Cotwall End Primary School

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Cotwall End Primary School
Established 1962
Head teacher Mrs Nicole Anderton
Location Cotwall End Road
Sedgley
West Midlands
DY3 3YG
England
LEA Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
Ofsted number 103810
Students 420
Gender Mixed
Ages 3 to 11
Website School website

Cotwall End Primary School is a primary school for boys and girls in Sedgley, West Midlands, England. There are approximately 420 pupils on the school roll, and the school's current head teacher is Mrs Nicole Anderton.

Contents

[edit] History

Cotwall End was built by Sedgley Urban District Council in 1962 as a one-form entry infant and junior school. In 1971, following the completion of a new infants school building, Cotwall End became a two-form entry school with a First School and a Middle School. The two schools merged in 1981 to form a single primary school. The school had a nursery unit which was built during the 1960s, but became part of the junior school in 1975 when Dudley MBC (which the Sedgley area had become part of in 1966) increased the area's primary school leaving age from 11 to 12. When the primary school leaving age was reverted to 11 in 1990, the building was used by a local playgroup. The playgroup disbanded in December 2000 and the building was demolished the following year.

Mr Ken Thomas was appointed head teacher in January 1978 and remained in his post until he retired in April 2003. He was a successful leader and a popular, well-respected figure in the local community, who brought the best out of many pupils and teachers.

Five teachers who worked under Thomas went on to be head teachers at other schools; these were deputy head teachers Eric Tibble, David Cox, Adrian Slack and Leonard Hazelhurst, and class teacher Ann Mason.

The nursery unit was demolished in April 2001, four months after the local playgroup closed. This was due in part to an education authority reorganisation and to the poor state of the buildings.[1]

The school has been served by a schoolhouse since about 1970; this has always been occupied by the school caretaker. For more than 10 years until 1999, the occupants were caretaker Mr Alfred Taylor and crossing lady Mrs Jean Taylor and their three children. Jean is the cousin of footballers Peter and Cyril Knowles. The current occupant of the schoolhouse is Mr Martin Waldron, school caretaker since 2000.

Teaching Assistant Karen Pearce is the wife of former Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers footballer Dennis Pearce.

A full-time nursery opened in September 2007. For the previous 13 years, the school had been served by a twice-weekly pre-school club called "Cotty Kitten", which was open to pupils in their final term prior to compulsory education.

[edit] Timeline

[edit] 1960s

  • September 1962: Cotwall End Infant and Junior Schools opened within one building as one-form entry.

[edit] 1970s

  • September 1971: Cotwall End becomes two-form entry following the opening of an infant school.
  • September 1975: Cotwall End gains two extra junior classes following the local authority's decision to rise the primary school leaving age from 11 to 12; the school's oldest pupils are taught in the former nursery school building on the junior school playground.
  • December 1977: Clifford Whitehouse retires as head teacher and is replaced by Ken Thomas.

[edit] 1980s

  • September 1981: Cotwall End merges into a single primary school.
  • October 1986: Clifford Whitehouse dies aged 73.

[edit] 1990s

  • September 1990: The local authority lowers the primary school leaving age from 12 to 11, and the redundant two classrooms become part of a local playgroup.
  • September 1994: "Cotty Kitten", a twice-weekly pre-school club, is set up to accommodate pupils in the term preceding full-time school.
  • April 1999: A new school library is opened in the junior school.

[edit] 2000s

  • September 2000: A new nursery unit is constructed in the infant school.
  • April 2001: Two former classrooms on the junior school playground are demolished.
  • April 2003: Ken Thomas retires after 26 years as head teacher and is replaced by Mrs Nicole Anderton.
  • October 2004: Two new "annexe" classrooms are added to the junior school.
  • June 2005: Mrs Diane Morgan, former infant school teacher, dies of cancer aged 66.
  • October 2006: OFSTED removes the 'notice to improve' on Cotwall End and praises its rising standards.
  • September 2007: Cotwall End Nursery Unit is opened.

[edit] Academic standards

The school has a fairly broad curriculum, including English, mathematics, science, geography, history, information technology, physical education, music (including instrumental music), and religious education.

In 2005, an OFSTED inspection of the school found that the overall effectiveness of the school, and in particular progress in English, mathematics, and science was inadequate, particularly in Years 3 through 6. The school was given a Notice to Improve. The school's strengths include physical education, art, and music.

However, in October 2006 Ofsted said that it was a "a satisfactory and improving school" and praised the efforts of Anderton.[2]

The school regularly comes in the upper section of the Dudley borough's Key Stage 2 SATs league tables.

[edit] Extracurricular activities

The school operates several extracurricular activities. These include sports such as football, basketball, and cross-country running, and musical activities like orchestra and choir. There is also an after school club.

The school is represented by separate football teams for boys and girls. The boys football team is the longest established, and has enjoyed consistent success in local competitions which include several league championships.

In spring 2005 the children worked with resident artist Ilona Bryan to produce a spectacular mosaic based around exotic birds.[3]

[edit] Notable teachers

  • Jon Turley, children's author, taught at Cotwall End from 1996 to 1999. He taught in the junior part of the school and was in charge of the school football team, who were joint winners of the local league in 1998 and runners-up the previous year.[4]

[edit] Notable alumni

  • Chris Marsh, footballer, who played more than 400 games for Walsall Football Club between 1987 and 2002, attended Cotwall End from January 1975 until July 1982.

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Go-ahead for nursery unit demolition. Stourbridge News (2001-01-09).
  2. ^ Praise for head over standards. Birmingham Mail (2006-10-26).
  3. ^ Corner of paradise in Cotwell End. Black Country Newspapers (2005-06-02).
  4. ^ Tell me a story. Black Country Newspapers (2004-03-11). Retrieved on 2007-12-25.

[edit] External links