Noel-Baker Community School

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Noel-Baker Community School and Language College
Excellence In All Things
Established	1960
Type	Mixed Comprehensive school
Headteacher	Dr. Paul Davies
Teaching staff	95 plus 90 Associated Staff
Students	1,595
Location	Derby, United Kingdom
Colours	Red & black
Email	enquiries@noel-baker.derby.sch.uk
Website	www.noel-baker.derby.sch.uk

Noel-Baker Community School and Language College (as it became known from September 2005) is a mixed comprehensive secondary school in Alvaston, Derby, UK. As of 2005, it is currently oversubscribed, with approximately 2000 students on roll, making it the biggest secondary school in the city of Derby. The school takes students from the Alvaston, Boulton, Crewton and Keldholme areas of the city.

As well as catering for 11-16 year olds (years 7-11), the school also has a Sixth Form for 16-18 year olds. The Sixth Form offers A-Levels and GNVQs in various subjects. There are currently 150 A-Level students.

In September 2004 the school was awarded specialist school status as a Language College, by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).^[1]

The pupils of the school are often involved in fights with the school's rival school Merrill College and police riot vans are often found outside of the school gates^{[citation needed]} to prevent these fights from happening.

Teenage pregnancy is still quite high at the school,^{[citation needed]} with an average of about six girls per year falling pregnant while still under the age of 16. There is a lot being done at present to stop this from happening, including strict sex education lessons.

There have been theories about anti-social behaviour at the school as the school serves some of the most deprived areas in Derby.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 History 2 Uniform 3 Notable alumni 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

The school was founded in 1960 following the amalgamation of the Technical Grammar School and Southgate Secondary School. It is named after the late Philip Noel-Baker, a politician and former MP for Derby South.

During the early 1980s, the school was considered the 'worst in the city'^{[citation needed]}. This was due to very low GCSE results and to an increasing number of students who were turning to hard drugs, including heroin. The school drastically turned around when a new headteacher, Mr Geoff Wynne stepped in, in the late 1980's. He took the school's GCSE results from 9% A-Cs in 1989 to 32% in 2002 when he retired. The schools GCSE results have continued to improve thanks to John Charles (closely matched to the National Average). Dr. Paul Davies then took the role of head master from the improved school and is still currently headmaster, attempting to improve GCSE grades, however he was unsuccessful during the 2005/06 term in which he failed to improve on the previous year's scores, due to a developing chav culture within the school, resulting in many students being expelled from the school in the months leading up to the exams.

[edit] Uniform

The school's colours are red, black and white. The school uniform is a black sweater with a red logo, a red polo shirt, black trousers and black shoes. Girls are permitted to wear skirts, if they so desire. However, the uniform is not enforced (despite obvious attempts by staff, going as far as sending pupils home for wearing incorrect uniform) and most pupils ignore these rules, especially female pupils, who will often wear outlandish clothing to the school with little to no disciplinary action.

[edit] Notable alumni

• Ivan Gaskell - BBC sports reporter^{[citation needed]}
• James Mousley - Actor^{[citation needed]}
• Lee Williamson - Watford F.C. Footballer^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

1. ^ Specialist Schools Home. DfES (December 2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-21.

[edit] External links

• Noel-Baker Community School website
• Ofsted Reports
• DfES Performance Tables

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Derbyshire Schools
Comprehensive Schools: Belper School | Brookfield Community School | Derby Moor Community Sports College | Frederick Gent School | Hasland Hall Community School | Highfields School | John Flamsteed Community School | Lady Manners School | Littleover Community School | Noel-Baker Community School | Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Ashbourne | St Mary's Roman Catholic High School, Chesterfield
City Academies: Landau Forte College
Independent Schools: Derby Grammar School |Foremarke Hall | St Anselm's Preparatory School
Public Schools: Mount St Mary's College | Repton School | Trent College
Junior Schools: Brimington Junior School | Dale Community Primary School | Saint Mary's Catholic School
Former Schools: Derby School | Chesterfield St Helena School