Dane Court Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Dane Court Grammar School is a mixed-sex grammar school
in Broadstairs
, Kent
, UK with approximately 1,200 pupils.
In October 2003 Dane Court applied to become a Specialist Language College
, as part of which it had to demonstrate support (both verbal and financial) from local businesses, and a commitment to promote languages within its community. The bid was successful, meaning that the school received a government grant enabling it to improve its facilities for teaching modern foreign languages (primarily German, French and Spanish). It has also attempted some outreach programmes with local primary school teachers, and adult evening classes in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, although take-up has been limited.
The school was given the Grade 1 "Outstanding’ reputation. (Ofsted 2007).
In 2010 much of the school was rebuilt into a single building, through a £20 million building programme as part of the Building Schools for the Future
(BSF) initiative. A new building replaced the former "central block", and was opened January 2010. The next stage was complete refurbishment of the East Wing, completed and joined to the central area in October 2010. The final stage was to be the demolition of the West Wing to make way for improved parking and bus access, which was completed in June 2011 where the school held an official School Opening Ceremony where local officials and former students could attend and tour the school.
status. The houses are as follows, with their respective colours in brackets:
Barcelona
(Blue) - Spain
Delphi
(Green) - Greece
Helsinki
(Black) - Finland
Neuchatel (Yellow) - Switzerland
Sorrento
(Red) - Italy
Tallinn
(Orange) - Estonia
The house year is different to the school year. The house year starts in January with the elections of two House Captains and one Games Captain for each house from Year 12 candidates. From January various house events are held for each year group. These include quizzes, Tugs-Of-War, Inter-House Drama and Music Competitions and Talent Competitions in December while at the end of the school year in July, the annual Sports Day takes place where each house battles out in sporting events, including team games such as Rounders, Cricket and Softball along side athletic and track events such as 100m sprint, long jump etc. The House Cup is awarded in December after the Talent Competitions in the final assembly of the calendar year.
community has over 300 students, offering a range of A level courses along with the International Baccalaureate which was originally set to become the school's sole further educational course in 2012, as well as a programme of extra-curricular activities and opportunities for leadership within the school. Many students also join the Sixth Form
from other local schools.
The Dane Court Sixth Form experience includes visiting speakers through the General Studies programme and events throughout the year such as visits to New York
, Iceland, Slapton, Devon
and Stratford upon Avon. There is also the possibility of students visiting Jordan instead of Iceland. There are field trips and cultural excursions to support the curriculum as well as a work experience week for all Year 12 students.
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in Broadstairs
Broadstairs
Broadstairs is a coastal town on the Isle of Thanet in the Thanet district of east Kent, England, about south-east of London. It is part of the civil parish of Broadstairs and St Peter's, which includes St. Peter's and had a population in 2001 of about 24,000. Situated between Margate and...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, UK with approximately 1,200 pupils.
History
The school was officially founded in 1957 and was, until 1980, designated as a selective Technical High School rather than a Grammar School. It celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2007 and in July 2010 expressed an interest in converting to an academy.Description
The current Executive Headteacher (of both Dane Court and King Ethelbert School, Birchington, which in 2010 joined to form a 'federation' under the 2003 Federation of Schools Regulations) is Paul Luxmoore, while the Headteacher (at Dane Court only) is Simon Pullen.In October 2003 Dane Court applied to become a Specialist Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
, as part of which it had to demonstrate support (both verbal and financial) from local businesses, and a commitment to promote languages within its community. The bid was successful, meaning that the school received a government grant enabling it to improve its facilities for teaching modern foreign languages (primarily German, French and Spanish). It has also attempted some outreach programmes with local primary school teachers, and adult evening classes in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, although take-up has been limited.
The school was given the Grade 1 "Outstanding’ reputation. (Ofsted 2007).
In 2010 much of the school was rebuilt into a single building, through a £20 million building programme as part of the Building Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future is the name of the previous UK Government's investment programme in secondary school buildings in England. The program is very ambitious in its costs, timescales and objectives, with politicians from all English political parties supportive of the principle but...
(BSF) initiative. A new building replaced the former "central block", and was opened January 2010. The next stage was complete refurbishment of the East Wing, completed and joined to the central area in October 2010. The final stage was to be the demolition of the West Wing to make way for improved parking and bus access, which was completed in June 2011 where the school held an official School Opening Ceremony where local officials and former students could attend and tour the school.
House system
The school is formed of six houses named after European cities to reflect their Language CollegeLanguage College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
status. The houses are as follows, with their respective colours in brackets:
Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
(Blue) - Spain
Delphi
Delphi
Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god...
(Green) - Greece
Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
(Black) - Finland
Neuchatel (Yellow) - Switzerland
Sorrento
Sorrento
Sorrento is the name of many cities and towns:*Sorrento, Italy*Sorrento, Florida, United States*Sorrento, Louisiana, United States*Sorrento, Maine, United States*Sorrento, Victoria, a township on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia...
(Red) - Italy
Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
(Orange) - Estonia
The house year is different to the school year. The house year starts in January with the elections of two House Captains and one Games Captain for each house from Year 12 candidates. From January various house events are held for each year group. These include quizzes, Tugs-Of-War, Inter-House Drama and Music Competitions and Talent Competitions in December while at the end of the school year in July, the annual Sports Day takes place where each house battles out in sporting events, including team games such as Rounders, Cricket and Softball along side athletic and track events such as 100m sprint, long jump etc. The House Cup is awarded in December after the Talent Competitions in the final assembly of the calendar year.
Sixth form
The mixed Sixth FormSixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
community has over 300 students, offering a range of A level courses along with the International Baccalaureate which was originally set to become the school's sole further educational course in 2012, as well as a programme of extra-curricular activities and opportunities for leadership within the school. Many students also join the Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
from other local schools.
The Dane Court Sixth Form experience includes visiting speakers through the General Studies programme and events throughout the year such as visits to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Iceland, Slapton, Devon
Slapton, Devon
Slapton is a village in Devon, England. It is located near the A379 road between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth, and lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . In 2001 the population of the civil parish of Slapton was 473...
and Stratford upon Avon. There is also the possibility of students visiting Jordan instead of Iceland. There are field trips and cultural excursions to support the curriculum as well as a work experience week for all Year 12 students.
External links
- School's Official Site
- Most recent OFSTED report (opens in .PDF format)