Originally Founded By Royal Charter 1566

Amalgamation with Blackrod (Founded 1568) 

Charter Amalgamation Approved by Queen Victoria 1875

The Rivington and Blackrod High School

Rivington & Blackrod Comprehensive High School was built in 1882 the level pitch at the front was created between 1883 and 1884, at a cost of £210 raised by a Bazaar. The Chapel was added in 1892. The Assembly Hall was inaugurated by Lord Stanley in 1905. The Cricket Pitch was laid and drained in 1907, by a bequest in memory of T. Heaton of £100 made by his Grandson Mr. William Heaton of Lostock. Rev. W. Ritson, Vicar of Rivington met much of the additional cost, along with providing the Coat of Arms. (Rev Ritson died in the Headmasters Study) Traditionally the School Bell was not rung whilst a good game of Cricket was being played.  The grounds were maintained by the scholars. A later extension of Rustic Brick with stone facing was added in April 1929. Its foundation stone was laid 10th July that year. 

A visitor in 1931 was the Earl of Derby, Edward George Villiers Stanley (1865-1948) who married Alice Montagu daughter of William Drogo Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester. Edward Montagu Cavendish Stanley (1894-1938) who was known as Lord Stanley.

The subsidiary titles of the Earl of Derby are: Baron Stanley of Bickerstaffe (created 1832) and Baron Stanley of Preston (1886). The courtesy title of the eldest son of the Earl is Baron Stanley of Bickerstaffe.

Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby (1459-1504), the second Baron Stanley, was born in 1459 and inherited his father's titles, including that of king of the Isle of Man, in 1459. In 1485  The Pilkington Knights fought for Richard III and lost lands to the Stanleys.

Blackrod Grammar School Founder

The founding of Blackrod School is recorded as being by the will of John Holmes in 1568. The founding endowment for Rivington School was double that of Blackrod. There were of course later endowments. On 18th September, 1568, he left an annual rent of eight pounds to be bestowed upon " one learned and discreet Schoolmaster which shall teach a "Free Grammar School " in Blackrod. 

Amalgamation

Blackrod School (Founded 1568) was united with Rivington in 1873. This unification led to the building of a new school designed by architects Messrs Ladds and Powell of London. Mesrs Coope Bros were the building firm contracted. The scheme for the amalgamation was approved by Her Majesty Queen Victoria 13th May 1875. The site was purchased from Mr. Shaw of Rivington (Ancestral line Asshaw) 

The First Governors 1875

On first board of Governors Chaired by the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres (His remaining seven years, as co-opted Chairman was taken by his son after his death in 1880) the Governors were Rev. Thos. Sutcliffe (Vicar at Rivington), Henry Rawcliffe, Andrew Smith, Thomas Wright, Peter Martin, Benjamin Davies, John Thompson, John Unsworth, John Gerrard, Enoch Davies, Giles Hoyle, William Greenhalgh and John Longworth. 

During the first six years between 1875 and 1881, much was done to settle affairs in relation to the old Grammar School at Rivington.

School Opening Day

The school opened 23rd January 1882. The Headmaster Rev. George Squire M.A had chose the Birthday of his wife as the day for the opening, joiners were still at work. The opening was by a short speech with two Governors present, Mr. Longworth and Mr. Greenhalgh. The school had 30 scholars, 19 day boys and 11 boarders on opening the number increased to 39 over that year. 

The original building was designed to accommodate 50 boarders and 50 who did not live in, known as day boys. The original building was limited to a school room and two class rooms. The upper floor being equipped for accommodation of boarders. 

In 1875 there were some with scholarships who came from the local towns, Rivington, Horwich, Blackrod and Adlington with some fee paying scholars and boarders tending to be from Bolton and further. 

At first the boys were expected to wear Mitre Boards. The Mitre board was soon replaced with a Cap featuring a Mitre by embroidery. Martin Bucer also refused to wear this hat

The Bishop favoured toward the Mitre Board, however he did not wear one. Martin Bucer, a 'Reformer' and close to the Bishop very much disliked the Mitre Board. The artists impression is correct for Educational dress as was strongly promoted for use during Elizabethan I reign. Latin and Greek were taught, both were widely in use. The curriculum was classical education. 

Science In The Early Days

At first no Science classrooms existed and the scholars had to buy their own Chemistry Box costing 30s, until around 1890. The first Science Laboratory existed at the back of the School near a reading room and laundry, with a wall serving as a five court. A photo is located here School and no chapel c.1890.

Memorable Early Success

In the years 1891 to 1895 the school saw six Scholars furthering education at Oxford University out of seventy within the school. The six of seven Grundy brothers who attended between 1889 and 1905 all attended Oxford or Cambridge University. All succeeded with distinctions. Contemporaries of the Grundy brothers were the five Dixon brothers, who's home was at Spring Cottage, Rivington and eminent in the earliest days are the Heaton Brothers. Another of the pupils was G. N. Shawcross who became the Chief Mechanical Engineer at Horwich Locomotive works.

The Chapel

The Dantzic Oak panelled chapel was build in 1892 to accommodate around 100 by a donation from Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Marshall, in memory of their son Frederick. The Chapel was designed by Mr. R. K Freeman. The Anglican School Chapel is to the left of the school and has regular morning worship. The original Chapel referred to within the founding charter is Rivington Church and the Grammar School, now the infant school. The Rivington and Blackrod High School is located at the Lancashire side of the Horwich and Rivington boundary. A boundary that has become the River Douglas, the rivers course has changed, The Platt of Horwich drawn by William Senior Professor of Mathematics 1620 indicates the original course. (BCL) The original boundary was Pearlbrook River according to this map.

The Pilkington Window

 In the East Window is a stained glass Window installed in 1912 that commemorates Jacobus Pilkinton (James Pilkington), Bishop of Durham and donors to the Chapel. The side lights illustrate for events in the career of the Bishop, on the left his Mastership of St. John College Cambridge under which is a depiction of the Bishop taking his ship to Europe. The top right picture depicts him teaching protestant children in Zurick, and the bottom right he is depicted revising the Book of the Common Prayer with the then Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker. 

Lord W.H. Lever-Hulme

One of the names within the old registers of the Grammar School was the father of Lord Leverhulme. Lord W. H. Lever-Hulme,  well respected by all. 

WILLIAM HESKETH LEVER
1st VISCOUNT LEVERHULME

Lord Lever-Hulme was a School Governor between 1901 and 1905 and also amongst others contributed toward the Chapel Windows installed in 1912.

The War Memorial Window

To the west is a window memorial to those killed in the Great War 1914 to 1918. Dedicated by Dr. Henn Bishop of Burnley.  The west window was unveiled by R. T. Johnson 8th March 1922 a past headmaster between 1894 and 1904. The window is of three lights, the laurel crowned figure representing Victory, on the left is a Knight in full armour, depicting faith, while central is three Mary's kneeling before the Angel at the tomb of the risen Christ. 

The inscription reads in Latin and translates to English as 'They Sought Glory of Liberty ; they see the Glory of God' also inscribed are the names of 24 of the Schools War Dead.  (Over 150 fought in WW1)

Both Windows were produced by Messrs John. Hardman & Co. Ltd. 

Girls First Admitted 1905

After decline in the numbers of Scholars between 1904 and 1905 a meeting handed control to the Local Authority by an Act of 1902 giving the authority responsibility for secondary education. It was then decided to allow the first Girls to the School. With Sir Henry Hibbert the Chairman of the Lancashire Education Authority backing the schools future the school underwent alterations and became a local day school. The new scheme was formally inaugurated by Lord Stanley and the new building opened by the Earl of Derby. Taking in 100 more day pupils including equal numbers of Girls. Around this time the curriculum added modern studies.

Extension Opened By The Earl of Derby

By 1924 a school inspection showed a need to expand the building. Work started in April 1929 the extension foundation stone was laid 10th July 1929 by Alderman Ernest Ashton, Mayor of Chorley who had been governor for many years. This extension at the back was to accommodate 300 pupils. This extension required a long corridor to be built between the two buildings the alternations added new science rooms, general classrooms. The Earl of Derby is noted as visiting in 1931.

The school itself is accessible by Car with permission.