Codsall Community High School

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Codsall Community High School
Established 31 May 1940
Type Comprehensive secondary school
Headteacher Mrs M.E. Tunnicliffe
Specialism Mathematics and Computing
Location Elliotts Lane
Codsall
Staffordshire
England
LEA Staffordshire County Council
Staff 100
Students 1300
Gender Co-educational
Ages 13 to 18
Website Official school website

Codsall Community High School is a school in Codsall, Staffordshire, England. In September 2004 it became the first to achieve specialist school status in Maths and Computing. It is a comprehensive school for pupils aged 13-18 in a large village in South Staffordshire, near Wolverhampton. A total of 1300 pupils (including more than 300 Sixth-Formers) attend the school.

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[edit] History

Codsall High School was opened in May 1940, taking 126 pupils aged 11 and over from the village's school by St Nicholas's Church. The school also took pupils from the neighbouring village of Bilbrook. After the war, the school expanded; by 1954, there were 728 children on the roll. An extension was opened in 1957, including the school's present Main Hall. A small swimming pool was constructed in the school's quadrangle in 1964; a roof was added in the 1970s.

The school became an 11-18 Comprehensive in 1969; at the same time, headteacher George Gibbs retired and was replaced by Ron Mitson. A further extension was built in the early 1970s, and the school's catchment area expanded to include the village of Pattingham, approximately six miles to the south-west.

Geoff Bate succeeded as headmaster in 1972, with over 1400 pupils in his charge. This number fell from 1976, when middle schools in Codsall and Bilbrook took pupils aged 11-13, but rose with the growth of the Perton development, about three miles to the south. Original plans for a high school in Perton were cancelled, and pupils travelled to Codsall. A community sports centre opened during the mid-1970s, refurbished using National Lottery money from 2003.

Mr Bate retired in 1994, replaced by Mr E. Liddy. A further extension was built around this time. The school's current head is Mrs M.E. Tunnicliffe, appointed in 2005.

[edit] Curriculum

Following the recognition of the school as a specialist in mathematics and computing, the school's focus shifted in the 2000s to the delivery of more ICT and computing courses, as well as vocational qualifications. However, Codsall High School offers a wide range of courses, and is the only comprehensive school in South Staffordshire still to offer classical subjects, including Classical Civilisation and Latin.

The school received negative local press in 2003 following anti-social behaviour by its pupils. The most widely reported cases were of pupils using the 535 bus service towards Wolverhampton vandalising the bus, assaulting the driver, and letting off fireworks on a bus.

[edit] Sources

  • The Story of Codsall and Bilbrook Schools, Codsall and Bilbrook History Society, 1993
  • Birmingham Post, 8 Nov 2003: p4, "Two pupils punished for firework on bus prank."

[edit] External links