Loughborough Endowed Schools
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Image:Loughborough GS quad.jpg Loughborough Endowed Schools (LES) consists of three independent schools in Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom — Loughborough Grammar School (LGS), a boys' day and boarding school, Loughborough High School (LHS), a girls' day school and Fairfield Preparatory School.
The Grammar School was founded by a priest paid to pray for the soul of wool merchant Thomas Burton who died in 1496 (though it is often credited as 1495). The school moved to its present location in 1850, when it was then on the outskirts of town. A sister school, Loughborough High School for day girls only was also founded in 1850. A shared preparatory school, Fairfield Preparatory School, was founded in c.1960. Together these schools are collectively known as Loughborough Endowed Schools and share a board of governors.
The Grammar School has playing fields in Quorn, that it bought in the 1990s and like grammar schools plays rugby union (the England international, Marcus Rose, is an Old Loughburian) and cricket, having given up football about 1910.
The School takes boys from 10+ through to sixth form, the major intake being in the first year. The school has a house system of four houses named after notable old boys; Abney, Davys, Pulteney and Yates; the houses are traditionally given equal standing.
The school has an active Combined Cadet Force which provides many armed forces officers, as well as a Scout troop, and active Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. Cadets are taught how to use firearms against an imaginary enemy. School assemblies continue the promotion of Christian values. The school has also produced many junior bridge internationals.
The school celebrated its quincentenary in 1995 and was visited by HM The Queen. L.G.S. is also famous for expelling the war hero Air Vice-Marshall Johnnie Johnson.
The current headmaster is Mr Paul Fisher, who took over from Mr Neville Ireland (a well known anti-racism campaigner) in the late 1990s.
