Stockport Grammar School is a co-educational private day school in Stockport, England. The school was founded in 1487 by Sir Edmund Shaa, a former Lord Mayor of London, and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
The school was founded in 1487 by Sir Edmund Shaa, who was the Lord Mayor of London in 1482 whose will provided for a school and a small chapel in St Mary's Church in Stockport and funds to maintain a priest to chant masses and teach grammar. Alexander Lowe, the Mayor of Stockport, left the school a permanent home in Chestergate in his will. The school became increasingly successful with pupils being accepted at the ancient universities of Oxford, Cambridge and St Andrews, while the curriculum became increasingly broad with the rudiments of Greek joining a study of Latin, the Christian religion, writing in English and arithmetic. Five years after the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths met to discuss the possibility of transferring the school to a different site, new buildings opened where Greek Street meets New Wellington Road. As well as paying for the building, the Goldsmiths also increased the salaries of the headmaster and usher and paid the running costs.
The Greek Street building became unsuitable for the demands of a modern school, and the school was relocated in 1915 to its present site and was inaugurated on 29 January 1916 by the Chairman of Cheshire County Council.
In 1980, girls were admitted to the school.
The Hallam Hall, seen from across the Old Quad below was named after the Mayor of Stockport and benefactor Ephraim Hallam.
In 2011, planning permission was received to erect a new teaching block on the Woodsmoor side of the site, to replace the Woodsmoor hall and laboratories that were demolished in 2010. The build was completed in June 2012, and the "black and white tower" and classics block were demolished later that year.
In 2023, the average grade at A-Level was B+, compared to B in all schools in Stockport and B nationally.
The school offers over 200 extracurricular activities to its pupils, with the Independent Schools Inspectorate rating the school's extracurricular provision as "outstanding" in 2011.
The school is its own Duke of Edinburgh's Award operating authority. In 2010, the school issued its 1000th Duke of Edinburgh Award, a milestone which was marked by the visit of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
In 1985 SGS represented the USSR at the 40th anniversary Model United Nations conference held at Central Hall, Westminster, to celebrate the first United Nations General Assembly. In 1990 the SGS delegation won the best delegation award at The Hague Model United Nations.
The school has hosted a biennial Model United Nations (MUN) conference since March 2006. At 2008's conference, Labour MP and former home secretary David Blunkett was the school's guest speaker. At 2012's conference, Senior Liberal Democrat MP, Andrew Stunell was the guest speaker.
The school runs a series of expeditions for Sixth Formers every two years to places such as Venezuela, Vietnam, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda and in 2015 an expedition to Bolivia & Peru. In 2017, an expedition took 41 students to Borneo. Pupils participate in planning the trips and manage their own finances, accommodation, food and transportation.
The school's annual publication in 2012 was The Stopfordian, a comprehensive review of the school year. The Stopfordian covers both Junior and Senior School. A predecessor was named simply Stockport Grammar School Magazine.
Taking Stock is the schoolâÂÂs termly magazine and it features news and photos from both the Senior and Junior Schools. First published in 1996 the magazine has 85+ issues.
Old Stopsâ Review is Stockport Grammar School's annual magazine which features news from and interviews with Old Stopfordians young and old, memories of times gone by and highlights from the past school year, as well as details on future events and how to keep in touch. It was first published in 2011.
Former pupils are known as "Old Stopfordians", not to be confused with simply Stopfordians (the demonym of Stockport being "Stopfordian"), or the former pupils of Bishop Stopford's School at Enfield, who are also known as Old Stopfordians.
The Old Stopfordians' Association in 2012 operated Stopfordians Lacrosse Club, who played in the North of England Men's Lacrosse Association Premier 2 division. The team then played their home games at Disley Amalgamated Sports Club.