Astley Cooper School
Encyclopedia
The Astley Cooper School is an 11-18 comprehensive school
on the edge of Hemel Hempstead
in Hertfordshire
. It was established in 1984 following a merger of two local schools, Grove Hill School and Highfield School. It occupies the former Grove Hill site on St Agnells Lane. The former Highfield site, on Fletcher Way, was redeveloped for housing. The school primarily serves the Grovehill
, Woodhall Farm
and Highfield
neighbourhoods of Hemel Hempstead.
The school is named after Sir Astley Cooper
, an English surgeon
and anatomist. The school celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007.
The school works in consortium with two neighbouring schools, Adeyfield
and Longdean
, to enhance post-16 provision. Staff development and well-being is also coordinated at consortium level. The consortium is known as the East Dacorum Partnership.
The current headteacher is Edward Gaynor. Stuart Plunkett is the current deputy-head.
The school motto and mission statement is "Prepared for Learning, Prepared for Life".
status for the arts
and has been awarded Artsmark
Gold by Arts Council England
. The school is a member of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
.
The school has also been awarded the Sportsmark
by Sport England
as a reward for delivery of the national PE, School Sports and Club Links Strategy. The school has implemented the Football Association
's Charter Standard for Schools for football development.
The school has been recognised by Investors in People
.
suites, workshops, a food technology kitchen and a well-stocked and resourced library. Most teaching rooms are equipped with an interactive whiteboard
which has greatly benefited teaching and learning.
The award of Arts College status and its associated funding has allowed the school to greatly improve facilities to enhance students' learning. These new facilities include a high-specification iMac
suite and newly equipped art studios, a high-quality dance studio and a new drama studio. The sound capabilities of the main auditorium have been improved allowing it to be used for concerts and shows. The school has also developed art workshops with emerging artist Jane Hodgson centered around the theme of arts and ecology.
The school also boasts a digital recording studio, photography suite, Zen garden, organic vegetable allotment and a post-16 independent learning area. The school has ample playing fields and sport facilities consist of a well-proportioned gymnasium, basketball courts, a fitness suite and a swimming pool. All of these facilities are available for use as teaching spaces and for student and community use. The school participates in the Dacorum Sports Partnership, an umbrella organisation for sports organisations in Dacorum
.The facilities have been used by local sports clubs including Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club
.
qualifications. Participation in a wider consortium allows students to have access to a wide range of post-16 learning opportunities such as AS Level
and A Level courses, GNVQ courses and vocational courses.
The school prides itself on its caring approach to education where student wellbeing is supported by a well-structured pastoral support system and a dedicated additional learning needs team.
The school's extracurricular opportunities allow most of the students to be able to participate in art, music, drama, dance and creative writing clubs alongside many sporting activities....
in September 2008, it consists of a black blazer
with the school logo, a white shirt worn with a burgundy and light blue necktie
and black trousers. Black shoes must be worn with the uniform, trainers are not permitted. Students in years 10 and 11 may continue to wear the previous uniform, which includes a burgundy school sweatshirt and white polo shirt. Optional uniform items are also available including a burgundy rain coat, sports polo shirt, specific sports strips and tracksuits. Uniform items are only available directly from the school.
) and special workshops for English gifted and talented students. The aims of the sessions are to encourage young people, both at the school and in the wider community, to read more and to become engaged in creative writing. Students and members of the public are given opportunities to question the authors and to receive critiques of their works.
Authors who have taken part in the Visiting Authors Initiative include:
The visit by Joanne Harris was featured as an article in the Times Educational Supplement
.
The school was the first in Hertfordshire to install energy saving wind turbines. They will generate around 13,500 kWh of electricity every year and cut the buildings’ carbon emissions by nearly six tonnes each year. Over the 25 year life of the turbines, they will displace 150 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The school has also invested in a web-based monitoring system that will show students how much energy the turbines are generating, along with data on the amount of carbon dioxide being offset.
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
on the edge of Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. It was established in 1984 following a merger of two local schools, Grove Hill School and Highfield School. It occupies the former Grove Hill site on St Agnells Lane. The former Highfield site, on Fletcher Way, was redeveloped for housing. The school primarily serves the Grovehill
Grovehill
Grovehill is an area of Hemel Hempstead, it comprises two distinct developments. 'Precinct A' laid out and developed by the New Town Commission in 1967/8 and from the beginning a mixture of private and rented housing specifically intended to accommodate families of migrating management and...
, Woodhall Farm
Woodhall Farm
Woodhall Farm is a neighbourhood on the northern tip of Hemel Hempstead in the county of Hertfordshire. It was built on the former Brocks Fireworks site....
and Highfield
Highfield, Hertfordshire
Highfield is a neighborhood district in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. It was constructed on a green field site as part of the construction of the postwar newtown expansion of Hemel Hempstead. It is located north of the old town centre...
neighbourhoods of Hemel Hempstead.
The school is named after Sir Astley Cooper
Astley Cooper
Sir Astley Paston Cooper, 1st Baronet was an English surgeon and anatomist, who made historical contributions to otology, vascular surgery, the anatomy and pathology of the mammary glands and testicles, and the pathology and surgery of hernia.-Life:Cooper was born at Brooke Hall in Brooke, Norfolk...
, an English surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
and anatomist. The school celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007.
The school works in consortium with two neighbouring schools, Adeyfield
Adeyfield School
Adeyfield School is an 11-18 secondary school in Adeyfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The school has specialist status as a Business and Enterprise College...
and Longdean
Longdean School
Longdean School is a academy in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The academy has specialist status as a Maths and Computing College.-Grammar school:Originally called Apsley Grammar School, it began as a state grammar school in Hemel Hempstead...
, to enhance post-16 provision. Staff development and well-being is also coordinated at consortium level. The consortium is known as the East Dacorum Partnership.
The current headteacher is Edward Gaynor. Stuart Plunkett is the current deputy-head.
The school motto and mission statement is "Prepared for Learning, Prepared for Life".
Achievements and recognition
The school was awarded specialist schoolSpecialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
status for the arts
Arts College
Arts Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, the performing, visual and/or media arts...
and has been awarded Artsmark
Artsmark
Artsmark is a national award scheme managed by Arts Council England. The scheme, that is open to all schools in England, recognises schools with a high level of provision in the arts.There are three levels of award:* Artsmark Gold* Artsmark Silver...
Gold by Arts Council England
Arts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
. The school is a member of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust is an independent, not-for-profit, membership organisation with headquarters in the United Kingdom, dedicated to raising standards and achievement in secondary schools in England and internationally...
.
The school has also been awarded the Sportsmark
Sportsmark
Sportsmark is Sport England's accreditation scheme for secondary schools. The scheme recognises a school's out of hours sports provision.Sportsmark awards are given to secondary schools for provision for sport and physical education. They are currently being reviewed along with Activemark awards...
by Sport England
Sport England
Sport England is the brand name for the English Sports Council and is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a reward for delivery of the national PE, School Sports and Club Links Strategy. The school has implemented the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
's Charter Standard for Schools for football development.
The school has been recognised by Investors in People
Investors in People
Launched in 1991 Investors in People is a business improvement tool administered by UK Commission for Employment and Skills and supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ....
.
Site and facilities
The school occupies an extensive site in the Grovehill area of Hemel Hempstead. The school has well-maintained and equipped teaching rooms including laboratories, ICTInformation and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
suites, workshops, a food technology kitchen and a well-stocked and resourced library. Most teaching rooms are equipped with an interactive whiteboard
Interactive whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
which has greatly benefited teaching and learning.
IMac
The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
suite and newly equipped art studios, a high-quality dance studio and a new drama studio. The sound capabilities of the main auditorium have been improved allowing it to be used for concerts and shows. The school has also developed art workshops with emerging artist Jane Hodgson centered around the theme of arts and ecology.
The school also boasts a digital recording studio, photography suite, Zen garden, organic vegetable allotment and a post-16 independent learning area. The school has ample playing fields and sport facilities consist of a well-proportioned gymnasium, basketball courts, a fitness suite and a swimming pool. All of these facilities are available for use as teaching spaces and for student and community use. The school participates in the Dacorum Sports Partnership, an umbrella organisation for sports organisations in Dacorum
Dacorum
The Borough of Dacorum is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England that includes the towns of Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and Kings Langley. The district, which was formed in 1974, had a population of 137,799 in 2001...
.The facilities have been used by local sports clubs including Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club
Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club
Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club is a swimming club based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and was established in 1913. Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club ranks as one of Hertfordshire’s premier clubs...
.
Curriculum
The school is an 11-18 comprehensive secondary school welcoming learners of all abilities and many talents. The school follows the National Curriculum programme of study for core and foundation subjects. Students are encouraged to develop as learners and are prepared for GCSE, GNVQ and BTECBusiness And Technology Education Council (BTEC)
The Business and Technology Education Council is the British body which awards vocational qualifications. Such qualifications are commonly referred to as "BTECs"....
qualifications. Participation in a wider consortium allows students to have access to a wide range of post-16 learning opportunities such as AS Level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
and A Level courses, GNVQ courses and vocational courses.
The school prides itself on its caring approach to education where student wellbeing is supported by a well-structured pastoral support system and a dedicated additional learning needs team.
The school's extracurricular opportunities allow most of the students to be able to participate in art, music, drama, dance and creative writing clubs alongside many sporting activities....
Uniform
The school introduced a new school uniformSchool uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
in September 2008, it consists of a black blazer
Blazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
with the school logo, a white shirt worn with a burgundy and light blue necktie
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
and black trousers. Black shoes must be worn with the uniform, trainers are not permitted. Students in years 10 and 11 may continue to wear the previous uniform, which includes a burgundy school sweatshirt and white polo shirt. Optional uniform items are also available including a burgundy rain coat, sports polo shirt, specific sports strips and tracksuits. Uniform items are only available directly from the school.
Visiting Authors Initiative
The school has a well established Visiting Authors Initiative where best selling authors are invited to speak at the school. These sessions are followed by a public book signing (in partnership with Waterstone'sWaterstone's
Waterstone's is a British book specialist established in 1982 by Tim Waterstone that employs around 4,500 staff throughout the United Kingdom and Europe....
) and special workshops for English gifted and talented students. The aims of the sessions are to encourage young people, both at the school and in the wider community, to read more and to become engaged in creative writing. Students and members of the public are given opportunities to question the authors and to receive critiques of their works.
Authors who have taken part in the Visiting Authors Initiative include:
- Frederick ForsythFrederick ForsythFrederick Forsyth, CBE is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan and The Cobra.-...
- Jodi PicoultJodi PicoultJodi Lynn Picoult is an American author. She was awarded the New England Bookseller Award for fiction in 2003. Picoult currently has some 14 million copies of her books in print worldwide.-Early life and education:...
- Sophie HannahSophie HannahSophie Hannah is an English-born poet and novelist. From 1997 to 1999 she was Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge, and between 1999 and 2001 she was a junior research fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford...
- Joanne HarrisJoanne HarrisJoanne Michèle Sylvie Harris is a British author.Biography=Born to a French mother and an English father in her grandparents' sweet shop, her family life was filled with food and folklore. Her great-grandmother had an odd reputation and enjoyed letting the gullible think she was a witch and healer...
- Mark BillinghamMark BillinghamMark Philip David Billingham is an English novelist whose series of "Tom Thorne" crime novels are best-sellers in that particular genre. He is also a television screenwriter and has become a familiar face as an actor and comic....
- Michael DobbsMichael DobbsMichael Dobbs, Baron Dobbs is a British Conservative politician and best-selling author.-Background:Michael Dobbs was born on 14 November 1948 in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, the son of nurseryman Eric and Eileen Dobbs. He was educated at Hertford Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford University....
- Aidan ChambersAidan ChambersAidan Chambers is an award-winning British writer of novels for children and young adults.- Life and work :Born near Chester-le-Street, County Durham in 1934, Chambers was an only child, and a poor scholar; considered "slow" by his teachers, he did not learn to read fluently until the age of nine...
- Elizabeth BuchanElizabeth BuchanElizabeth Buchan, née Oakleigh-Walker is a British writer since 1985, specializing in romance novels...
- Peter JamesPeter JamesPeter James is a British author and historian specialising in ancient history and archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean region. He graduated in ancient history and archeology at the University of Birmingham and does postgraduate research at University College London.James has advanced several...
- John ConnollyJohn Connolly (author)John Connolly is an Irish writer who is best known for his series of novels starring private detective Charlie Parker.-Life and works:...
The visit by Joanne Harris was featured as an article in the Times Educational Supplement
Times Educational Supplement
The Times Educational Supplement is a weekly UK publication aimed primarily at school teachers in the UK. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in The Times newspaper. Such was its popularity that in 1914, the supplement became a separate publication selling for 1 penny.The TES...
.
Wind turbines
The school has also invested in a web-based monitoring system that will show students how much energy the turbines are generating, along with data on the amount of carbon dioxide being offset.