Darrick Wood School
| Motto | Reverior vitam |
|---|---|
| Established | 1975 |
| Type | Academy |
| Head Teacher | M Airey |
| Location |
Lovibonds Avenue Orpington Greater London BR6 8ER England |
| DfE number | 305/5418 |
| DfE URN | 136355 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports Pre-academy reports |
| Students | 1700 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Colours | Brown and Gold |
| Website |
darrickwood |
Darrick Wood School is a mixed secondary school in Orpington, London Borough of Bromley, United Kingdom with a current roll of 1785 pupils. It was first opened in 1975.
Facilities
Darrick Wood consists of five separate buildings, each of which have a general academic specialty. This includes the sixth from building located on the west of the compound, 2 general teaching buildings located at the central and east side of the compound which focus on social sciences, maths, physical education and arts/crafts, a sciences faculty building on the south and an assembly hall on the north side of the compound.
Sports facilities are made of 2 sports halls, 2 fields, a small gym and a football pitch.
Head Teachers
- 1975-1985 W R Turner
- 1985-2001 A L Barker
- 2001–2015 B Rhymaun
- 2015–present M Airey
Houses
Each year group comprises ten forms. The main school is effectively split into two halves, the 'X' half and the 'Y' half. Until completion of Key Stage 3, pupils only share classes with other pupils from the same half. At GCSE, most classes contain pupils from both halves. Form groups are named after historical figures from the local area. The 'X' half comprises 'Boswell', 'Fry', 'Lubbock', 'Saunders' and 'Willett'. The 'Y' half comprises 'Crompton', 'Darwin', 'Hill', 'March' and 'Pitt'. This system does not apply to the Sixth Form, where instead form groups are identified more conventionally by the initials of their tutors.
School Ethos
The school motto is 'Revereor Vitam' which is Latin for 'Respect for life'.
Controversy
In November 2008, Darrick Wood underwent a period of controversy as female member of faculty, Grepa Vipond, brought a civil case against the school for unfair dismissal, after having fired her for allegedly stalking another male teacher. Grepa claimed that the school attempted concoct a reason to force her out of her position at Darrick Wood, stating that she had caught another member of faculty drinking before starting lessons, and that the school had consequently been attempting to discharge her from the Darrick Wood faculty ever since.[1]
It was held in a following tribunal in 2009 that Grepa had been dismissed fairly following her sexual advances on another teacher.