The Crypt School

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title: "The Crypt School" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1539-establishments-in-england", "educational-institutions-established-in-the-1530s", "schools-in-gloucester", "grammar-schools-in-gloucestershire", "academies-in-gloucestershire"] topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crypt_School" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox school"]

FieldValue
nameThe Crypt School
coordinates
mottoFloreat Schola Cryptiensis
established
schooltypeGrammar school;
Academy
headNicholas Dyer
foundersJohn and Joan Cooke
cityPodsmead, Gloucester
countyGloucestershire
countryEngland
postcodeGL2 5AE
urn136578
ofstedyes
students1,048
genderFully coeducational from September 2018 (mixed)
lower_age11
upper_age18
housesCooke (Formerly Brown), Waboso (Formerly Whitefield), Moore, Raikes and Henley
coloursMaroon, Primrose
alumniOld Cryptians
websitehttp://www.cryptschool.org/
::

| name = The Crypt School | logo = | logo_size = | coordinates = | motto = Floreat Schola Cryptiensis | established = | closed = | schooltype = Grammar school; Academy | religious_affiliation = | president = | head_label = | head = Nicholas Dyer | r_head_label = | r_head = | chair_label = | chair = | founders = John and Joan Cooke | address = | city = Podsmead, Gloucester | county = Gloucestershire | country = England | postcode = GL2 5AE | urn = 136578 | ofsted = yes | staff = | students = 1,048 | gender = Fully coeducational from September 2018 (mixed) | lower_age = 11 | upper_age = 18 | houses = Cooke (Formerly Brown), Waboso (Formerly Whitefield), Moore, Raikes and Henley | colours = Maroon, Primrose | publication = | alumni = Old Cryptians | free_label_1 = | free_1 = | free_label_2 = | free_2 = | free_label_3 = | free_3 = | website = http://www.cryptschool.org/ ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/John_Cooke_(d.1528),and_Joan_Cooke(d.1545).jpg" caption="John and Joan Cooke by an unknown artist. In the collection of [[Gloucester City Museum & Art Gallery]]."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Old_Crypt_School,_Gloucester_01.JPG" caption="St. Mary de Crypt]] church."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Plaque_on_Old_Crypt_Schoolroom_-geograph.org.uk-_61861.jpg" caption="Plaque at the site of the old Crypt School."] ::

The Crypt School is a grammar school with academy status for boys and girls located in the city of Gloucester. Founded in the 16th century, it was originally an all-boys school, but it made its sixth form co-educational in the 1980s and moved to a mixed intake from year 7 in 2018, thereby becoming the only fully coeducational selective school in Gloucester. The school was founded in 1539 by Joan Cooke with money inherited from her husband John.

History

Founders

Main article: Joan Cooke

John Cooke (d. 1528) was a wealthy brewer and mercer of Gloucester, one of the city's earliest aldermen, serving as sheriff in 1494 and 1498. He held the office of mayor four times, in 1501, 1507, 1512 and 1518. He was a significant benefactor in the city during his life, but it was his will that started the process for the establishment of a grammar school in Gloucester. The scheme was given effect by his wife Joan Cooke, who survived him by 17 years, dying in 1545. It was Joan therefore who created the tripartite deed of 1539, deemed to be the founding charter. The school remains today the most ancient in Gloucester. A full account of the couple and their good works is described in the book by Roland Austin published in 1939 "Crypt School". A portrait of the pair painted some years after Joan's death is extant. It shows John in his mayoral robe, shaking hands with Joan and it is in the collection of Gloucester City Council.

Site

In the school's 500-year history it has been sited in three different locations within the city of Gloucester. The original school was part of St Mary de Crypt Church in Southgate Street and the schoolroom can still be seen there. Later, in 1889, the school moved to Greyfriars, known better as Friar's Orchard, and in 1943, to its present site at Podsmead. The site on which the modern school is situated is land given to the school by Joan Cooke in 1539.

Status

Despite attempts to change the school, notably in the 1960s with the move to comprehensive schools, the Crypt remains a selective grammar school. In 1987, there was the admission of girls in the sixth form entering in at the age of 16, and the transition towards a fully coeducational school began in 2018. Since April 2011, the school has been an academy independent of local authority control. The school has been fully co-educational since 2018.

Primary school

In May 2018, the school announced plans to create a primary school, linked to the secondary school being built on the current Podsmead site. The new primary school would, unlike main school, be unselective and would be a free school.

Facilities

Facilities at the school include:

  • Largest non-commercial stage in Gloucestershire
  • Sixth Form Centre (also known as John and Joan Cooke Centre)
  • Sports hall
  • Modern Pavilion
  • New Tennis and Netball courts as of 2019/20
  • 3 full-size rugby pitches
  • 2 football pitches
  • 2 cricket fields (1 natural green, 1 artificial green)
  • Anthony Iles Block (Formerly Engineering Block)

Notable alumni

:Alumni of the school are known as Old Cryptians.

Religion

Sports

Academia

Arts

Politics

Other

School song

'Carmen Cryptiense', written in April 1926 with words by D. Gwynne Williams (Headmaster) and music by C. Lee Williams.

References

References

  1. [http://www.livinggloucester.co.uk/people/then/1500/john_and_joan_cooke/ John and Joan Cooke.] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-07-17 Living Gloucester, 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011.)
  2. Litzenberger, Caroline. (2006-09-28). "Cooke, John (d. 1528), mercer and benefactor".
  3. Gray, Irvine Egerton. (1981). "Antiquaries of Gloucestershire and Bristol". Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society.
  4. "Gloucester: Education Pages 335-350 A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 4, the City of Gloucester.". Victoria County History.
  5. "Gloucester: Sites and remains of religious houses Pages 288-292 A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 4, the City of Gloucester.". Victoria County History.
  6. "The Crypt School : Gloucester".
  7. "The Crypt School : Gloucester".
  8. Lane, Ellis. (2018-05-21). "Historic secondary school plans to open feeder primary". gloucestershirelive.
  9. "The Crypt School : Gloucester".
  10. "The Old Cryptians' Club – Home".
  11. (6 November 2014). "Yearning for 'a different life' brought Bailey to west Cork". [[Irish Times]].
  12. (16 April 2012). "Saajid Badat the walking angel who became a terrorist". [[The Daily Telegraph.
  13. "School Song – Scanned Front Page « Old Cryptians".

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1539-establishments-in-englandeducational-institutions-established-in-the-1530sschools-in-gloucestergrammar-schools-in-gloucestershireacademies-in-gloucestershire