Glossopdale Community College
| Motto | An Exciting Education Is On Your Horizon |
|---|---|
| Type | Community |
| Principal | Mr. Stephen Playford |
| Chair | J. Soboljew [1] |
| Specialism | Arts College[2] |
| Location |
Talbot Road Glossop Derbyshire SK13 7DR England  Coordinates: 53°26′56″N 1°56′58″W / 53.4490°N 1.9495°W |
| Local authority | Derbyshire |
| DfE URN | 112957 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 11–19 |
| Website | www.glossopdale.derbyshire.sch.uk |
Glossopdale Community College is a secondary school in Glossop, Derbyshire, England.
History
The school used to be the Glossop Grammar School from the 1920s, being on Talbot Road since 1959, becoming Glossop Comprehensive School in 1965 when it merged with West End Secondary Modern (on Sunlaws Street and Chadwick Street and opened in 1913 as Glossop Independent Council School). These are now sites of the same school.
In 1989, the former Hadfield Comprehensive School on Newshaw Lane in Hadfield (former Castle Secondary Modern school before 1971) merged with the Glossop School to form the Glossopdale School. The Chadwick Street site is next to the St Philip Howard RC School (Glossop's other secondary school) on St Mary's Road.
As Glossopdale Community College, the school was awarded Specialist Performing Arts College status in September 2005, and also International Schools Status in July 2010. It is a member of the Peak 11 Learning Federation.
Admissions
The school is spread over three sites; Hadfield, Glossop and Talbot House. The youngest students attend Hadfield site on Newshaw Lane, Hadfield. When the students move into Year 9 they move to Glossop Site on Talbot Road, Glossop. There is also a Sixth Form College in the historic 19th Century Talbot House, also situated on Talbot Road. The school was part of a successful pilot scheme, and subsequently offers C3 - a combined humanities curriculum - to Years 7 and 8. Glossopdale has also taken part in several teachers' television documentaries. Stephen Playford was appointed as the principal in 2008, replacing John Hart.[2]
Specialist School Status
In 2002 the school successfully applied to become a Specialist Arts College.
The Music Department
Glossopdale Community College has a Music Department, which reflects the school's status as a Performing Arts College. It has a large selection of bands as well as the choirs. There is an award-winning Big Band[citation needed], Wind Band, Brass Band, Samba Band, Flutz (a Flute ensemble) and Training Band. During the 1970s and 1980s particularly, Glossop School Brass Band were an internationally renowned band, producing several LPs and touring Europe and the United States.[3]
Glossopdale Community College has a choir - it is split over the Hadfield Site and Glossop Site. Over the years, the choirs have performed at festivals and won awards[citation needed], and also made appearances on BBC television series All the Small Things in 2008.
The Music Department take part in a number of concert tours abroad, the most recent of which being Paris, Salzburg, and Barcelona.
Academic Performance
The school was given an overall effectiveness rating of 3 (Satisfactory) in their most recent Ofsted inspection, which took place in January 2012.[1][4] In 2012, 58% of pupils gained 5 A*-C GCSE grades including English and Maths, a 20% improvement over 4 years. 87% of pupils achieved 5 A*-C grades.[5]
Alumni
As Glossop Grammar School
- Dame Vivienne Westwood, fashion designer
- Stuart Hall, TV and radio presenter - famous for It's a Knockout and his grandiose-style football commentaries.
- Michael Casey OBE, Chief Engineer Channel Tunnel Rail Link 1989-90
- James Hurst CBE, Engineer
- Sydney Hope, Conservative MP for Stalybridge and Hyde 1931-5