Pensnett High School
Encyclopedia
The Pensnett 14-19 Education Campus is a secondary school
located in the Pensnett
area of Brierley Hill
in the West Midlands
of England
. There are around 150 pupils
aged 14–16 on the roll.
Eric Hancock was the Headmaster
of Pensnett Secondary Modern School from 1956 until he retired in 1972. Hancock also purchased the old organ
from nearby St Mark's Church for use by the school orchestra. He died in December 1986 at the age of 76.
The retirement of Mr Hancock in 1972 coincided with the redesignation of the school as a 12-16 school in September of that year. September 1975 saw the school follow suit of all other secondary modern (as well as grammar) schools in the Dudley borough (which Brierley Hill became part of in 1966) by converting to comprehensive status. It has retained comprehensive status to this day; however, the age range was reverted to 11-16 in September 1990.
New technology classrooms were added in the early 1990s, with the new department being officially opened in 1993.
In September 2007, the school underwent a name change from Pensnett School of Technology to Pensnett High School.
Three arson attacks at the school in spring 2010 caused hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage.http://www.birminghammail.net/news/black-country/black-country-news/2010/05/14/arsonists-blamed-for-three-fires-at-pensnett-high-school-97319-26442749/
report in June 2006, that graded the school on point 4, (Unsatisfactory'), on a 4 point scale".
Following a re-inspection in July 2007 Ofsted graded the school on point 3, (Satisfactory), and said "Pensnett is a satisfactory and improving school. It has made good progress since its last inspection and its reputation is getting better."
The 2010 GCSE A* - C (including Maths and English) results represented a 63% improvement on the previous year.
MP
to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
, Tessa Jowell
included Pensnett School of Technology in a list of those schools which have benefited from the work of school sports coordinators.
player Craig Davies opened a £1.3 million community sports hall that can also be used by residents, sports groups and clubs during non-school hours.
, which stands just over Brierley Hill's border in Kingswinford
, and to create a new Academy
.
However, these plans were scrapped in March 2009 by Dudley Council
due to financial technicalities. Dudley Council soon afterwards announced plans to close the school at the end of the 2009/10 academic year. http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/news/yourletters/4506047.Make_your_views_known_on_school_closure/ Despite widespread opposition by pupils, staff, parents and members of the local community, the decision to close the school was made on 29 December 2009 with effect from July 2010. However, it will remain open for two years as a learning centre for the oldest two year groups in the school, before completely closing July 2012 and bringing an end to 80 years of education at the site.
Just after the decision to close the school was confirmed, it was revealed that Pensnett High had once again been the lowest ranking school in the borough for pupils studying for GCSEs being completed in summer 2009. However, the total of pupils gaining 5 GCSEs at grade C or above had improved to 19% from 11% the previous year.A new high of 32% was attained in 2010.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in the Pensnett
Pensnett
Pensnett is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is situated three miles south-west of Dudley and two miles north of Brierley Hill...
area of Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is one of the larger Black Country towns with a population of 9,631 and is heavily industrialised, best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
of 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...
. There are around 150 pupils
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
aged 14–16 on the roll.
History
Originally known as the Pensnett Secondary Modern School, it was opened in 1932 to serve pupils aged 11 and above in the expanding Pensnett area of Brierley Hill. The original school building is still in use with the addition of several modern extensions and improvements.Eric Hancock was the Headmaster
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
of Pensnett Secondary Modern School from 1956 until he retired in 1972. Hancock also purchased the old organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
from nearby St Mark's Church for use by the school orchestra. He died in December 1986 at the age of 76.
The retirement of Mr Hancock in 1972 coincided with the redesignation of the school as a 12-16 school in September of that year. September 1975 saw the school follow suit of all other secondary modern (as well as grammar) schools in the Dudley borough (which Brierley Hill became part of in 1966) by converting to comprehensive status. It has retained comprehensive status to this day; however, the age range was reverted to 11-16 in September 1990.
New technology classrooms were added in the early 1990s, with the new department being officially opened in 1993.
In September 2007, the school underwent a name change from Pensnett School of Technology to Pensnett High School.
Three arson attacks at the school in spring 2010 caused hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage.http://www.birminghammail.net/news/black-country/black-country-news/2010/05/14/arsonists-blamed-for-three-fires-at-pensnett-high-school-97319-26442749/
Academic standards
The school received a somewhat poor OfstedOffice for Standards in Education
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 in June 2006, that graded the school on point 4, (Unsatisfactory'), on a 4 point scale".
Following a re-inspection in July 2007 Ofsted graded the school on point 3, (Satisfactory), and said "Pensnett is a satisfactory and improving school. It has made good progress since its last inspection and its reputation is getting better."
The 2010 GCSE A* - C (including Maths and English) results represented a 63% improvement on the previous year.
Hansard
In July 2001, in response to a written question by Peter AinsworthPeter Ainsworth
Peter Michael Ainsworth is a former Conservative politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament for East Surrey from 1992 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,...
to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport is a United Kingdom cabinet position with responsibility for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The role was created in 1992 by John Major as Secretary of State for National Heritage...
, Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood since 1992. Formerly a member of both the Blair and Brown Cabinets, she is currently the Shadow Minister for the Olympics and Shadow Minister for London.-Early life:Tessa Jane...
included Pensnett School of Technology in a list of those schools which have benefited from the work of school sports coordinators.
Music during lessons
The School successfully experimented with playing music during lessons and found that music can aid learning and improve behaviour.Sports facilities
In April 2007 Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
player Craig Davies opened a £1.3 million community sports hall that can also be used by residents, sports groups and clubs during non-school hours.
Notable former staff
- Sir Geoff Hampton, now a professor at the University of WolverhamptonUniversity of WolverhamptonThe University of Wolverhampton is a British university located on four campuses across the West Midlands and Shropshire. The city campus is located in Wolverhampton city centre with a second campus at Compton Park, Wolverhampton; a third in Walsall and a fourth in Telford...
.
Closure
Plans were unveiled in December 2007 to merge the school by September 2010 with The Crestwood SchoolThe Crestwood School
The Crestwood School is a school in Kingswinford, West Midlands, England.-Admissions:It is an 11-16 comprehensive school with some 700 students on the roll, averaging at around 140 per year group.-Grammar school:...
, which stands just over Brierley Hill's border in Kingswinford
Kingswinford
Kingswinford is a suburban area in the West Midlands.Historically within Staffordshire, the area is mentioned in the Domesday Book its name relates to a ford for the King's swine - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing...
, and to create a new Academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
.
However, these plans were scrapped in March 2009 by Dudley Council
Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It was created in 1974, and is made up of the towns of Dudley , Stourbridge , Halesowen, Brierley Hill, Amblecote, Sedgley and Coseley...
due to financial technicalities. Dudley Council soon afterwards announced plans to close the school at the end of the 2009/10 academic year. http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/news/yourletters/4506047.Make_your_views_known_on_school_closure/ Despite widespread opposition by pupils, staff, parents and members of the local community, the decision to close the school was made on 29 December 2009 with effect from July 2010. However, it will remain open for two years as a learning centre for the oldest two year groups in the school, before completely closing July 2012 and bringing an end to 80 years of education at the site.
Just after the decision to close the school was confirmed, it was revealed that Pensnett High had once again been the lowest ranking school in the borough for pupils studying for GCSEs being completed in summer 2009. However, the total of pupils gaining 5 GCSEs at grade C or above had improved to 19% from 11% the previous year.A new high of 32% was attained in 2010.
External links
- Official website
- Brierley Hill in Old Photographs: Brockmoor, Bromley and Pensnett (Ned Williams)