Kirkham Grammar School is a prestigious, selective, co-educational day and boarding school located in Kirkham, Lancashire. Although it holds a Preston postcode, it is situated within the Fylde area. Established in 1549, its origins trace back to a chantry school linked to St Michael’s Church in the 13th century. The school remained on church grounds until 1911, when it moved to its current location on Ribby Road. The main building and the headmaster’s house are both Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England.
In 1585, the Thirty Men of Kirkham, a group managing parish affairs, took over the school’s administration. By the early 17th century, the school had fallen into disrepair and had been without a headmaster for seven years. In 1621, Isabell Birley, a local alehouse keeper, donated £30 to restore the school, rescuing it from its decline. In 1655, Henry Colburn, a former pupil, bequeathed land and money to the school in his will, placing it under the management of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London. This marked the beginning of a long-lasting partnership between the Drapers and the school, which continued until 1944 when the company relinquished control, although their endowment led to significant expansions in 1938.
The current school buildings were constructed between 1909 and 1911, designed by London architect F. H. Greenaway. In 1944, the school became part of the UK’s tripartite system, operating as a voluntary-aided boys’ grammar school. A major addition, the Norwood Science Building, opened in 1965. In 1979, the school reverted to independent status and became co-educational for the first time. In the late 20th century, student numbers grew significantly, from 500 to 900. The school formed a partnership with BAE Systems in 1994, and in 2013, it provided accommodation for students participating in BAE Systems’ “taster weeks”. The school also applied to host an Olympic Training Camp ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, and former pupil Andrew Flintoff established a cricket academy there.
In recent years, Kirkham Grammar has produced a number of rugby players who have represented their countries at the highest levels. Richard Wigglesworth and Kieran Brookes were part of England’s Six Nations squad in 2015, while Kieran Marmion represented Ireland. In Sevens rugby, Daniel Bibby and Richard de Carpentier played for England in the HSBC World Sevens Series, and during their travels, they met another former student, Adam Newton, who was playing for Spain. Daniel Bibby made history in 2016 as the first Kirkham Grammar alumnus to become an Olympian, earning a silver medal for Great Britain in Sevens at the Rio Games.
