Birkdale High School
Encyclopedia
Birkdale High School is a school in Kirklees
, West Yorkshire
, England
. The school is quite small, with just under 600 pupils at present 2006/7. The school's buildings are in two distinct phases; the older building, comprising mainly the former Wheelwright Grammar school (Girl's section) and a newly built wing connected by a bridge c1980. The school is fortunate to be set amongst lovely grassed grounds with a large playing and track area and more recluse grassed quads located within the main building.
/Batley
border. The intake of the school is reflected by the surrounding area, most pupils are taken from the Batley/Dewsbury area due to the school's central location and its position on many bus routes through the surrounding towns. The school, oddly, has a slightly high male population due to the presence of an all girls school in the school's catchment area as noted by OFSTED
.
The school has been praised for its improvements and capacity to continue to improve by OFSTED; noting the well-being and care offered by the school. Academically the results for the present year 11 pupils exceeded all externally set targets with an achievement of 37% 5 x A*-C including English and Maths (64% achieved 5 x A* - C in any subjects); making it the school's most successful year to date and exceeding the achievement of many other local schools, especially when comparing the CVA.
Despite all the success and praise it was recently announced by Kirklees
council (with leaks in the local press) that they were still planning to close the school, despite the BSF money being withdrawn by the new Coalition Government. It has been officially announced that the school will close, and mere with its neighbouring school, Westbourugh High School.
The then Conservative party lost control of council in Kirkless over the Building Schools for the Future discussion. The present council, a minority Labour administration, had vowed to reconsider the proposals but produced a plan with little difference. With the changing national picture over BSF the local authority has now been forced into a re-think about the present proposals. The authority are refusing to engage in discussion about the school's future, even though they have been invited numerous times by staff & parents at the school. The council officers are now suggesting it may turn the neighbouring school (Westbrough High School) into a split site with Birkdale forming a separate campus; much to the shock and disgust of the parents, staff and local community especially when the school founded the School Leaders programme, backed by one, Parf Patel.
The genuine fear for the change and how it will affect the standards of education, staff's careers and the inclusive, achievement based focus of Birkdale have all come to light. This has led the school along with the local community to begin fighting and they are all now campaigning to Save Birkdale High School.
Kirklees
The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The school is quite small, with just under 600 pupils at present 2006/7. The school's buildings are in two distinct phases; the older building, comprising mainly the former Wheelwright Grammar school (Girl's section) and a newly built wing connected by a bridge c1980. The school is fortunate to be set amongst lovely grassed grounds with a large playing and track area and more recluse grassed quads located within the main building.
Overview
The school is located on Halifax road, near the DewsburyDewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
/Batley
Batley
Batley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies southeast of Bradford, southwest of Leeds and north of Dewsbury, near the M62 motorway. It has a population of 49,448 . Other nearby towns include Morley to the northeast, Ossett to the southeast...
border. The intake of the school is reflected by the surrounding area, most pupils are taken from the Batley/Dewsbury area due to the school's central location and its position on many bus routes through the surrounding towns. The school, oddly, has a slightly high male population due to the presence of an all girls school in the school's catchment area as noted by OFSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
.
The school has been praised for its improvements and capacity to continue to improve by OFSTED; noting the well-being and care offered by the school. Academically the results for the present year 11 pupils exceeded all externally set targets with an achievement of 37% 5 x A*-C including English and Maths (64% achieved 5 x A* - C in any subjects); making it the school's most successful year to date and exceeding the achievement of many other local schools, especially when comparing the CVA.
Despite all the success and praise it was recently announced by Kirklees
Kirklees
The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...
council (with leaks in the local press) that they were still planning to close the school, despite the BSF money being withdrawn by the new Coalition Government. It has been officially announced that the school will close, and mere with its neighbouring school, Westbourugh High School.
The then Conservative party lost control of council in Kirkless over the Building Schools for the Future discussion. The present council, a minority Labour administration, had vowed to reconsider the proposals but produced a plan with little difference. With the changing national picture over BSF the local authority has now been forced into a re-think about the present proposals. The authority are refusing to engage in discussion about the school's future, even though they have been invited numerous times by staff & parents at the school. The council officers are now suggesting it may turn the neighbouring school (Westbrough High School) into a split site with Birkdale forming a separate campus; much to the shock and disgust of the parents, staff and local community especially when the school founded the School Leaders programme, backed by one, Parf Patel.
The genuine fear for the change and how it will affect the standards of education, staff's careers and the inclusive, achievement based focus of Birkdale have all come to light. This has led the school along with the local community to begin fighting and they are all now campaigning to Save Birkdale High School.
Notable alumni
- Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi, politician.
- Gary SykesGary SykesGary Sykes is a British super featherweight boxer. Educated at Birkdale High School he is based in Dewsbury, Yorkshire and is a former British super featherweight champion.-Amateur career:...
, featherweight boxer.