Jarrow School
Encyclopedia
Jarrow School is a secondary school located in Jarrow
, Tyne and Wear
admitting pupils aged 11 to 16.
, in Jarrow
.
.
The former Jarrow Grammar School opened in 1911. In June 2010, this building was demolished.
and was formerly known as Jarrow Grammar School. It was situated near the town centre. It became a comprehensive school
in 1975 to cater for all prospective pupils' academic abilities, in common with the other schools in the area including Hedworthfield.
Hedworthfield was designated as a complementary secondary modern school
to Springfield's provision as the local grammar school. It was a newer development built in the 1960s at Fellgate on the outskirts of Jarrow. Extensive building work was completed in the late 1970s providing the school with better facilities for arts and crafts, a music and drama studio, a community centre and a sports complex containing badminton and squash courts, a gym and other facilities.
Alongside Springfield, it was converted to a comprehensive school in 1978. However, following its redesignation, some parents still insisted on sending their children to Springfield, even though they were no longer in its catchment area; they cited concerns that an ex-secondary modern school might not measure up to the same academic standards as the former grammar school. Additionally, Hedworthfield had no provision for teaching 6th form pupils, meaning that those choosing to study subjects at A-level had to relocate once they had completed their O-levels
or GCSEs
. Generally, 6th form students opted to transfer to Springfield to continue their education.
, the decision was taken to locate the merged school at the Springfield campus.
children. However, the merger went ahead, resulting in the relocation of the Hedworthfield pupils to the Springfield site.
Hedworthfield's OFSTED
results were surpassing those of the historically more academic Springfield for some time prior to the merger. Students at both schools protested, and more than 100 pupils at Jarrow School were involved in a "near riot" during the summer of 2003, during which police made three arrests.
.
. However, last years results were extremely improved, and stood above the national average. OFSTED have recently visited and were pleased to see an extreme improvement.
Jarrow
Jarrow is a town in Tyne and Wear, England, located on the River Tyne, with a population of 27,526. From the middle of the 19th century until 1935, Jarrow was a centre for shipbuilding, and was the starting point of the Jarrow March against unemployment in 1936.-Foundation:The Angles re-occupied...
, Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
admitting pupils aged 11 to 16.
Admissions
It is situated around a half-mile south-west of the southern entrance of the Tyne TunnelTyne Tunnel
The Tyne Tunnel is a the name given to two two-lane toll vehicular tunnels under the River Tyne in North East England. Completed in 1967 and 2011 respectively, they connect the town of Jarrow on the south bank of the river with North Shields and Howdon on the north...
, in Jarrow
Jarrow
Jarrow is a town in Tyne and Wear, England, located on the River Tyne, with a population of 27,526. From the middle of the 19th century until 1935, Jarrow was a centre for shipbuilding, and was the starting point of the Jarrow March against unemployment in 1936.-Foundation:The Angles re-occupied...
.
History
It was opened on 6 January 2003 following the merger of Springfield Comprehensive and Hedworthfield Comprehensive, and is based at the old Springfield site. Its full title is Jarrow School, Excellence In Engineering, the result of a competition to choose an inspirational name for the new school. In 2007 the school became a specialist Engineering CollegeEngineering college
Engineering colleges generally refer to institutes of higher education which offer an engineering course at degree level. The duration of the course is four to five years depending upon the university to which the college is affiliated. The students learn little of basic science concentrating...
.
The former Jarrow Grammar School opened in 1911. In June 2010, this building was demolished.
Springfield
Springfield was Jarrow's grammar schoolGrammar 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...
and was formerly known as Jarrow Grammar School. It was situated near the town centre. It became a 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...
in 1975 to cater for all prospective pupils' academic abilities, in common with the other schools in the area including Hedworthfield.
Hedworthfield
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...
to Springfield's provision as the local grammar school. It was a newer development built in the 1960s at Fellgate on the outskirts of Jarrow. Extensive building work was completed in the late 1970s providing the school with better facilities for arts and crafts, a music and drama studio, a community centre and a sports complex containing badminton and squash courts, a gym and other facilities.
Alongside Springfield, it was converted to a comprehensive school in 1978. However, following its redesignation, some parents still insisted on sending their children to Springfield, even though they were no longer in its catchment area; they cited concerns that an ex-secondary modern school might not measure up to the same academic standards as the former grammar school. Additionally, Hedworthfield had no provision for teaching 6th form pupils, meaning that those choosing to study subjects at A-level had to relocate once they had completed their O-levels
General Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
or GCSEs
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
. Generally, 6th form students opted to transfer to Springfield to continue their education.
Merger
Following the dwindling number of pupils for the new intake year-on-year, it became apparent that continuing to fund the running of both schools in parallel was no longer viable, so a merger into a single school was proposed. After some debate as to whether it should be on one of the existing sites, or an entirely new site funded by a Private Finance InitiativePrivate Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
, the decision was taken to locate the merged school at the Springfield campus.
Controversy
Pupils and parents from both Hedworthfield and Springfield were unhappy about the proposal to merge them into a single school. There was much additional criticism because of the timing, coming as soon as it did after investment at the Hedworthfield site and the uncertainty surrounding the future of its new special needs unit for autisticAutism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
children. However, the merger went ahead, resulting in the relocation of the Hedworthfield pupils to the Springfield site.
Hedworthfield's OFSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
results were surpassing those of the historically more academic Springfield for some time prior to the merger. Students at both schools protested, and more than 100 pupils at Jarrow School were involved in a "near riot" during the summer of 2003, during which police made three arrests.
New building
The old Jarrow School building has been replaced by a new school on the same site, funded by Building Schools for the FutureBuilding 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...
.
Academic performance
GCSE results are below the national average. The school is known not to concentrate on the more crucial subjects like Maths and English. Results for these subjects are poor, around 40%. However; for more varied, less important subjects like BTEC work, the pass grade is around 80%, which has proved controversial. There is only one school in South Tyneside LEA has a sixth form, and A-levels are available at the South Tyneside CollegeSouth Tyneside College
South Tyneside College is a large further education college in South Tyneside in North East England, with its main sites in the towns of South Shields and Hebburn. The college offers part-time and full-time courses for both young students and adults alike...
. However, last years results were extremely improved, and stood above the national average. OFSTED have recently visited and were pleased to see an extreme improvement.
Jarrow Grammar School
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Springfield Comprehensive School
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