Blue Coat School, Oldham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Location | Oldham |
| LEA | Metropolitan Borough of Oldham |
| Region | Greater Manchester |
| Founded | 1834 |
| Ofsted | |
| Type | Comprehensive School |
| Category | Voluntary aided school |
| Reference | 105739 |
| Students | |
| Age range | 11–18 |
| Gender | Mixed |
The Blue Coat School, Oldham is a mixed gender voluntary aided Church of England secondary school and sixth form for 11 - 18 year olds, located in the town of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.
The school caters for pupils aged 11 - 18, offering A Level and GCSE courses. It is one of the few schools in the country to hold Leading Edge Partnership programme and science college status. Prior to becoming leading edge, Blue Coat had been a beacon school. This means the school has social responsibility to help develop other secondary schools in the area, as well as themselves.
The motto of the school is from the Latin: Semper Quaereamus Virtutem – "Let us always seek virtue".
Contents |
[edit] History
Thomas Henshaw, the founder, who died in 1810, left the sum of £40,000 for the endowment of the Blue Coat School. As no provision had been made for the cost of the building, a public meeting was held in Oldham in September 1825, when offers of land were received, and a public appeal was launched for funds to build the school. A start was made in 1829 when the foundation stone was laid and the school was opened in 1834. Throughout the remainder of the nineteenth century the school continued to maintain and instruct between 100 and 130 boys.
In July 1952, the trustees decided that, as the number of pupils in residence was gradually decreasing, Blue Coat should be closed as a residential school and the building converted for use as a secondary modern day school. This plan was effected, and the school became co-educational accommodating approximately 400 pupils.
The Oldham Henshaw and Church of England Educational Trust, constituted in 1950, had as one of its aims the building and maintenance of new secondary schools, and one of its objectives was to provide a Special Agreement secondary school by extending and reorganising Blue Coat into a comprehensive school. This plan was realised in September 1966 when The Blue Coat School became fully comprehensive. It is now a nine form entry voluntary aided comprehensive school admitting 211 boys and girls each year, with a thriving sixth form, the majority of whom go on to Higher Education. Voluntary aided status means that the governors of the school are responsible for the upkeep of all buildings and have to rely on the financial support and generosity of parents and friends of the school.
[edit] Current information
Recent Government grants have enabled the school to venture into a multi-million pound building scheme. So far additions have been a wheelchair lift to increase disabled access; and the reconstruction and further reconstruction of the school's Main Entrance. This involved the erection of a handrail-free, lighted walkway and single double-glazed door. In 1994 the school completed a major fundraising campaign, enabling it to build a new Science department building, which was completed in 1995.
The Blue Coat school provides an education for those who live in the areas of Oldham, Manchester, Tameside and Rochdale. A short walk from the town centre, The Blue Coat School is at the heart of the community. Currently, there are around 1050 pupils in the main school, with an additional 200 in the sixth form. There are also almost 100 members of staff, teaching or otherwise.
To gain entry to the school, evidence of an active Church Of England background is necessary. During a school year, there are three communions (Christmas, Easter and End of year) and the assemblies during the school time have a strong Christian theme.
In years seven to nine, pupils study a broad range of subjects in Key Stage 3, before taking Standard Attainment Tests (SATs) in the core subjects of Mathematics, English and Science in year 9. These examinations test the competency of both the pupils' understanding of each subject as well as the standard of their teaching. Years ten and eleven Key Stage 4 involves work which leads to General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) qualifications. Pupils must take the core subjects of Mathematics, English (Language and Literature), Science Double or Triple R.S, Religious Studies and a modern foreign language (either French or German). In addition to these, pupils are given the option of four more subjects, which could be an additional language, History, Geography, Drama Studies, Information Technology, Physical Education, Business Studies, or one of several Design and Technology courses. They will also choose a reserve subject, in case they cannot get in a class of one of the subjects or there isn't enough people to make a class. The reserve subject will then replace this subject.
After finishing GCSEs, education is not compulsory. Pupils can choose to stay at the sixth form for years twelve and thirteen. Alternatively they could choose another sixth form college, such as Oldham Sixth Form College or Tameside Sixth Form College. However, some students look for work by this stage, for a variety of reasons. Should pupils stay on at Blue Coat in year 12, they will be required to choose four subjects to study for AS-level. The school currently offers around 30 different and diverse courses. In year 13, each student keeps at least three of these subjects for A2-level. Students will have the option of keeping all of their subjects through A2, doing three A2-levels and one new AS-level, or just three A2-levels in year 13. The intensity of sixth-form is high, with a large amount of coursework expected in each subject, as well as exams at the end of each year. Having completed sixth form, students have several options. These include going to University, finding work or taking a gap year.
The most recent Ofsted inspection was in 1999. A summary of the report was that it was one of the top comprehensive schools in the country. The report gave nothing but praise to the teaching methods adopted and the results gained.
[edit] Staff
The current headteacher is Julie Hollis MA (Oxon) (Mrs).
There are two deputy headteachers:
- Brian Devenport
- Mike Platt
And three assistants:
- Tony Ballantyne
- Robin Gadsbey
- Caroline Woolfe
[edit] Other notable members of staff
Tony Ballantyne - Author, best known for writing the novel Recursion.
[edit] Pastoral care
Blue Coat School uses a house system; for all students within the school. When students join the school they are allocated to one of three houses - Birley Hall, Lord Mothersill and Rountree Wrigley - all named after former headteachers at the school. Students whose elder family members have studied at the school are usually put within the same houses as those relatives. In some cases both parents and children have studied at the Blue Coat School and have been in the same house as each other (in some more extreme cases, with the same head of house).
There are nine "forms" in the School between years seven and eleven, and each house looks after three. The names of the forms are Birley, Hall, Birley Hall, Lord, Mothersill, Lord Mothersill, Rountree, Wrigley, and Rountree Wrigley. They will then have their year number added onto the name of the form to get their exact form name e.g. Birley in year 7 is Birley 7, Rountree in year 11 is Rountree 11. In the sixth form, there are six forms within each year, each house look after two, although this is to a much lower level than in the early school: Birley Hall 1, Birley Hall 2. Lord Mothersill 1, Lord Mothersill 2. Rountree Wrigley 1, Rountree Wrigley 2
Each house has a head and deputy. They look after pastoral care and discipline for students within that house in the year 7 - 9. They also look after other house responsibilities such as planning trips for students within that house, organising assemblies, making sure that houses are represented in sporting contests. They also look after the house social facilities. Before September 2005, each house would also look after a floor within the "House Block", where house activities usually took place. The head and deputies of the houses select the house prefect (in year 10) and the house head boy and girl and deputies (these will be student in their final year of study in the sixth form).
In later years, pastoral care is coordinated by year groups, however students are still affiliated with the houses they were in during the early years. They will still take part in social activities organised by the house, and will represent their house in competitions. The Year Eleven and Sixth Form students within a house are expected to offer guidance and leadership to students in the lower years of the School. Older students are more likely to take an active part in the houses religious celebrations around Christmas and Easter.
In Year Ten, Eleven and Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13) there is a separate year head and deputy. These take over the main pastoral responsibilities from the house heads for students within that year group . They also take on greater responsibilities for that year group such as preparing the student for external exams and guiding students on their future after leaving the School. They also write the reference for the student on application forms for higher education and jobs after leaving the school. The position of Head of Sixth Form is seen as one of the most important roles within the school, and current head, Mrs Woolfe is regarded and respected as one the senior members of the school. The Sixth Form and year eleven have their own social facilities and usually have their own assemblies on a Friday Afternoon.
[edit] Annual events
- Founder's Day- The commemoration of the school's founder Thomas Henshaw. This is usually held towards the end of July. It involves the school's pupils parading in front of the residents of Oldham as they march down to the parish church, under the guidance of senior teacher Simon Read, who has naval experience of such events and likes to barks navy commands at the students e.g. school quick left march, in which students are reminded that they are supposed to march. Here, there is a service which recognises the achievements of the founder. The assembled school then proceeds back to the grounds of the school where a wreath is laid in front of Henshaw's statue.
- Speech Night- Usually held on the second Friday in November, this recognises the achievements of pupils over the past academic year. Notable feature of the ceremony are the speech by the headteacher and the many awards given to pupils for the previous year's work. Over previous years, the ceremony has taken place at Manchester Cathedral and Oldham's Queen Elizabeth Hall.
- Christmas Fayre- It occurs on the last academic day of the year and the pupils are encouraged to raise money for charity by paying to wear non-uniform, watch/take part in a talent show and buy items at the fayre itself. Over £6000 is raised in the one day benefiting 3 charities nominated by the pupils. Being a Christian school this day is surprisingly non-religious.
- Community (service) Day - this occurs towards the end of the year. It involves pupils integrating on a social plane. A typical day may involve picking up litter inside the school grounds (encouraging social responsibility), playing softball (encouraging teamwork), clearing rivers and other community activities. Before the days of Julie Hollis, this was known as 'Activities Day' and involved pupils choosing to go to one of a variety of school trips run by members of the staff. It was changed to Community Day in 2002 due to the worry that some pupils would not be able to afford the more expensive trips but most students can.
[edit] Notable former pupils
- Stephen Bywater - A notable football player, Stephen was signed for West Ham United in 1997, after being spotted by a talent scout whilst training for Rochdale A.F.C..
- Matthew Wolfenden - Another footballer, Wolfenden is currently a player for Oldham Athletic Association Football Club, although he has played in relatively few professional matches.
- Alex Carter - drama student who attended Blue Coat, Alex played 17 year old Lee Hunter in the television programme Hollyoaks, aired on Channel 4, before joining the cast of Emmerdale in 2006. Prior to joining Hollyoaks in 2001 he appeared in Adam's Family Tree and Where The Heart Is on TV as well as some plays for Radio 4.
- Stephen J. Gordon (b. 4 September 1986) is an International Master chess player. In September 2004, he took a break from his A-level studies of Further Mathematics and Physics to compete in the thirteenth Monarch Assurance Isle of Man International Championship, where he achieved 33rd place.
