Founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham. The endowment was placed under the management of the Fishmongers' Company with which the school retains close associations. It enjoys a fine position in one of the most beautiful parts of England, 4 miles from the North Norfolk coast. There are delightful grounds of about 50 acres and some 90 acres of woodland as well. Since 1964 there has been extensive developments and accommodation and facilities are excellent.
Music and Drama are actively encouraged. The school has its own Orchestra and regular concerts are given by the pupils. There is a long standing tradition of House drama. Each house performs a play once a year and the School play often takes place in the unrivalled setting of the Amphitheatre in the woods. A new Theatre is now under construction and will be completed in the Spring of '98.
Among leisure facilities are an indoor swimming pool, squash courts, indoor shooting range, Pavilion at Bisley, sports hall and outdoor as well as indoor theatres. 2 all-weather pitches have just been constructed. Sports include Rugby, Athletics, Cricket, Hockey, Netball, Badminton, Cross Country, Tennis, Squash, Shooting, Golf and Sailing.
Pupils in the 3rd forms study a wide range of subjects and the aim of the Lower School is to provide as broad an education as possible. Japanese offered as a GCSE option and A level option. Thereafter there are choices to be made from 19 subjects for GCSE and 20 subjects offered at A level. In the VIth Form pupils choose 3 A level subjects and a carefully constructed General Studies Programme is followed. All Sixth Formers continue with one language. Mathematics results have been outstanding for some time and half the sixth form study Maths at A level. The School is well equipped for academic needs with a new Art, Design and Technology Centre having just been completed. The average GCSE passes are 9.0 per pupil, 41 per cent of A levels at A grade, 93 per cent are graded A-C, 70 per cent A and B + 96 per cent overall pass rate.
Special successes recently in shooting, golf, rugby, sailing, choral music, Duke of Edinburgh.
Gresham's has a School Counsellor.
Gresham's School is a charity for the purposes of educating children. Reg Charity No 311268 Gresham's School.
Alumni - The School has an interesting history and numbers mong its old boys, W H Auden, Benjamin Britten, Stephen Spender, Ben Nicholson and Philip Dowson on the Arts side, and Christopher Cockerell inventor of the hovercraft, Ian Proctor yacht designer, Lesley Everett Baynes who first patented swing-wing variable aircraft geometry and (of more recent fame) James Dyson inventor of the Dyson Vacuum Cleaner, on the engineering side.
