History of Philips High School

Stand Grammar School was originally founded in 1688 under the will of Henry Siddall and had close connections with the Unitarian Chapel in Ringley Road. The school ran into financial difficulties in the early 20th century and was taken over by Lancashire Education Committee in 1908. A new school was built on Church Lane on seven acres of land bought from the Earl of Derby and opened on 6 September 1913. When the new building was opened the Old Standians Association put up a memorial to the school’s distinguished former pupil, Robert Clive, who became 1st Baron Clive, also known as “Clive of India”. The school catered for both boys and girls until 1937 when a separate girls’ school was opened on Higher Lane. The boys’ school continued to develop with 700 pupils on roll and eventually became part of Bury College and was demolished in 2001.

The alternative rock band Elbow met whilst studying at Stand College in the 1990s. Stand Grammar School for Girls on Higher lane was later renamed Philips High School and is now a comprehensive school and specialist maths and computing college.