South Camden Community School (SCCS)

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South Camden Community School
"A brilliant place to learn"
Founded: 1873
Type: Secondary School
Location: Somers Town, London, UK
LEA: Camden
Ofsted number: 100051
School Category: State
Headteacher: Rosemary Leeke
Staff:
Students: 910 (2001)
Age Range: 11-18
Gender: Mixed
Website: http://www.sccs.camden.sch.uk


South Camden Community School (SCCS) is a mixed-gender comprehensive secondary school in the London Borough of Camden, England. It is a Performing Arts Specialist School. The headteacher, Rosemary Leeke, is the first female headteacher in the school's history. Until 2001, the headteacher was Huw Salisbury OBE.

Contents

[edit] History

The school can trace its origins back to 1873, when the London School Board leased the site, although there was a school on the site before then. The school was completed and opened in 1877. It was originally called Medburn Street School until 1904, when it was renamed the Stanley School, only for its name to be changed to the Medburn School in 1910 to avoid confusion with another nearby Stanley School.

The school originally took children up to the age of 11 although, over time, the school changed to take older pupils. After various reorganisations, it eventually only took pupils aged over 11 because of falling numbers, sometime shortly after 1938 (the school website says that the records are unclear).[1]

From 1951 to 1993 the school was called the Sir William Collins School before changing its name to SCCS in 1993.

[edit] Profile

The 2001 OFSTED report[2] noted the following features of the school:

  • The school has a multicultural intake, with many pupils being of Bangladeshi or black African (particularly Somalian) heritage.
  • Almost 80 per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language.
  • The level of pupils entitled to free school meals (often used as an indicator of social deprivation) is well above the national average.
  • The proportion of lower attaining pupils joining the school is much greater than the national average.
  • In all year groups, there are significantly more boys than girls.
  • Pupil attendance is below average.

However, the report concluded that the school met its pupils' needs "very effectively", with GCSE results, although below average, being higher than might be expected given pupils' low attainment on joining the school and improving above the national average. Teaching was recorded as being "good" and the school was said to have "very many more strengths than weaknesses".

In 2006, the proportion of students meeting the national target at GCSE level (which is 5 passes at Grade A* to C, to include English and Mathematics) was 30%, against a Camden Borough average of 45.7% and a national average of 45.8%.[3]

[edit] School Uniform

The school uniform at SCCS is compulsory for students who are not in the sixth form. All students Year 7 through Year 11 are required to wear:

  • Light blue school polo-shirt with the SCCS logo
  • Navy blue school sweatshirt with the SCCS logo
  • Black trousers or, for girls, plain black skirt or navy blue shalwar kameez
  • Black shoes or black trainers

An optional navy blue school fleece with the SCCS logo is also available, and girls may wear a plain navy, black, or white headscarf for religious reasons.

A new regulation states that students can, and should be, sent home to change at the school gates if not wearing uniform. However, an immediate problem arising therefrom is students not returning until the next day — often, again, not in uniform. School uniform also faces innate criticism in regard to freedom of expression and obsolescence.

Management's official stance is that uniform is a good thing that creates a sense of community and belonging, and allows pupils to be identified as going to S.C.C.S. Other arugments for include: promotion of the school, and, indeed, bettering behaviour by making students feel they are under school authority.

[edit] Student Organisations

SCCS has its own school council, a body of student representatives voicing the concerns and issues of their peers to ensure co-operation between students and staff when making decisions that affect the school. The council is backed by the school's management, and receives a moderate yearly budget. It began to change systemically after the 2006 school-council elections, and this process is ongoing. As two delegates from every class attended, the old system resulted (theoretically) in council meetings of up to sixty students. This was unworkable. The council is now two-tiered — several year councils and one whole-school council. The efficacy of the school council is generally slight, but its influence is growing, particularly as meetings become more regular.[citation needed]

There is also an incipient Student Union, organized by mainly Year 10 students and supported by some staff members.[citation needed]

[edit] Other establishments linked to SCCS

  • SCCS adjoins the City Learning Centre, which is jointly owned by the London Borough of Camden and London Grid for Learning (LGfL). This is an educational resource available to other local schools.
  • Somers Town sports centre is on the school's land but is not run by the school.

[edit] Notable people associated with the school

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[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ History of the school (accessed 18 February 2007)
  2. ^ 2001 OFSTED report (accessed 18 February 2007)
  3. ^ BBC statistics for SCCS (accessed 18 February 2007)
  4. ^ The Changi Murals (accessed 7 March 2007)
  5. ^ Hansard record of debates for 8 February 1994 (accessed 18 February 2007)
  6. ^ Hansard record of debates for 9 December 1994 (accessed 7 March 2007)
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