Dinnington Comprehensive School
Encyclopedia
Dinnington Comprehensive School is a secondary school
in Dinnington
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham
, South Yorkshire
, England
. It is a coeducation
al comprehensive school
for day pupils between the ages of 11 and 18, and takes in approximately 1,500 pupils from Dinnington and surrounding settlements (chiefly Anston
, Laughton Common, Laughton-en-le-Morthen
, Woodsetts
, Hooton Levitt
, Gildingwells
, Letwell
and Firbeck
).
In 1957 the two halves merged to form the coeducational Dinnington Secondary Modern, and at that point there were already plans for a further merger with the secondary technical
element of the neighbouring Dinnington Chelmsford Technical College to create the area's first comprehensive school.
This comprehensive school, Dinnington High School, opened on 23 September 1963 (a formal opening taking place a year later, conducted by Jack Longland
). The area between the two merging establishments was developed with a new campus designed by Hardy Glover of Basil Spence
& Partners. This campus consisted of four house bases and a sixth form college
, along with a new main hall and a second gym. The four houses took their names and badges from historical local land-owning families, and were as follows:
The School is credited with the introduction of Rugby Union Football to the local area and in turn to the establishment of Dinnington Rugby Club which has produced players for the county and for Senior clubs such as Rotherham, Harlequins and Northampton.
The campus continued to be extended following the merger, with the addition of a swimming pool, technology block, sports hall, new sixth form base and library in the 1970s and 1980s.
On 20 August 1996 the original 1935 school building (which still made up close to half of the teaching campus) was set alight by arsonists; the latest in a succession of arson attacks on the school. The fire destroyed the building and took with it student course-work and several computer rooms. House-bases were re-fitted into classrooms and this led to the eventual phasing out of the house system at Dinnington, which had existed in various forms even during the pre-merger days.
In 1997 a new school building was opened, standing on the site of the burnt-out original. The brick-built two-storey building also allowed a long-standing "ghetto" of 1960s-built portable classrooms (known as the Terrapin Plateau) to finally be retired. Several other aging prefab buildings on campus have been demolished in recent years.
On 27 January 2005 the school announced its success in a bid to become a specialist school
in Science and Engineering. Previously, in 1993, it had been designated a technology school as part of a previous Department of Education grant scheme.
There is a gentle rivalry between Dinnington and the nearby Wales High School
. The two schools are sufficiently close for some slight overlap in catchment. Their school league table standings differ negligibly: Wales currently (2005) has the better GCSE results and Dinnington the better A-level results.
Jean Nicholson (the most recent head of Dinnington Comprehensive) died on 21 December 2006 as a result of an inoperable brain tumour diagnosed in late September. She made the most positive and radical changes to Dinnington Comprehensive to benefit each and every one of the children studying at the school. A temporary head was put in place in the form of Mrs. Sue Carhart who was seen as the most likely continue the position in future years, however Paul Blackwell, an ex-Geography teacher and Deputy Head from Winterhill school
, was hired as the new Headteacher in September 2007.
As of September 2011, a new system of Vertical Tutoring has been established through out the school. The system consists of all years from 7-11 (6th Form separate), split up into mixed aged tutor groups. The previous housing system has been brought back, along with head girls and boys too. Governors of the school believe that this system will reduce bullying, bring the school closer and Students will make new friends from different years.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Dinnington
Dinnington
Dinnington is a town in rural South Yorkshire, England, and part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham. It is roughly equidistant from Sheffield, Rotherham and Worksop, and is located at an elevation of about 100 metres above sea level....
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham
Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham
The Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. It is named for its largest town, Rotherham, but also spans the outlying towns of Maltby, Rawmarsh, Swinton, Wath-upon-Dearne, as well as a suburban and rural element composed of hills, escarpments and...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, 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 is a coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
for day pupils between the ages of 11 and 18, and takes in approximately 1,500 pupils from Dinnington and surrounding settlements (chiefly Anston
Anston
The villages of North Anston and South Anston are the principal constituents of the civil parish of North and South Anston, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England...
, Laughton Common, Laughton-en-le-Morthen
Laughton-en-le-Morthen
Laughton-en-le-Morthen is a small dormitory village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham lying to the south of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, and its main attraction is the All Saints Church with its huge spire. It has a population of 1,185.- Origin :There are several...
, Woodsetts
Woodsetts
Woodsetts is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. It lies between the towns of Dinnington and Worksop at an elevation of around 60 metres above sea level, and has a population of 1,802.Originally a...
, Hooton Levitt
Hooton Levitt
Hooton Levitt is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England; one of four villages in the county that carry the name of Hooton, meaning 'farmstead on a spur of land'...
, Gildingwells
Gildingwells
Gildingwells is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. It lies between Dinnington and Carlton in Lindrick at , and at an elevation of around 60 metres above sea level. It has a population of 115.Situated...
, Letwell
Letwell
Letwell is a rural village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. It lies between Dinnington and Langold, off the B6463 road. It is located at 53° 22' 40" North, 1° 9' West, at an elevation of around 75 metres above...
and Firbeck
Firbeck
Firbeck is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. The name is said to derive from "Friebec", meaning a wooded stream. It lies between Maltby and Oldcotes, off the A634 and B6463 roads. The village has a...
).
History
The school was built in the grounds of Throapham Manor, and was opened by Sir Percy Jackson (chair of the West Riding Local Education Authority) in 1935 as Dinnington Senior Boys and Dinnington Senior Girls. It consisted of a single timber building divided into girls' and boys' departments. In 1938 the building was extended and a separate gymnasium added.In 1957 the two halves merged to form the coeducational Dinnington Secondary Modern, and at that point there were already plans for a further merger with the secondary technical
Tripartite System
The Tripartite System was the arrangement of state funded secondary education between 1944 and the 1970s in England and Wales, and from 1947 to 2009 in Northern Ireland....
element of the neighbouring Dinnington Chelmsford Technical College to create the area's first comprehensive school.
This comprehensive school, Dinnington High School, opened on 23 September 1963 (a formal opening taking place a year later, conducted by Jack Longland
Jack Longland
Sir John Laurence "Jack" Longland was an educator, mountain climber, and broadcaster.He was educated at the King's School, Worcester, and Jesus College, Cambridge. He lectured in English at Durham University from 1930 to 1936. He then served as Director of Education for Derbyshire for 23 years,...
). The area between the two merging establishments was developed with a new campus designed by Hardy Glover of Basil Spence
Basil Spence
Sir Basil Urwin Spence, OM, OBE, RA was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Modernist/Brutalist style.-Training:Spence was born in Bombay, India, the son of Urwin...
& Partners. This campus consisted of four house bases and a sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
, along with a new main hall and a second gym. The four houses took their names and badges from historical local land-owning families, and were as follows:
- Athorpe: owners of Dinnington Hall. The Athorpe badge was a falcon on a yellow background.
- Hatfield: land-owners in Laughton-en-le-Morthen in the 17th century. The Hatfield badge was a white rose on a green background.and its on the school uniform
- Osborne: the family name of the Duke of LeedsDuke of LeedsDuke of Leeds was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1694 for the prominent statesman Thomas Osborne, 1st Marquess of Carmarthen...
who had property in Kiveton ParkKiveton ParkKiveton Park, informally Kiveton , is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, England. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, from the Norman conquest to 1868, Kiveton was a hamlet of the parish of Harthill-with-Woodall...
. The Osborne badge was a tiger on a blue background. - Segrave: after the de Segrave family who owned much of the local area in the 16th century. The Segrave badge was a lion on a red background.
The School is credited with the introduction of Rugby Union Football to the local area and in turn to the establishment of Dinnington Rugby Club which has produced players for the county and for Senior clubs such as Rotherham, Harlequins and Northampton.
The campus continued to be extended following the merger, with the addition of a swimming pool, technology block, sports hall, new sixth form base and library in the 1970s and 1980s.
On 20 August 1996 the original 1935 school building (which still made up close to half of the teaching campus) was set alight by arsonists; the latest in a succession of arson attacks on the school. The fire destroyed the building and took with it student course-work and several computer rooms. House-bases were re-fitted into classrooms and this led to the eventual phasing out of the house system at Dinnington, which had existed in various forms even during the pre-merger days.
In 1997 a new school building was opened, standing on the site of the burnt-out original. The brick-built two-storey building also allowed a long-standing "ghetto" of 1960s-built portable classrooms (known as the Terrapin Plateau) to finally be retired. Several other aging prefab buildings on campus have been demolished in recent years.
On 27 January 2005 the school announced its success in a bid to become a 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...
in Science and Engineering. Previously, in 1993, it had been designated a technology school as part of a previous Department of Education grant scheme.
There is a gentle rivalry between Dinnington and the nearby Wales High School
Wales High School
Wales High School is an academy for 11–18 year olds, located in Kiveton, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. Opened in 1970, the school provides education for its many connecting villages. Kiveton Park, Harthill, Todwick, Wales, Thurcroft and South Anston are the major villages which...
. The two schools are sufficiently close for some slight overlap in catchment. Their school league table standings differ negligibly: Wales currently (2005) has the better GCSE results and Dinnington the better A-level results.
Jean Nicholson (the most recent head of Dinnington Comprehensive) died on 21 December 2006 as a result of an inoperable brain tumour diagnosed in late September. She made the most positive and radical changes to Dinnington Comprehensive to benefit each and every one of the children studying at the school. A temporary head was put in place in the form of Mrs. Sue Carhart who was seen as the most likely continue the position in future years, however Paul Blackwell, an ex-Geography teacher and Deputy Head from Winterhill school
Winterhill School
Winterhill School is a secondary school located in Kimberworth, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The school was formed in 2004 by the merger of Old Hall Comprehensive School and the nearby Kimberworth Comprehensive School. It lies on the former site of Old Hall School, at the corner of High...
, was hired as the new Headteacher in September 2007.
As of September 2011, a new system of Vertical Tutoring has been established through out the school. The system consists of all years from 7-11 (6th Form separate), split up into mixed aged tutor groups. The previous housing system has been brought back, along with head girls and boys too. Governors of the school believe that this system will reduce bullying, bring the school closer and Students will make new friends from different years.
Dinnington Senior Boys
- R.J. Pickard (1935–1946)
- E.J. Ducker (1946–1948)
- William G. Davies (1948–1950)
- E.M. Spelman (1950–1956)
Dinnington Senior Girls
- G.H. Butterworth (1935–1942)
- Elsie Storey / Mrs. Elsie Goldthorpe (1943–1956); Head of merged Secondary Modern until 1963
Dinnington High / Comprehensive School
- J.E.W. Moreton (1963-1975?)
- Brian Ingham (1975?-1983?)
- Gordon Forster (1983?-1997)
- Jean Nicholson (1997–2006)
- Sue Carhart (2006–2007) - Acting head teacher
- Paul Blackwell (2007–Present).