You thought I meant 10 year olds, didn't you?
In the United States, "grammar school" is an old-fashioned term for "grade school," or more technically "elementary school," for kindergarten through sixth grade (roughly age five to twelve).
So I was surprised to see this photo of Bolton Grammar School boxers. Those guys don't look twelve years old to me.
Turns out that in Britain and Commonwealth countries, a "grammar school" teaches the Sixth Form, the final three years of your pre-university education (ages 16-18). Most grammar schools have merged into comprehensive secondary schools, but some with a particularly prestigious history remain. They are roughly equivalent to the elite boarding schools of the U.S.
Now, let's
épater les bourgeois, frighten the horses, and give Mrs. Grundy a conniption by looking at grammar school beefcake.
1. The Bolton Grammar School Manchester, founded in 1516, is now just the Bolton School, and admits kids from infancy through Sixth Form. Alumni include Sir Ian McKellen.
2. Burton Grammar School, London, founded in 1520, moved to Friars Walk, then Bond Street, then Winshill (aren't British street names colorful? they beat the endless Elms and Mains in the U.S.)
It became part of the comprehensive school system in 1975.
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3. Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, founded in 1527, is currently a Sixth Form College. Alumni include Robert Burton, author of
Anatomy of Melancholy, and gymnast Hamish Carter.
4. The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, founded in 1562. It achieved Academy Status in 2011, and prides itself on its A-Level results, with many graduates placed in Oxford and Cambridge.
5. St. Olave's and St. Saviour's Grammar School, London, founded as two separate schools in 1562 and 1571, now admits both boys and girls. Old Boys include John Harvard (who founded Harvard University), novelist Lawrence Durrell, and martial artists Nick Osipczak.
6. Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane, Australia, founded in 1868, enrolls about 1700 boys age 15-18. It has an open admission policy.
7. Ipswich Grammar School, Ipswich, Australia, founded in 1863, is highly selective. It enrolls about 1000 boys.
8. Trinity Grammar School is an Anglican-run day and boarding school in Sydney, founded in 1913. Among its alumni is Kenneth To, who won 6 medals at the 2010 Youth Olympics and was the 2012 Overall Male winner of the FINA Cup.
9. Christ Church Grammar School is not actually in New Zealand. It's an Anglican-run pre-primary to grade 12 boarding school for boys in Perth, Australia.
Old Boys include water polo stars George and Andrew Ford.
