Dr Challoner's High School
Encyclopedia
Dr Challoner's High School, abbreviated to DCHS, is a grammar school
for girls between the ages of 11 and 18, located in Buckinghamshire
, England
. In August 2011 the school became an Academy.
In September 2001, the school was awarded specialist school
status as a Sports College
, by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). It was also awarded a second specialism as a Language College
.
The current headteacher is Mr Ian Cooksey.
, Buckinghamshire
as an overflow from Dr Challoner's Grammar School
in Amersham
, due to rapid population growth in the area. It was officially opened in 1963 by Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.
In 2005, the school was used as the setting for a television thriller, "Like Father, Like Son", in which a 15-year-old schoolboy is accused of stalking a schoolgirl. Many of the pupils were used as extras for the filming, including students from Dr Challoner's Grammar School, Amersham.
is blue, Curie
is green, Nightingale
is purple, Pankhurst
is yellow and Teresa
is red. Five girls in the upper sixth are appointed the head of houses each year. The houses play a part in music and sports in the school, with girls earning points for winning competitions and events, in particular interhouse, a sports half-day competition occurring once a term for years 7-11. At the end of each academic year one house will win the house cup for having the most points.
All students take at least eight subjects for GCSE, although most take 9 or 10 subjects. Four or five AS levels can be taken, with three or four being carried on to A-level. The vast majority of students go on to university or some form of higher education.
The Science Block: Also part of the school when it first opened, the three sciences are taught here, and the Art rooms are situated upstairs.
The Curved Building: Added in 1998, English, Maths and Technology are taught here. The library is also situated in this building, as is the Sixth Form Common Room and the Careers Room. The curved space between the Curved Building and the Tower Block creates a naturally sloped outdoor theatre area.
The Modern Languages Building: Known as the ML Block, French, Spanish and German are taught here, although the Music teaching and practice rooms are also attached to it.
The Sports Hall: Completed in 2002, most indoor sports lessons are held here. There are changing rooms with showers available. The school fields and Tennis, Netball and astro-turf courts are situated by this building.
The school's original gym and a dance and drama studio, built more recently, were knocked down to make way for a new drama complex, completed around 2009 with the help of fundraising and donations from parents. There is also a cafeteria and Main Hall at the front of the school, attached to the Tower Block and part of the original school of 1962.
In 2010 the school achieved another set of outstanding A Level results. 22.3% of entries were graded A*, a higher figure than any other Buckinghamshire school. Over 88% of entries were graded A*-B.
In recent years the school has also won Good Schools Guide awards in History, Politics and Spanish. The Politics department won the top prize, achieving the best A Level results of any school in England for the period 2004-2006. In addition to its academic success, the school has a proud reputation for sporting success, recently winning the national U16 basketball title and the tennis team were national runners-up in the year 8 and under Nestle School Teams Tennis competition. In December 2008 the school won the national junior cross-country championships held in Leicestershire.
In 2008 over 85% of leavers went to their first choice university. Girls won places at over 30 universities to study numerous courses. Last year the two most popular universities were Warwick and Nottingham (27 leavers from 2009 are now studying at these universities). The school also has a proud tradition of girls winning places at Oxbridge colleges; 14 girls won places to study at Oxford and Cambridge in 2009 (11 Oxford and 3 Cambridge). In 2010 a record 15 girls were offered conditional places at Oxbridge; all girls subsequently achieved their places.
The school also encourages all girls to take up musical instruments and there are a number of school bands, from junior and senior choirs to the joint school Swing Band founded by Dr Challoner's Grammar School. Once every two years the Swing Band go on an international tour. In Summer 2009, the band had a highly successful tour in Germany and France.
In February 2008 a Challoner's team won the regional round of the Oxford Union schools' competition, overcoming 32 grammar and independent schools to make it to the national finals. The school's record in the Oxford competition in particular is excellent; with at least 1 team breaking to finals day almost every year. In the 2008/09 academic year the school also came 5th (out of 48 teams) in the UCL senior competition and in the Oxford finals in the same year reached the top 15 to make two of the school's debaters eligible for England trials in the Autumn term of 2009.
In the 2009/10 season the school's top pair won the schools' debating tournament at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) coming top out of 75 pairs from some of the best debating schools in England. The pair also made it through to the semi-final of the Durham University schools' competition finishing in 7th place overall from over 100 teams. In March 2010 the same pair achieved 6th place (out of 88 teams) in the Oxford Union competition overcoming schools such as Dulwich College, University College School and Marlborough, and just behind St Paul's boys and Westminster. It was also pleasing to be the top Bucks school in the competition, finishing well ahead of local rivals Aylesbury Grammar and Dr Challoner's Grammar.
Moreover, the debating society has also established links with the debating society at the local boys' school to create the Challoners' Debating Society. Debating takes place in all year groups, with a designated Debating Prefect taking responsibility for the lower school teams.
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...
for girls between the ages of 11 and 18, located in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, 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 August 2011 the school became an Academy.
In September 2001, the school was awarded 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 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...
, by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). It was also awarded a second specialism as a 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...
.
The current headteacher is Mr Ian Cooksey.
History
The school was founded in 1962 in Little ChalfontLittle Chalfont
Little Chalfont is a village and civil parish in Chiltern district in south east Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated in a small group of villages called The Chalfonts which also consists of Chalfont St Giles and Chalfont St Peter...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
as an overflow from Dr Challoner's Grammar School
Dr Challoner's Grammar School
Dr Challoner's Grammar School, often abbreviated to DCGS, is an Academy Grammar School of approximately 1,300 boys located in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England....
in Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
, due to rapid population growth in the area. It was officially opened in 1963 by Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.
In 2005, the school was used as the setting for a television thriller, "Like Father, Like Son", in which a 15-year-old schoolboy is accused of stalking a schoolgirl. Many of the pupils were used as extras for the filming, including students from Dr Challoner's Grammar School, Amersham.
Entry
In order to gain entry to the school, pupils from primary schools in the local area are invited to do an entrance exam, the 11+. Entry to a grammar school usually requires a score of 121/141, though pupils who gain scores of 117 and above are invited to appeal their case. Prospective students who did not take the 11+ (e.g. those who join in later years) also take the school's own entry test.House system
The school operates a house system, with girls being placed in one of the five houses at the start of their time at the school along with the rest of their forms. The five houses are named after notable women in history and each have a corresponding colour: BronteBrontë
The Brontës were a nineteenth-century literary family associated with Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The sisters, Charlotte , Emily , and Anne , are well-known as poets and novelists...
is blue, Curie
Marie Curie
Marie Skłodowska-Curie was a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry...
is green, Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
is purple, Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement which helped women win the right to vote...
is yellow and Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
is red. Five girls in the upper sixth are appointed the head of houses each year. The houses play a part in music and sports in the school, with girls earning points for winning competitions and events, in particular interhouse, a sports half-day competition occurring once a term for years 7-11. At the end of each academic year one house will win the house cup for having the most points.
| House | Colour | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Bronte | Blue | Named after the three authors, the Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Anne and Emily |
| Curie | Green | Named after Marie Curie Marie Curie Marie Skłodowska-Curie was a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry... , the physicist and chemist who won two Nobel Prizes |
| Nightingale | Purple | Named after the nurse, Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night... , who nursed during the Crimean War and left a great legacy to nursing |
| Pankhurst | Yellow | |Named after Emmeline Pankhurst Emmeline Pankhurst Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement which helped women win the right to vote... and her daughters, Sylvia Pankhurst Sylvia Pankhurst Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst was an English campaigner for the suffragist movement in the United Kingdom. She was for a time a prominent left communist who then devoted herself to the cause of anti-fascism.-Early life:... and Christabel Pankhurst Christabel Pankhurst Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst, DBE , was a suffragette born in Manchester, England. A co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union , she directed its militant actions from exile in France from 1912 to 1913. In 1914 she became a fervent supporter of the war against Germany... , who were great figures in the British suffragette movement and the campaign to give women the vote |
| Teresa | Red | Named after Mother Teresa Mother Teresa Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950... , the Catholic nun and humanitarian who won the Nobel Peace Prize |
Initial Subjects
Students are introduced to a wide range of subjects from Year 7, including IT, Technology, Music and Drama. Students must study French and one of German or Spanish for the first two years,in year 8 students learn Latin, of which two are then chosen for Year 9 and at least one must be furthered to GCSE level.All students take at least eight subjects for GCSE, although most take 9 or 10 subjects. Four or five AS levels can be taken, with three or four being carried on to A-level. The vast majority of students go on to university or some form of higher education.
School Buildings
The Tower Block: Humanity subjects, Religious Studies, History and Geography are taught here, as well as Classics and Latin. This building was part of the school when it first opened in 1962.The Science Block: Also part of the school when it first opened, the three sciences are taught here, and the Art rooms are situated upstairs.
The Curved Building: Added in 1998, English, Maths and Technology are taught here. The library is also situated in this building, as is the Sixth Form Common Room and the Careers Room. The curved space between the Curved Building and the Tower Block creates a naturally sloped outdoor theatre area.
The Modern Languages Building: Known as the ML Block, French, Spanish and German are taught here, although the Music teaching and practice rooms are also attached to it.
The Sports Hall: Completed in 2002, most indoor sports lessons are held here. There are changing rooms with showers available. The school fields and Tennis, Netball and astro-turf courts are situated by this building.
The school's original gym and a dance and drama studio, built more recently, were knocked down to make way for a new drama complex, completed around 2009 with the help of fundraising and donations from parents. There is also a cafeteria and Main Hall at the front of the school, attached to the Tower Block and part of the original school of 1962.
Headteachers
- 1962 -1974? Miss Agnes McMaster
- 1974? - 1984? Mrs Jean Williams
- 1984? - ? Dr Sheila Cousens
- ?-2003 Mrs Sue Lawson
- 2003-2006 Mrs Hilary Winter
- 2006 (Summer term) Mr Andrew MacTavish, acting headmaster
- 2006–2011 Miss Peg Hulse
- 2011-present Mr Ian Cooksey
Notable former pupils
- Fern BrittonFern BrittonFern Britton is an English television presenter, known as the former main co-presenter on the ITV magazine programme This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield. She left the show on 17 July 2009, her 52nd birthday.- Early life :...
, television presenter - Helen Grant, young adult author
- Lucy WinkettLucy WinkettLucy Winkett is an Anglican priest. She was precentor of St Paul's Cathedral, London before being appointed in 2010 as Rector of St James's Piccadilly. With degrees in history, music and theology, she writes, speaks and debates on a wide range of issues reflecting on culture, gender and religion...
, first female Canon of St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
Notable achievements
In 2008, Dr Challoner's High achieved the best A Level results of any Buckinghamshire state school with an A/B pass rate of 84%. At GCSE the A*/A grade pass rate was 81% and over a third of girls achieved all A*/As. The school has appeared in the Times Parent Power school league tables; 31st best state school in 2007, 16th in 2008 and 23rd in 2009, each time being the top state school in Buckinghamshire. Ofsted rated 'Grade 2 - Good' in its last inspection of the school in 2006.In 2010 the school achieved another set of outstanding A Level results. 22.3% of entries were graded A*, a higher figure than any other Buckinghamshire school. Over 88% of entries were graded A*-B.
In recent years the school has also won Good Schools Guide awards in History, Politics and Spanish. The Politics department won the top prize, achieving the best A Level results of any school in England for the period 2004-2006. In addition to its academic success, the school has a proud reputation for sporting success, recently winning the national U16 basketball title and the tennis team were national runners-up in the year 8 and under Nestle School Teams Tennis competition. In December 2008 the school won the national junior cross-country championships held in Leicestershire.
In 2008 over 85% of leavers went to their first choice university. Girls won places at over 30 universities to study numerous courses. Last year the two most popular universities were Warwick and Nottingham (27 leavers from 2009 are now studying at these universities). The school also has a proud tradition of girls winning places at Oxbridge colleges; 14 girls won places to study at Oxford and Cambridge in 2009 (11 Oxford and 3 Cambridge). In 2010 a record 15 girls were offered conditional places at Oxbridge; all girls subsequently achieved their places.
The school also encourages all girls to take up musical instruments and there are a number of school bands, from junior and senior choirs to the joint school Swing Band founded by Dr Challoner's Grammar School. Once every two years the Swing Band go on an international tour. In Summer 2009, the band had a highly successful tour in Germany and France.
Debating
The school has a well established debating society with arguably the best record in Bucks in recent years at the top university-run competitions. The society typically enters the Oxford and Cambridge competitions, with the UCL, Durham and Bristol university competitions also featuring in recent years. The International Competition for Young Debaters (ICYD) has been a mainstay for the school's younger debaters. In 2010 the school also entered a new competition at SOAS and in the recent past several girls have participated in trials for the England team.In February 2008 a Challoner's team won the regional round of the Oxford Union schools' competition, overcoming 32 grammar and independent schools to make it to the national finals. The school's record in the Oxford competition in particular is excellent; with at least 1 team breaking to finals day almost every year. In the 2008/09 academic year the school also came 5th (out of 48 teams) in the UCL senior competition and in the Oxford finals in the same year reached the top 15 to make two of the school's debaters eligible for England trials in the Autumn term of 2009.
In the 2009/10 season the school's top pair won the schools' debating tournament at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) coming top out of 75 pairs from some of the best debating schools in England. The pair also made it through to the semi-final of the Durham University schools' competition finishing in 7th place overall from over 100 teams. In March 2010 the same pair achieved 6th place (out of 88 teams) in the Oxford Union competition overcoming schools such as Dulwich College, University College School and Marlborough, and just behind St Paul's boys and Westminster. It was also pleasing to be the top Bucks school in the competition, finishing well ahead of local rivals Aylesbury Grammar and Dr Challoner's Grammar.
Moreover, the debating society has also established links with the debating society at the local boys' school to create the Challoners' Debating Society. Debating takes place in all year groups, with a designated Debating Prefect taking responsibility for the lower school teams.