| Motto | Strenuis Ardua Cedunt - Difficulties Yield To Diligence or Hard Work Conquers All |
|---|---|
| Established | 1894 |
| Type | Comprehensive community school |
| Religion | Secular |
| Headmaster | Andrew James Linnell |
| Chair of Governors | Mrs Joy Jones |
| Founder | A.E. Brooks |
| Specialism | Language College |
| Location | Shoppenhangers Road Maidenhead Berkshire SL6 2QB England |
| Local authority | Windsor and Maidenhead |
| DfE URN | 110099 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 1,087 |
| Gender | Boys with mixed Sixth form |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Dickens, Constable, Brunel and Elgar |
| Colours | Purple and Gold |
| Website | www.desborough.org.uk |
Desborough School is a comprehensive school on Shoppenhangers Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. Until 2009 it was solely an all boys school; however, the Sixth form has since become co-educational. It was founded as Maidenhead County Grammar school in 1894 under its first Headmaster Mr A. E. Brooks. In the 1970s due to reform in the Royal Borough that stated all schools must convert to comprehensive status, it changed its name to Desborough school after Lord Desborough, a prominent Maideonian. Its current Headmaster is Mr. Andrew Linnell.
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The school was founded as Maidenhead County Boys School in 1894. In September 1973 it converted to comprehensive schooling. The school is the subject of a book, 100 and not out, written by David Evans, a history and RE teacher, to celebrate the centenary of Desborough School.
During the 1990s Desborough School became a grant-maintained school providing it with increased funding and a greater degree of autonomy. The passing of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 abolished grant-maintained schools and Desborough reverted to LEA control.
In 2003, the school won Language College status. Additional languages are offered as extra curricular subjects. Japanese is now taught on Tuesdays after school.
A major renovation of the historic main school building was completed in 2006. This upgrade saw a new library and staff room, more classrooms and the removal of the school reception to the old music house. A new music department has been built in the place of the old temporary buildings.
The latest Ofsted inspection rated the school as "outstanding".[1]
There are four school houses in Desborough which relate to important figures in British history, each with its own colour:
On their arrival at Desborough, every new boy is placed into a house where they can compete in various areas such as sporting events or other extra curricular activities. At the end of every major term an end of term assembly is held where the houses' points are collated from competing in various areas such as chess, rugby, hockey, and so on and then the house with the highest amount of points is awarded with a trophy for the period of the next term. The colour of each house is displayed on the students tie with a series of stripes and on their house polo shirts as the primary colour.
Notable alumni include:
Recently Toby Anstis visited the school to take part in the BBC school report.[3]
The current headmaster is Andrew Linnell, the former head of Reading School who took over in 2005 from David Eyre who moved to Brighton Hill Community College[4] at Basingstoke. The mentioned names are just two of the contemporary Headmasters of Desborough. With its history of over 100 years it has seen many Headmasters with varying characteristics, styles, and quirks. The original Headmaster of Desborough School was A. E. Brooks, the namesake of the Brooks building which houses the Modern Foreign Language College and the Geography department.
The school is managed by a group known as the senior management team which is made up of the four Deputy and Assistant Headteachers who all have their key areas of expertise. Each of them takes on their own role such as discipline, curriculum, the language college and student welfare. However, should problems arise in the school such as class disruption, fights or any other form of anti-social behaviour the nearest possible member of the team will be called upon to put an end to it.
Desborough school's sixth form is led by the head of key stage 5 education, Wayne Stewart, as well as two Heads of Year, Helen Duncombe and Julia Barry. The sixth form facilities include a private section of the library, accompanied by a large selection of specialist books, three private computer suites and a quiet study room. There is a strong community spirit between the sixth form, consolidated by the Head Boy and his four Deputies who partake in community service, in and out of school and try to liase between the sixth form, the staff and the rest of the school.
The school has joined the consortium program along with Altwood, Cox Green and Newlands School and Furze Platt senior school in 2003. The consortium allows sixth form students to take a subject which is not offered at their school and study it at another school. Subjects such as geology and politics are among the subjects that Desborough offers to the other schools. Transport is provided between schools.
Desborough sixth form now offers full time places to female students, thus making it a mixed sixth form. The idea was introduced after many females from the consortium said that it would be a great place to learn.
As part of the wide choice of options available when a year 9 student makes his decision on what to study for his GCSE course over the next two years, Desborough has outlined options for students who prefer a more practical type of course or one that will stand them in good stead should they decide to go into public services. As a school it is not possible for it to provide such courses within it so it has made links with the Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA), which provides the desired courses for them along with transport to and from the institutions twice a week. Examples of these courses include sports coaching, construction, public services and others. Students who elect to take a course at the BCA can only do that one off campus subject a week with their remaining two options taken at Desborough from the selection of 'in-house' subjects.
