Morpeth School
Encyclopedia
Morpeth Secondary School is a secondary school in east London
, situated in Bethnal Green
with nearly 1200 pupils.
The current headteacher is Sir
Alasdair Uist MacDonald, under whose tenure the school has undergone a renaissance. Since his arrival at the school, Morpeth's results at Key Stages Three and Four have improved substantially (most notable was the 76% A-C GCSE pass rate at the end of the last school year 2006). In the last Ofsted
Inspection Report, leadership and quality of teaching were both credited as 'outstanding'.
Its students come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, over half are from Bangladeshi
background, one-third are white British
, while the remaining are from other backgrounds.
In 2009, the school was identified as one of the top 12 outstanding schools in England
, according to reports by Ofsted
.
in Arts and Music, but has also gained some fame in junior table tennis
, and offers a wide range of extracurricular activities. Its new Performing Arts building opened in October 2007 and was officially opened by Danny Boyle
in May 2008.
the then British Prime Minister (First Lord of the Treasuary and the Minister for the Civil Service) who visited the school during his first month in office. In 2001 Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II also visited the school, greeting teachers and pupils. Other guests include the Rt. Hon David Blunkett
MP
(Education Secretary at the time) who opened the school library. Sir Trevor McDonald officially opened the
'Portman' building in 1995.
Most recently on 18 July 2007, within his first 2 weeks in power, the new serving Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
paid a surprise visit to Morpeth School with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
, Ed Balls, MP
, attending the first meeting of the new National Council for Educational Excellence at Morpeth Secondary School. The Council was set up in early July to drive forward the Government's long-term aspirations for children and young people's education.
As mentioned above, Danny Boyle
, a British film director and producer (and a former Morpeth parent), visited the school to officially open the Performing Arts building in May 2008.
On 12 June 2008, Morpeth School played host to the Film Club launch. Many prestigious guests turned up to the event, including Emma Thompson
and Jason Isaacs
. On 19 October 2010, Morpeth School welcomed Ian McKellen
who talked about homophobia.
Celebrities that have attended Morpeth school are Cheryl Baker
from Bucks Fizz,Also Dean Rowland from hit sky1 Tv show Pineapple Dance Studios
. There is also another project run by The Timberland Company
, in which pupils get an insight into the world of retail and how the company helps the environment - there is also a day trip to Paris for all of those involved.
In Year 8, as part of the curriculum, pupils get to take part in two "Year 8 Projects". Once a fortnight, pupils spend 3 hours in a project of their choice, which are: Rock Factory (Music), Cine Club (Film making), Sports & Leadership (PE), Space Cadets (Science), Arsenal Double Club (Spanish/football) and Living World (ICT).
' Alasdair Macdonald'.
where there are high numbers of people from many different backgrounds and cultures. Approximately half of all pupils have Asian
Bangladeshi
heritage, about one third are white British
and the remaining pupils are from a wide range of other minority ethnic backgrounds. The number of pupils who speak English as an additional language is quite high. In the Ofsted
report of 2004, based on the annual school census, showed 50% enrolled were Bangladeshi, 32% White, and 9% Afro Caribbean & mixed race.
The school teaches both French and Spanish in Year 7 while in Year 8 talented students will continue learning both languages and people who don't will only learn one subject.
The Bengali department is always developing new materials for use at all levels in Bengali
. Available to pupils from Year 8 to Year 9, or for GCSE. The subject however is mainly chosen by Bangladeshi
pupils. Majority of these pupils speak the dialect
of Bengali known as Sylheti, and therefore most have very limited knowledge of the standard Bengali language.
The syllabus is based on the examination board of Edexcel
. Pupils will study the introduction to Business, based on marketing issues, and communications of software. Pupils are assessed on their examinations on line, and by coursework.
Courses and work based on Food, Textiles, Graphics and Resistant Materials.
The drama departments use basic studios with lighting and sounds. Currently it has transferred into a Performing Arts building, with more facilities available. At Key Stage 3, pupils are assessed and graded using the National Curriculum level descriptors as highlighted in the Arts Council's Drama in Schools publication. For GCSE 100 spaces are only available for pupils. The departments visits many workshops and trips for pupils.
Morpeth's music department has been extremely busy over the past few years. Most years, the Concert Band and the choir have been on overseas tours to Paris and Madrid and in February 2008, went to Liverpool. Upcoming trips include Iceland, China and New York. The department, run by Peter Romhany, has 3 well-equipped classrooms, a computer suite, practice rooms and a recording studio that offers pupils access to a range of high-tech facilities that furthers their understanding and creativity. As part of an annual Globetown Project, Morpeth performs at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
. They have also performed in other prestigious venues such as the Barbican and Claridge's
. In May 2008, the music department turned the theatre, in the Performing Arts building, into a jazz club and hosted a jazz concert, joined by the John Bennett Band.
This subject is offered to pupils when starting their GCSEs in Year 10 and 11. The department has a dark room, for printing purposes of photographs, and with all necessary equipments needed for developing films and printing.
At KS3 explorers through all religions, then at GCSE first year views Christianity
and Islam
. And optional second year for Islam
, Religion and Society or Christianity
.
Currently for GCSE it has taken a new course called Twenty First Century Science since 2007.
Morpeth School blazer, Morpeth School skirt or plain black trousers, Morpeth School cardigan, or v-neck jumper, or sleeveless v-neck jumper, Morpeth School shirt: either light blue, open neck, long sleeve worn without a tie, or light blue, round collar, long sleeve, worn with a school tie or Morpeth School Shalwar Kameez, with Morpeth School headscarf
Boys
Morpeth School blazer, plain black Morpeth School trousers, Morpeth School cardigan, or v-neck jumper or sleeveless v-neck jumper, Morpeth School shirt: light blue, long sleeve, worn with a school tie
Percentage of pupils achieving A*-C grades in GCSE since 1997. The year 1998 recorded the lowest achievement with only 29% pass-rate, and the year 2006 with the highest at 76% - a gain of 47%.
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
, situated in Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
with nearly 1200 pupils.
The current headteacher is Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Alasdair Uist MacDonald, under whose tenure the school has undergone a renaissance. Since his arrival at the school, Morpeth's results at Key Stages Three and Four have improved substantially (most notable was the 76% A-C GCSE pass rate at the end of the last school year 2006). In the last 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 ....
Inspection Report, leadership and quality of teaching were both credited as 'outstanding'.
Its students come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, over half are from Bangladeshi
British Bangladeshi
A British Bangladeshi is a person of Bangladeshi origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis...
background, one-third are white British
White British
White British was an ethnicity classification used in the 2001 United Kingdom Census. As a result of the census, 50,366,497 people in the United Kingdom were classified as White British. In Scotland the classification was broken down into two different categories: White Scottish and Other White...
, while the remaining are from other backgrounds.
In 2009, the school was identified as one of the top 12 outstanding schools in 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...
, according to reports by 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 ....
.
Specialist Status
Morpeth is a specialist Arts CollegeArts College
Arts Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, the performing, visual and/or media arts...
in Arts and Music, but has also gained some fame in junior table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
, and offers a wide range of extracurricular activities. Its new Performing Arts building opened in October 2007 and was officially opened by Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
in May 2008.
Guests
Special guests who have visited Morpeth School have included Tony BlairTony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
the then British Prime Minister (First Lord of the Treasuary and the Minister for the Civil Service) who visited the school during his first month in office. In 2001 Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II also visited the school, greeting teachers and pupils. Other guests include the Rt. Hon David Blunkett
David Blunkett
David Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
MP
Member of Parliament
A 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,...
(Education Secretary at the time) who opened the school library. Sir Trevor McDonald officially opened the
'Portman' building in 1995.
Most recently on 18 July 2007, within his first 2 weeks in power, the new serving Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
paid a surprise visit to Morpeth School with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom. The post was created on 28 June 2007 after the disbanding of the Department for Education and Skills by Gordon Brown. The first Secretary of State was Ed Balls, a former treasury aide to Brown...
, Ed Balls, MP
Ed Balls
Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
, attending the first meeting of the new National Council for Educational Excellence at Morpeth Secondary School. The Council was set up in early July to drive forward the Government's long-term aspirations for children and young people's education.
As mentioned above, Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
, a British film director and producer (and a former Morpeth parent), visited the school to officially open the Performing Arts building in May 2008.
On 12 June 2008, Morpeth School played host to the Film Club launch. Many prestigious guests turned up to the event, including Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. Her first major film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy. In 1992, Thompson won multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the British drama Howards End...
and Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs is an English actor born in Liverpool, who is best known for his performance as the villain Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, the brutal Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot and as lifelong criminal Michael Caffee in the internationally broadcast American television series...
. On 19 October 2010, Morpeth School welcomed Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
who talked about homophobia.
Celebrities that have attended Morpeth school are Cheryl Baker
Cheryl Baker
Cheryl Baker is an English television presenter and singer. She is most famous for being a member of 1980s pop group Bucks Fizz, and has performed for the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, winning it the second time.-Early career:After leaving school and a series of secretarial jobs, Cheryl...
from Bucks Fizz,Also Dean Rowland from hit sky1 Tv show Pineapple Dance Studios
Sixth Form
Morpeth are able to provide a Sixth Form in many subject areas, which will greatly benefit pupils who would like to stay on at the school to Years 12 and 13. The Sixth Form opened in September 2009 and is a joint three way partnership between Morpeth, Oaklands and Swanlea. The main building is found on Cambridge Heath Road, but there are other campuses, one of which is situated in Morpeth itself called the Wessex Centre.Projects
Morpeth School is fortunate to be able to offer a wide variety of projects and trips for its students which prove to be worthwhile opportunities. Through Years 10 and 11, a select group of pupils take part in a space project, in which they get to visit universities and space museums in order to find out more about the subject of space. At the end, a few get the chance to go to America and visit NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. There is also another project run by The Timberland Company
The Timberland Company
The Timberland Company is an American manufacturer and retailer of outdoors wear with a focus on footwear. Its three key locations are in Stratham, New Hampshire; Danville, Kentucky; and Ontario, California....
, in which pupils get an insight into the world of retail and how the company helps the environment - there is also a day trip to Paris for all of those involved.
In Year 8, as part of the curriculum, pupils get to take part in two "Year 8 Projects". Once a fortnight, pupils spend 3 hours in a project of their choice, which are: Rock Factory (Music), Cine Club (Film making), Sports & Leadership (PE), Space Cadets (Science), Arsenal Double Club (Spanish/football) and Living World (ICT).
Headteacher Honoured
The headteacher of the school, Alasdair Uist Macdonald, was among hundreds of those listed in the New Year List of 2007. He has been knighted for services to education, with his extensive work on improving the school, by improving teaching skills and achievements by pupils in their SATs and GCSEs results. He now holds the title of SirSir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
' Alasdair Macdonald'.
Notable Teachers
The baritone and opera singer, Benjamin Luxon CBE, taught English at Morpeth prior to the launching of his professional career in 1962.Notable Alumni
One notable alumnus of Morpeth is Dr Derek Plumb (Morpeth: 1956-62) who, following obtaining a First Class degree in History whilst at Corpus Christi, Cambridge and a subsequent PhD, also at Corpus, taught as a house master at Dulwich College and subsequently, became Head of History at Brentwood School. The late Dr Plumb was an authority on the Lollards and the English Reformation.Ethnic Groups
Morpeth School is located in the part of the East EndEast End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
where there are high numbers of people from many different backgrounds and cultures. Approximately half of all pupils have Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
Bangladeshi
British Bangladeshi
A British Bangladeshi is a person of Bangladeshi origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis...
heritage, about one third are white British
White British
White British was an ethnicity classification used in the 2001 United Kingdom Census. As a result of the census, 50,366,497 people in the United Kingdom were classified as White British. In Scotland the classification was broken down into two different categories: White Scottish and Other White...
and the remaining pupils are from a wide range of other minority ethnic backgrounds. The number of pupils who speak English as an additional language is quite high. In the 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 ....
report of 2004, based on the annual school census, showed 50% enrolled were Bangladeshi, 32% White, and 9% Afro Caribbean & mixed race.
Subjects
The school has a long tradition of success, and has an excellent reputation throughout London Art Departments. It provides pupils with creative activities with direct observation – looking selecting, recording and learning and understanding through the experience of art. processes.The school teaches both French and Spanish in Year 7 while in Year 8 talented students will continue learning both languages and people who don't will only learn one subject.
The Bengali department is always developing new materials for use at all levels in Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
. Available to pupils from Year 8 to Year 9, or for GCSE. The subject however is mainly chosen by Bangladeshi
British Bangladeshi
A British Bangladeshi is a person of Bangladeshi origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis...
pupils. Majority of these pupils speak the dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of Bengali known as Sylheti, and therefore most have very limited knowledge of the standard Bengali language.
The syllabus is based on the examination board of Edexcel
Edexcel
Edexcel, a UK company, is one of England, Wales and Northern Ireland's five main examination boards, and is wholly owned by the private-sector Pearson PLC, a UK-based media and publishing conglomerate. Its name is a portmanteau word derived from the words "educational" and "excellence"...
. Pupils will study the introduction to Business, based on marketing issues, and communications of software. Pupils are assessed on their examinations on line, and by coursework.
Courses and work based on Food, Textiles, Graphics and Resistant Materials.
The drama departments use basic studios with lighting and sounds. Currently it has transferred into a Performing Arts building, with more facilities available. At Key Stage 3, pupils are assessed and graded using the National Curriculum level descriptors as highlighted in the Arts Council's Drama in Schools publication. For GCSE 100 spaces are only available for pupils. The departments visits many workshops and trips for pupils.
Morpeth's music department has been extremely busy over the past few years. Most years, the Concert Band and the choir have been on overseas tours to Paris and Madrid and in February 2008, went to Liverpool. Upcoming trips include Iceland, China and New York. The department, run by Peter Romhany, has 3 well-equipped classrooms, a computer suite, practice rooms and a recording studio that offers pupils access to a range of high-tech facilities that furthers their understanding and creativity. As part of an annual Globetown Project, Morpeth performs at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
. They have also performed in other prestigious venues such as the Barbican and Claridge's
Claridge's
Claridge's is a luxury hotel in Mayfair, central London. It is located at the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street.-History:Claridge's is a traditional grand hotel. Its extensive and old connections with royalty have led to it being referred to as an "extension to Buckingham Palace"...
. In May 2008, the music department turned the theatre, in the Performing Arts building, into a jazz club and hosted a jazz concert, joined by the John Bennett Band.
This subject is offered to pupils when starting their GCSEs in Year 10 and 11. The department has a dark room, for printing purposes of photographs, and with all necessary equipments needed for developing films and printing.
At KS3 explorers through all religions, then at GCSE first year views Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. And optional second year for Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Religion and Society or Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
Currently for GCSE it has taken a new course called Twenty First Century Science since 2007.
Uniform
GirlsMorpeth School blazer, Morpeth School skirt or plain black trousers, Morpeth School cardigan, or v-neck jumper, or sleeveless v-neck jumper, Morpeth School shirt: either light blue, open neck, long sleeve worn without a tie, or light blue, round collar, long sleeve, worn with a school tie or Morpeth School Shalwar Kameez, with Morpeth School headscarf
Boys
Morpeth School blazer, plain black Morpeth School trousers, Morpeth School cardigan, or v-neck jumper or sleeveless v-neck jumper, Morpeth School shirt: light blue, long sleeve, worn with a school tie
GCSE
Percentage of Pupils achieving the Level 2 threshold - equivalent to five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths. In comparison with the Local Authority Average and the National Average:| Year | Morpeth | +/- | Local average |
National average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 33% | ~ | 28% | 42.6% |
| 2005 | 41% | +8 | 30.2% | 44.3% |
| 2006 | 48% | +7 | 33.5% | 45.3% |
| 2007 | 47% | -1 | 36.3% | 46% |
| 2008 | 54% | +7 | ||
Percentage of pupils achieving A*-C grades in GCSE since 1997. The year 1998 recorded the lowest achievement with only 29% pass-rate, and the year 2006 with the highest at 76% - a gain of 47%.
| Year | A*-C |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 40% |
| 1998 | 29% |
| 1999 | 32% |
| 2000 | 33% |
| 2001 | 50% |
| 2002 | 54% |
| 2003 | 47% |
| 2004 | 44% |
| 2005 | 69% |
| 2006 | 76% |
| 2007 | 75% |
Key Stage 3
Percentage of pupils who achieved at the National Average level or above, from 2002:| Year | English | Mathematics | Science |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 42% | 49% | 41% |
| 2003 | 42% | 58% | 46% |
| 2004 | 54% | 60% | 44% |
| 2005 | 77% | 66% | 53% |
| 2006 | 78% | 72% | 63% |
| 2007 | 69% | 66% | 57% |
See also
- Education in the United KingdomEducation in the United KingdomEducation in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter with each of the countries of the United Kingdom having separate systems under separate governments: the UK Government is responsible for England, and the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are...
- Education in EnglandEducation in EnglandEducation in England is overseen by the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Local authorities take responsibility for implementing policy for public education and state schools at a regional level....
- GCSE
- Tower Hamlets
- Education amongst Bangladeshi pupils