Prestwich Arts College
Encyclopedia
Prestwich Arts and Media College is a comprehensive school
in Prestwich
, Bury
, England
. The current head teacher is Geoff Barlow. He has been the head teacher since 2002.
Throughout 2006, along with several other schools in the wider Bury borough
, it had been under a sustained threat of closure. It is believed that there will be 2,000 fewer high school students in Bury by 2015, so Bury Council wanted to close two high schools in the area. On 18 July 2007, the threat of closure was thrown out by the School's Organisation Committee.
Since then the number of students at the school has grown, and in 2010 it received a major refurbishment, including a recently completed new dining hall and a major auditorium to support its Performing Arts status.
Ofsted
describes the school in its November 2009 Inspection Report as:
The school prefects wear blue shirts with a black tie featuring gold stripes (single striped for prefects, double striped for senior prefects). The uniform will be changed to this for all students in September 2011.
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...
in Prestwich
Prestwich
Prestwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies close to the River Irwell, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury....
, Bury
Metropolitan Borough of Bury
The Metropolitan Borough of Bury is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Lying to the north of the City of Manchester, the borough is composed of six towns: Bury, Ramsbottom, Tottington, Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich, and has a population of 181,900...
, 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...
. The current head teacher is Geoff Barlow. He has been the head teacher since 2002.
History
The school opened as Heys Road School for Boys in 1936 and was used for treating wounded soldiers during the Second World War.The new block was opened in 1981, and includes an extensive Sports Hall, Science rooms and Art and Woodwork rooms. In 2002, a new humanities block was opened. The school later became Prestwich Community High School and, upon receiving specialist arts status in 2004, Prestwich Arts College. And in 2010 it became Prestwich Arts and Media College.Throughout 2006, along with several other schools in the wider Bury borough
Metropolitan Borough of Bury
The Metropolitan Borough of Bury is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Lying to the north of the City of Manchester, the borough is composed of six towns: Bury, Ramsbottom, Tottington, Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich, and has a population of 181,900...
, it had been under a sustained threat of closure. It is believed that there will be 2,000 fewer high school students in Bury by 2015, so Bury Council wanted to close two high schools in the area. On 18 July 2007, the threat of closure was thrown out by the School's Organisation Committee.
Since then the number of students at the school has grown, and in 2010 it received a major refurbishment, including a recently completed new dining hall and a major auditorium to support its Performing Arts status.
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 ....
describes the school in its November 2009 Inspection Report as:
Prestwich Arts College is a smaller than average school that is growing in popularity. It attracts students from both the local area as well as from the inner city areas of Manchester and Salford. There are more boys than girls. Around 38% of students are from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds, the largest group being of Pakistani origin. Around a quarter of students speak English as an additional language. The proportion of students who take free school meals is twice the national average. The number of students with special educational needs and/or disabilities is slightly higher than average. A relatively high number of students join the school at other times than the start of Year 7. The school has secured a number of awards including Investors in PeopleInvestors in PeopleLaunched in 1991 Investors in People is a business improvement tool administered by UK Commission for Employment and Skills and supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ....
, the Financial Management Standard, ArtsmarkArtsmarkArtsmark is a national award scheme managed by Arts Council England. The scheme, that is open to all schools in England, recognises schools with a high level of provision in the arts.There are three levels of award:* Artsmark Gold* Artsmark Silver...
Gold and Healthy Schools. It has been a specialist arts college since 2004.
Uniform
The uniform is a powder blue polo shirt featuring a black and a gold stripe on the collar. A black blazer is worn which shows the school's badge. Plain black trousers or skirts are worn with this.The school prefects wear blue shirts with a black tie featuring gold stripes (single striped for prefects, double striped for senior prefects). The uniform will be changed to this for all students in September 2011.
Notable alumni
- Chris MakinChris MakinChristopher Gregory Makin is an English professional footballer currently playing for Radcliffe Borough. He spent the final part of his career at Southampton, but is perhaps most famous for his spell at Sunderland...
, retired Sunderland A.F.C defenderDefender (football)Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... - Andrew Nutter, TV chef
- John Smethurst, Commonwealth GamesCommonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
Gold Medalist in gymnasticsGymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body... - Ellie PaskellEllie PaskellEllie Paskell is a British actress who trained at Guildford school of acting. She began acting when, aged 11, she joined the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop....
, actress, Waterloo RoadWaterloo Road (TV series)Waterloo Road is an award-winning British television drama series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 March 2006. Set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, the series focuses on the lives of the school's teacher and students, and confronts social...
External links
- School website
- Latest Ofsted Inspection Report, Nov 2009
- Ofsted data
- http://web.archive.org/web/20060811102801/www.prestwich.bury.sch.uk/directry.htm Directory of Ex-pupils (as of 2005)