EOGA Archive

The Executive of EOGA recognises a particular responsibility to preserve information about the history of Eastbourne Municipal Secondary School for Boys / Eastbourne Grammar School because the School was the first in the country set up by a local authority – making creative use of existing legislation in advance of the Education Act 1902 - to provide secondary education to at least age 16 in an entirely new foundation. This recognition informs the Archive policy which has been adopted.

The main EOGA archive resource is a collection of School Magazines including, thanks to generous donations from Old Grammarians:

  • A few examples of magazines from years 1909 - 1915
  • An almost complete run of magazines from1920 – 1939
  • An almost complete run of magazines from 1944 – 1977
  • A partial run of Eastbourne Grammar & High School, Sixth Form College and Park College magazines (donated by the late John Morris who was the last Headmaster of the Grammar School, Head of the short-lived Grammar & High School and then Principal of the Sixth Form College throughout its existence)

(Note: Publication of Magazines was suspended during the First & Second World Wars.)

There are also holdings of other printed materials and photographs and some other items of School memorabilia.

A project to scan and digitise the collection of magazines and other papers and photographs held is now well under way through the efforts of Fred Reeve, the Hon Secretary / Administrator of EOGA from 2008-2021 and now the Association’s Archivist. Further details of what is in the Archive and what access is possible will be published on the website in due course. The Archivist will be pleased to hear (via the Hon Secretary) from Old Grammarians able to donate or lend (for scanning) any material about the School.

In the long run – reflecting the School’s position in the history of secondary education in England – the Executive will seek to ensure that all original materials in the Association’s Archive are appropriately deposited in the public domain.