Dame Alice Owen's School
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| Dame Alice Owen's School | |
| Established | 1613 |
| Type | voluntary aided comprehensive |
| Headteacher | Doctor A J Davison |
| Founder | Dame Alice Owen |
| Specialism | Languages |
| Location | Dugdale Hill Lane Potters Bar Hertfordshire EN6 2DU England  |
| LEA | Hertfordshire |
| Ofsted number | 117579 |
| Students | 1434 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 11 to 18 |
| Website | damealiceowens.herts.sch.uk |
| Coordinates: | |
Dame Alice Owen's School is a mixed voluntary aided secondary school in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England, founded in the London Borough of Islington. The trustees of the Dame Alice Owen Foundation are the Worshipful Company of Brewers. It is more commonly known as Owen's.
The school has above average performances in both GCSE and A-level external examinations.[1] The school is also partially selective by means of an entrance examination. 30% of places are offered for academic ability and 5% for musical ability, and 10% of places are reserved for children living in Islington. Students are drawn from a wide area and the school is heavily over-subscribed.[1]
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[edit] History
The school was founded in 1613 by Dame Alice Owen and has maintained many unique traditions from that time, such as the giving of a small amount of 'beer money' to every pupil[2] and the school's long standing close association with the brewing industry and the Worshipful Company of Brewers[3].
Having narrowly missed being struck by a wayward arrow earlier in her life, Dame Alice Owen interpreted this as a message from God and founded a school - originally for 30 boys - in Islington, London as thanks. Arrows feature prominently on the school's crest, which is in itself largely identical to the crest of the Worshipful Company of Brewers; other motifs include barrels and hops.
After the foundation of the boys' school, a girls' school was built over two and a half cenuries later in 1886, which eventually merged with the boys' school and in 1973 relocated to its current location in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.[4]. To this day, several roads on and around the site of the original school maintain names such as Owen Street, Owen's Row and Owen Court.
[edit] Beer Money
During their first year at the school, all pupils attend a formal Beer Money ceremony at The Brewers Hall in London where they receive a commemorative crown from The Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers.
Pupils in their later years of education complete the ceremony at the school itself, but still receive the money from The Master. Traditions dictate that during the ceremony, pupils must queue and approach The Master one at a time - pupils are told not to speak and that they should simply hold out their hand and nod when they have been given their money. It has been noted by many that by not thanking The Master, this ceremony is at odds with the school's polite and respectful ethos.
Pupils receive legal tender for Beer Money, with the amount depending on the pupil's age. Typically amounts vary from £1 for the most junior pupils, ranging to £5 for the more senior pupils. Senior prefects receive approximately £50 in recognition of their additional commitments beyond their own study.
[edit] Academic activity
The focus of the Head, Dr Alan Davison, is primarily on performance in public examinations. In 2005 the percentage of pupils achieving 5 higher grades at GCSE was 92%[1] and the pass rate at A-level was 99.3%.[citation needed] Almost all 18 years olds go on to university.[1] In 2005 22 students obtained a place at either Oxford or Cambridge.[1]
[edit] Extra-curricular activities
Extracurricular activities are encouraged at Owen's. The music department is one of the best in the area and many pupils play in the acclaimed school bands, orchestras and choirs as well as county music groups and in some cases the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. In recent years the pupils have organized popular and original music events based around more modern music in the Edward Guinness concert hall.
Foreign Languages play a prominent part in Owen's extracurricular activities. The school is (apparently) a specialist Language College and students are able to study either Italian or Japanese after school from Year 8 onwards during 'Twilight Lessons'. Pupils may also extend their GCSE 'Short Course' language qualification (in either French or Spanish) and they can also study German and French and Spanish to a 'Full Course' qualification by studying after school in Year 11. Other extracurricular languages taught at Owen's include Portuguese and Chinese.
Sport is important at Owen's and teaching is aided by superb facilities. Football is one of the school's strong points with teams participating in county and national competitions (The Year 9 team winning the national final in 2007).[citation needed] Cricket and athletics dominate in the summer months and the school often competes in District Sports, an athletics meeting held at the Gosling Stadium in Welwyn Garden City. Rugby is also popular with many boys and the first XV have for the past two years played in a floodlit festival, competing against other Hertfordshire schools at the ground of Hertford RFC. Hockey and Netball form the mainstay of girls PE but individual talent is also catered for in non-team sports such as tennis, swimming, cross-country running and even golf (an annual match between the governors and pupils and staff is organised). The school has also produced some England quality Badminton players.
There are also a number of popular lunchtime or after school clubs such as computer club, twilight classes and anime club.
[edit] School song (abridged version)
On many a well remembered field
Have Owen's fought and won,
At times we lose but never yield
Before the game is done
And as the years roll on and on
And players bid goodbye
Their comrades still in spirit don
The mantles they cast by
Then strive with a will Owenians
Success attend your play; your play
Never let your ardour cool
For the honour of the school
On Owens, to the fray!
[edit] References
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008) |
- ^ a b c d e Ofsted Inspection Report 2006
- ^ BBC - WW2 People's War - Some random memories of wartime Bedford - Part One - The Owen's School boys settle into Bedford
- ^ one of the City of London's premiere venues
- ^ 'Schools: Owen's School', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 1: Physique, Archaeology, Domesday, Ecclesiastical Organization, The Jews, Religious Houses, Education of Working Classes to 1870, Private Education from Sixteenth Century (1969), pp. 310-311. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22140. Date accessed: 13 February 2008.
