| Established | 1964 |
|---|---|
| Type | Foundation school Comprehensive school |
| Headteacher | Andrew Griffiths |
| Specialism | Sports |
| Location | Stickley Lane Lower Gornal, Dudley West Midlands DY3 2JH England |
| DfE URN | 103871 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | c. 1000 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Colours | Black Navy blue for sports |
| Website | www.ellowes.dudley.sch.uk |
Ellowes Hall Sports College is a comprehensive secondary school with Sports College status situated on Stickley Lane in Lower Gornal, Dudley, West Midlands, England.
It provides education for pupils aged 11 to 18 years, with the older pupils being sixth formers. The headteacher is Mr Andrew Griffiths, who was appointed in September 2004.
Contents |
It was built as a secondary modern school by Sedgley Urban District Council in 1964 near the Ellowes Hall stately home (which was demolished that year), to replace a smaller secondary school at nearby Redhall, but since 1966 has existed within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley.
In September 1972, the age of pupils starting the school was increased to 12 in order to comply with the LEA's decision to increase the secondary school starting age.
In September 1975, the school's status changed to comprehensive and a sixth form was added, making it a 12-18 school.
However, the school was reorganised to an 11-16 comprehensive in September 1990 as most of the remaining sixth forms in the Dudley borough were replaced with expanded facilities at further education colleges.
In September 1993, the school became grant-maintained, only to return to Dudley LEA's control in 1998. By this date, a new classroom block and library had been constructed, and the main hall had been refurbished. A performing arts block was opened in 1999.
Just after the school became grant maintained, the governors seized the opportunity to restore sixth form facilities to the school and the new sixth form opened in September 1995. [1]
In 2004, the school gained specialist sports status.
The headteacher is Mr Andrew Griffiths, a History teacher and former Deputy Headteacher. He was appointed headteacher in 2004, following the departure of Mr Stephen Byatt. Mr Byatt's predecessor was Mr Norman Smith, who had been at the school for some 20 years up to his retirement on medical grounds in 1999. He was a popular figure in the local community and his initials "N.R.S" are still marked on the school gates.
In 2008, Ellowes became the highest ranking of the three Sedgley secondary schools in GCSE examinations for the very first time when an impressive 63% of pupils finished their compulsory education with 5 or more grades at C or above including English and Mathematics. This placed Ellowes as the fifth highest of the Dudley borough's 21 secondary schools. [2] Its success continued in 2010 with 90% of students gaining 5 or more grades at C and above with 66% including English and Mathematics.
The school serves the villages of Lower Gornal and Gornal Wood, where the majority of the school's pupils live. A lesser number of pupils are from the Upper Gornal area, while some are from over the border in Dudley on the Milking Bank housing estate that was mostly developed during the 1980s.
Ellowes Hall is located on the Stickley Estate, which is predominantly made up of pre-war council housing built by Sedgley UDC, though many homes have been bought off the council under the right to buy scheme. The estate is situated just to the north-west of Lower Gornal village centre, and is approximately two miles from the centres of nearby towns Sedgley and Dudley.
The majority of pupils starting at Ellowes are former pupils of, Roberts Primary, Red Hall Primary, Straits Primary and Milking Bank Primary School, though a handful of pupils have been taken in from schools including Cotwall End and - until its closure in 2006 - Sycamore Green.
The latest Ofsted report in April 2008 praises the school as follows:
Ellowes Hall is a good school that is well placed to improve further. The school's mission statement sums up what this school is all about: raising achievement and aspirations through high expectations and by providing an all-round education. The school's leaders fulfil their mission in full. At the heart of this success is the very effective leadership provided by the headteacher. When he took over the school in 2004, he and the governors set out to really challenge the young people. They wanted to raise the sights of students, staff and parents as to what could be achieved, and to remove barriers, particularly the apathy to learning that had been hindering success. Good teaching, an effective curriculum and strong and effective leadership at all levels have led to results rising steeply, especially in Year 11. Students' aspirations have been lifted and it is now 'cool' to gain a qualification rather than not. The chair of governors now sees the hall packed with parents at consultation evenings rather than half empty suggesting that parents want to be involved in the learning process. Students say the school is a very different place from a few years ago. They are effusive in their praise of what staff do to ensure they succeed. One student summed up the views of the majority by saying, 'The school and the people in it help to make learning a really personal and positive experience.' Leaders are not frightened to take risks or innovate to raise standards and increase students' enjoyment. It is a school that learns from its mistakes as well as its successes. Data are used well to inform intervention and eradicate underachievement.
Students' achievement is good in the main school and satisfactory in the sixth form. There has been a remarkable increase of over 40% in the proportion of students achieving five or more GCSE grades or their equivalent since 2004. There has also been an impressive 30% rise in the numbers reaching this threshold, including English and mathematics, over the same period. The school received recognition for its excellent performance from the local MP in January 2008.
Senior leaders, middle managers and governors have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses because self-evaluation procedures are robust. Good use has been made of outside expertise to evaluate provision. Weaknesses in provision have been pursued with vigour and remedied. This approach has been particularly effective in raising standards and improving provision in English. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. Results have turned around; sixth form provision has markedly improved and teaching is much better. Morale in the school is high and there is a real sense of teamwork to achieve the school's aims. The headteacher has led from the front and has been ably supported by his deputy and chair of governors. Links with parents are strong and the school has gained an award for its work with them.
The school is known for its dramatic productions, such as Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver!, The Sound of Music, Les Misérables, and most recently Sweeney Todd.
Drama productions take place in the performing arts suite, which was built in 1999 at a cost of £200,000.