BRGS

BRGS is situated on a hillside overlooking the Rossendale Valley in the village of Waterfoot, between Rawtenstall and Bacup.

Towards the end of the 17th century, land was bequeathed by a certain John Kershaw to endow a school in the Waterfoot area of Rossendale. The school was eventually opened in 1701 and later moved to better premises across the valley in Newchurch. By the end of the 19th century, Newchurch Grammar School had established a sound reputation. The teachers of that school became the nucleus of the new staff at the Bacup and Rawtenstall Secondary and Technical School (later to change its name to Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School) which opened on the present site in 1913. The headmaster of Newchurch Grammar School became the first head of the new school.

Plans to reorganise the school were long in preparation. The first serious proposal in the early 1980s, to make the school part of local further education college, was fiercely resisted and finally defeated. The second attempt, in 1985, to recognise along comprehensive lines and amalgamate the school with one of its neighbouring secondary modern schools came too late. The move to grant-maintained status in 1989 was a clear mark of the lively interest of the governing body and the deep affection with which the school was, and is, held by parents.

In 1991, Technology College status was awarded to BRGS, subsequently changing to a Maths and Computing specialism. In 1998, grant-maintained status was abolished by the government of the day and the school became a Foundation School. In October 2012, BRGS gained academy status.

BRGS celebrated its centenary in 2013. In 2011, as a precursor to its centenary celebrations, the school marked 100 years since its foundation stones were laid. The two foundation stones were placed by the Mayors of Rawtenstall and Bacup in 1911 to mark the start of a two year building programme.

In September 2023, the school joined Star Academies, one the country’s leading multi-academy trusts. As part of the Star family, BRGS collaborates with other Star schools to share expertise and maximise opportunities and experiences for our students.

Today, we can look back with pride upon the dedication of our staff and the achievements of our current and former students. We can look forward with confidence to our future, knowing that BRGS’ long-held qualities of dedication and academic excellence, along with our students’ consideration for one another and for the community at large, will be maintained and passed on to future generations of Rossendale children.