Dorothy Stringer High School
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Stringer High School is situated in Brighton
, England
, UK
.
It has around 1,600 pupils and 120 members of staff led by the head teacher, Richard Bradford. Dorothy Stringer is a comprehensive school that has a specialism as a Sports College
.
and Varndean College Sixth Form College
. The campus is bounded by Surrenden Road, Loder Road, Balfour Road and Friar Crescent.
With the exception of Balfour Primary School, each of the institutions used to exist in a different educational form. Dorothy Stringer was a secondary modern school
, whilst Varndean College and Varndean School were the Boys' and Girls' grammar schools respectively.
In 2003, the school was the subject of a Private Finance Initiative
(PFI) program involving several other schools (including neighbouring Varndean Secondary School, Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College
and what was the COMART College of Media and Arts) and the construction firm Jarvis. For Dorothy Stringer this involved the construction of a new sports hall and associated facilities, new music suites, art studios and very recently some new ICT suites.
award for environmental awareness and activism in 1998. It remains the only secondary school in Brighton to hold this award. In the late 1990s, environmental changes at the school were focussed on recycling, energy and improving the look of the school, such as with flower beds. Over the period 2000-2005, environmentalism at Dorothy Stringer increased dramatically, becoming the Dorothy Stringer Environmental Partnership and encompassing more areas of the environment. Attention turned to the biodiversity of the woodland that surrounds the school, and in 2004, a dilapidated classroom building set amongst this woodland was renovated as part of the PFI scheme. From this base, Dorothy Stringer has become the lead environmental school in Brighton and Hove, forming international links with St Joseph's School in Le Havre for which funding from the Franco-British Council
was won, forming local links with neighbouring schools and, within the school, involving a large number of students in educational environmental activities.
Dorothy Stringer became a specialist sports school in 2002 and sport is an important feature of Dorothy Stringer. Pupils receive two hours of sport education a week, in line with government guideline
. Becoming a sports school has entailed the demolition of the sports hall and the construction of a new venue twice the size, with an additional dance studio, gym and changing rooms. As part of the school's responsibilities as a sports school, Dorothy Stringer undertakes work to promote sport in local primary schools, which is chielfy done through the JSLA
and a new scheme which involves establishing and nurturing dance clubs at Brighton primary schools and organising a mass performance at the Brighton Dome
.
Dorothy Stringer is also a part of the Healthy School initiative, a Partnership Promotion School
, a Training School
, a recipient of money from the Big Lottery Fund
for the school newsletter, and benefits from the European Union's
III A programme.
Dorothy Stringer has long owned an outdoor pursuits centre near Bangor
, north-west Wales
. This facilities allows the school to organise many trips for its pupils and lease the building for the use of other organisations and individuals.
released details of 'Outstanding' schools that had, so far, expressed an interest in Academy status, under the Academies Act 2010. Dorothy Stringer School was one of the education establishments on this list, indicating the governors' wish to end the school's long-standing comprehensive status.
On the 20th of January 2011 Ken Browne pleaded guilty to his charges and later that year was sentenced to 10 months in prison on Thursday the 24th of February.
Main school 50.848813°N 0.143108°W
Dolawen outdoor pursuits centre 53.165736°N 4.049621°W
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, 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...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
It has around 1,600 pupils and 120 members of staff led by the head teacher, Richard Bradford. Dorothy Stringer is a comprehensive school that has a specialism as a Sports College
Sports College
Sports Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, PE, sports and dance. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Sports...
.
Location and history
Dorothy Stringer is on the same campus as Balfour Primary School, Varndean Secondary SchoolVarndean Secondary School
-Location and status:Varndean School is a secondary school serving the needs of a large area of Brighton, England. It moved to its current site overlooking the city and the sea in 1926. Varndean has a national reputation for innovation and achievement. It is a vibrant learning community with a...
and Varndean College Sixth Form College
Varndean College
Varndean College is a sixth form college located in Brighton & Hove that serves the needs of sixth form students and adults.-History:The college was founded in 1884 in York Place, Brighton as a boys' Secondary School and moved to its current site overlooking the city and the sea in 1932, later...
. The campus is bounded by Surrenden Road, Loder Road, Balfour Road and Friar Crescent.
With the exception of Balfour Primary School, each of the institutions used to exist in a different educational form. Dorothy Stringer was a secondary modern school
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
, whilst Varndean College and Varndean School were the Boys' and Girls' grammar schools respectively.
In 2003, the school was the subject of a Private Finance Initiative
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
(PFI) program involving several other schools (including neighbouring Varndean Secondary School, Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College
Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College
Blatchington Mill School is a coeducational secondary school in Hove, Brighton and Hove for 11 - 18 year olds.-Admissions:It is a school of Non-Denominational religion. The total number of pupils in 2010, of all ages, was 1777. The Headteacher is Janet Felkin BSc MA. It is in West Blatchington...
and what was the COMART College of Media and Arts) and the construction firm Jarvis. For Dorothy Stringer this involved the construction of a new sports hall and associated facilities, new music suites, art studios and very recently some new ICT suites.
Awards and initiatives
Dorothy Stringer gained the Green FlagGreen Flag
Green Flag is a roadside rescue company based in the UK. It was formed in 1971 as the National Breakdown Recovery Club and operated under this name under the ownership of National Car Parks until 1994, when it was renamed Green Flag as a symbolic brand name...
award for environmental awareness and activism in 1998. It remains the only secondary school in Brighton to hold this award. In the late 1990s, environmental changes at the school were focussed on recycling, energy and improving the look of the school, such as with flower beds. Over the period 2000-2005, environmentalism at Dorothy Stringer increased dramatically, becoming the Dorothy Stringer Environmental Partnership and encompassing more areas of the environment. Attention turned to the biodiversity of the woodland that surrounds the school, and in 2004, a dilapidated classroom building set amongst this woodland was renovated as part of the PFI scheme. From this base, Dorothy Stringer has become the lead environmental school in Brighton and Hove, forming international links with St Joseph's School in Le Havre for which funding from the Franco-British Council
was won, forming local links with neighbouring schools and, within the school, involving a large number of students in educational environmental activities.
Dorothy Stringer became a specialist sports school in 2002 and sport is an important feature of Dorothy Stringer. Pupils receive two hours of sport education a week, in line with government guideline
. Becoming a sports school has entailed the demolition of the sports hall and the construction of a new venue twice the size, with an additional dance studio, gym and changing rooms. As part of the school's responsibilities as a sports school, Dorothy Stringer undertakes work to promote sport in local primary schools, which is chielfy done through the JSLA
JSLA
The Junior Sport Leadership Award is an initiative run in the United Kingdom by the British Sports Trust, the name of Sports Leaders UK.The award is a nationally recognised award that helps young people over the age of 14 develop their leadership skills....
and a new scheme which involves establishing and nurturing dance clubs at Brighton primary schools and organising a mass performance at the Brighton Dome
Brighton Dome
The Brighton Dome is an arts venue in Brighton, England that contains the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and the Pavilion Theatre. All three venues are linked to the rest of the Royal Pavilion Estate by an underground tunnel to the Royal Pavilion in Pavilion Gardens and through shared corridors to...
.
Dorothy Stringer is also a part of the Healthy School initiative, a Partnership Promotion School
, a Training School
, a recipient of money from the Big Lottery Fund
for the school newsletter, and benefits from the European Union's
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
III A programme.
Dorothy Stringer has long owned an outdoor pursuits centre near Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, north-west Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. This facilities allows the school to organise many trips for its pupils and lease the building for the use of other organisations and individuals.
The extra-curricular school
The academic year of Dorothy Stringer school is marked by a series of extracurricular activities and events.| Name | Approximate Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Prize Giving | Thursday in late November | Academic and extracurricular prizes are awarded to pupils for work and performance in the previous year. This occasion sees the presentation of around 120 prizes, including those for (i) attainment and effort in the lower school, (ii) subject-specific attainment in the upper school and (iii) prizes for contributions to music, drama, the environmental projects and other activities. Many of these prizes are named after prestigious former members of staff. The formal evening also includes speeches delivered by the Head Boy and Head Girl and a guest speaker, who was the The Guardian The Guardian The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format... cartoonist Steve Bell Steve Bell (cartoonist) Steve Bell is an English political cartoonist, whose work appears in The Guardian and other publications. He is known for his left-wing views and distinctive caricatures.-Early life:... in 2007. The choir and orchestra, and increasingly, other groups such as Vox, the Jazz Band and soloists perform. |
| Carol Service | Last Thursday of term, in December | Taking place in St Peter's Church St Peter's Church, Brighton St Peter's Church is a Church of England parish church in Brighton in the English city of Brighton and Hove. It is near the centre of the town, on an island between two major roads, the A23 London Road and A270 Lewes Road. Built from 1824-28 to a design by Sir Charles Barry, it is arguably the... this traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Nine Lessons and Carols The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a format for a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus that is traditionally followed at Christmas... brings together a large school choir of up to 150 pupils and a congregation of some 200-300. Michael Maine has played the organ for this service for many years. |
| School Play | Four nights, beginning on the first Wednesday in February | Performed on four consecutive nights, with the dress rehearsal on the Tuesday and the technical rehearsal on the Monday, the large whole-school event includes the contributions of many pupils, ranging from 70 to 150, depending on the type of show, musical or play. Past performances have included Godspell Godspell Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway... by John-Michael Tebelak John-Michael Tebelak John-Michael Tebelak was an American playwright and director. He was most famous for creating the musical Godspell based on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. The music was by Stephen Schwartz... (performed 2003), Anything Goes Anything Goes Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London... by Cole Porter Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre... (2004), The Burial at Thebes The Burial at Thebes The Burial at Thebes is a play by Irish Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney, based on the fifth century BC tragedy Antigone by Sophocles. It is also an opera by Dominique Le Gendre... by Seamus Heaney Seamus Heaney Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes... which is based on the Sophocles Sophocles Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides... ' Antigone Antigone (Sophocles) Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 442 BC. Chronologically, it is the third of the three Theban plays but was written first... (2005), Oliver! Oliver! Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.... by Lionel Bart Lionel Bart Lionel Bart was a writer and composer of British pop music and musicals, best known for creating the book, music and lyrics for Oliver!-Early life:... (2006) and an adaptation of William Golding William Golding Sir William Gerald Golding was a British novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate, best known for his novel Lord of the Flies... 's Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results... (2007). 2008 saw a highly moving performance of Shakespeare William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"... 's Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a... . The marveslously maniacal Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors (musical) Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman... was the musical of 2009 and a stunning rendition of Bertolt Brecht Bertolt Brecht Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the... 's Caucasian Chalk Circle was cancelled in February this year. An alternation each year between a musical and a play is the expected system. The year of 2011, Dorothy Stringer will be hosting "Grease Grease (musical) Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,... |
| Spring Concert | Spring term | This evening event used to feature the Second Orchestra and the Junior Choir, made up of year 7 pupils. Today, it has transformed into a celebrated opportunity for other musical styles to perform. Vox, the a capella singing group and the Jazz Band now regularly perform severall items, alsongside the orchestra and GCSE pupils playing their own compositions. |
| Dance Show | Two consecutive days including a Wednesday in the early summer term | This is the occasion on which many different groups perform dance routines practised over the previous year. Groups vary in size from two to over twenty-five. |
| Summer Concert | Summer term | This is the final occasion in the school year on which the choir and orchestra perform. This event is particularly significant for year 11 pupils, many of whom joined the musical groups when they entered the school, because soon after this final concert, they leave school to concentrate on revising for their GCSE examinations. |
| Sports Day | Friday of third to last week of term | Taking place at the local Withdean Stadium Withdean Stadium Withdean Stadium is an athletics stadium in Withdean, a suburb of Brighton. Between 1999 and 2011 it was the home ground of football team Brighton & Hove Albion F.C..... pupils from years 7, 8 and 9 spend the entire morning competing in track and field events and considerable prestige is attached to the winning form class. The commentary has become an institution in itself. |
| Activities Week(s) | Penultimate week of term | This week has traditionally been set aside for time to take pupils out of lessons and on a variety of activities. These include school orchestra trips abroad (such as to Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million... in 2003), environmental trips abroad (such as to Le Havre Le Havre Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total... in 2004), business trips abroad (also to Le Havre) trips to Dolawen in north-west Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... , and other, smaller excursions. |
| DiSH and Yearbook | Half-termly and annually | In 2006, Dorothy Stringer completely changed the format, layout and approach taken to the monthly newsletter. This was relocated to a new, dedicated office and an emphasis on student involvement led to the establishment of a permanent (annual) student writing team. The newsletter (renamed DiSH) seeks to be relevant and interesting to the students of the school, and the balance of content has shifted away from academic department news towards a magazine that is opinionated, nationalist and in which pictures are integral. Partly flowing from this change, in 2007 the school followed the lead of many other education establishments and created their first official Yearbook. This included photos of the current Year 11 students from the time when they entered the school and a written and photographic record of trips and awards that the departing students had made and gained. |
Academies Act 2010
On June 25th, the new Conservative-Liberal coalitionCameron Ministry
David Cameron is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, after being invited by Queen Elizabeth II to form a new government after the resignation as Prime Minister of Gordon Brown on 11 May 2010. Leading a coalition government formed by the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, the coalition...
released details of 'Outstanding' schools that had, so far, expressed an interest in Academy status, under the Academies Act 2010. Dorothy Stringer School was one of the education establishments on this list, indicating the governors' wish to end the school's long-standing comprehensive status.
Controversy
In September 2009, it was revealed that a senior member of the school's teaching staff, Ken Browne, had been arrested in July of that year under suspicion of possessing indecent images of children. The school attempted to pre-empt scandal by first releasing information of Browne's arrest to parents via a letter, before later contacting the local paper, Brighton's Argus. Ken Browne was immediately removed from the teaching staff at the school and has since moved from the area.On the 20th of January 2011 Ken Browne pleaded guilty to his charges and later that year was sentenced to 10 months in prison on Thursday the 24th of February.
External links
Main school 50.848813°N 0.143108°W
Dolawen outdoor pursuits centre 53.165736°N 4.049621°W