Wilsthorpe Community School
 | |
| Motto | "Be The Best You Can Be" |
|---|---|
| Type | Community Comprehensive |
| Headteacher | Mr J.Crofts |
| Location |
Derbyshire England Coordinates: 52°54′11″N 1°17′28″W / 52.903°N 1.291°W |
| Local authority | Derbyshire |
| Students | 1000 |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Infant School | Parklands |
| Junior School | Harrington |
| Sixth form | 100 |
| Website | Wilsthorpe Community School website |
Wilsthorpe Community School[1] is a secondary comprehensive school, in Long Eaton, Derbyshire.
History
It opened in 1954 as the Wilsthorpe Secondary Modern School. Neighbouring the school was the Parklands County Secondary Modern School, which became an infants school. During the Eighties it was known as Wilsthorpe Community School and still retains the 'community school' status.
The school gained Business and Enterprise status in 2005. It is currently piloting an Enterprise Award scheme in partnership with the local council, Erewash Borough Council.
The secondary school shares its site with Parklands Infants School and Harrington Junior School, allowing children to stay on the same site from their first year of school all the way to the Sixth Form of approximately 140 students. Also on the same site are Brackenfield Special School and English Martyrs RC Junior School.
Wilsthorpe, along with a number of 'primary partners', is involved in an Independent State School Partnership with nearby Trent College. 'ISSP' is a government-funded initiative.
Wilsthorpe was the first school in the UK to offer facilities for a community policeman on site in 2003.[2]
In 2009 the school opened a new catering facility and installed a new security barrier.
Film
The school was involved in the filming of Shane Meadows' film "This Is England" in 2005.[3] The school is the location for the opening/fight sequence in the film.
Wilsthorpe has gained a nationwide reputation for film-making in recent years, receiving commissions from various organisations, such as Chatsworth House, Derbyshire Constabulary and the National College for School Leadership, to make documentary and training films for them. In 2008, a group of students led 'break-out' sessions at the Tate Britain Education Conference at the Liverpool Tate.
Leadership and Facilities
A new headteacher started at the school in January 2008 when the previous head left to lead The Dukeries College.[4] The new headteacher is Jonathan Crofts, a former teacher at the school, who was Deputy Headteacher at Chellaston School prior to the appointment.
The school has a floodlit astro-turf pitch, named the Bainbridge Astro in memory of a former Head of Sport and Recreation, John Bainbridge.
The Enterprise Centre was opened by Stoker Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire, in May 2008.
Academic performance
The school's performance at GCSE has been rapidly improving over recent years, having risen by 44% over the past three years, and is the most improved school in Derbyshire (measured over one, two or three years). In 2010 it achieved the best GCSE results in the Derbyshire Local Authority area (91% of students got 5 or more A* - C grades) whilst 59% of students achieved 5 or more A* - C grades including Maths and English. In both these statistics the school achieved the 'best ever' for local schools. Wilsthorpe is part of the Erewash Learning Community and collaborates locally in the Long Eaton Area Partnership (LEAP), with the nearby Friesland and Long Eaton Schools, which enables them collectively to offer a wide range of courses at 1.
Notable former staff and pupils
- Sir Brian Smedley, Judge, taught here briefly in 1957[5]
- Allan Baker, Wilsthorpe's head was awarded a CBE in the 1977 Queen's Birthday honours for "services to education".
- Ian Dunn, stage, film and TV actor
- Lucy Kite, TV presenter
- Mark Draper, former professional footballer (Aston Villa, Southampton, England U-21)
- Lewis McGugan, professional footballer (currently with Sheffield Wednesday)
- Dan Wheeldon, cricketer[6]
References
- ↑ Wilsthorpe site accessed November 17, 2009
- ↑ School gets own policeman, 14 April 2003 accessed 8 December 2007
- ↑ BBC News report 12 September 2005
- ↑ Dukeries College and Complex accessed 8 December 2007
- ↑ Sir Brian Smedley Obituary The Times, May 10th 2007, accessed August 14th 2007
- ↑ "Player profile: Dan Wheeldon". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 July 2011.