Chesham Grammar School

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Chesham Grammar School
Motto Be inspired
Established 1947
Type Academy Grammar School
Headmaster Philip Wayne
Specialism Humanities
Location White Hill
Chesham
Buckinghamshire
HP5 1BA
England Coordinates: 51°42′32″N 0°36′01″W / 51.70882°N 0.60022°W / 51.70882; -0.60022
DfE URN 137091 Tables
Ofsted Reports Pre-academy reports
Students 1200
Gender Co-educational
Ages 11–18
Colours Red, Black, White, Blue
Website www.cheshamgrammar.bucks.sch.uk

Chesham Grammar School is a co-educational grammar school on White Hill, Chesham, Buckinghamshire. There are about 1200 male and female students aged between eleven and eighteen, including nearly 350 in the sixth form. In 2007 the Department for Education awarded the school specialist school status as a Humanities College.[1] In August 2011 the school became an Academy.[2]

History

The school was founded in 1947 as the Chesham Technical School - a result of the Education Act 1944 which set up the tripartite arrangements of grammar, technical and secondary modern schools. The all-boys school was originally housed in only one building, which is now the sixth form block known as "Tringwood". In 1961, the school became known as Chesham Technical High School and during the 1960s, there was huge development in the area, and it became a co-educational grammar school. In 1970, the school changed its name to Chesham High School as it moved away from its technical roots. The name of the school changed to Chesham Grammar School on 7 May 2010. It is as a Grammar School that CGS has seen considerable expansion, improved results and has carved its niche as a co-educational selective school.

Headmasters

  • Sidney Chapman 1947-1966
  • Paddy Evans 1966-1967
  • Ken Stokes 1967-1992
  • Tim Andrew 1992-2007
  • Nigel Fox 2005-2006 (during Tim Andrew's sabbatical)
  • Philip Wayne 2007–present [3]

Over the last couple of decades, there has been major expansion of the school, including a new maths block, a textiles block, an art block, expansion of the English block, a new library, and a new drama/psychology block. There is now a new technology/art building built over what was A1, the main art room. A leisure centre has been added, where once a number of the old prefab buildings stood.

In 2011, GCSE level results were the best in the history of the school, with 60% of results being awarded at A*/A.[citation needed]

Admissions and school performance

Admission to the school is brokered through Buckinghamshire County Council, which operates a selective secondary education system throughout the county. Pupils have to achieve a mark of 121 or above in the 11+ examination to be eligible to attend the school, although some acquire a place via the appeals process.[4][5] The school's catchment area broadly covers the whole of Chiltern District area which includes the towns of Amersham, Chalfont St Giles, Chalfont St Peter and Chesham, and larger villages such as Great Missenden and Little Chalfont.[6] A proportion of its out-of-catchment-area intake also comes from Hertfordshire. As Chesham town is a terminus on the Metropolitan Line of the London Underground, pupils also travel in from North London.[7] The school's progress profile shows that these pupils perform at a comparatively similar level at GCSE and A level.[8]

Uniform

Students in years 7 - 11 wear a black blazer with the logo, a shirt, the school tie and the school skirt/trousers. A black jumper is also optional.

6th former's wear business styled clothes, of which most people wear suits.

Leaver destinations

On average, 95% of the students in Year 11 choose to stay at the school to continue into the sixth form.[citation needed]

The Prime Minister's Global Fellowship

The school has a good record of students attaining places on the prestigious Prime Minister's Global Fellowship programme. The school achieved its first student in the inaugural year of the programme, 2008, and in 2009 had 2 more successful applicants.[9]

References

  1. "Specialist Schools Home". Department for Children, Schools and Families. 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2007-08-07. 
  2. "Open academies map and schools submitting applications". Department for Education. Retrieved 15 August 2011. 
  3. Chesham High School 60th anniversary guide book, 2007
  4. School Admissions policy, Accessed 31 may 2013
  5. Bucks CC Admission arrangements for grammar Schools, Retrieved 31 May 2013
  6. Bucks CC School catchment Area, Retrieved 31 may 2013
  7. Chesham Grammar School iInformation on out of county admissions, Accessed 31 May 2013
  8. Chesham Grammar School statistics D of E website, Accessed 31 May 2013
  9. British Council website "Fellows" accessed November 10, 2009.

External links

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