Morecambe High School
Encyclopedia
Morecambe Community High School is located in Morecambe
, Lancashire
, England
and was founded as Morecambe Grammar School in 1919, moving to its current site on Dallam Avenue in 1938 on a former golf links
course. The land was previously owned by Mr Joseph Walmsley Ward. The school holds specialist Mathematics and Computing College
status.
county council. The main school building is an art deco
construction containing the administration area, school hall, dining facilities, and gym as well as the English, Maths and Science faculties, two Design Technology workshops and the RE department. In the 1930s there were around 300 boys and girls, 400 in 1938, 650 in 1942, 500 in 1953, and 850 in 1964. During the 1960s and 1970s two ROSLA
blocks (which currently house Art, Drama, Music and PSE). In the late 1960s, the Department of Education and Science chose the school (along with the Rosebery School for Girls
) to build an experimental sixth form centre.
with Euston Road Secondary Modern on the Dallam Avenue site to form Morecambe High School, growing considerably since the amalgamation. There were 1150 boys and girls with 240 in the sixth form.
In 1992, some unused land was sold to provide funding for construction of a Sports Hall. The Sports Hall was opened by former rugby union
player Bill Beaumont
. This excellent facility has its own climbing wall and a large storage area for the canoes, wetsuits, caving and climbing gear and other equipment used by all students for Outdoor Pursuits. The site extends to some 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) of playing fields including rugby, football and hockey pitches and an all weather surface.
In the mid 1990s the school expanded to its current size of 1500. To accommodate this growth 12 new classrooms were built to house the Humanities and Languages faculties. In addition there is a dedicated Sixth Form
block including a common room, teaching areas and the Media Studies studios. In 2002 the Lawther Library was opened, which was funded in large part by an extremely generous donation by Professor Patrick Lawther, a former student of the school. At over 300 square metres it is an extremely valuable study area including a computer resource area and the Careers Library.
and textiles.
At the beginning of the 2006/7 school year, the school introduced a house system. This saw pupils in years 8-11 assigned to a House, one of Coniston
, Helvellyn
, Langdale, and Scafell
mostly named after Lakeland hills. Each House consists of 10 forms. The head of houses are Mrs K Hill, Mr J Davis, Mrs B Shand and Miss H Salkhead. The school was awarded specialist status in 2007 for specialist status
in maths
and computing
.
The schools main recent improvements are in ICT, a department which is becoming very important in the expanding Computing industry. The school hopes to soon have 3-D technology in the computing
department. This will help keep the school in the front line of the technological age.
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, 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...
and was founded as Morecambe Grammar School in 1919, moving to its current site on Dallam Avenue in 1938 on a former golf links
Links (golf)
A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word "links" comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect...
course. The land was previously owned by Mr Joseph Walmsley Ward. The school holds specialist Mathematics and Computing College
Mathematics and Computing College
Mathematics and Computing Colleges were introduced in England in 2002 as part of the Government's Specialist Schools Programme which was designed to raise standards in secondary education. Specialist schools focus specifically on their chosen specialism but must also meet the requirements of the...
status.
Grammar school
The Ward family, who still maintain an interest in the school, donated the land to LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
county council. The main school building is an art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
construction containing the administration area, school hall, dining facilities, and gym as well as the English, Maths and Science faculties, two Design Technology workshops and the RE department. In the 1930s there were around 300 boys and girls, 400 in 1938, 650 in 1942, 500 in 1953, and 850 in 1964. During the 1960s and 1970s two ROSLA
Raising of school leaving age
The raising of school leaving age is an act brought into force when the legal age a child is allowed to leave compulsory education increases...
blocks (which currently house Art, Drama, Music and PSE). In the late 1960s, the Department of Education and Science chose the school (along with the Rosebery School for Girls
Rosebery School for Girls
Rosebery School is an all girls school located in Epsom, Surrey. It consists of a lower school, for those aged between 11 and 16, and a Sixth Form for those aged between 16 and 18. The school holds Specialist Mathematics and Computing College status...
) to build an experimental sixth form centre.
Comprehensive
In September 1973 Morecambe Grammar School amalgamatedConsolidation (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 Euston Road Secondary Modern on the Dallam Avenue site to form Morecambe High School, growing considerably since the amalgamation. There were 1150 boys and girls with 240 in the sixth form.
In 1992, some unused land was sold to provide funding for construction of a Sports Hall. The Sports Hall was opened by former rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player Bill Beaumont
Bill Beaumont
William "Bill" Blackledge Beaumont CBE was captain of the England rugby union team at a time when they struggled to win games. His greatest moment as captain was the unexpected 1980 Grand Slam. He played as a lock...
. This excellent facility has its own climbing wall and a large storage area for the canoes, wetsuits, caving and climbing gear and other equipment used by all students for Outdoor Pursuits. The site extends to some 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) of playing fields including rugby, football and hockey pitches and an all weather surface.
In the mid 1990s the school expanded to its current size of 1500. To accommodate this growth 12 new classrooms were built to house the Humanities and Languages faculties. In addition there is a dedicated Sixth Form
Sixth 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,...
block including a common room, teaching areas and the Media Studies studios. In 2002 the Lawther Library was opened, which was funded in large part by an extremely generous donation by Professor Patrick Lawther, a former student of the school. At over 300 square metres it is an extremely valuable study area including a computer resource area and the Careers Library.
Recent developments
In early 2009 the schools new multi use sports area opened giving it four new netball courts or five tennis courts. A new state of the art Technology Block opened in October 2007. New rooms cover areas such as manufacturing, CAD/CAMCAx
Computer-aided technologies is a broad term that means the use of computer technology to aid in the design, analysis, and manufacture of products....
and textiles.
At the beginning of the 2006/7 school year, the school introduced a house system. This saw pupils in years 8-11 assigned to a House, one of Coniston
Old Man of Coniston
The Old Man of Coniston is a fell in the Furness Fells in the English Lake District. It is high, and lies to the west of the village of Coniston and the lake of the same name, Coniston Water. The fell is sometimes known by the alternate name of Coniston Old Man, or simply The Old Man...
, Helvellyn
Helvellyn
Helvellyn is a mountain in the English Lake District, the apex of the Eastern Fells. At above sea level, it is the third highest peak in both the Lake District and England...
, Langdale, and Scafell
Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England at . It is located in Lake District National Park sometimes confused with the neighbouring Sca Fell, to which it is connected by the col of Mickledore...
mostly named after Lakeland hills. Each House consists of 10 forms. The head of houses are Mrs K Hill, Mr J Davis, Mrs B Shand and Miss H Salkhead. The school was awarded specialist status in 2007 for specialist status
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...
in maths
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and computing
ICT (education)
Information and communication technologies in education deal with the use of information and communication technologies within educational technology.-Purpose:...
.
The schools main recent improvements are in ICT, a department which is becoming very important in the expanding Computing industry. The school hopes to soon have 3-D technology in the computing
ICT (education)
Information and communication technologies in education deal with the use of information and communication technologies within educational technology.-Purpose:...
department. This will help keep the school in the front line of the technological age.
Alumni
- Geraldine SmithGeraldine SmithMaria Geraldine Smith is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Morecambe and Lunesdale from 1997 to 2010.-Early life:...
, Labour Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Morecambe and Lunesdale, 1997-2010
Morecambe Grammar School
- Prof Kenneth Austwick, Professor of Education from 1966-91 at the University of BathUniversity of BathThe University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
- John Hayes CBE, Chief Executive from 1980-6 of Warwickshire County Council
- Mary Hodson, represented Great Britain in Olympic Games (800 metres), Tokyo 1964
- Prof Peter Hutton, Professor of Anaesthesia since 1986 at the University of BirminghamUniversity of BirminghamThe University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, and President from 2000-3 of the Royal College of AnaesthetistsRoyal College of AnaesthetistsThe Royal College of Anaesthetists is "the professional body responsible for the specialty of anaesthesia throughout the United Kingdom". It sets standards in anaesthesia, critical care, pain management, and for the training of anaesthetists, physician assistants - and practising critical care... - Prof Patrick Lawther CBE, Professor of Environmental and Preventive Medicine from 1968-81 at the Medical College of St. Bartholomew's Hospital in the City of London, and President from 1975-77 of the National Society for Clean Air
- David Newton, Chief Executive from 1993-6 of Hillsdown HoldingsPremier FoodsPremier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
- Sir Christopher RoseChristopher Rose (judge)Sir Christopher Rose was a judge, as Lord Justice Rose, in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. He became Vice-President of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal...
, judge and Chief Surveillance Commissioner since 2006 - Prof Kenneth Siddle, Professor of Molecular Endocrinology since 1990 at the University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
- Robert Southgate, former TV presenter and executive
- Brian Tempest, President, CEO and Managing Director from 1995-2005 of Ranbaxy Laboratories (India)
- Garry Turvey CBE, Director-General from 1984-93 of the Freight Transport AssociationFreight Transport AssociationThe Freight Transport Association traces its roots back to 1889: its mission is to represent the views and interests of over 13,000 companies: from large multinationals and household names to small and medium businesses...
- Prof Donald Walker, Professor of Biogeography from 1969-86 at the Australian National UniversityAustralian National UniversityThe Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
(in Canberra) - Stephen Walls, Chief Executive from 1990-2 of PlesseyPlesseyThe Plessey Company plc was a British-based international electronics, defence and telecommunications company. It originated in 1917, growing and diversifying into electronics. It expanded after the second world war by acquisition of companies and formed overseas companies...
- Dr David Eddings, Deputy CEO of DurexDurexDurex is the trademarked name for a range of condoms that used to be made by British company SSL International. This company was sold to Reckitt Benckiser in July 2010....
from 2001- present - David Booth MBE, Founder and CEO of "East Bali Poverty Project" in 1998, eliminating poverty and initiating model sustainable development in all aspects of human need in the poorest mountain village in Indonesia