The Beacon School, Picquets Way
Encyclopedia
The Beacon School, Picquets Way, is a mixed comprehensive school
located in Banstead
, Surrey
, United Kingdom
. The school is a specialist media arts college and was equipped with state-of-the-art technology when the school gained its media arts status. The school's current headteacher is Lisa Croke. After several years, the school has elected year 13 students to be school prefects who fit the roles of Head Boy, Deputy Head Boy, Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl for 2011.
The school population has grown since inception from 500 students to the 1500 students that The Beacon has today.
The Picquets Way School was renamed Nork Park School which was merged with the De Burgh School. In 1989, Nork Park School was renamed The Beacon.
On 6–7 November 2008, nearly a year on from the inspection that the placed The Beacon under Special Measures, Ofsted conducted their second monitoring visit. The inspectors believed that the school had made such progress that they turned the monitoring visit into a full inspection. As a result of this, The Beacon was removed from Special Measures.
The 2008 GCSE
results proved that the Beacon is a school on the up with 52% A*-C grades which is the school's best ever result.. In 2010 45% of pupils gained A* - C grades.
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...
located in Banstead
Banstead
Banstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in the county of Surrey, England, on the border with Greater London. It lies south of London, west of Croydon and of the county town of Kingston-Upon-Thames. Banstead is on the North Downs and is protected by the Metropolitan Green Belt;...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The school is a specialist media arts college and was equipped with state-of-the-art technology when the school gained its media arts status. The school's current headteacher is Lisa Croke. After several years, the school has elected year 13 students to be school prefects who fit the roles of Head Boy, Deputy Head Boy, Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl for 2011.
History
The school first opened as the "Picquets Way Schools" in the 1930s. The school consisted of only two teaching blocks, a hall, a library, an administration area, a kitchen, a canteen, a gymnasium and a sports hall. All of the original buildings are still standing and are used today as they once were 70 years ago.The school population has grown since inception from 500 students to the 1500 students that The Beacon has today.
The Picquets Way School was renamed Nork Park School which was merged with the De Burgh School. In 1989, Nork Park School was renamed The Beacon.
Ofsted
In December 2007, The Beacon received an inspection from Ofsted. Ofsted placed the school in Special Measures. Following the inspection, the school was the subject of a lot of negative media attention and the school's long standing headteacher, John Darker, resigned. Following his departure, Jennifer Thomas was asked to act as the school's interim headteacher and to begin a school improvement programme. When Ofsted returned for their first monitoring visit in May 2008, they concluded that the school was making 'satisfactory progress'. Due to this result, Mrs Thomas was asked to remain as the permanent head of the Beacon to continue improvement.On 6–7 November 2008, nearly a year on from the inspection that the placed The Beacon under Special Measures, Ofsted conducted their second monitoring visit. The inspectors believed that the school had made such progress that they turned the monitoring visit into a full inspection. As a result of this, The Beacon was removed from Special Measures.
The 2008 GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
results proved that the Beacon is a school on the up with 52% A*-C grades which is the school's best ever result.. In 2010 45% of pupils gained A* - C grades.
Head Teachers
- Mr J M Darker—retired December 2007
- Mrs J Thomas—January 2008 - August 2010
- Ms L Croke- from September 2010