Knights Templar School

Infobox UK school
name = The Knights Templar School


size =
latitude = 51.98766
longitude = -0.19077
dms = dms
motto =
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established = 1939
approx =
closed =
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type =
religion =
president =
head_label = Headteacher
head = Mr Andrew Pickering
r_head_label =
r_head =
chair_label =
chair =
founder =
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specialist = Sports College, Arts College
specialist_pl = true
street = Park Street
city = Baldock
county = Hertfordshire
country = England
postcode = SG7 6DZ
LEA = Hertfordshire
ofsted = 117509
staff =
enrollment = 1333
gender = Coeducational
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
houses =
colours =
publication =
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website = http://www.ktemplar.herts.sch.uk/
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Knights Templar School is a co-educational secondary school located in the market town of Baldock in North Hertfordshire, England. In a February 2006 OFSTED report, the school was described as "outstanding", one of only eight secondary schools in Hertfordshire to be so recognised. [Guardian Unlimited, [http://education.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,5500,434377,00.html "Inspectors name outstanding schools"] ] [ [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/portal/site/Internet/menuitem.7c7b38b14d870c7bb1890a01637046a0/?event=getReport&urn=117509&inspectionNumber=280101&providerCategoryID=32&fileName=\\school\\117\\s5_117509_20060306.xml OFSTED report] , Feb 2006] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/04/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/919_4016.stm Performance as reported on BBC website] ]

History

The Knights Templar School opened the day before the start of the Second World War in 1939 as the Baldock Secondary School, and was renamed "The Knights Templar School" by Vivian Crellin, a former Headmaster of the school and a scholar of Baldock's medieval history. [Vivian Crellin, Baldcock's Library, [http://www.sg7.biz/baldocklibrary/booksonbaldock/baldocksmiddleages.shtml Baldock's Middle Ages] ] Since that time the school has seen several new buildings and ever increasing pupil numbers, leading to oversubscription every year. The school claims no connection with the Masonic order of Knights Templars or with "The Da Vinci Code" – rather, it is named after the chivalrous medieval order of the Knights Templar, who founded Baldock and built the original 12th century parish church of St Mary the Virgin. [ [http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/data/places/baldock.htm Hertfordshire Genealogy: Baldock] ] in the town. The motto of the Knights Templar School is "Courage and Courtesy".

Houses

The school Houses are named Crellin, Hancock, Hine, Pembroke, Bennett, Knights and Templar. They are named after former Headmasters of the school, local educationists, the Earl of Pembroke (the school is supposedly built on land owned by the Earl in the medieval period), and the Knights Templars, after whom the school was re-named.

Recent years

In September 2005 it became a specialist school for Sport and the Performing Arts. Indeed, the school has always had a strong musical tradition, with about a third of all pupils taking extra tuition in an instrument or voice. The Big Band and Senior Chamber Choir regularly perform locally and the school organises a music tour bi-annually, geared mainly towards these two groups (though anyone is welcome). The last was to Budapest in Hungary and the next was to Liguria in Italy in July 2008. A former pupil, Frances Balmer, won the 2004 BBC Proms Young Composers' Competition. [The Guardian, [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/proms2004/story/0,,1257046,00.html Amazingly composed] , 22 June 2004]

The Knights Templar School received a great deal of coverage in the national media [The Observer, [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/education/story/0,,1015847,00.html#article_continue Angst Levels] , 10 August 2003] in 2002 over the 'fixing' of 'A' level grades by examination boards. The school was the first in the country [The Observer, [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/focus/story/0,,796793,00.html#article_continue Timetable of a fiasco] , 22 Sep 2002] to appeal the grades awarded to its students in GCE 'Psychology' [The Independent, [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20020921/ai_n12648159 A-Level Crisis: Student's hopes rise and fall as coveted place slips] , 21 Sep 2002] [Rebecca Smithers, The Guardian, [http://education.guardian.co.uk/alevels2003/story/0,,1019274,00.html Whistleblower's mark of approval] , 15 Aug 2003]

Several years ago the school's GCSE Art results were in the top 10 in the country. In July 2007 the school's Art Department successfully gained the Guinness World Record for "Painting by Numbers". (this record has since been bettered) [CBBC Newsround, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6900000/newsid_6904800/6904835.stm Kids paint way into record books] , 18 Jul 2007] [Guinness World Records, [http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/arts_and_media/cartoons_and_animation/longest_painting_by_numbers.aspx Longest Painting by Numbers] ]

As a specialist school in Sport the Knights Templar School also has a million-pound sports centre with fitness suite and a flood-lit all-weather sports pitch.

There are currently (as of 2007) 1388 pupils on the school's roll.

Notable former students and staff

* Leanne Wilson, actress
* Claire Slater, actress
* Rowan Oliver, original drummer with Goldfrapp
* Adam Ficek, drummer with Babyshambles taught drums at the school
* Elizabeth Hall, international athlete
* Victoria Blakebrough, Scotland Women's Rugby international, is a teacher at the school

References

External links

* [http://www.ktemplar.herts.sch.uk/ Knights Templar School website]
* [http://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/?104204&Retry= The Knights Templar School on the 'Good Schools Guide']
* [http://www.rekts.freeservers.com Religious Education Department website]