Southchurch High School
Early History
originally opened as Southchurch Hall School in Ambleside Drive in 1904, after the newly formed Essex County Council Education Committee took control of schools in Southend-on-Sea from the former Prittlewell School Board after the Education Act 1902. The current building was built to the designs of the Southend-based architects, Burles and Harris, in 1910. It was separated into boys, girls, junior mixed and infants' departments, but in 1914 control of the school was returned to Southend Borough Council. In 1934, the under 11 aged pupils were moved out to either the new Thorpe Junior School or to the existing Brewery Road School (now Porters Grange), while Southchurch Hall School was renamed Southchurch Hall Schools for Girls and Boys. During World War II the school and its pupils were evacuated to Nottinghamshire.
Due to the growth in student numbers, the girls were moved to the former site of Southend High School for Girls in Boston Avenue in 1957 and given the new name of Dowsett High School for Girls. However Dowsett High School moved to the present site in Southchurch in 1966, where they continued to operate until 1981, when Southchurch Hall High School for Boys moved from Ambleside Drive to the same site, re-amalgamating back with the girls school and taking on the new name of Thorpe Bay High School. The former site in Ambleside Drive would become the home for Southend's Adult Education College in 1992.
From Thorpe Bay High to Futures Community School
Thorpe Bay High School was first put into special measures by OFSTED in 1999. In 2005, Southend Borough Council put forward plans to merge Prittlewell Technology College with Thorpe Bay High School. Prittlewell had been put into special measures in the summer of 2004 and the council wanted to try and improve the situation at both schools. The planned merger included operating a lower school from the Prittlewell site, and the upper school from the Southchurch premises. The plan did not materialise after a campaign by parents, and alternatives were sort.
In 2006, an alternative was found by the creation of a new trustee school by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Prospects College and the UK government to try and lift Thorpe Bay High School out of special measures. The school was rebranded as Futures Community College, and a new building was opened in 2010 with Prospects moving their Southend campus from Fairfax Drive to share the new building.
As of November 2013 the head teacher was Stuart Reynolds who replaced Stephen Capper who had been appointed for one year to prevent the school being placed in special measures by Ofsted following poor examination results in 2012. However the school returned to special measures in 2014 before coming out in 2016. As part of its rebuilding programme Futures closed its Sixth form in 2015, with PROCAT (the new name for Prospects College) moving out in 2016 to make room for further expansion of the school.
The return of Southchurch High School
In September 2016 the school renamed itself as Southchurch High School and became part of the Partnership Learning Academy trust.
The OFSTED inspection in March 2023 had seen the school return to special measures, which resulted in new headteacher Tracey Airoll being appointed. On the return visit in December 2023 the school was graded as Requires Improvement by OFSTED and so therefore again left special measures.
References
- ^ "Southchurch High School - Edubase2 - Department of Education". Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ Burrows, John William (1909). Southend-on-Sea and district: historical notes. pp. 138–145.
- ^ "Reference: E/E 84". Essex Record Office. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Chelmsford Avenue Almshouses conservation area", Southend-on-Sea City Council, accessed 22 November 2024.
- ^ "Reference: E/E 85". Essex Records Office. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Southend-on-Sea Borough Council (19 July 2005). Secondary School Reorganisation. Children and Lifelong Learning Scrutiny – Executive Councillor: Councillor Carr. A part 1 public agenda item.
- ^ "Thorpe Bay: U-turn likely on school's closure". Daily Gazette. 11 November 2005.
- ^ "Parents unite in opposition to schools merger". Daily Gazette. 15 August 2005.
- ^ "New head is named for Futures college - Evening Echo p.15 Nov 2006". Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "Trust schools projects revealed - bbc.co.uk p. 7 Sept 2006". Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "Kelly seeks common ground on schools reform - the guardian p.26 Jan 2006". Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "Futures Community College - FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects" (PDF). Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "Iconic Futures College has wow factor - Evening Echo 12 Oct 2010". Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ "Ofsted - Futures Community College". ofsted.gov.uk.
- ^ "Southend Secondary School out of special measures - Eveing Echo p.8 March 2016". Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "PROCAT to vacate Southend campus for more secondary school places - Evening Echo p.14 Jan 2016". Retrieved 5 December 2013.
- ^ "Looking to the Futures: Headteacher on why school's future lies with academy trust - Evening Echo p.27 May 2016". Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "Southchurch High School in race for Ofsted good rating". Evening Echo. 25 January 2024.
51°32′31″N 0°45′00″E / 51.54205°N 0.75009°E
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