Graveney School

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Graveney School
Motto Committed to Excellence
Established 1986
Type Comprehensive school
Religious affiliation Non-denominational
Principal Graham Stapleton
Chair of the Governors Dr J. Oppenheimer
Specialism Technology College
Location Welham Road
Tooting
London
SW17 9BU
EnglandFlag of England
LEA Wandsworth
Ofsted number 101058
Staff c. 200
Students c. 2000
Gender Mixed
Ages 11 to 19
Houses 3
School colours Black, yellow and blue
Headteacher Keith Barbrook
Website http://www.graveney.org/
Coordinates: 51°25′25″N 0°09′04″W / 51.4235, -0.151

Graveney School is a foundation specialist school with Technology College status[1] in the Furzedown area of Tooting, south west London. The Principal is Graham Stapleton and the Headteacher is Keith Barbrook. It teaches years 7 to 11 (ages 11 to 16), with nine classes per year averaging thirty students each. In 2007 there were 1915 pupils on the school roll, including 633 in the sixth form.[2] The school has a partially-selective admissions policy.[1]

At the beginning of 2008 Graveney was described in an Ofsted inspection report as:

"a good school with some outstanding features."[2]

Contents

[edit] History

Whilst Graveney School can trace its origins back to a school founded in the late 1660s by Sir Walter St John, 3rd Baronet, in Battersea, the modern Graveney was established in 1986 as an amalgamation of Ensham School (for girls) and Furzedown Secondary School (mixed). Furzedown was itself formed in 1977 as an amalgamation of Battersea Grammar School (for boys) and Rosa Bassett School (for girls).

Created as a standard comprehensive school under the control of the local education authority (initially the ILEA, later Wandsworth), a significant change occurred in 1991 when Graveney became a grant-maintained school,[3][4] giving far greater control to the school governors. Following the changes resulting from the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, which abolished grant-maintained status, the school preserved a degree of independence by electing to become a foundation school.

The school achieved Technology College status in 1995[1] and also moved to a partially-selective admissions policy in September of that year.[5][6] From the introduction of selection the school was permitted to choose up to 50% of pupils by ability, however this was reduced to 25% in 2000,[7] increased to 30% in 2001[8] and reduced back to 25% in 2004,[9] where it remains in 2008.[1]

[edit] Sixth Form

Graveney School also has a large sixth form college, offering a wide range of subjects to study at A-level (first AS level, followed by A2 level). The sixth form is open for application to both internal students (students that studied at Graveney School), and external candidates (students that received their secondary education elsewhere). The sixth form consists of two year groups, years 12 and 13 (lower sixth and upper sixth, respectively), in which year 12 covers AS level and year 13 covers A2 level. It is possible, however, to study an AS level during year 13. Furthermore, it is possible to retake AS level examinations during year 13, and students can also apply to retake a year.

The sixth form offers a range of subjects that were not available to take at GCSE level, such as Archeology, Critical Thinking, Film Studies, Government & Politics, Law, Further Mathematics, Media Studies, Philosophy, Photography and Psychology. Students can also retake GCSEs, or follow Open University enrichment courses. The sixth form has minimum entry requirements of 5 A*-Cs at GCSE level, and for a student to graduate from year 12 to year 13, they must have attained minimum grades of two Es at AS level.

Graveney sixth form does not have a uniform policy, however students must wear their ID card visibly at all times.

[edit] Site and buildings

Graveney initially operated on both the former Furzedown and Ensham sites, however the Ensham building was soon closed and the school now occupies what was Furzedown Secondary School on either side of Welham Road in Tooting, south west London.

The part of the site on the southern side of Welham Road is the former Rosa Bassett School, the main building of which was opened in 1913.[10] The larger area to the north of the road is the former Furzedown Training College (a teacher training college), which was opened in 1915.[11] The buildings surround a tree-lined campus and include Furzedown House, a Grade II-listed[12] Georgian house, built in 1794.[11][13]

The other main buildings are Red House, College House, Lower School, Upper Science, Lower Science, Jubilee Block (now demolished), the Tech block, an independent study centre and a large sports gym.

[edit] Headteachers and Principals

  • 1986–1989 John A. Phillips, BA (Oxon)[14]
  • 1989– Graham Stapleton, MA (now Principal)

John Phillips had been headmaster of both Battersea Grammar and Furzedown Secondary Schools prior to his appointment at Graveney.

Graveney now has a separate Principal and Headteacher (First Vice-Principal); the current headteacher is Keith Barbrook.[1]

[edit] House system

Graveney operates a system in years 7 to 9 whereby the students are divided into houses for inter-house competitions and other similar activities. The house names are linked to the three original schools that merged to form Graveney:

  • St. John's – named after Sir Walter St John, 3rd Baronet, who founded the school that became Battersea Grammar School; the house emblem, a gold falcon, is derived from the crest on Sir Walter's coat of arms.[15] Motto: Gloria Brevis, Honor Longus.
  • Rosa Bassett – named after Rosa Bassett, the first headmistress of Streatham County Secondary School, which became Rosa Bassett School. The house's motto, Honesta Obtinete, and the scarlet pimpernel emblem are both taken from those of Rosa Bassett School.
  • Ensham – named after Ensham school. Motto: Per Ardua Ad Alta.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e (2007) Graveney School [Prospectus] for September 2008. Graveney School. Retrieved on 2007-12-08. 
  2. ^ a b Wellham, Anne (2008). Graveney School Inspection Report. Ofsted. Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
  3. ^ Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 13 May 1991, columns 13–14
  4. ^ Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 16 December 1991, columns 28–29
  5. ^ (2000) R v. Peter Downes, ex parte Wandsworth London Borough Council, CO/4114/99 (RTF), London: Queen's Bench Division. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. 
  6. ^ Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 11 June 1996, column 126
  7. ^ Downes, Peter (1999). Determination, Case Reference(s): ADA/00048 and ADA/00018 (DOC), Office of the Schools Adjudicator. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. 
  8. ^ Webster, Tony (2000). Determination, Case reference: ADA00140 & ADA00145 (DOC), Office of the Schools Adjudicator. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. 
  9. ^ Newton, David (2004). Determination, Case reference: ADA/000359; ADA/000360; ADA/000362 (DOC), Office of the Schools Adjudicator. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. 
  10. ^ "From the Balham & Tooting News and Borough of Wandsworth Chronicle, August 21 1917" (November 1979). The Old Grammarian 8 (3): pp. 7–8. 
  11. ^ a b Gower, Graham. A History of Suburban Streatham. Ideal Homes: Suburbia in Focus. University of Greenwich. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  12. ^ Listing Reference LB/235. Wandsworth Borough Council. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  13. ^ Conservation and Design Group, Borough Planner's Service (2005). Conservation area character statements, 26: Streatham Park (PDF), Wandsworth Borough Council, p. 1. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. 
  14. ^ Poffley, M. F. (2002). Old Grammarians' Association; A summary history of the Association. Old Grammarians' Association. Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
  15. ^ Poffley, M. F. (2002). BGS Heraldry. Old Grammarians' Association. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.

[edit] External links

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