Schools in Worthing, West Sussex

Schools in Worthing are provided by West Sussex County Council and by a number of independent providers. Both non-denominational and Church of England maintained schools are organised along three tier lines, with students transferring from a first school at age 8 to a middle school, and then starting secondary school at age 12. This system was introduced in 1973 as part of a move to reorganise schools to provide comprehensive education across West Sussex.[1]

The local authority provides 22 primary schools (through a combination of first, middle and combined schools) and five secondary schools, alongside a primary and a secondary special school.

Contents

Maintained schools

Primary schools

Name Image Location/Coordinates Age Range Approximate Roll Notes
Bramber First School Broadwater
 4 - 8 160
Broadwater CE First & Middle School Broadwater
 4 - 12 500 An infants' school opened in 1817, expanding gradually by 1893 to include juniors. The current building opened in 1937, with the school becoming a first and middle school in 1974.[2]
Chesswood Middle School Worthing
 8 - 12 480 Original building opened in 1972.[3] Major fire caused closure, and new building opened 1992[4]
Downsbrook Middle School Broadwater
 8 - 12 460 Originally opened in the 1930s as junior mixed and infant school, the junior school only from 1939. Became Middle school in 1974.[3]
Durrington First School Durrington
 4 - 8 280 Opened in 1908 as Durrington mixed and infant council school. Became a separate first school in 1973.[3] Now run under joint headteacher with Durrington Middle School
Durrington Middle School Durrington
 8 - 12 400 Opened in 1908 as Durrington mixed and infant council school. Became a primary school, with new buildings opening in 1971, in preparation for change to First and Middle School in 1973.[5] Now run under joint headteacher with Durrington First School
Elm Grove First School Worthing
 4 - 8 240 Opened in 1905 as Elm Grove mixed and infant council school. Became a first school in 1977, feeding to West Park Middle[3]
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School Durrington
 4 - 11 200 Opened in 1973[3]
Field Place First School Durrington
 4 - 8 290 Current buildings in use from 1954, having previously been housed in a converted radar station on Palatine Road[3]
Goring-by-Sea CE First School Goring-by-Sea
 4 - 8 240 Opened in current buildings in 1961, replacing C of E school dating back to 1844[6]
Hawthorns First School Durrington
 4 - 8 140 Opened in 1977[3]
Heene CE First School Heene
 4 - 8 260 National school opened in Heene Road in 1886. Became First and Middle school in September 1973, with First School opening in new buildings on current site; middle school remained at Heene Road. Repeated delays in moving the middle school to the current site led to alternative options seeing middle school department closing in July 1986, and pupils and staff moving to Thomas A Becket Middle School.[7][8]
The Laurels First School Durrington
 4 - 8 140 Opened in 1987[9]
Lyndhurst First School Worthing
 4 - 8 320 Opened as Lyndhurst Road junior mixed and infant council school in 1936[3]
The Orchards Middle School Durrington
 8 - 12 590 Opened as Maybridge county junior mixed school in 1954, later becoming John Selden Junior School, then middle school.[3]
Palatine School Durrington
 3 - 11 90 Formerly all-age school for moderate learning difficulties, originally opened as George Pringle school for sub-normal children in 1951.[3] Became primary in 2005.[10]
Springfield First School Worthing
 4 - 8 180 Opened in 1992.[11]
St Mary's Catholic Primary School Heene
 4 - 11 260 Originally opened in the 1860s, was known between 1877 and 1929. Reopened as St Mary's in 1929 on current site.[3]
Thomas A Becket First School Tarring
 4 - 8 590 A school in Tarring dates back as far as 1732. By the late 19th century the Old Palace was in use as a school. The council took over the school in 1909 as an infant school with a junior department opening on the current site in 1964, the school now operating under its name of Thomas A Becket Primary School. The school became a combined first and middle in 1974, separating from its middle school department in 1985.[12]
Thomas A Becket Middle School Tarring
 8 - 12 760 Formed from the former middle school departments of Heene First and Thomas A Becket First in 1985.[13]
Vale First and Middle School Findon Valley
 4 - 12 610 Opened as The Vale county junior mixed and infant school in 1951, later becoming first and middle school.[3]
West Park CE First and Middle School Goring-by-Sea
 4 - 12 780 Opened as separate schools in 1952-53. Became first and middle schools respectively in 1974,[3] gaining controlled status in 1977 and merging in 1995.[14]
Whytemead First School Broadwater
 4 - 8 230 Opened in 1939 as infants school.[3]

Secondary schools

Name Image Location/Coordinates Age Range Approximate Roll Notes
Chatsmore Catholic High School Goring-by-Sea
 11 - 16 610 Opened as St Mary's Roman Catholic Secondary Modern School in 1957 Changed name in 1973.[3]
Davison CE High School for Girls Worthing
 11 - 16 1070 Opened for senior girls in 1927, following on from several schools taking the Davison name after local reverend William Davison. Became a secondary modern school in 1944, then comprehensive girls' school again in 1973, having moved to its current site in 1960.[3]
Durrington High School Durrington
 12 - 16 1360 Formed in 1974 from merger of Worthing Technical High School (formerly Worthing Junior Technical School for Building, opened 1949) and Worthing County Secondary Girls' School (formerly Sussex Road Board School, opened 1902).[3]
Oak Grove College Durrington
 11 - 19 240 Formerley Highdown All-Age Special School, became Wide-Spectrum Special School in 2005
St Andrew's High School for Boys Worthing
 11 - 16 730 Opened as a private mixed and infant school in 1897, becoming a senior boys' school in 1927. Acted as secondary modern school from 1944 to 1973, when it became comprehensive high school. Based at current site since 1965.[3]
Worthing High School Worthing
 12 - 16 900 Council school opened in 1914 on current site. Served as grammar school from 1944 to 1973, then becoming girls' comprehensive. Merged with Tarring Boys' School to form current comprehensive in early 1980s.[3]

Independent schools

Name Status Age Range Approximate Roll Notes
Broadwater Manor School Day prep school 3 - 13 240 Founded 1930
Our Lady of Sion School Day prep & senior school 2 - 19 510 Founded 1862

External links

References

  1. ^ Report and Recommendations on Reorganisation of Secondary Education. West Sussex County Council. 1966. 
  2. ^ T P Hudson (Ed) (1980). "Broadwater". A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 1: Bramber Rape (Southern Part). Victoria County History Series. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=18219#s7. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s T P Hudson (Ed) (1980). "Worthing:Education". A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 1: Bramber Rape (Southern Part). Victoria County History Series. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=18233. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
  4. ^ "Prospectus". Chesswood Middle School website. 2009. http://www.chesswood.w-sussex.sch.uk/facilities.html. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
  5. ^ Durrington County Primary School: Official opening of the new school by the mayor of Worthing. 1971. 
  6. ^ "School Prospectus" (PDF). Goring-by-Sea CE First School website. http://www.goring-by-sea.w-sussex.sch.uk/homedir/documents/MicrosoftWord-Prospectus20082009.pdf. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
  7. ^ T P Hudson (Ed) (1980). "Heene: Education". A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 1: Bramber Rape (Southern Part). Victoria County History Series. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=18221#s7. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
  8. ^ Huxley-Williams, Muriel G.. Heene Church of England School, Worthing, West Sussex; January 1886 to December 1985. 
  9. ^ "General Information". Laurels First School website. 2008. http://www.laurels.w-sussex.sch.uk/general.html. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
  10. ^ "Inspection Report: Palatine School". Ofsted. 2007. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_reports/display/(id)/81741. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
  11. ^ "Springfield First School". Springfield First School website. 2009. http://www.springfield.w-sussex.sch.uk/. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
  12. ^ T P Hudson (Ed) (1980). "West Tarring:Education". A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 1: Bramber Rape (Southern Part). Victoria County History Series. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=18267#s12. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
  13. ^ "Thomas A Becket Middle School website". http://www.thomasbecketmiddle.w-sussex.sch.uk. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
  14. ^ "The History of our School" (DOC). West Park First & Middle School website. 2009. http://learning.westpark.w-sussex.sch.uk/file.php/2/prospectus/Pg3_History_of_WPS.doc. Retrieved 2009-02-15.