SCHOOL HISTORY

 

Maltby Grammar School (MGS) was custom built to provide high quality secondary education for the 11-18 age group of girls and boys from villages and hamlets within a 10 mile radius of the mining village of Maltby. The first intake of 72 pupils took place in September 1931 and the school was formally opened on Saturday 16th April 1932 at 3pm by Sir Percy Jackson J.P, LL.D (Chairman of the West Riding Education Committee). The Foundation Headmaster was Mr Gerald Rush M.Sc, a chemistry graduate from Sheffield University. In 1961, when Mr Rush retired, the school had grown to 970 pupils. At this time Mr A.C. Dodman was appointed headmaster with the specific task of welding the grammar school and the two Maltby Hall secondary schools into one. For the next five years work continued on the rebuilding and alterations to the schools. It was officially opened as Maltby Comprehensive School on 7th October 1967 by Alan Bullock Master of St. Catherines College Oxford and Vice Chancellor of Oxford University. The selective component of the school gradually dwindled to zero by natural attrition until July 1974 after a life span of only 43 years.

The school badge, which can be seen in the upper left hand corner of this page, is divided into four by the crossed Fleur de Lis. Each quarter represents one of the four original houses into which the school was divided. The upper left quadrant represents Rolleston house and shows a golden eagle, the crest of the Rolleston family who have many associations with Maltby. This represents nobility and soaring to great heights. The school is built on the site of the old Rolleston Hall. The Rolleston house colour is red.
The upper right quadrant shows an open book and is the emblem of Bede house. This represents the symbol of study and learning. The Maltby district was once part of the Kingdom of Northumbria, the home of the Venerable Bede. The Bede house colour is blue.
The lower left quadrant shows a Saxon tower and is the emblem of Barts house. The Maltby parish church of St.Bartholomew contains a Saxon tower older even than Roche Abbey. The emblem represents strength, solidarity and endurance and a four square front in the battle of life. The Barts house colour is green.
Finally the lower right quadrant shows the white rose of York. The emblem of all true Yorkshire people. The York house colour is white.
The badge is completed by the school motto on a banner across the bottom. The motto Per Laborem Ad Honorem ( Through Work To Honour) was decided upon in 1931.

In September 1963 with the integration of Maltby Grammar School and the two Maltby Hall Secondary schools in full swing and with the number of pupils then exceeding 1800 it became necessary to reorganise the house system. Six new houses were formed all given names with local associations. These are as follows:

Clifford House. This was named after the Clifford family. Maltby Manor was passed down through the female line of the de Busli family and was eventually transferred to Robert de Clifford into which family one of the female descendants had married. The Clifford house colour is blue.

Danby House. This was named after the Earl of Danby. The most famous person to have held the title was Thomas Osborne the 1st Duke of Leeds. The Danby house colour is Red.

Reresby House. This was named after the Reresby family.Sir John Reresby inherited land at Thrybergh Park and the family moved to Rotherham from Debyshire in the fourteenth century. The family had close associations with the area until the eighteenth century. The Reresby house colour is Yellow.

Lumley House. This was named after the Lumley family which was the family name of the Earl of Scarborough whose principal seat is at Sandbeck. The Sandbeck estate was inherited by the Lumley family in the early eighteenth century. The Lumley house colour is black.

Strafford House. This was named after the Earl of Strafford. The first Earl of Strafford was Sir Thomas Wentworth who at various times in his life held the positions of MP for Yorkshire, Keeper of the Rolls for the West Riding, Sheriff of Yorkshire, President of the Council of the North, Privy Councillor , Lord Deputy of Ireland.. For his services to Charles I he was created Earl of Strafford. The Strafford house colour is white.