Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School is a selective state grammar school accepting girls and boys aged 11–18 located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated on West Street, close to the town centre and also accepts students from nearby towns. It has around 1000 pupils, including a sixth form of about 380.HistoryFoundationThe School was founded on its present site in 1624 by Sir William Borlase in memory of his son Henry Borlase, MP for Marlow, who died in that year.Sir William BorlaseSir William Borlase was descended from Taillefer of Angoulême, who fought on the side of King William at the Battle of Hastings. John Borlase, his father made his fortune in London and this enabled his son to establish himself in Marlow as a country gentleman. He lived at Westhorpe Manor House in Little Marlow and became not only Sheriff of Buckinghamshire but was a Member of Parliament for Aylesbury. In 1603 he was knighted by James the First. In 1624 and in memory of his son Henry who died that same year, Sir William decided to build a "free school" in the town in order "to teach twenty-four poor children to write, read and cast accounts, such as their parents and friends are not able to maintain at school". Boys entered the school between the ages of ten and fourteen and at the end of two years, six of the best were given two pounds each to apprentice themselves to a trade. Sir William died in 1629 but the school has survived to this day.Co-educationThe school has served the town of Marlow and its surrounding district, including High Wycombe and Maidenhead, for over three centuries. In 1987 the school became co-educational when girls entered into the lower sixth.
