The Pingle School
Encyclopedia
The Pingle School is a state comprehensive school located at Coronation Street in Swadlincote
, South Derbyshire
, England
. The name comes from the former Pingle Farm; Pingle being a Midlands term for a small field or allotment.
, GCSE
and A-Levels are taught here throughout the different years.
and Woodville
. The school is a typical 1960s wooden clad building with an ongoing building renovation programme to try and counter aesthetic and structural issues. The school has been subjected to a number of arson attacks in its history.
The school operated in association with nearby Ashby de la Zouch Boys and Girls Grammar Schools transferring students who wished at the age of 14 for GCE examinations. Thus the school, although in Derbyshire
, was operating as a junior school under the Leicestershire plan. Only a very small number of students, 15 or so of a year group approaching 200, transferred, the majority stayed in Swadlincote
leaving at the then school leaving age of 15 without any external examination certificates
The headmaster in those early years was Mr Claude Laurie who died in 1969. This coincided with the period when the government wished to extend the school leaving age to 16. Two other secondary modern schools in South Derbyshire were operating under the same regime namely William Allitt School
in Newhall
and Granville Community School
. The Ashby schools would have been unable to cope with a total of approximately 500 pupils transferring from Derbyshire at the age of 14.
Derbyshire County Education Authority decided that the three schools in South Derbyshire should become independent of Leicestershire, William Allitt and Granville schools were to become 11 to 16 schools whilst the Swadlincote County Secondary School was to develop as an 11 to 18 school and provide the advanced studies for the 16 to 18 year age group.
In order to guide the school and effectively South Derbyshire through the initial years of change, a new headmaster, Mr Joe Bradley, was appointed early in 1970. Mr Bradley’s teaching career up to that time had been in grammar schools and in the last few years, comprehensive school
s. The school was renamed ‘the Pingle School’ taking its new name from the name of the farm on whose land the school had been built. New heads of departments were appointed with teaching experience up to A Level GCE.
The last transfer to the Ashby schools occurred in 1971. In September 1972, all students stayed for newly-developed GCE and GSE courses, taking these examinations in 1974.
The first Sixth Form was admitted in 1974, with pupils from the three secondary schools taking the first A level examinations and Oxford University entrance examinations in 1976.
On the basis of these examinations, two pupils who achieved a grade A in all their ‘A Level GCE’ examinations were admitted to Oxford University. This success was repeated in the following years.
During the early years of developing academic courses the school also developed courses for pupils with severe learning difficulties. Such children prior to 1972 were cared for by the Mental Health Authority, usually in small units separate from normal schools. It was thought that the Pingle School was the first in England to have all children from the area in the same school, from mentally handicapped children to potential university entrants. The school received visitors from other authorities who wished to see such integration prior to possibly establishing similar schools. The school has a special unit located on the front.
Other activities initiated in those early years were camping holidays in Wales
, exchanges with a school in France
, school brass band, orchestra and care for the local elderly.
Mr. Bradley retired in December 1990 after almost 21 years at the school.
He was succeeded by Mr M. Mayers who stayed at the school for approximately 10 years. He was succeeded Mrs Sue Tabberer.
These terms are then split in half, with each half of terms lasting around six weeks. The holidays between halves of terms are one week and the holidays between terms last two weeks.
The school day begins at 8.25am and ends at 3.10pm, with five lessons, a break and a lunch break in that time.
Years 12 and 13 (sixth formers) have no set uniform and may attend school in whatever clothes they wish, as long as they are sensible and do not bear offensive slogans.
.
These facilities include:
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Swadlincote
Swadlincote is a town and unparished area in South Derbyshire, about southeast of Burton-upon-Trent and about south of Derby. It is the main town of South Derbyshire and the seat of South Derbyshire District Council....
, South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. It contains a third of the National Forest, and the council offices are in Swadlincote....
, 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 name comes from the former Pingle Farm; Pingle being a Midlands term for a small field or allotment.
Overview
The Pingle School educates over 1,500 students, from Years 7 to 13. SATsSATS
SATS may refer to:*South African Theological Seminary*Singapore Airport Terminal Services*Small Aircraft Transportation System*Stansted Airport Transit System*The National Curriculum assessment in the UK at ages 11 and 14....
, 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...
and A-Levels are taught here throughout the different years.
History
The school was opened in 1965 as the Swadlincote County Secondary School with pupils from ages 11 to 15. This new school was to replace existing secondary modern schools at nearby Castle GresleyCastle Gresley
Castle Gresley is a village and civil parish about southwest of the centre of Swadlincote in South Derbyshire, England. The village is about west of the village of Church Gresley....
and Woodville
Woodville, Derbyshire
Woodville is a village and civil parish just outside Swadlincote in South Derbyshire, England. The centre of the village, known as the Tollgate, is a busy traffic island on the A511.-History:...
. The school is a typical 1960s wooden clad building with an ongoing building renovation programme to try and counter aesthetic and structural issues. The school has been subjected to a number of arson attacks in its history.
The school operated in association with nearby Ashby de la Zouch Boys and Girls Grammar Schools transferring students who wished at the age of 14 for GCE examinations. Thus the school, although in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, was operating as a junior school under the Leicestershire plan. Only a very small number of students, 15 or so of a year group approaching 200, transferred, the majority stayed in Swadlincote
Swadlincote
Swadlincote is a town and unparished area in South Derbyshire, about southeast of Burton-upon-Trent and about south of Derby. It is the main town of South Derbyshire and the seat of South Derbyshire District Council....
leaving at the then school leaving age of 15 without any external examination certificates
The headmaster in those early years was Mr Claude Laurie who died in 1969. This coincided with the period when the government wished to extend the school leaving age to 16. Two other secondary modern schools in South Derbyshire were operating under the same regime namely William Allitt School
William Allitt school
The William Allitt School or, as it is more commonly referred to; William Allitt, is a state school located in the village of Newhall, Swadlincote in South Derbyshire, England...
in Newhall
Newhall
Newhall may refer to:Places in England:*Newhall, Harlow, Essex*Newhall, Cheshire*Newhall, DerbyshirePlaces in the USA:* Newhall, Santa Clarita, California, a district of Santa Clarita that was formerly independent* Newhall, IowaPeople:* Christopher G...
and Granville Community School
Granville Community School
Granville Community School is a comprehensive school on Burton Road in Woodville, Derbyshire maintained by the Derbyshire County Council.-History:...
. The Ashby schools would have been unable to cope with a total of approximately 500 pupils transferring from Derbyshire at the age of 14.
Derbyshire County Education Authority decided that the three schools in South Derbyshire should become independent of Leicestershire, William Allitt and Granville schools were to become 11 to 16 schools whilst the Swadlincote County Secondary School was to develop as an 11 to 18 school and provide the advanced studies for the 16 to 18 year age group.
In order to guide the school and effectively South Derbyshire through the initial years of change, a new headmaster, Mr Joe Bradley, was appointed early in 1970. Mr Bradley’s teaching career up to that time had been in grammar schools and in the last few years, comprehensive school
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...
s. The school was renamed ‘the Pingle School’ taking its new name from the name of the farm on whose land the school had been built. New heads of departments were appointed with teaching experience up to A Level GCE.
The last transfer to the Ashby schools occurred in 1971. In September 1972, all students stayed for newly-developed GCE and GSE courses, taking these examinations in 1974.
The first Sixth Form was admitted in 1974, with pupils from the three secondary schools taking the first A level examinations and Oxford University entrance examinations in 1976.
On the basis of these examinations, two pupils who achieved a grade A in all their ‘A Level GCE’ examinations were admitted to Oxford University. This success was repeated in the following years.
During the early years of developing academic courses the school also developed courses for pupils with severe learning difficulties. Such children prior to 1972 were cared for by the Mental Health Authority, usually in small units separate from normal schools. It was thought that the Pingle School was the first in England to have all children from the area in the same school, from mentally handicapped children to potential university entrants. The school received visitors from other authorities who wished to see such integration prior to possibly establishing similar schools. The school has a special unit located on the front.
Other activities initiated in those early years were camping holidays in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, exchanges with a school in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, school brass band, orchestra and care for the local elderly.
Mr. Bradley retired in December 1990 after almost 21 years at the school.
He was succeeded by Mr M. Mayers who stayed at the school for approximately 10 years. He was succeeded Mrs Sue Tabberer.
Alumni
- Andrew BridgenAndrew BridgenAndrew James Bridgen is an English Conservative Party politician and businessman. Since May 2010 he has been the Member of Parliament for the constituency of North West Leicestershire.-Education:...
(born 1964 and left the Pingle School in 1983) was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for NW LeicestershireNorth West Leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency)North West Leicestershire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.- Boundaries :...
in the 2010 general election. - Jason Hylton was killed with three other service personnel in 2006 when his boat was hit by an IEDImprovised explosive deviceAn improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
on the Shatt al-Arab waterway. His name is inscribed on a metal plaque on the Church GresleyChurch GresleyChurch Gresley is a village and former civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. The village is very close to the town of Swadlincote, between the town and Castle Gresley. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,805.The toponym "Gresley" is derived...
war memorial opposite the Maurice Lea Memorial Park. - Gary Whitaker, who attended Pingle School from 1976 to 1983, is currently at Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in the United States. He is an associate professor of VirologyVirologyVirology is the study of viruses and virus-like agents: their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit cells for virus reproduction, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their use in research and therapy...
in the Department of Microbiotics and Immunology. - Dr Sam Wilcox, who attended the school between 2002 and 2007 is now head researcher in the field of molluscs at the University of ManchesterUniversity of ManchesterThe University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
.
Running of the school
The school year, similar to many state schools, is split into three terms, autumn, spring and summer.These terms are then split in half, with each half of terms lasting around six weeks. The holidays between halves of terms are one week and the holidays between terms last two weeks.
The school day begins at 8.25am and ends at 3.10pm, with five lessons, a break and a lunch break in that time.
Uniform
At Pingle, Years 7 to 11 must wear the full school uniform of a black jumper; bearing the school logo, a white plain shirt, the school tie, plain black trousers and plain black shoes. Girls are permitted to wear a plain black skirt in place of the trousers.Years 12 and 13 (sixth formers) have no set uniform and may attend school in whatever clothes they wish, as long as they are sensible and do not bear offensive slogans.
Sport
The school has a football team, rugby team and a basketball team for all years up to Year 11. Also in 2006, the school had an Astro turf field added to their large range of facilities which was opened by athlete Kriss AkabusiKriss Akabusi
Kriss Kezie Uche Chukwu Duru Akabusi MBE is a former sprint and hurdling athlete from the United Kingdom. During his career, he won the gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles at the 1990 European Championships, a gold in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1991 World Championships, and a silver medal in...
.
These facilities include:
- A regular sized swimming pool
- Multi million pound sports hall with gym suite
- Gymnastics hall
- Tennis/Basketball courts
- Full size multi sport Artificial Turf pitch
The 2005 Pingle School fire
On 2 December 2005, the Pingle School sixth form building caught fire as a result of a 'break time prank gone wrong'. This resulted in the near total destruction of the sixth form building. The fire was started within school hours and required the evacuation of the entire school population. Three 15 year old boys were arrested in connection with the fire out of which one was charged with arson and sentenced to 18 months detention. Since the sixth-form centre was destroyed in the fire, temporary accommodation for lessons saw the use of portable classrooms, provided by Portakabin Ltd from their centre in Derby. The new sixth-form area was officially opened in December 2007, being in full use from February 2008. There were two other major fires at Pingle School prior to this.External links
- School website
- Pictures of the December 2005 fire
- EduBase
- http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail-news/DisplayArticle.asp?id=406315
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