Castle High School (Dudley)
Encyclopedia
For schools of the same name, see Castle High School
.
Castle High School is a secondary school located in Dudley
, West Midlands
, England
. It caters for pupils aged from 11 to 16 years. It is also a specialist Arts College
.
, and gave education for pupils aged from 12 to 18 years. It also took in some of the pupils from the closing Sir Gilbert Claughton School.
The Castle High name was chosen in a poll by the Dudley School pupils, who also chose the design of the new school's logo.
There had been talk of a merger between the Dudley School and at least one of the other smaller secondary schools in Dudley since 1985 (which would have formed a school called The Ednam School), but the merger between Dudley School and Blue Coat was not confirmed until October 1988. The new school's name was confirmed the following spring.
After a year, the school opened to 11 year olds following the local authority's decision to reduce the primary school leaving age; at the same time, the sixth form centre was closed and the leaving age for pupils fell to 16. The former sixth form facilities were used as classrooms to accommodate the new younger pupils.
September 1990 also saw the school take in approximately 50% of pupils from Mons Hill School, which closed due to falling pupil numbers. Several teachers at these schools were also recruited to Castle High.
Unlike the Blue Coat School, however, Castle High never used the Mons Hill buildings as these were taken over by Dudley College
.
For the first year of its existence, Castle High also incorporated the Blue Coat School buildings on Kates Hill
where the final two academic year groups of that school's pupils remained for a year. Sir Gilbert Claughton School, however, remained a separate school as the final year of that school's pupils completed their education.
A new three-storey classroom block was opened in the 1991 summer term, the first in several phases of expansion which were completed in 1995. The expansion also saw the demolition of the school swimming pool which had been in the grammar school buildings. Mobile classrooms were on the site until the permanent buildings were opened.
The expanded Castle High was officially opened on 20 October 1995 by George Carey
, Archbishop of Canterbury
.
Castle High is situated in St James's Road, near Dudley town centre, mostly within the buildings of the former Dudley Boys Grammar School (which date back to 1897). An extension was completed in 1995 and the adjoining buildings in Priory Road (formerly Dudley Girls High School
) were demolished at the beginning of the following year.
The school's current head teacher is Mr Trevor Johnson, who was appointed in September 2002 on the retirement of Mr Geoff Cresswell, who had arrived at the school as head teacher 13 years earlier when it became Castle High.
Plans were unveiled in June 2008 for Castle High to receive Academy status, sponsored by the Oasis Community Learning Trust, possibly in time for the 2009/2010 academic year.http://www.oasiscommunitylearning.org/OasisAcademiesinDudley.html However, these plans were thrown into doubt five months later due to doubts over the availability of adequate funding.http://www.antiacademies.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1327&Itemid=35 In March 2009, it was confirmed the academy plans would not go ahead. http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/news/4196227.Dudley_academies_to_be_scrapped/
28% of the pupils leaving Castle High in summer 2009 gained 5 or more GCSEs at grade C or above, making it the second lowest ranking secondary school in the borough, despite high pass rates (A-C GCSE) in previous years. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/09/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/332_gcse_lea.stm
The school is set for a new board of governors and a new head teacher with effect from September 2010, along with a £650,000 refurbishment of the older school buildings.http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2010/05/12/failing-school-in-650k-overhaul/
.http://archive.dudleynews.co.uk/2001/2/22/54458.html Staff and pupils at Castle High set up a fund in Scott's memory and a total of almost £1,100 was raised for the fund, some of which was raised by bidding for a signed Aston Villa
football.http://archive.dudleynews.co.uk/2001/10/11/44805.html A local van driver later received a fine and a driving ban for careless driving in connection to Scott's death.http://archive.dudleynews.co.uk/2002/7/12/35189.html.
Castle High School
Castle High School can refer to:*John H. Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana, United States*James B. Castle High School in Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States*Castle High School in Belfast, Northern Ireland...
.
Castle High School is a secondary school located in Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, 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...
. It caters for pupils aged from 11 to 16 years. It is also a specialist Arts College
Arts College
Arts Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, the performing, visual and/or media arts...
.
The school
Castle High is one of the most recently formed schools in the Dudley area, although its buildings are some of the oldest. It was formed in September 1989 on a merger between The Dudley School and The Blue Coat SchoolThe Blue Coat School, Dudley
The Blue Coat School was a mixed secondary school located in Dudley, England. It was opened in 1869 within buildings in Bean Road, several hundred yards east of Dudley town centre...
, and gave education for pupils aged from 12 to 18 years. It also took in some of the pupils from the closing Sir Gilbert Claughton School.
The Castle High name was chosen in a poll by the Dudley School pupils, who also chose the design of the new school's logo.
There had been talk of a merger between the Dudley School and at least one of the other smaller secondary schools in Dudley since 1985 (which would have formed a school called The Ednam School), but the merger between Dudley School and Blue Coat was not confirmed until October 1988. The new school's name was confirmed the following spring.
After a year, the school opened to 11 year olds following the local authority's decision to reduce the primary school leaving age; at the same time, the sixth form centre was closed and the leaving age for pupils fell to 16. The former sixth form facilities were used as classrooms to accommodate the new younger pupils.
September 1990 also saw the school take in approximately 50% of pupils from Mons Hill School, which closed due to falling pupil numbers. Several teachers at these schools were also recruited to Castle High.
Unlike the Blue Coat School, however, Castle High never used the Mons Hill buildings as these were taken over by Dudley College
Dudley College
Dudley College is a college of further education in Dudley, West Midlands, England.-History:In 1862 the Dudley Public Hall and Mechanics Institute was built. In 1896 this was expanded to become the Dudley Technical School, which became Dudley Technical College in 1926...
.
For the first year of its existence, Castle High also incorporated the Blue Coat School buildings on Kates Hill
Kates Hill
Kates Hill is a residential area in Dudley, West Midlands, England.-History:Kates Hill was the scene of chaos in 1648 when parliamentarians used it as their base in the Civil War against King Charles I...
where the final two academic year groups of that school's pupils remained for a year. Sir Gilbert Claughton School, however, remained a separate school as the final year of that school's pupils completed their education.
A new three-storey classroom block was opened in the 1991 summer term, the first in several phases of expansion which were completed in 1995. The expansion also saw the demolition of the school swimming pool which had been in the grammar school buildings. Mobile classrooms were on the site until the permanent buildings were opened.
The expanded Castle High was officially opened on 20 October 1995 by George Carey
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
.
Castle High is situated in St James's Road, near Dudley town centre, mostly within the buildings of the former Dudley Boys Grammar School (which date back to 1897). An extension was completed in 1995 and the adjoining buildings in Priory Road (formerly Dudley Girls High School
Dudley Girls High School
Dudley Girls' High School was a selective higher education school which provided education for girls aged 11 to 18 years.-History:It was located in Dudley, England, and opened on 8 December 1910 near the town centre in Priory Road, 12 years after Dudley Grammar School moved to neighbouring premises...
) were demolished at the beginning of the following year.
The school's current head teacher is Mr Trevor Johnson, who was appointed in September 2002 on the retirement of Mr Geoff Cresswell, who had arrived at the school as head teacher 13 years earlier when it became Castle High.
Plans were unveiled in June 2008 for Castle High to receive Academy status, sponsored by the Oasis Community Learning Trust, possibly in time for the 2009/2010 academic year.http://www.oasiscommunitylearning.org/OasisAcademiesinDudley.html However, these plans were thrown into doubt five months later due to doubts over the availability of adequate funding.http://www.antiacademies.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1327&Itemid=35 In March 2009, it was confirmed the academy plans would not go ahead. http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/news/4196227.Dudley_academies_to_be_scrapped/
28% of the pupils leaving Castle High in summer 2009 gained 5 or more GCSEs at grade C or above, making it the second lowest ranking secondary school in the borough, despite high pass rates (A-C GCSE) in previous years. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/09/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/332_gcse_lea.stm
The school is set for a new board of governors and a new head teacher with effect from September 2010, along with a £650,000 refurbishment of the older school buildings.http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2010/05/12/failing-school-in-650k-overhaul/
History time line
- December 1985 - Dudley MBC announces plans for a merger of The Dudley School and at least one smaller secondary school to form a new secondary school by the end of the decade. Blue Coat and Gilbert Claughton Schools are believed to be part of the plan for a new school.
- October 1988 - Following three years of speculation, it is confirmed that the town's main Dudley School will merge with The Blue Coat School with effect from September next year. The plans are part of a major reorganisation of schools in the borough which are also expected to see two secondary school closures within the next two years, along with the secondary transfer age being reduced from 12 to 11. The reorganisation of the school will also see the end of its sixth form largely due to its falling popularity; there will be no intake of new sixth formers for the 1989/90 academic year, although the current lower sixth will be able to complete their A-level studies at the school.
- April 1989 - It is confirmed that the new school will be called Castle High, a name chosen by the Dudley School and Blue Coat School pupils.
- September 1989 - Castle High School opens on a merger of The Dudley School and The Blue Coat School, making use of the Dudley School buildings but with the oldest two year groups of Blue Coat pupils remaining at the Blue Coat site for a year. Some of the former Sir Gilbert Claughton School pupils also join the school.
- July 1990 - Castle High's sixth form centre closes.
- September 1990 - the school's starting age is reduced from 12 to 11 in accordance with a borough-wide reduction in the transition age between primary and secondary school. Also starting the school are some former pupils of the closed Mons Hill School. Construction of a new classroom block is incomplete, meaning that pupils will be taught in mobile classrooms for some lessons in the meantime. Castle High is now a single-site school within the old Dudley School buildings following the closure of the Blue Coat annex.
- June 1991 - a new classroom block is completed at Castle High.
- September 1995 - another new building is completed, meaning that the old Girls High School buildings are now redundant.
- October 1995 - the expanded Castle High is officially opened.
- January 1996 - the former Dudley Girls High School buildings, which until recently were part of Castle High, are demolished and the site re-used as a public car park.
- May 1999 - Mr Harold Hyde, who was deputy head of Castle High for the first three year of its existence and had started teaching GeographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
at the Grammar and High Schools in 1960, dies of cancerCancerCancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
aged 61. - February 2001 - Pupil Scott Holloway, 12, dies in a road accident on nearby Priory Road.
- November 2007 Mr, Zameer Khan, in his late 30's, Science Teacher Pass's Away With Stomach Cancer
- June 2008 - Plans are unveiled for Castle High to become an academy sponsored by the Oasis Community Learning Trust.
- March 2009 - Plans for the academy to be developed are scrapped.
Fatality
The school suffered a tragedy in February 2001 when 12-year-old pupil Scott Holloway died after being knocked down by a van near his home on the Priory EstatePriory Estate
The Priory Estate is a housing estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England, which has largely been developed since 1929.-History:The Priory Estate is so named because it is located near the Priory ruins and Priory Park...
.http://archive.dudleynews.co.uk/2001/2/22/54458.html Staff and pupils at Castle High set up a fund in Scott's memory and a total of almost £1,100 was raised for the fund, some of which was raised by bidding for a signed Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
football.http://archive.dudleynews.co.uk/2001/10/11/44805.html A local van driver later received a fine and a driving ban for careless driving in connection to Scott's death.http://archive.dudleynews.co.uk/2002/7/12/35189.html.
See also
- Dormston SchoolDormston SchoolDormston School is a secondary school for children located in Sedgley, West Midlands, England. The schools has specialist status as a Mathematics and Computing college....