Codsall Community High School
Encyclopedia
Codsall Community High School is a school in Codsall
, Staffordshire
, England
. In September 2004 it became the first to achieve specialist school
status in Maths and Computing and in 2011 was rated to be OUTSTANDING by Ofsted
. It is a comprehensive school for pupils aged 13-18 in a large village in South Staffordshire
, near Wolverhampton
. A total of 1300 pupils (including more than 300 Sixth-Formers) attend the school.
The school became an 11-18 Comprehensive in 1969; at the same time, headteacher George Gibbs retired and was replaced by Ron Mitson. A further extension was built in the early 1970s, and the school's catchment area expanded to include the village of Pattingham
.
Geoff Bate succeeded as headmaster in September 1972, at the same time that the school's capacity was reduced due to the entry age being increased from 11 to 13 as part of the introduction of three-tier education in the area.
Original plans for a high school in Perton were cancelled, and pupils travelled to Codsall upon completing middle school, leading to a growth in pupil numbers. A community sports centre opened during the mid-1970s, refurbished using National Lottery
money from 2003.
Mr Bate retired in 1994, replaced by Mr E. Liddy. A further extension was built around this time. The school's current head is Mrs M.E. Tunnicliffe, appointed in 2005.
and computing courses, as well as vocational qualifications. However, Codsall Community High School offers a wide range of courses, and was the last comprehensive school in South Staffordshire
still to offer classical subjects, including Classical Civilisation and Latin
, however, these were stopped being taught of 2010.
The school received negative local press in 2003 following anti-social behaviour by its pupils. The most widely reported cases were of pupils using the 535 bus service towards Wolverhampton
vandalising the bus, assaulting the driver, and letting off fireworks on a bus.
In 2008, the school achieved record results in GCSE exams, 72% of candidates received the top four grades, A*-C.
A room for the Sixth Form was opened by Sir Patrick Cormack in September 2008, named in memory of former headmaster Geoff Bate. Rock band The Hoosiers
visited the community project in October 2008 to support the students and the hard work that they had undertaken.
In 2009, Codsall Community High School extended their curriculum provision by becoming the first state school in the country to run a post-16 Football Academy. The scheme offers students, aged 16-18 years, the opportunity to study for nationally recognised qualifications whilst receiving high quality football coaching daily.
Codsall
Codsall is a large village in the South Staffordshire district of Staffordshire, England. It is situated north west of the city of Wolverhampton.-History:...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, 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...
. In September 2004 it became the first to achieve specialist school
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
status in Maths and Computing and in 2011 was rated to be OUTSTANDING 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 ....
. It is a comprehensive school for pupils aged 13-18 in a large village in South Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, near Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
. A total of 1300 pupils (including more than 300 Sixth-Formers) attend the school.
History
Codsall High School was opened in May 1940, taking 126 pupils aged 11 and over from the village's school by St Nicholas's Church. The school also took pupils from the neighbouring village of Bilbrook. After the war, the school expanded; by 1954, there were 728 children on the roll. An extension was opened in 1957, including the school's present Main Hall. A small swimming pool was constructed in the school's quadrangle in 1964; a roof was added in the 1970s.The school became an 11-18 Comprehensive in 1969; at the same time, headteacher George Gibbs retired and was replaced by Ron Mitson. A further extension was built in the early 1970s, and the school's catchment area expanded to include the village of Pattingham
Pattingham
Pattingham is a village in South Staffordshire, close to the border with Shropshire. The village is seven miles to the west of Wolverhampton and seven and a half miles east of Bridgnorth....
.
Geoff Bate succeeded as headmaster in September 1972, at the same time that the school's capacity was reduced due to the entry age being increased from 11 to 13 as part of the introduction of three-tier education in the area.
Original plans for a high school in Perton were cancelled, and pupils travelled to Codsall upon completing middle school, leading to a growth in pupil numbers. A community sports centre opened during the mid-1970s, refurbished using National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
money from 2003.
Mr Bate retired in 1994, replaced by Mr E. Liddy. A further extension was built around this time. The school's current head is Mrs M.E. Tunnicliffe, appointed in 2005.
Curriculum
Following the recognition of the school as a specialist in mathematics and computing, the school's focus shifted in the 2000s to the delivery of more ICTICT (education)
Information and communication technologies in education deal with the use of information and communication technologies within educational technology.-Purpose:...
and computing courses, as well as vocational qualifications. However, Codsall Community High School offers a wide range of courses, and was the last comprehensive school in South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south...
still to offer classical subjects, including Classical Civilisation and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, however, these were stopped being taught of 2010.
The school received negative local press in 2003 following anti-social behaviour by its pupils. The most widely reported cases were of pupils using the 535 bus service towards Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
vandalising the bus, assaulting the driver, and letting off fireworks on a bus.
In 2008, the school achieved record results in GCSE exams, 72% of candidates received the top four grades, A*-C.
A room for the Sixth Form was opened by Sir Patrick Cormack in September 2008, named in memory of former headmaster Geoff Bate. Rock band The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers are an English pop/rock band, consisting of members Irwin Sparkes , Martin Skarendahl and Alan Sharland ....
visited the community project in October 2008 to support the students and the hard work that they had undertaken.
In 2009, Codsall Community High School extended their curriculum provision by becoming the first state school in the country to run a post-16 Football Academy. The scheme offers students, aged 16-18 years, the opportunity to study for nationally recognised qualifications whilst receiving high quality football coaching daily.
Notable former students
- Jim LeaJim LeaJim Lea , is an English musician, most notable for playing bass guitar, keyboards, violin, guitar, and singing backing vocals in Slade.-Career:...
- member of SladeSladeSlade are an English rock band from Wolverhampton, who rose to prominence during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. With 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, the British Hit Singles & Albums names them as the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles...
, perfected his electronic violin skills under the tutelage of Ron Williams - William RegalDarren MatthewsDarren Kenneth Matthews , is an English professional wrestler, author and color commentator currently signed to WWE and competing on the SmackDown brand under the ring name William Regal. He is also known for his time in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Steven Regal...
- WWEWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
Wrestler - Peter Cashmore - CountdownCountdown (game show)Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
champion in 1997 - Trevor Addison - also taught by Ron Williams, graduated from the Royal Academy of MusicRoyal Academy of MusicThe Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, went on to be first violin with the Royal Ballet Orchestra - Gareth MorganGareth Morgan (editor)Gareth Morgan is editor of UK tabloid newspaper the Daily Star Sunday.He became editor of the newspaper in December 2003, taking over from Hugh Whittow. Within four years he made the Daily Star Sunday Britain's fastest growing national newspaper...
- Daily Star SundayDaily Star SundayThe Daily Star Sunday is a weekly tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom. It was launched as a sister title to the Daily Star on 15 September 2002....
editor - Christopher SadlerChristopher SadlerChris Sadler is an award-winning British Animator director who works with Aardman Animations. He has worked on Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, Rex the Runt, Cracking Contraptions, Creature Comforts and Shaun the Sheep....
- award winning Animator Director for Aardman AnimationsAardman AnimationsAardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
who has worked on Wallace and GromitWallace and GromitWallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series consisting of four British animated short films and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations...
, Chicken RunChicken RunChicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
, Cracking ContraptionsCracking ContraptionsWallace and Gromit's Cracking Contraptions are a series of ten Wallace and Gromit stop motion animations varying in length from 1 to 3 minutes. Each episode features one of Wallace's new inventions and Gromit's skeptical reaction to it...
, Creature ComfortsCreature ComfortsCreature Comforts was originally a 1989 British humorous animated short film about how animals feel about living in a zoo, featuring the voices of the British public "spoken" by the animals. It was created by Nick Park and Aardman Animations...
and Shaun the SheepShaun the SheepShaun the Sheep is a British stop-motion animated children's television series produced by Aardman Animations, and commissioned by the BBC and the WDR. It first aired in the UK on CBBC in March 2007... - Roger Edwards - television writer and performer
- Sam Turner - Daily MailDaily MailThe Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
Horse racing desk tipster/ Sky Channel Racing UK tipster - Frazer Price - television writer, director and producer currently working as Creative Manager for Disney Channel UK
- Peter BakerPeter Baker (golfer)Peter A. Baker is an English professional golfer.Baker was born in Shifnal, Shropshire, and currently lives near Wolverhampton. He learned golf at his father's nine hole Himley Hall course and was taught by Sandy Lyle's father Alex....
- Golfer, and member of 1993 Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
team. - Professor David Leigh FRSDavid Leigh (scientist)David Alan Leigh FRS is the Forbes Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh.He is noted for the development of new methods to construct rotaxanes, catenanes and molecular knots and for the invention of some of the first synthetic molecular motors and functional nanomachines...
- Scientist and Fellow of the Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, currently Forbes Chair of Organic Chemistry at the University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university... - Louise Preston - BBC journalist, mostly working as a newsreader on the BBC Breakfast bulletins
- Nathanial Wedderburn - Stoke City F.C. reserve player
- Leon Clarke - Professional Footballer, brought up through Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy, now playing for Sheffield Wednesday
- Emma ReynoldsEmma ReynoldsEmma Elizabeth Reynolds is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton North East since 2010.-Early life:...
Labour Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton North EastWolverhampton North EastWolverhampton North East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
& Shadow Junior Foreign Office Minister
Sources
- The Story of Codsall and Bilbrook Schools, Codsall and Bilbrook History Society, 1993