Hillcroft School
Encyclopedia
Hillcroft School was a boys' secondary school in South London
. In 1960, it was established in Tooting Bec
, being built on playing fields of, and adjacent to, the premises of Bec School
. The initial complement of pupils were drawn from Hillbrook Secondary School in Hillbrook Road, Tooting, and Estreham Secondary School in Penwortham Road, Streatham (housed in the same building as Penwortham Primary School). Hillbrook and Estreham then closed.
The school closed when it was amalgamated
with Bec School in 1970 to create Bec-Hillcroft Comprehensive School
. Bec-Hillcroft was renamed Ernest Bevin School, after the former Labour
minister
Ernest Bevin
, in the next year. In 1996, the school was renamed to Ernest Bevin College
.
and A-Level results, with many going on success at University, the Civil Service
, and the professions. The school had a substantial prefect system which was considered helpful in advancing pupils' maturity.
The school was organised into four houses
, each of about 250 boys: Churchill, Faraday, Shaftesbury, and Wellington. The school enjoyed a certain distinction at sports, with activities including five-a-side football
, lacrosse
, hockey
, and swimming.
The school lacrosse team formed Hillcroft Lacrosse Club in 1971. The club is no longer formally affiliated with the school, but continues to thrive to this day, with their first team playing in the SEMLA premiership.
From 1962–1970, the school was under the headmastership of John Owen, and the Senior Master was Tony Leech.
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. In 1960, it was established in Tooting Bec
Tooting Bec
Tooting Bec is a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth in south London.It is named after Bec Abbey in Normandy, which was given land in this area after the Norman Conquest. Saint Anselm, the second Abbot of Bec, is reputed to have been a visitor to Tooting Bec long before he succeeded...
, being built on playing fields of, and adjacent to, the premises of Bec School
Bec School
Bec School was a grammar school in South London.-Comprehensive:The school closed when it was amalgamated with the adjacent Hillcroft School in 1970 to create Bec-Hillcroft comprehensive school...
. The initial complement of pupils were drawn from Hillbrook Secondary School in Hillbrook Road, Tooting, and Estreham Secondary School in Penwortham Road, Streatham (housed in the same building as Penwortham Primary School). Hillbrook and Estreham then closed.
The school closed when it was amalgamated
Consolidation (business)
Consolidation or amalgamation is the act of merging many things into one. In business, it often refers to the mergers and acquisitions of many smaller companies into much larger ones. In the context of financial accounting, consolidation refers to the aggregation of financial statements of a group...
with Bec School in 1970 to create Bec-Hillcroft 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...
. Bec-Hillcroft was renamed Ernest Bevin School, after the former Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
Ernest Bevin
Ernest Bevin
Ernest Bevin was a British trade union leader and Labour politician. He served as general secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union from 1922 to 1945, as Minister of Labour in the war-time coalition government, and as Foreign Secretary in the post-war Labour Government.-Early...
, in the next year. In 1996, the school was renamed to Ernest Bevin College
Ernest Bevin College
Ernest Bevin College is a specialist college in Tooting, London, England. The school is all-boys for ages 11 through 18, but has a co-educational sixth form. It has about 1173 pupils.-History:...
.
History
Following its establishment, Hillcroft School enjoyed a substantial amount of academic success and supported a large sixth form, especially during the years of 1966 through 1970. A considerable number of boys achieved good O-Ordinary Level
The O-level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education . It was introduced as part of British educational reform in the 1950s alongside the more in-depth and academically rigorous Advanced Level in England, Wales and Northern Ireland A-level...
and A-Level results, with many going on success at University, the Civil Service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
, and the professions. The school had a substantial prefect system which was considered helpful in advancing pupils' maturity.
The school was organised into four houses
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
, each of about 250 boys: Churchill, Faraday, Shaftesbury, and Wellington. The school enjoyed a certain distinction at sports, with activities including five-a-side football
Five-a-side football
thumb|240px|alt=Men playing football on artificial grass pitch.|Five-a-side game on astroturf pitch.Five-a-side football is a variation of association football in which each team fields five players , rather than the usual eleven on each team. Other differences from football include a smaller...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, and swimming.
The school lacrosse team formed Hillcroft Lacrosse Club in 1971. The club is no longer formally affiliated with the school, but continues to thrive to this day, with their first team playing in the SEMLA premiership.
From 1962–1970, the school was under the headmastership of John Owen, and the Senior Master was Tony Leech.