Beechen Cliff School
Encyclopedia
Beechen Cliff School is a boys' secondary school
in Bath, Somerset
, England. Founded in 1896, it has 1,145 students aged 11 to 18.
There are around 830 boys in years 7 to 11 and a co-educational sixth form of over 200 students. The school is located just south of the city centre near Alexandra Park, up a hill from Bear Flat
on the A367, a major route from the south of the city into Bath.
was amalgamated with Oldfield Boys' School, a local secondary modern school
originally founded in 1903, to form a comprehensive school
.
On 7 August 1988, on a school climbing expedition in the Briançon
region of the French Alps
, the 57-year-old headmaster Donald Stephens fell 300 feet (91.4 m) to his death. Fifteen pupils and three members of staff were on the expedition, training for a walk up Mount Kenya
, and witnessed the tragic incident. A library has been established in his memory.
in the 1980s led to proposals for the school to be closed and replaced with a sixth form college
on the same site serving the whole city. Partisans of the school, however, took advantage of new legislation to obtain grant-maintained
status for the school, taking it out of local authority control, which the then Government permitted despite a policy that schools would not be allowed to use grant-maintained (GM) status as a way of avoiding closure. Avon County Council took the school to the High Court in February 1990, to prevent it gaining GM status so sustaining its Bath schools reorganisation plan, and on 24 February Mr Justice Hutchison ruled in favour of the council, and asked the Secretary of State to reconsider his decision. On 30 March, Secretary of State for Education and Science, John MacGregor, overruled the court's decision and said the school could be GM funded. In a vote, 55% of parents wanted to be GM funded.
At an appeal at the High Court on 15 May, Lord Justice Mustill
backed John MacGregor's decision and Avon County Council lost its appeal to the school going GM funded. The Director of Education at Avon, Dr Christopher Saville, said he was 'very disappointed'.
status of Technology College
in 1997, and with the demise of grant-maintained status became a Foundation school
with similar characteristics.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Bath, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. Founded in 1896, it has 1,145 students aged 11 to 18.
There are around 830 boys in years 7 to 11 and a co-educational sixth form of over 200 students. The school is located just south of the city centre near Alexandra Park, up a hill from Bear Flat
Bear Flat
Bear Flat is an area of Bath, England, to the south of central Bath, below and to the west of Beechen Cliff. The Wellsway, now the A367 road to Shepton Mallet, runs through Bear Flat. Originally this was the main pilgrimage route from Bath, with its abbey, and Wells with its cathedral.'Flat' may...
on the A367, a major route from the south of the city into Bath.
History
The school began in 1896 as Bath City Secondary School in the Guildhall.Grammar school
It moved from the Guildhall Technical College to its present site at Beechen Cliff in 1932 when it was renamed the City of Bath Boys' School.Comprehensive
It changed to its present name in 1970 when the City of Bath reorganised secondary education. The grammar schoolGrammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
was amalgamated with Oldfield Boys' School, a local secondary modern school
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
originally founded in 1903, to form a comprehensive school
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 7 August 1988, on a school climbing expedition in the Briançon
Briançon
Briançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....
region of the French Alps
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
, the 57-year-old headmaster Donald Stephens fell 300 feet (91.4 m) to his death. Fifteen pupils and three members of staff were on the expedition, training for a walk up Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian , Nelion and Point Lenana . Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, just south of the equator, around north-northeast of the capital Nairobi...
, and witnessed the tragic incident. A library has been established in his memory.
Grant-maintained status legal battle
A review of Bath secondary provision by Avon County CouncilAvon County Council
Avon County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan county of Avon in south west England. It came into its powers on 1 April 1974 and was abolished on 1 April 1996 at the same time as the county. The county council was based in Bristol at Avon House and Avon House North...
in the 1980s led to proposals for the school to be closed and replaced with a sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
on the same site serving the whole city. Partisans of the school, however, took advantage of new legislation to obtain grant-maintained
Grant-maintained school
Grant-maintained schools were state schools in England and Wales between 1988 and 1998 that had opted out of local government control, being funded directly by a grant from central government...
status for the school, taking it out of local authority control, which the then Government permitted despite a policy that schools would not be allowed to use grant-maintained (GM) status as a way of avoiding closure. Avon County Council took the school to the High Court in February 1990, to prevent it gaining GM status so sustaining its Bath schools reorganisation plan, and on 24 February Mr Justice Hutchison ruled in favour of the council, and asked the Secretary of State to reconsider his decision. On 30 March, Secretary of State for Education and Science, John MacGregor, overruled the court's decision and said the school could be GM funded. In a vote, 55% of parents wanted to be GM funded.
At an appeal at the High Court on 15 May, Lord Justice Mustill
Michael Mustill, Baron Mustill
Michael John Mustill, Baron Mustill PC is a British judge and barrister.The son of Clement William and Marion Mustill was educated in Oundle School and St John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Doctor of Laws in 1992...
backed John MacGregor's decision and Avon County Council lost its appeal to the school going GM funded. The Director of Education at Avon, Dr Christopher Saville, said he was 'very disappointed'.
Specialist school
Beechen Cliff School acquired the 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 of Technology College
Technology College
Technology College is a term used in the United Kingdom for a secondary specialist school that focuses on design and technology, mathematics and science. These were the first type of specialist schools, beginning in 1994. In 2008 there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also...
in 1997, and with the demise of grant-maintained status became a Foundation school
Foundation school
In England and Wales, a foundation school is a state-funded school in which the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools....
with similar characteristics.
Uniform
The school uniform consists of a blazer, trousers, shirt and a blue, red and yellow striped tie.Notable alumni
- Freddie BurnsFreddie BurnsFreddie Burns is a fly-half for Gloucester Rugby and occasional fullback.Freddie has represented England at under 20 level and played in the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina in 2010.Burns is a former pupil of Beechen Cliff School in Bath....
, Rugby Union player at Gloucester Rugby - Adam CampbellAdam Campbell (actor)Adam Campbell is an English actor. Among his credits are roles in the American film parodies Date Movie, Epic Movie, and portrayed Cal Vandeusen in the horror miniseries Harper's Island.-Career:...
, actor - Jason DoddJason DoddJason Robert Dodd is an English former footballer and manager, who spent most of his playing career with Southampton, where he was briefly First-Team Coach...
, Director of Southampton F.C.Southampton F.C.Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
youth academy - Jason GardenerJason GardenerJason Carl Gardener is a retired British sprint athlete, and former World Indoor Champion. Gardener was educated at Beechen Cliff School and the City of Bath College, and went on to graduate from Bath Spa University.-Athletics career:Gardener started his career at the World Junior Championships in...
, sprintSprint (race)Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
athlete - David LassmanDavid LassmanDavid Lassman is a British author, arts journalist and scriptwriter responsible for the 'Rejecting Jane' article, which became the 'literary story of 2007'.-Biography:...
, authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, arts journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and scriptwriterScreenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... - Andrew LincolnAndrew LincolnAndrew Lincoln is an English actor, known for his roles in the TV series This Life, Teachers and Afterlife, and the films Love Actually and Heartbreaker...
, actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... - Charlie McDonnellCharlie McDonnellCharles Joseph "Charlie" McDonnell is a British vlogger and musician from Bath, Somerset, England. , his YouTube channel, charlieissocoollike, is the most subscribed in the UK...
, musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and vlogger - Sir John SawersJohn SawersSir Robert John Sawers, KCMG is a British diplomat and senior civil servant. He is the current Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service...
, Chief of the Secret Intelligence ServiceSecret Intelligence ServiceThe Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
(MI6), Ambassador to the United Nations 2007-9 - Curt SmithCurt SmithCurt Smith is an English musician. He is best known for forming the band Tears for Fears, along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Also a solo artist, he released his third album Halfway, Pleased in May 2008....
, musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
(Tears for FearsTears for FearsTears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
) - Tony SpreadburyTony SpreadburyAntony John "Tony" Spreadbury, commonly known as Spreaders , is a retired international rugby union referee....
, rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
refereeRefereeA referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport... - Paul TisdalePaul TisdalePaul Robert Tisdale is a retired professional footballer. He is the current manager of Exeter City.-Southampton:...
, manager of Exeter CityExeter City F.C.Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
football club - Graham WatsonGraham WatsonSir Graham Robert Watson is a European politician from the United Kingdom. He has served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England since 1994 and was leader of the liberal group in Parliament for seven years between 2002 and 2009.-Early life:Graham Watson was born in Rothesay...
, Liberal DemocratLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
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and leader of the Liberal Democrats in Europe - Amy WilliamsAmy WilliamsAmy Joy Williams MBE is an English skeleton racer and Olympic gold medallist. Originally a runner, she began training in skeleton after trying the sport on a push-start track at the University of Bath...
, won a gold medal in the skeletonSkeleton (sport)Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, the first British individual Winter Olympics gold medal since 1980
City of Bath Boy's Grammar School
- Roy AscottRoy AscottRoy Ascott is a British artist and theorist, who works with cybernetics and telematics. He is President of the Planetary Collegium.- Biography :...
, artist and President of the Planetary CollegiumPlanetary CollegiumThe Planetary Collegium is an international platform for research in art, technology and consciousness, with its hub based in the University of Plymouth, with linked centers in Zurich and Milan... - Roger BannisterRoger BannisterSir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known for running the first recorded mile in less than 4 minutes...
, first man to run a mile in less than 4 minutesFour-minute mileIn the sport of athletics, the four-minute mile is the act of completing the mile run in less than four minutes. It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister in 3:59.4. The 'four minute barrier' has since been broken by many male athletes, and is now the standard of all male professional... - Dr David Fishlock OBE, Science Editor from 1967-91 of the Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, and science author - Raymond LeppardRaymond LeppardRaymond "Def" Leppard, CBE is a British conductor and harpsichordist.He was born in London and grew up in Bath, where he was educated at the City of Bath Boys' School, now known as the Beechen Cliff School...
CBE, musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and conductor - Rt Rev Christopher MorganChristopher Morgan (bishop)Christopher Heudebourck Morgan is the current Bishop of Colchester. He was educated at the City of Bath Boys School and Lancaster University. After a period of study at Kelham Theological College he was ordained in 1974...
, Bishop of ColchesterBishop of ColchesterThe Bishop of Colchester is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Chelmsford, in the Province of Canterbury, England....
since 2001 - Robert OrledgeRobert OrledgeRobert Orledge is a leading scholar of early twentieth century French music.He was born in Bath, Somerset on 5 January 1948 and educated at the City of Bath Boys' School and at Clare College, Cambridge where he gained a BA Music degree in 1968 and an MA in 1972...
, scholar of early twentieth century French music - Arnold RidleyArnold RidleyMajor William Arnold Ridley, OBE was an English playwright and actor, first notable as the author of the play The Ghost Train and later in life for portraying the elderly Private Charles Godfrey in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army .-Early life:Ridley was born in Walcot, Bath, England where...
, Dad's ArmyDad's ArmyDad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
actor and playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder... - Sir Richard J. RobertsRichard J. RobertsSir Richard "Rich" John Roberts is a British biochemist and molecular biologist. He was awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Phillip Allen Sharp for the discovery of introns in eukaryotic DNA and the mechanism of gene-splicing.When he was 4, his family moved to Bath. In...
, 1993 Nobel Laureate
External links
- Official website
- Old Sulians' Association Association for former pupils of Beechen Cliff and the City of Bath Boys' Grammar School.