The Hillcrest School
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| Hillcrest School and Community College | |
| Established | 1960 |
| Type | Comprehensive community school |
| Religious affiliation | Secular |
| Principal | April Garratt |
| Specialism | Arts CollegeTraining School |
| Location | Simms Lane Netherton Dudley West Midlands DY2 0PB England |
| LEA | Dudley |
| Ofsted number | 103863 |
| Students | 848 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Ages | 11 to 16 |
| Website | http://www.hillcrest.dudley.gov.uk/ |
The Hillcrest School and Community College is a secondary school located in Netherton, near Dudley, England.
The school was opened in about 1960 as one of two new secondary schools built in the expanding town. The other was Saltwells Secondary School. Both of these schools replaced a smaller pre-fabricated school in Halesowen Road which was known locally as "The Iron School". Saltwells in turn closed in 1986 to merge with an expanded Hillcrest, though it still does not have enough places to accommodate the town's entire secondary school age population. As a result, a significant number of pupils aged 11 to 16 living in Netherton have had to attend schools further afield including Heathfield Foundation Technology College in Cradley Heath and Castle High School in Dudley.
The school's current Principal is April Garratt who took over in Easter 2007. Prior to this the school was run by Dame Maureen Brennan, who became a Dame of the British Empire in December 2005 in recognition of her services to local education. She had been appointed as Principal of the school five years earlier, shortly after a damning OFSTED report which criticised the school for a catalogue of shortcomings, combined with a disappointing 17% of GCSE students attained 5 or more A-C grades. Standards have improved dramatically since Dame Brennan's arrival. Since Dame Brennan left, The school has failed, and is due to be closed down in the next year.
