Lytchett Minster School
Encyclopedia
Lytchett Minster School is a comprehensive school
, with about 1200 students and 50 teachers, 4 miles (6 km) from Poole
, Dorset
, England
. It contains seven academic years: year 7 (age 11 to 12), year 8 (age 12 to 13), year 9 (age 13 to 14), year 10 (age 14 to 15) and year 11 (age 15 to 16). The other two years are the soon to be compulsory 6th form, year 12 and 13, age range 16 to 18.
The school, uses a house system to arrange the students. The head of house remains the same person for each pupil for the whole first 5 years of school. In the upper school there is no house system.
In activities such as sports day
, the houses compete for the sports day
trophy
. There are also inter-house sporting activities, such as football, netball
, rugby
and other sports. There is a trophy for most of these sporting events, as well as the inter house chess contest. The houses are named after geological deposits in the local Dorset area and their names and colours are:
The lower school are involved in theatrical productions, such as Godspell
and The Sound of Music
with the sixth form and years 10 and 11 playing the lead roles. In 2007, all years were involved in a theatrical production Barnum
. In 2009, they performed Alice in Wonderland. There have also been lower school productions such as Ernie's Incredible Hallucinations (2007), Blood Brothers (2008), Oliver!
(2009) and Romeo and Juliet
(2009) whilst entering the Rock Challenge. In 2010 Lytchett Minster School ran the school production of Chess
. Also in early 2011 Lytchett Minster school ran the school production of West Side Story
.
, years 12 and 13, of students studying for, among others, GCE 'A' Level exams. The sixth form has its own center, housing the common room
, offices of the head and deputy head of sixth form, sixth form staff room and 2 classrooms. There is also a sixth form study room in the school's manor house building which was opened in September 2006; it contains a computer room, work room and small reference library.
The sixth form student structure has a head boy
and head girl with 6 deputies in year 13. Each of the 6 deputies chairs a sixth form committee. In the year 2006/7 these committees were; social and common room, lower school liaison, public relations and media, cultural, sports and charity, and fund raising. There is also the sixth form forum which is made up of one elected student from each tutor group, the head boy and girl and the chairperson of the school council.
, a County wide competition where amateur bands play to impress a crowd and judges
. Also, the school performs in Rock Challenge UK
, and has reached as high as 2nd place over the whole of England but has come 1st on many occasions in the sub-category of "Best Costume."
and fire marshals, the school was forced to remain closed, adding an extra 2 weeks onto the 6 week summer holiday.
The blocks that were destroyed were replaced with temporary classrooms on the other side of the playing field (known as "the village"). This led to problems, such as the need for travelling time between lessons, to enable pupils to walk the 400m from the main site to the 'village' without missing education time and also that the government has to pay the land owners to use the land. After many delays, involving disagreements over budget and design, and the discovery of a rare type of protected tree on the site, a new building has recently been completed, which will replace the "village".
This building houses the science labs, maths and humanities departments, plus two house areas (Wealden and Kimmeridge).
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...
, with about 1200 students and 50 teachers, 4 miles (6 km) from Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, 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...
. It contains seven academic years: year 7 (age 11 to 12), year 8 (age 12 to 13), year 9 (age 13 to 14), year 10 (age 14 to 15) and year 11 (age 15 to 16). The other two years are the soon to be compulsory 6th form, year 12 and 13, age range 16 to 18.
The school, uses a house system to arrange the students. The head of house remains the same person for each pupil for the whole first 5 years of school. In the upper school there is no house system.
Lower school
The lower school comprises the compulsory education pupils, years 7 to 11. School pupils wear uniform, whilst sixth formers can wear office-suitable clothing. The uniform includes striped ties, blue and white pinstriped blouses/shirts and a blue v neck sweatshirt.In activities such as sports day
Sports day
Sports days, sometimes referred to as Field Day, are events staged by many schools and offices in which people take part in competitive sporting activities, often with the aim of winning trophies or prizes...
, the houses compete for the sports day
Sports day
Sports days, sometimes referred to as Field Day, are events staged by many schools and offices in which people take part in competitive sporting activities, often with the aim of winning trophies or prizes...
trophy
Trophy
A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...
. There are also inter-house sporting activities, such as football, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and other sports. There is a trophy for most of these sporting events, as well as the inter house chess contest. The houses are named after geological deposits in the local Dorset area and their names and colours are:
- Wealden - Green
- Kimmeridge - Purple
- Purbeck - Blue
- Portland - Red
- Gault - Yellow
The lower school are involved in theatrical productions, such as 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...
and The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
with the sixth form and years 10 and 11 playing the lead roles. In 2007, all years were involved in a theatrical production Barnum
Barnum (musical)
Barnum is a musical with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman. It is based on the life of showman P. T. Barnum, covering the period from 1835 through 1880 in America and major cities of the world where Barnum took his performing companies. The production...
. In 2009, they performed Alice in Wonderland. There have also been lower school productions such as Ernie's Incredible Hallucinations (2007), Blood Brothers (2008), 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....
(2009) and 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...
(2009) whilst entering the Rock Challenge. In 2010 Lytchett Minster School ran the school production of Chess
Chess (musical)
Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other;...
. Also in early 2011 Lytchett Minster school ran the school production of West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
.
Sixth form
The school has a sixth formSixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
, years 12 and 13, of students studying for, among others, GCE 'A' Level exams. The sixth form has its own center, housing the common room
Common room
The phrase common room is used especially in British and Canadian English to describe a type of shared lounge, most often found in dormitories, at universities, colleges, military bases, hospitals, rest homes, hostels, and even minimum-security prisons. It is generally connected to several...
, offices of the head and deputy head of sixth form, sixth form staff room and 2 classrooms. There is also a sixth form study room in the school's manor house building which was opened in September 2006; it contains a computer room, work room and small reference library.
The sixth form student structure has a head boy
Head boy
Head Boy and Head Girl are terms commonly used in the British education system, and in private schools throughout the Commonwealth.-United Kingdom:...
and head girl with 6 deputies in year 13. Each of the 6 deputies chairs a sixth form committee. In the year 2006/7 these committees were; social and common room, lower school liaison, public relations and media, cultural, sports and charity, and fund raising. There is also the sixth form forum which is made up of one elected student from each tutor group, the head boy and girl and the chairperson of the school council.
Achievements
The school uses its arts college status to improve its musical and dramatic performances. The school often scores well in Battle of the bandsBattle of the Bands
Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...
, a County wide competition where amateur bands play to impress a crowd and judges
Adjudicator
An adjudicator is someone who presides, judges and arbitrates during a formal dispute. The term adjudicator essentially means a judge, without invoking the legal term. An ombudsman is a type of adjudicator in local government in the United Kingdom....
. Also, the school performs in Rock Challenge UK
Rock Challenge UK
UK Rock Challenge is the British arm of the Global Rock Challenge and the Australian Rock Eisteddfod Challenge. Rock Challenge is an anti-drug and crime-prevention that takes the form of a friendly performing arts competition for schools and colleges. In 1996, the first Rock Challenge event in UK...
, and has reached as high as 2nd place over the whole of England but has come 1st on many occasions in the sub-category of "Best Costume."
The 2000 fire
The school was targeted by an arsonist in June 2000, just before the turn of the academic year. The fire was started in a science lab, and spread (with the aid of the gas filled supply taps to all science labs) to devastate the whole of the science, maths, and humanities blocks, including the school theater. As the building was completely destroyed, and an investigation had to be undergone by policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
and fire marshals, the school was forced to remain closed, adding an extra 2 weeks onto the 6 week summer holiday.
The blocks that were destroyed were replaced with temporary classrooms on the other side of the playing field (known as "the village"). This led to problems, such as the need for travelling time between lessons, to enable pupils to walk the 400m from the main site to the 'village' without missing education time and also that the government has to pay the land owners to use the land. After many delays, involving disagreements over budget and design, and the discovery of a rare type of protected tree on the site, a new building has recently been completed, which will replace the "village".
This building houses the science labs, maths and humanities departments, plus two house areas (Wealden and Kimmeridge).
Building plans
The building for the new dining hall, science, humanities and maths classrooms started in end of October 2006. Large areas of the school site were sealed off for building work. On 24 February 2009, students moved into the new building named the MSH Block. On May 20, 2009, there was an open evening for students to show their parents around the new building block.External links
- Ofsted website - Lytchett Minster School 2002 Ofsted report
- Lytchett Minster School - School website
- EduBase