Bramhall High School
| Established | 1967 |
|---|---|
| Type | Community school |
| Headteacher | Heather Cooper |
| Specialism | Science and Reed College of Enterprise |
| Location | Seal Road Stockport Greater Manchester SK7 2JT England |
| Local authority | Stockport |
| DfE number | ???/4038 |
| DfE URN | 106139 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Staff | 124 |
| Students | 1317 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Ages | 11–16 |
| Former name | Bramhall County Grammar School |
| Website | Bramhall High School Home Page |
Coordinates: 53°21′34″N 2°09′52″W / 53.35941°N 2.16458°W
Bramhall High School is a comprehensive high school in Bramhall, Stockport, England.
Contents |
[edit] Admissions
The school is a Science College and a Reed College of Enterprise. It is also a teacher training school in connection with Manchester Metropolitan University. It is situated in the east of Bramhall.
There are also a very wide range of extra curricular activities and the school has a long record of outstanding success in sport (with more than 50 school teams), music (with four bands and many ensembles), drama, public speaking and more.
Many students come from professional families and a good percentage of parents work in the media. As a result, the school has experienced more than its fair share of press attention.
In January 2011, a new headteacher - Heather Cooper - was appointed.
[edit] History
[edit] Grammar school
It opened as Bramhall County Grammar School on Seal Road in 1967 as a co-educational three-form entry grammar school.
[edit] Comprehensive
It became The Bramhall County High School in 1971 with a ten-form entry with a sixth form. New buildings were added to prepare for the comprehensive intake. Until April 1974 it was administered by Cheshire Education Committee. By 1973 it had a 12-form entry with around 1400 boys and girls. With the new LEA of Stockport, it became known as Bramhall High School in 1974. In 1975 it was a 9-form entry school with around 300 in the sixth form, and again was 12-form entry in 1980. Similar to Marple Hall School, the sixth form was closed in the early 1990s. There are no 11-18 schools in Stockport LEA.
[edit] Press
The school came under the spotlight in 2002, when they asked parents of pupils to pay £10 a month to help following cuts in funding from Stockport Education Authority under the Labour government.[1]
The school was initially criticized after the installation of unisex toilets in 2000, as a move to tackle bullying and smoking.[2][3] Subsequently, this development has become accepted Government policy, and the school features on the 'Bog Standard' website,[4] was selected as a case study in good design by the Design Council and in 2007 was the subject of a follow-up documentary for the BBC Breakfast Programme.[5]
The school also was the focus of critical news headlines after it introduced sniffer dogs to search the school premises for traces of illegal drugs.[6] Like the toilets, this too is now official Government policy and accepted practice in many secondary schools.
In March 2007, the school was in the news after banning traditional knotted ties from the school uniform and replacing them with clip-on ties. A spokesperson for the school later declared that the move to introduce clip-on ties was "more about student appearance than health and safety".[7]
[edit] OFSTED Report
In 2006 the school was inspected by the schools regulator, Ofsted. Much of the work of the school was rated as good or better, (outstanding Physical Education, Music, Drama, Technology) but the inspectors disagreed with some of the school's own assessment of standards, claiming that the school offered a satisfactory standard of education. In 2010, the school achieved its best ever results, with excellent attainment across the ability range and positive value-added at both KS3 and KS4. The latest OFSTED inspection took place during 2010, and the school was rated good overall.
[edit] Post-Bramhall Education
After Bramhall High, most students attend one of the local sixth form colleges: Aquinas College, Stockport, Cheadle And Marple Sixth Form College or Stockport College
[edit] Academic performance
The percentage of students gaining the top grades has reached the highest ever at 79.4%. The percentage achieving English, Maths and 5+ A* - C grades rose from last year's 65% to 66% (provisional with remarks pending). At the same time the average points score per student rose by 13 points. This measure indicates students gaining (on average) the equivalent of an extra A* each compared with similar students in 2004. A massive 80% of students achieved at least two C grades in Science, and 118 students achieved C or better in 3 separate sciences.[8]
[edit] Notable alumni
- Jo Blakeway, radio presenter
- Christine Bottomley, actress
- Richard Burden, Labour MP since 1992 for Birmingham Northfield
- Mark Chatterton, actor
- Tina Cullen, hockey player
- Lauren Drummond, actress
- Keith Fielding, rugby league footballer
- Yvette Fielding, TV presenter
- Esther Hall, TV actor
- James A. McGurk, DJ, music promoter[9]
- Graeme Smith, swimmer
- Hannah Whelan, Olympic gymnast[10]
- Helen Milligan, The Apprentice runner up 2011
- Harriet Mills, England rugby union International[11]
[edit] References
- Guardian, 29 January 1974, page 20
- ^ BBC News: School asks parents for £10 a month.
- ^ BBC News: School installs unisex toilet, September 7, 2000
- ^ BBC News: Head defends the school, September 8, 2000
- ^ "Information section - Case studies". Bog Standard. http://www.bog-standard.org/display_case_studies.aspx?id=6. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
- ^ "Programmes | Breakfast | Breakfast's series: Future School". BBC News. 2007-04-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/6583709.stm. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
- ^ BBC News: School fights, May 24, 1999
- ^ BBC News: School bans 'knotted ties' March 19, 2007
- ^ "“Stunning” GCSEs from Class of 200" (PDF). http://www.bramhallhigh.stockport.sch.uk/user/59/43860.pdf. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
- ^ "DJ Ras J (♪ DJ Ras J ) op Myspace". Myspace.com. http://www.myspace.com/soulcircle. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
- ^ "Bramhall High School | Homepage 2011". Bramhallhigh.stockport.sch.uk. http://www.bramhallhigh.stockport.sch.uk/. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
- ^ "Harriet Millar-Mills - Official RFU England Profile". Rfu.com. 2011-11-02. http://www.rfu.com/SquadsAndPlayers/WomensRugby/HarrietMillar-Mills.aspx. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
