Parklands High School
Encyclopedia
Parklands Languages High School is a mixed comprehensive school with Specialist status in languages since 2003. It is located in the North West Of England in Chorley, Lancashire.
It changed its name in 1970, when the school changed from a grammar school to a comprehensive school, to Parklands High School.
in 2003.The languages that are now taught are French
, German
, Spanish
and Russian
. French and/or German are taught as compulsory language subjects and the other languages are taught in a variety of extra-curricular classes and clubs.
78% of students achieved 5 or more A* - C grades
30% of all grades were A* or A
6 subject areas achieved 90% A* - C grades
A further 5 subject areas achieved 75% A* - C grades
Grammar school
The current Parklands High School was originally called Chorley Grammar School. It was originally housed in buildings in Union Street, Chorley which is now home to the public library.It changed its name in 1970, when the school changed from a grammar school to a comprehensive school, to Parklands High School.
Comprehensive
The current school buildings were opened in 1959. There have been two major building additions in the last 10 years. A new Art, RE, Drama, Science wing which replaced the previous ROSLA block which was demolished, a new sports hall and more recently (2010) a extension to the front of the building to extend the dining area and reception. In addition students have created a new outdoor social area.Language College status
Parklands was first made a Language CollegeLanguage College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
in 2003.The languages that are now taught are French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. French and/or German are taught as compulsory language subjects and the other languages are taught in a variety of extra-curricular classes and clubs.
Academic performance
GCSE results 201078% of students achieved 5 or more A* - C grades
30% of all grades were A* or A
6 subject areas achieved 90% A* - C grades
A further 5 subject areas achieved 75% A* - C grades
Notable alumni
- Paul Grayson, England Rugby Player
- Tom Smith (cricketer)Tom Smith (cricketer)Thomas Christopher Smith, , is a cricketer who currently plays for Lancashire County Cricket Club. He has also been a member of the England Academy team. In 2008, he played for Leicestershire on loan because he was unable to break into Lancashire's first team. He is an all-rounder, bowling...
, currently with Lancashire County Cricket ClubLancashire County Cricket ClubLancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then... - David UnsworthDavid UnsworthDavid Gerald Unsworth is an English former footballer who played in the position of centre-back or left-back, and is currently first team coach at Preston North End....
, former footballer, coach of Preston North End F.C.Preston North End F.C.Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...