William Farr School
Encyclopedia
William Farr Church of England Comprehensive School, generally
known as William Farr School or just William Farr (Will Farr by the students today), is a Church of England
comprehensive school
in Dunholme
, though the postal address places the school in Welton
, five miles north-east of Lincoln
. It became an independent academy on 1 January 2011 although the head teacher Mr Paul Strong, who prior to his retirement in August 2011 stated he did not want to rename the Academy and thus it kept its full title, William Farr Church of England Comprehensive School.
, just inside Dunholme
, and near Lincoln
in the county of Lincolnshire
, England not far from the A46
. The school is very popular and is currently oversubscribed.
Due to the school being on the edge of a village closely neighbouring another, the school actually lies in the parish of St Chad in Dunholme
(and the civil parish
). The nearest C of E church is St Mary in Welton. The churches are in the Welton, Dunholme & Scothern
Benefice. The school focusses on the 'soft' christian values, not the literal theology.
There is no uniform in the sixth form. It is overseen by the Lincoln Diocesan Board of Education and Training.
in 1952 on the site of RAF Dunholme Lodge
, a WW2
Bomber Command
station, which had been bought for £600 in 1946 by Rev William Farr, the vicar of Welton. The school was named after him when he died in 1955. The old former wartime buildings were replaced in 1960.
status in 1972. The sports hall was built in 1978, and the sixth form added in 1995. In 2000 William Farr signed up for the latest education initiative, Technology College
status.
The school is also an associate school of the University of Lincoln
. HM Queen Elizabeth II
, visited the school in 1996 to open a new Humanities
building. In 2001 William Farr achieved the distinction of having the best comprehensive school A-level results in England. The current Headteacher, appointed in 1986, is Paul Strong. The school scrapped it's old Technology College in 2007, to instead become a Science College
.
It gained Grant Maintained
status in 1992. This latter scheme was later abolished by the Labour
government, but the school became a foundational school (similar arrangement) in 1999.
In March 2003, a French school, the College Descartes-Montaigne from Liévin
near Lens
, was due to send an exchange visit to the school, but was cancelled due to all schools in the Pas-de-Calais department being told Britain was too 'dangerous' to visit.
On 28 April 2004, the Earl of Wessex
opened the Galileo Block. On 11 October 1996, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the school, on the same day that she opened the new University of Lincolnshire and Humberside
, after arriving at RAF Waddington
. She met headteacher Paul Strong and Maurice Keyte, the Chairman of the Governors, and opened the Classroom Block. The school is now an Associate School of the University of Lincoln. The university's Riseholme Campus is nearby to the west.
In September 2010, plans were unveiled for a Community Swimming Pool to be built on the School site.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/jul/01/teachingawards2006.schools
"The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils."
The school motto, emblazoned on the badge on the uniform, reads "Striving for excellence".
A quote from the Former Head Teacher, Mr P Strong, said something along similar lines and read:
"William Farr (CE) Comprehensive School aims to provide the highest possible quality of education for its pupils so they achieve their maximum potential,
and help to further the school, the wider community and themselves."
known as William Farr School or just William Farr (Will Farr by the students today), is a Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
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...
in Dunholme
Dunholme
Dunholme is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is on the A46 six miles north-east of Lincoln.According to the 2001 census the village had a population of 1,681.Dunholme has a post office and village shop, St...
, though the postal address places the school in Welton
Welton
Welton may refer to:England*Welton, Cumbria*Welton, East Riding of Yorkshire*Welton, Lincolnshire**Once the centre of Welton Rural District*Welton, Northamptonshire*Welton, Somerset*Welton le Marsh in Lincolnshire*Welton le Wold in Lincolnshire...
, five miles north-east of Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
. It became an independent academy on 1 January 2011 although the head teacher Mr Paul Strong, who prior to his retirement in August 2011 stated he did not want to rename the Academy and thus it kept its full title, William Farr Church of England Comprehensive School.
Admissions
It is for 11 - 18 year olds, near the village of WeltonWelton, Lincolnshire
Welton is a village and civil parish seven miles north of the city of Lincoln in the county of Lincolnshire, England, and the district of West Lindsey...
, just inside Dunholme
Dunholme
Dunholme is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is on the A46 six miles north-east of Lincoln.According to the 2001 census the village had a population of 1,681.Dunholme has a post office and village shop, St...
, and near Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
in the county of Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England not far from the A46
A46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
. The school is very popular and is currently oversubscribed.
Due to the school being on the edge of a village closely neighbouring another, the school actually lies in the parish of St Chad in Dunholme
Dunholme
Dunholme is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is on the A46 six miles north-east of Lincoln.According to the 2001 census the village had a population of 1,681.Dunholme has a post office and village shop, St...
(and the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
). The nearest C of E church is St Mary in Welton. The churches are in the Welton, Dunholme & Scothern
Scothern
Scothern is a small village in West Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England, situated north east of Lincoln, with approximately 1,000 inhabitants. Although neighbouring villages such as Sudbrooke, Dunholme, Nettleham and Welton have all been substantially redeveloped over recent years, with the addition...
Benefice. The school focusses on the 'soft' christian values, not the literal theology.
There is no uniform in the sixth form. It is overseen by the Lincoln Diocesan Board of Education and Training.
Secondary modern school
The school was opened as a secondary modernSecondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
in 1952 on the site of RAF Dunholme Lodge
RAF Dunholme Lodge
RAF Dunholme Lodge was a Royal Air Force station during the Second World War. Located between the parishes of Welton and Dunholme in Lincolnshire, England.-History:...
, a WW2
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
station, which had been bought for £600 in 1946 by Rev William Farr, the vicar of Welton. The school was named after him when he died in 1955. The old former wartime buildings were replaced in 1960.
Comprehensive
The school acquired comprehensiveComprehensive 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...
status in 1972. The sports hall was built in 1978, and the sixth form added in 1995. In 2000 William Farr signed up for the latest education initiative, Technology College
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
status.
The school is also an associate school of the University of Lincoln
University of Lincoln
The University of Lincoln is an English university founded in 1992, with origins tracing back to the foundation and association with the Hull School of Art 1861....
. HM Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, visited the school in 1996 to open a new Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
building. In 2001 William Farr achieved the distinction of having the best comprehensive school A-level results in England. The current Headteacher, appointed in 1986, is Paul Strong. The school scrapped it's old Technology College in 2007, to instead become a Science College
Science College
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics...
.
It gained Grant Maintained
Grant-maintained school
Grant-maintained schools were state schools in England and Wales between 1988 and 1998 that had opted out of local government control, being funded directly by a grant from central government...
status in 1992. This latter scheme was later abolished by the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
government, but the school became a foundational school (similar arrangement) in 1999.
In March 2003, a French school, the College Descartes-Montaigne from Liévin
Liévin
Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and...
near Lens
Lens, Pas-de-Calais
Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
, was due to send an exchange visit to the school, but was cancelled due to all schools in the Pas-de-Calais department being told Britain was too 'dangerous' to visit.
Design of the school
There are 10 different buildings, each based around a subject. Arkwright (Design and Technology), Banks (Geography and History), Curie (Modern Languages), Darwin (Science and English), Escher, (Art and Canteen), Fibonacci (Science and IT), Galileo, (Mathematics and IT), Halley (Religious Education and Mathematics), Irving (Performing Arts), and there is also the Wolfson building, named after The Wolfson Company (Science, English and Business Studies). There are also other buildings simply named after their use - the Gymnasium and the Sports Hall.On 28 April 2004, the Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
opened the Galileo Block. On 11 October 1996, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the school, on the same day that she opened the new University of Lincolnshire and Humberside
University of Lincoln
The University of Lincoln is an English university founded in 1992, with origins tracing back to the foundation and association with the Hull School of Art 1861....
, after arriving at RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.-Formation:Waddington opened as a Royal Flying Corps flying training station in 1916 until 1920, when the station went into care and maintenance....
. She met headteacher Paul Strong and Maurice Keyte, the Chairman of the Governors, and opened the Classroom Block. The school is now an Associate School of the University of Lincoln. The university's Riseholme Campus is nearby to the west.
In September 2010, plans were unveiled for a Community Swimming Pool to be built on the School site.
Outstanding achievements
Helen Brittain, Head of History, received the 2008 Guardian award for teacher of the year in a secondary school in the East Midlands. The article on the guardian website can be found here:http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/jul/01/teachingawards2006.schools
School aims
In its foundation document the school states its aims as follows:"The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils."
The school motto, emblazoned on the badge on the uniform, reads "Striving for excellence".
A quote from the Former Head Teacher, Mr P Strong, said something along similar lines and read:
"William Farr (CE) Comprehensive School aims to provide the highest possible quality of education for its pupils so they achieve their maximum potential,
and help to further the school, the wider community and themselves."