Gordano School

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Gordano School is a comprehensive educational secondary school located in Portishead, Somerset, England. In 1999, the school was awarded Specialist Schools Technology College status. Gordano School enrolls approximately 1500 students annually, ages 11-18.

[edit] History

The school was originally proposed in 1937, with a projected cost of £27,000. However, the project was cancelled due to the Second World War. New plans were drawn in 1952, and excavation of the site started in 1954. During excavations, the skeleton of an Iron Age man was found, who was nicknamed Septimus because he was discovered on the seventh day of the seventh month. The school opened on the 17th of September, 1956, with 300 pupils, 18 teachers, and 12 classrooms. In addition, two halls, an art room, a library, a gym and a kitchen prompted local newspapers to state "New Gordano School is a palace". The official opening took place on July 12th, 1957. The school had cost £146,000 and still needed work to the playing fields. By September of that year pupil numbers had increased to 500 and councillors were demanding more classrooms. The increase was attributed to the "post-war bulge". In September of 1975, £209,000 was allocated for new buildings. Gordano was named the "Big Experiment" as it became Somerset's first comprehensive school, with 900 students and 30 teachers. The education department forcast the school numbers would treble by 1975. In 1994, an astroturf sports playing surface was laid at a cost of £260,000. Numbers had grown to 1,589 students and 88 teachers. Gordano School officially attained technology School status in 1999. The school recently underwent a £17,000,000 re-developement, adding a new maths block, music block, science and technology classrooms, and a canteen extension. The new buildings were officially opened in September of 2007.