Great Barr School

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Great Barr School
Headteacher Kate Abbott
Specialism Science College
Location Alridge Road
Birmingham
West Midlands
B44 8NU
England
Students 2,400
Gender Coeducational
Ages 11 to 19
Houses Dudley, Warwick, Kenilworth, Ludlow
School colours Black and Green
Website Great Barr School Website

Great Barr School is a co-educational secondary school on Aldridge Road in Great Barr, Birmingham, England for children aged 11 to 19. The school is usually the next level for children who attended Great Barr Primary School on the same area site.

Contents

[edit] History

The school was officially opened by the Rt. Hon. D Rogers on September 24, 1957 as Great Barr Comprehensive School. The school had opened in September 1955 with thirteen forms of 11 year old boys and girls and 715 pupils between the ages of 12 and 15, who were transferred from the Aldridge Road Boys and Girls Modern Schools which ceased to exist at that time. Mr Oswald Beynon MA was the first headmaster.

The modern schools building had been incorporated into the comprehensive school and became the Lower School, with new buildings comprising the Middle and Upper Schools. The Lower school compromises of the English, History and Geography departments, with some Science and Technology rooms. The middle school is mainly made up of Technology rooms and the schools main library. The Upper School is primarily Science, Art, Religious Education, Personal Exercise and Modern Foreign Languages.

One of the school's most famous previous employees is Dame Maureen Brennan, who is known for the turn-around of Hillcrest School and Community College in Netherton, West Midlands.

[edit] Sixth Form Centre

Adjacent to the main school is the Sixth Form Centre. The sixth form centre acts as a college and form of higher education after leaving the last year, year 11. It provides its students with a two year course, first contains AS level study and the second year contains A2 level. Most students choose to enter the Sixth form after their last year, as it provides many different courses including Media Studies, Business Studies, Further I.T, Higher Musical Courses, Higher Science, Law, Psychology and many others. The main focus of the Sixth Form Centre is the library called the O.L.C (Open Learning Centre), the centre also contains many class rooms and space for students to study. The centre also contains a specialist Law Room that is made to look like a 'mock-up' court.

[edit] New Phase

In 2005, the school was designated as a Specialist Science and Mathematics College due the tireless work of the schools then head of science Dr Stuart Adams. The school also gained a new specialist science building.

On Thursday 24th November 2005 the schools new state-of-the-art music block was opened by former head teacher, Brian Sherratt O.B.E. It is hoped that the four new classrooms, six sound-proof practice rooms and a high-tech recording studio will encourage even more students to take up music whilst giving the current musicians a more pleasant environment to perform. The date also marked the formal retirement of Dr Sherratt after 21 years at the school. The schools high standards are often attributed to Dr Sherratts own high level of standards.

[edit] Current

The school's current head teacher is Kate Abbott.

Currently the school is the largest single-site school in the country with over 2,400 pupils on roll.

[edit] Alumni

[edit] References

  • E L Russell, Great Barr Comprehensive School Official Opening, City of Birmingham Education Committee, Birmingham 1957

[edit] External links

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