Beths Grammar School
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| Beths Grammar School | |
|---|---|
| File:BethsGrammarSchoolLogo.png | |
| Address | |
 | |
Hartford Road , , DA5 1NE England | |
| Information | |
| Type | Grammar School; Academy |
| Established | 1945 |
| Department for Education URN | 136334 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Head teacher | Dr Christopher Maxim |
| Gender | Boys Co-educational (16+) |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrollment | 1,300 pupils |
| Houses | Abbey Brampton Cray Eardley Hurst Wickham |
| Colour(s) | Royal Blue |
| Website | http://www.beths.bexley.sch.uk/ |
Beths Grammar School, commonly known as Beths, is an all-boys grammar school with academy status in Bexley, south east London, England. Pupils are admitted from the age of 11, with girls joining the sixth form in Year 12. Since becoming a grammar school in 1976, it has consistently performed well within the borough, typically attaining more than 95% A*-C grades at GCSE.[1]
History
The school was founded in 1945 as Erith Technical School, Holly Hill Road: Principal E. Alec Wolf. Specialising in technical subjects such as Mechanical Engineering, Building Construction and Academic. The buildings (Opposite the Seamans Home) were shared with the then Erith Grammar School. To facilitate the school's expansion in 1960-61, it was moved to its current site near Bexley village, and its name was changed to Bexley/Erith Technical School to reflect its new location. A few years later, this was expanded to Bexley/Erith Technical High School for Boys; the name it maintained for several decades and giving rise to the school's common name, BETHS or B.E.T.H.S. The school was later granted grammar school status,[2] and became known as BETHS Grammar School for Boys until the most recent change to Beths Grammar School, in which all pupils were notified through an assembly.
In 1995, the school was awarded DfES Technology College specialist status,[2] which provided extra funding for Design and Technology, ICT, Science and Mathematics. In 1998 the school won the School Sports Award, recognising the achievement of the school in Rugby and Football, the two main school sports, and others.
The former headmaster, James Skinner joined the school in 2002 and has overseen the school's most rapid period of expansion and development. In 2006, the school gained an additional specialism as a Modern Foreign Languages College.[3] Chinese Mandarin and Spanish are now taught at different levels throughout the school, in addition to French and German.
Uniform
For pupils in years 7-11:
- Navy blue double-breasted blazer with Beths crest
- Plain white shirt (buttoned)
- Black or grey trousers
- House coloured tie; diagonally striped
- Optional Navy blue, black or grey jumper
School colours
Colours are awarded to pupils who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to extra-curricular activities. Traditionally, this was boys who competed in several school teams (such as Football, Rugby or Hockey) and show continued commitment. This was extended to include music and other areas of commitment by previous headteacher John Tobin who considered restricting colours to sporting achievement only was unfair.
The reward is realised as the school crest emblazoned with a gold 'COLOURS' banner, presented as either a badge, to replace the plain crest on the school blazer, or embroidered on a plain royal blue tie for sixth-formers.
Notable former pupils
- Steve Backley - Former Olympic athlete - javelin
- Graham Kersey - Former county cricketer
- Rob Knox - Actor - Notably was featured in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Neal Lawson - Political commentator and Chairman of Compass
- Sam Evans - Rugby Player for London Irish
- Bradley Dack - Footballer playing for Gillingham F.C.
See also
References
- ^ "League Tables - Beths Grammar School". BBC News. 2006-01-19.
- ^ a b OFSTED (2002). "OFSTED Inspection Report" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-09-08.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) [dead link] - ^ "Beths Celebrates Triple Success". Bexley Council. 2006-01-31. Archived from the original on 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2006-09-09.