Brentwood County High School
 | |
| Established | 1913 |
|---|---|
| Type | Academy |
| Headteacher | Stephen Drew[1] |
| Location |
Shenfield Common, Seven Arches Road Brentwood Essex CM14 4JF England Coordinates: 51°36′58″N 0°18′30″E / 51.6161°N 0.3082°E |
| Local authority | Essex |
| DfE URN | 115375 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Staff | approx. 90[2] |
| Students | approx. 1400[2] |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses |
Athenians Corinthians Romans Spartans Trojans |
| Colours |
Navy Blue Royal Blue |
| Website |
www |
Brentwood County High School is an over-subscribed state-funded academy (formerly a grammar school) located in the affluent suburb of Brentwood, Essex which specialises in the teaching of Science, Mathematics and Computing. The school receives support from, and is a member of the Brentwood Community Learning Trust and educates around 1400 students from North East London and South West Essex.
The School
The school is on a single site consisting of grammar school buildings originally built in 1927. After the school's conversion from a girls' grammar school in 1978 a linking extension was added where science, art and design and technology are taught. Soon afterwards, a drama hall, sports hall, gymnasium, fitness suite and more classrooms were added where physical education and humanities are taught. A separate building was added where Mathematics is taught, there are also two drama studios where some drama lessons take place. The newest addition to the school is the library and two new classrooms which were added in 2009.
The school has a reasonably sized field where Rugby and other outdoor sports are taught and played competitively either through inter-school competitions or as part of a County sports league. The school also has an indoor swimming pool where swimming lessons and the annual swimming gala take place.
History
In 1913, a private school for girls which originally opened in 1876, was taken over by Essex County Council opening with only fifty four students as a girls' grammar school.
In 1927, the school moved from Queen's Road, Brentwood to its current site at Seven Arches Road Brentwood. Extensions were added by 1937 to provide accommodation for 450 girls. During the grammar school era of the 1960s and early 1970s, it was the female counterpart of Brentwood School, which was a boys' direct grant grammar school at that time.
The school celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1963 and then in 1965 plans were laid to convert it from a girls' grammar school into a co-educational school which, after extensive building works, happened in September 1978.[2]
In 2013, the school celebrated its centenary year, and became a voluntary aided school by converting to foundation school status forming the Brentwood Community Learning Trust.
Community
Brentwood County High School has based its ethos heavily on community. Every student and staff member is part of one of the five Houses which compete regularly in competitions of sport and academia. Each house competition is worth points which determine which House wins the House cup. The five Houses also compete with each other on attendance, punctuality and student house points where the house with the most points goes on to win a prize every half term.
A few students at Brentwood County High School also participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme which encourages young people to contribute to their local community.
The school created a Community Awards scheme in 2012 which aims to recognise the achievements of local people in the Brentwood area. The school also holds an annual 'Community Day' where all students and staff perform activities to give back to the local community.
Sport
Brentwood County High School is renowned for its successful rugby teams that often compete at a national level winning the Carnegie cup in 2008, and coming as runners up in 2009.[3][4] The school also has successful football, netball, swimming and water polo teams which compete at a regional level.
Awards
Brentwood County High School has achieved Eco-School status by being awarded four Green Flags[5] and an Energy Award[6] by Keep Britain Tidy. The school is one of only 23 schools to be awarded four Green Flags.[7]
The school also holds National Healthy School Status (NHSS) and has won awards for the school's education of English and Humanities from the Prince's Institute of Teaching and the Geographical Association, as well as the Sportsmark award for the provision of physical education.
Sixth Form
The school currently operates a sixth form centre for internal students and external candidates.
Notable former pupils
Pixie Lott
On February 5, 2010, Pixie Lott returned to Brentwood County High School unannounced to students to perform a small concert in the school's main sports hall and answer questions from students.[8][9][10][11] Past headteacher, Mrs. Carol Mason said “We are very proud to have had Pixie Lott come to our school. Brentwood County High School has an active extra-curricular music programme and we hope that Pixie Lott’s visit on Friday will encourage even more students to get involved with music and possibly take up a musical instrument. We hope that her talk to the youngsters will inspire them to pursue their dreams in whatever field their interest lies.”[12]
- Jonjo Shelvey, footballer
- William Lloyd, Conservative Party Councillor, Head Boy
- Liz Jones, journalist and writer[13]
- Joan Sims, actress in Carry On films
External links
References
- ↑ http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/TV-s-hero-teacher-new-head-BCHS/story-15921119-detail/story.html
- 1 2 3 http://www.bchs.essex.sch.uk/4/history
- ↑ http://www.londonrl.com/features/226-carnegie-champion-schools-tackling-the-future-of-rugby-league-in-the-south-of-england
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-08-22. Retrieved 2011-04-06.
- ↑ http://www2.keepbritaintidy.org/ecoschools/school?id=3124
- ↑ http://www2.keepbritaintidy.org/ecoschools/school?id=3124
- ↑ http://www.bchs.essex.sch.uk/64/latest-news/article/180/fourth-green-flag-for-school
- ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/essex/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8501000/8501102.stm
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1248806/Thanks-Lott-Pixie-students-home-town-music-lesson-form-free-gig.html
- ↑ http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/showbiz/pixie-lott-goes-back-to-school-to-wow-the-boys-and-girls-6747120.html
- ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/8108563/Pixie-puts-pop-in-the-classroom.html
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ↑ Liz Jones "'I always felt different to the other girls': Liz Jones searches for some old school friends", Mail on Sunday YOU magazine, 16 January 2010