "efore +,--#3643,4Grammar schools in the Tripartite System3edit4&ain article' Tripartite System$he +,-- ducation Act created the first nation%ide system of state!funded secondary education in ngland and Wales, echoed "y the ducation ?0orthern (reland@ Act +,-1# &ne of the three types of school forming the $ripartite System %as called the grammar school, %hich sought to spread the academic ethos of the e=isting grammar schools# Grammar schools %ere intended to teach an academic curriculum to the most intellectually a"le 58 percent of the school population as selected "y the eleven plus e=amination#;anchester Grammar School, the largest and most famous of the direct grant grammar schools$%o types of grammar schools e=isted under the systemF3+643+-4 $here %ere more than +,5.. maintained grammar schools, %hich %ere fully state!funded# $hough some %ere Buite old, most %ere either ne%ly created or "uilt since the )ictorian period, seeking to replicate the studious, aspirational atmosphere found in the older grammar schools# $here %ere also +1, direct!grant grammar schools, %hich took "et%een one Buarter and onehalf of their pupils from the state system, and the rest from fee!paying parents# $hey also e=ercised far greater freedom from local authorities, and %ere mem"ers of the 9eadmasters> 7onference# $hese schools included some very old schools encouraged to participate in the $ripartite System# $he most famous e=ample of a direct!grant grammar %as ;anchester Grammar School, %hose headmaster, Lord Eames of :usholme, %as one of the most outspokenadvocates of the $ripartite System#3+84Grammar school pupils %ere given the "est opportunities of any schoolchildren in the state system# (nitially, they studied for the School 7ertificate and 9igher School 7ertificate, replaced in +,8+ "y General 7ertificate of ducation e=aminations at &!level ?&rdinary level@ and A!level?Advanced level@# (n contrast, very fe% students at secondary modern schools took pu"lic e=aminations until theintroduction of the less academic 7ertificate of Secondary ducation ?kno%n as the 7S@ in the +,/.s#3+/4 Until the implementation of the :o""ins :eport in the +,/.s, children from pu"lic and grammar schools effectively monopolised access to universities# $hese schools %ere also the only ones that offered an e=tra term of school to prepare pupils for the competitive entrance e=ams for &="ridge#3citation needed4$he $ripartite System %as largely a"olished in ngland and Wales "et%een +,/8, %ith the issue of 7ircular +.G/8, and the ducation Act +,1/# ;ost maintained grammar schools %ere amalgamated %ith a num"er of other local schools, to form neigh"ourhood comprehensive schools, though a fe% %ere closed# $his process proceeded Buickly in Wales, %ith the closure of such schools as 7o%"ridge Grammar School# (n ngland, implementation %as less even, %ith some counties and individual schools successfully resisting conversion or closure#3+143+