The Westgate School
| Established | 1977 |
|---|---|
| Type | Community comprehensive with boarding school |
| Headteacher | Mr Paul Nicholson |
| Specialism | Science |
| Location | Cheriton Road Winchester Hampshire SO22 5AZ England |
| Local authority | Hampshire |
| DfE URN | 116407 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 1134 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 11–16 |
| Website | Westgate School |
Coordinates: 51°04′03″N 1°19′50″W / 51.0675°N 1.3306°W
The Westgate School is a comprehensive school in Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom. It has science specialist status.
Contents |
[edit] Admissions
Westgate is quite a large school with about 1,250 pupils. A large proportion of its pupils continue to Peter Symonds College which is only a few hundred metres away to the east. The school lies in the parish of St Paul, Winchester, towards Weeke.
[edit] Achievements
In recent years between 75 and 80% of 15-16 year olds have achieved five or more GCSE grades A* to C, 70-80% including Maths and English.[1] According to the BBC league tables, Westgate is one of Hampshire's top state schools.
[edit] Catchment area
Westgate has a large catchment covering Winchester and some of the surrounding villages. Unusually for a state comprehensive, Westgate also features a girls' boarding house, Rotherly. The Peter Symond's College also has boarding facilities.
[edit] History
The school was founded in the early 1900s as the Winchester County School for Girls, becoming Winchester County High School for Girls (WCHS) in 1936. By the 1970s it had 900 girls.
It had been a grammar school for girls only, until September 1973 when the first intake of comprehensive boys and girls entered the first year. At this point the school was renamed as The Westgate School. Many of the old grammar school teachers left in July 1974 to work in the neighbouring newly-established sixth form college, the former Peter Symonds boys' grammar school. The Deputy Head, Miss Barbara Taylor, was one who made the move, but the Headmistress, Miss Muriel Rowe, remained for several more years.
The last grammar school intake left in July 1977, leaving The Westgate School entirely comprehensive and co-ed from then on.
[edit] Current Staff
| Name | Occupation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mr Paul Nicholson | Headteacher | Formerly Deputy Head |
| Miss K. Marshall | Deputy Head | |
| Mr. P. Hurley | Deputy Head | |
| Mrs. C. Fyvie Rae | Year 7 Leader | |
| Mrs. Anne Merluk | Year 8 Leader | |
| Mr. C. Damant | Year 9 Leader | |
| Mr. J. Sambrook | Year 10 Leader | |
| Mrs. C. Haughton | Year 11 Leader | |
| Mrs. C. E. Baker | Subject Leader English | |
| Mr. A. Copland | Subject Leader Humanities | |
| Mr. V. Sharma | Subject Leader Science | |
| Ms. C. Rose | Subject Leader Maths | |
| Mr. P. Girling | Subject Leader Art | |
| Mrs. M-H. Smith | Subject Leader MFL | |
| Mr. D. Marshall | Subject Leader ICT | |
| Miss J. Squibb | Subject Leader Business Studies | |
| Ms. F. Dean | Subject Leader Media Studies | |
| Mr. P. Mills | Subject Leader Drama | |
| Mrs. J. Harris | Subject Leader Music |
[edit] Former pupils
- George Sorby (British actor)
- Andy Burrows (former drummer for the band Razorlight)
- Lucy Pinder (British model)
- Philippa Forrester (British TV presenter and co-producer)
[edit] Winchester County High School for Girls
- Gillian Ashmore, Chief Executive from 2001-2 of the Equal Opportunities Commission, and Regional Director from 1994-8 of the Government Office for South East England
- Diane Corner, High Commissioner to Tanzania since 2009
- Dame Myra Curtis, Principal from 1942-54 of Newnham College, Cambridge
- Julia Darling, novelist
- Jane Gray, classical music concert organiser
- Dame Julie Mellor, Chair from 1999-2005 of the Equal Opportunities Commission
- Alex Mitchell (née Beale, 1947–2010), former editor of Christian monthly magazine Third Way
- Winifred Moberly, Principal from 1919-28 of St Hilda's College, Oxford
- Marion Richardson, artist
- Prof Jocelyn Toynbee, Laurence Professor of Classical Archaeology from 1951-62 at the University of Cambridge
