Hounsdown School

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Hounsdown School is a secondary school in Totton, near Southampton, Hampshire, England. The Headteacher is Miss D Nightingale. The School is housed in recently rennovated 1960s buildings, and new specialist blocks built since the millennium. The school has 1214 pupils, spanning ages 11 to 16.

“	Hounsdown is a successful and popular school with a strong emphasis on the traditional values of hard work, honesty, responsibility and respect for others. Our school has high expectations of pupils, staff, parents and governors alike and we work in close partnership in order to ensure that everyone strives to give their best. Hounsdown is a thriving comprehensive school which caters successfully for children of all abilities. Our strong commitment to high standards of work, behaviour and achievement has ensured we are the natural first choice for parents and pupils within our catchment area. Modern, well-equipped buildings offer our pupils excellent general and specialist facilities. Situated on the western side of Totton, near the edge of the New Forest, our school occupies an extensive and attractive 20-acre site which provides excellent recreational space. Hounsdown is a successful and popular school with a strong emphasis on the traditional values of hard work, honesty, responsibility and respect for others. Our school has high expectations of pupils, staff, parents and governors alike and we work in close partnership in order to ensure that everyone strives to give their best.	„
—Hounsdown School Website. Retrieved on June 24, 2006.

[edit] Science College Status

Hounsdown gained Science College status in 2005, and the school changed it's official title to 'Hounsdown School- A Science College'. With the new title came a new logo, new uniform and a £500,000 government grant to be spent on science equipment. However, rather than spending all the money on science equipment, the staff instead decided to buy two new science rooms and a large, impressive new sports hall.

[edit] Structure of the School

Pupils begin at the school in year 7, most having attended one of the 3 feeder primary schools - Abbotswood Junior School, Bartley Junior School or Foxhills Junior School. Pupils study the Key Stage 3 syllabus until the SATs, which, at Hounsdown, take place at the end of year 8, instead of at the end of year 9 as happens in most other schools in England and Wales. In Year 9, pupils begin GCSE courses in some subjects, whilst in others, they work on consolidating their learning from primary school and KS3. GCSE courses start for all subjects in year 10, with the examinations held during the summer term of year 11. Pupils can then enter jobs, or continue their education at 6th Form College.

[edit] Governors

The Chair of the Governors is currently Mrs C Bega.

[edit] The Resources Centre

The Resources Centre provides a wide range of materials for pupils to use for their coursework in different subjects. The Centre includes a library which is administered with a computer system using technology based on a mathematical template of each child’s fingerprint.

In addition to books, the library houses music CDs, audio tapes, internet linked computers which include word processing facilities, as well as photocopying and document production facilities.

The Resources Centre is involved the Hampshire Book Award and pupils regularly review new books for the School and Schools Library Service.

The "Resource Centre Manager" is Mrs Wynn-Jones, a qualified librarian who teaches Information Literacy lessons to year groups 7, 8 and 9.

[edit] Sports Facilities

Hounsdown School has a swimming pool, a sports hall, tennis courts, a rugby pitch, a gym, a dance studio and a cricket pitch. The sports hall and the swimming pool of which are available for pre-booked community purposes outside of school hours and during holidays.

[edit] External links

• Official Hounsdown Website
• Image of D J Nightingale, the school's headmistress