Anthony Gell School

School in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, England

53°04′45″N 1°34′17″W / 53.0791°N 1.5715°W / 53.0791; -1.5715InformationTypeAcademyEstablished1576; 448 years ago (1576)FounderAnthony GellLocal authorityDerbyshireTrustEmbark FederationDepartment for Education URN149644 TablesOfstedReportsHeadteacherMalcolm KellyGenderCoeducationalAge11 to 18Enrolment835 as of August 2023^[update]Websitewww.anthonygell.co.uk

Anthony Gell School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Wirksworth in the English county of Derbyshire.^[1]

It began as a Free Grammar School established by Anthony Gell in 1576. The school moved to its present site in 1908 and became a voluntary controlled school in 1944. It became a coeducational comprehensive school in 1965.^[2] Previously a voluntary controlled school administered by Derbyshire County Council,^[3] in August 2023 the school converted to academy status.^[4] The school is now sponsored by the Embark Federation,^[5] but continues to be supported by the Anthony Gell School Foundation charitable trust.^[6]

Anthony Gell School offers GCSEs and BTECs as programmes of study for pupils,^[7] while students in the sixth form have the option to study from a range of A Levels, OCR Nationals and further BTECs.^[8] As of 2011^[update] the school's GCSE scores were increasing.^[9]

Notable former pupils

Lawrence Beesley, a survivor of the Titanic, who was widely reported in contemporary newspapers.^[10]
Dame Ellen MacArthur, a sailor who broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe in 2005.
Oliver Smith, Youngest branch party president in British political history for The Liberal Democrats in 2006.
Laurence Bostock, the youngest British male to feature in the Skeleton World Cup in the end of January 2020 at St Moritz.^[11]

Houses

Anthony Gell School is split into 5 houses. These houses are:

Arkwright - Arkwright is named after Richard Arkwright who is a historical figure in the area known for his contributions to the Industrial Revolution and Cromford.
Gell - Gell is named after Anthony Gell, the founder of the school.
Fearne - Fearne is named after Agnes Fearne, a relative of Anthony Gell who made bequests to help fund the school.^[12]
Wright - Wright is named after Joseph Wright of Derby, a British landscape and portrait painter.
Nightingale - Nightingale is named after Florence Nightingale, another historical figure in the area. Nightingale as a house was implemented to the school in 2019.

References

^ "AGS History 1908-1929 by Roy Pearce". Anthonygell.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
^ "About our school". Anthonygell.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
^ "Anthony Gell School - GOV.UK". Get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
^ "Anthony Gell School". gov.uk. 1 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
^ Embark Federation website
^ "Foundation Trustees". Anthonygell.co.uk. 25 May 2005. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
^ "The Curriculum". Anthonygell.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
^ "Sixth Form". Anthonygell.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
^ Northen, Stephanie (18 January 2011). "School uniform does not improve results – discuss". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
^ "The Titanic Disaster Newspaper". Wirksworth Heritage Centre. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
^ "Laurence Bostock". British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017.
^ "Extract from will of Agnes Ferne (14 Jul 1574) including provision for payment towards maintenance of a free school in Wirksworth when there shall be one and for poor folks in a bedehouse there". The National Archives. Retrieved 29 July 2020.