South Luton High School

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South Luton High School

Type	Education
Founded
Headquarters	Luton, Bedfordshire
Website	http://www.southluton.co.uk/

South Luton High School is a secondary school for pupils aged between 11 and 16, located on Cutenhoe Road in the south of Luton, Bedfordshire England [1]. The school enjoys a rich and varied history having originally being constructed as Stockwood High School with individual girls and boys campuses, before merging with Rotheram High School to form South Luton High. Students are multi-ethnic, with about 30% still learning the English language. [2]^[1]

Mr Tim Westrip is currently the Interim Head teacher after the resignation of Sherry Gladwin.

The school was recently accepted for accreditation as a Specialist Arts College and is currently considering a proposal to undergo a $56m transformation which will turn the school and Halyard into academies of Barnfield College. [3]

1 History
2 Motto
3 School statistics
4 Alumni
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

[edit] The origins

On 27 October 1965 Stockwood High School for Girls was created with 500 girls registered as pupils in attendance. On the 7 September 1967 Stockwood High School housed two adjoining campuses with male pupils attending the upper Southern site and girls at the North end. Records show 1006 pupils in attendance at both campuses. The school admitted students from nearby schools in Hitchin Road and Old Bedford Roads and cost £500,000 to construct. [4] During 1980, extensions were carried out to the schools main buildings [5]. Several years later, the respective schools merged to became a single entity. Evidence of its earlier structure exists in the form of dual assembly halls, toilets and foyer entrances. [6]

[edit] Stockwood High becomes South Luton High

Through the 1970s the population of the school increased as Luton underwent major economic development - the Arndale Centre was opened in 1972 and public housing projects such as Stopsley and and Farley Hill were constructed. [7] In 1988 Rotheram High School, a school situated approximately a mile away on Farley Hill was closed due to administrative costs and falling attendance numbers. Despite initial protests from parents situated near the Rotheram site, the majority of pupils from Rotheram High School moved to Stockwood High School, which as a result of the merger was renamed South Luton High School. [8]

South Luton High enjoyed increased government funding and attendance during its early years and its pupils earned a reputation for excelling in Physical Education via its football team and infamous cross country route. Pupils also excelled in music with several prominent music students appearing in local media for their participation in local arts and concert showcases.

[edit] Stockwood Parent/Teacher Association

The Stockwood Parent/Teacher Association was registered as a Charity on 7 April 1976 with a constitution adopted to "...advance the education of the pupils at Stockwood High School by providing and assisting the provision of facilities for education at the school (not normally provided by the Local Education Authority)." [9] Acting under 'Registration Number 271253', the association and its correspondent 'T Tosman', worked to foster extended relationships between staff, parents and associates of the school. The Charity, experiencing dwindling support after the formation of South Luton high ceased to exist on 8 October 1992. [10]

[edit] South Luton the Specialist Arts College

From approximately 2000 and beyond, South Luton High School became associated with the arts via promotions to secure students from beyond the original local catchment area. Teachers with a specialised arts focus or background were specifically targeted. In October 2003 the school applied for the Arts Mark, the first step towards applying for Specialist Arts College status. The school also established links with the local business community and registered with the Chamber of Commerce in 2004. [11]

The school made headlines in 2004 when headmistress Sherry Gladwin imposed strict behavioural policies on students. During a visit by Luton Lord Mayor Michael Dollin, a group of students staged a rebellion protest against conditions they considered draconian - such as only being allowed to use the lavatory via a pass. [12] The students were disciplined and a spokesperson for Luton Borough Council said ""There was a very small group spoiling things for the rest of the school but, following a minor disturbance on Monday, they have now been severely dealt with, and their parents notified." [13]

In 2004 the school was again lambasted for falling educational achievements within GCSE [14].