Kingsdale School
Encyclopedia
Kingsdale School is a mixed comprehensive secondary school in West Dulwich
, Southwark
, South London
, England
, with an age range of 11–18. The school is operated by the Southwark London Borough Council
.
The school was built by the London County Council
and opened in 1958. It was originally built to accommodate close to 2,000 pupils. From the 1970s it developed a reputation for poor performance and examination results and in 1998 it was put under special measures.
In an attempt to bring the school up to date, a new management team was put in place and the school formed a partnership with School Works, an initiative that uses better management and design to improve the attitude and results of failing schools. A £12 million package resulted in a state-of-the-art building utilising the existing structures and an improved environment for the pupils
Kingsdale has risen from its previous poor performances and is now one of the most improved school in London. The school's recent GCSE result showed improvement as over 95% of students achieved the key national benchmark of 5 or more A* – C grades at GCSE. The GCSE pass rate including Mathematics and English was 58% in 2010. Government figures for the new English Baccalaureate created in 2010 has the school at 4% pass rate against a national average of 15%. All students, nearly 250, left with a recognized qualification of value resulting in a 100% pupil pass rate.
, whose practice built the Royal Festival Hall
for the London County Council
. In 'austerity Britain', Martin's team had to scrimp on materials creating unique 'honeycombed' plaster walls and minimal scree between floors. Still the design observed the best principles of modernism, with concrete stairs positioned at each corner of the oblong building, boxed in glass and steel frames. The shoe-box shape described a 'quadrangle' that served as an inner playground as well as letting natural light into the corridors. William Turnbull's sculpture 'Stargazer', popularly known as 'the Fish' stood in the quad.
In the early 2000s, the architects De Rijke Marsh and Morgan and builders Galliford Try refurbished the building, adding a translucent, and sun-sensitive 'skin' over the quadrangle, adding additional corridors, and constructing a wooden framed, egg-shaped 'pod' that projected into the quad, containing a music hall. The re-build was controversial after the administrator Hilary Cottam was awarded the Designer of the Year award 2005.
West Dulwich
West Dulwich is an area in southeast London, England, that straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between London Borough of Southwark on the east and London Borough of Lambeth to the west...
, Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
, South London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
, with an age range of 11–18. The school is operated by the Southwark London Borough Council
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
.
The school was built by the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
and opened in 1958. It was originally built to accommodate close to 2,000 pupils. From the 1970s it developed a reputation for poor performance and examination results and in 1998 it was put under special measures.
In an attempt to bring the school up to date, a new management team was put in place and the school formed a partnership with School Works, an initiative that uses better management and design to improve the attitude and results of failing schools. A £12 million package resulted in a state-of-the-art building utilising the existing structures and an improved environment for the pupils
Kingsdale has risen from its previous poor performances and is now one of the most improved school in London. The school's recent GCSE result showed improvement as over 95% of students achieved the key national benchmark of 5 or more A* – C grades at GCSE. The GCSE pass rate including Mathematics and English was 58% in 2010. Government figures for the new English Baccalaureate created in 2010 has the school at 4% pass rate against a national average of 15%. All students, nearly 250, left with a recognized qualification of value resulting in a 100% pupil pass rate.
Building
The modernist building was designed by Leslie MartinLeslie Martin
Sir John Leslie Martin KBE was an English Architect. A leading advocate of the International Style....
, whose practice built the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
for the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
. In 'austerity Britain', Martin's team had to scrimp on materials creating unique 'honeycombed' plaster walls and minimal scree between floors. Still the design observed the best principles of modernism, with concrete stairs positioned at each corner of the oblong building, boxed in glass and steel frames. The shoe-box shape described a 'quadrangle' that served as an inner playground as well as letting natural light into the corridors. William Turnbull's sculpture 'Stargazer', popularly known as 'the Fish' stood in the quad.
In the early 2000s, the architects De Rijke Marsh and Morgan and builders Galliford Try refurbished the building, adding a translucent, and sun-sensitive 'skin' over the quadrangle, adding additional corridors, and constructing a wooden framed, egg-shaped 'pod' that projected into the quad, containing a music hall. The re-build was controversial after the administrator Hilary Cottam was awarded the Designer of the Year award 2005.
Sixth form
The school re-opened its sixth form in September 2010. It has a dedicated sixth form centre with wireless connection and an open space plan.Allegations About Irregularities in the Conduct of Exams
On the 26th of July 2011 an investigation began following allegations, made by six anonymous whistle-blowers, that students were allowed to cheat during and after exams. The allegations also claimed grades were given to students for coursework they did not do. Both the headteacher and parents have refuted the claims.Notable alumni
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