Hinckley Grammar School was probably founded in the Tudor period but the first written records date back to the 1620s. During the late 18th century the school, which stood at the top left-hand side of Castle Street, finally closed to pupils but was re¬opened close to the original site in 1877.
In the 1880s Rev Watherston, the new headmaster, was promised a purpose built grammar school by the governors and this finally opened in 1894 on the rural site in Leicester Road.
The new Hinckley Grammar School, now Mount Grace High School, consisted of the headmaster's house and the school buildings all in a single brick block designed by R J & J Goodacre of Leicester. Rose Allinson has drawn the School House Entrance depicted on the cover of the present Historian. The building was constructed by Moss and Son of Loughborough at a total cost of £4,000. There was room for twelve boarders and in 1901 six girls were first admitted as pupils so that by 1903 there were 52 pupils overall.
Mr Coxhead became the new headmaster in 1906 when the school was extended and remained in this post until he was succeeded by Frank Oldham in 1933. Elizabeth Coxhead (see separate article) was born in School House in 1909 and by 1913 there were 91 pupils at Hinckley Grammar School.
The Editor
Author: Hugh Beavin
Written for: Hinckley Historian Magazine
