Fortismere School
Encyclopedia
Fortismere School is a mixed, community foundation
secondary school
in Muswell Hill
, London
, United Kingdom
.
Local Education Authority
. The school is situated on an extensive site a little west of the town centre, with main entrances in Twyford Avenue and Tetherdown (South Wing), and Creighton Avenue (North Wing).
To gain entrance to the sixth form, high performance at GCSE is needed.
It is situated just off the A504.
In the early 1970s, Creighton School became the centrepiece of a Labour Party
education experiment. Situated in the middle class
largely white suburb of Muswell Hill it was decided to integrate a large number of Afro-Caribbean and other ethnic minority children into the school from distant parts of the borough in an attempt to maximise education choice and social interaction - a policy based heavily on the then United States system of desegregation busing
. In 1975, before this new intake had worked through the school, around one third of the Sixth Form was either a first-generation immigrant, or had a surname of Cypriot or Asian origin. The head who was charged with overseeing this experiment was Molly Hattersley, the wife of Labour Party minister Roy Hattersley
.
As a part of the continuing debate about comprehensive schools, Creighton school became the subject of a series of articles in the Sunday Times and a subsequent book by Hunter Davies
, "The Creighton Report", illustrated by an A Level Photography student at the school.
status in 1997; this status has been extended to 2007. The school is now one of the most successful comprehensive schools in North London.
In the summer of 2006, the school's governors made a proposal to change the school's status to that of a foundation school
. The governors argue that the increased autonomy from the LEA that foundation status provides would be beneficial to the school, which critics argue that the proposal is an attack on the school's comprehensive nature and would lead to a reduction in provision for pupils with special educational needs.
, current co-presenter of BBC's Blue Peter
children's TV programme
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....
secondary school
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 Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Admissions
It falls under the London Borough of HaringeyLondon Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...
Local Education Authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
. The school is situated on an extensive site a little west of the town centre, with main entrances in Twyford Avenue and Tetherdown (South Wing), and Creighton Avenue (North Wing).
To gain entrance to the sixth form, high performance at GCSE is needed.
It is situated just off the A504.
Grammar schools
After World War II, this became a state grammar school and the attached preparatory school became Tetherdown Primary School (this moved from the site in 1958 when it exchanged premises with the girls' grammar school). In 1958 the current building was erected and Tollington High School for Girls and Tollington Grammar School for Boys merged to become Tollington Grammar School (co-ed). In the 1950s William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School opened on an adjoining site in Creighton Avenue.Creighton Comprehensive school
With the introduction of comprehensive education in Haringey in 1967, Tollington Grammar School and William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School were merged to form Creighton School on Creighton Avenue. Sir William Grimshaw was a local councillor. Charles Loades, head of William Grimshaw since 1958, became head, and remained until his retirement in 1974.In the early 1970s, Creighton School became the centrepiece of a Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
education experiment. Situated in the middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
largely white suburb of Muswell Hill it was decided to integrate a large number of Afro-Caribbean and other ethnic minority children into the school from distant parts of the borough in an attempt to maximise education choice and social interaction - a policy based heavily on the then United States system of desegregation busing
Desegregation busing
Desegregation busing in the United States is the practice of assigning and transporting students to schools in such a manner as to redress prior racial segregation of schools, or to overcome the effects of residential segregation on local school demographics.In 1954, the U.S...
. In 1975, before this new intake had worked through the school, around one third of the Sixth Form was either a first-generation immigrant, or had a surname of Cypriot or Asian origin. The head who was charged with overseeing this experiment was Molly Hattersley, the wife of Labour Party minister Roy Hattersley
Roy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
.
As a part of the continuing debate about comprehensive schools, Creighton school became the subject of a series of articles in the Sunday Times and a subsequent book by Hunter Davies
Hunter Davies
Edward Hunter Davies is a prolific British author, journalist and broadcaster, perhaps best known for writing the only authorised biography of The Beatles.- Early life :...
, "The Creighton Report", illustrated by an A Level Photography student at the school.
Fortismere School
After further reorganisation, Creighton School and another comprehensive, Alexandra Park School, were combined under the new name of Fortismere School. It opened in September 1983 and gained Technology CollegeTechnology 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...
status in 1997; this status has been extended to 2007. The school is now one of the most successful comprehensive schools in North London.
In the summer of 2006, the school's governors made a proposal to change the school's status to that of 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....
. The governors argue that the increased autonomy from the LEA that foundation status provides would be beneficial to the school, which critics argue that the proposal is an attack on the school's comprehensive nature and would lead to a reduction in provision for pupils with special educational needs.
Foundation status
On September 1, 2007, Fortismere became a Foundation school, as well as taking on a new joint specialist status in Maths/Computing with Music and a secondary specialism in Modern Languages. In December 2009, it was announced that the Head, Aydin Önaç, would be leaving in July 2010, at the end of the current academic year, after 5 years at the school. He has since gone to be Headmaster at St Olave's. The new Headteacher is Ms Helen Anthony.Notable alumni
Joel DefriesJoel Defries
Joel Defries is a British-born presenter, who worked on the BBC1 children's programme Blue Peter from 2008-10. He previously worked on the New Zealand television station, C4.-Education:...
, current co-presenter of BBC's Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
children's TV programme
Tollington School
- Kenneth Alfred BiggsKenneth Alfred BiggsKenneth Alfred Biggs GC of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps was awarded the George Cross for gallantry in his actions in rescuing people from an ammunition train on the 2 January 1946 in Savernake Forest, Wiltshire, and preventing a major explosion.-Early life:Biggs was born on 26 February 1911 in...
GCGeorge CrossThe George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations... - Felix AprahamianFelix AprahamianFelix Aprahamian , born Apraham Felix Bartev Aprahamian, was an English music critic, writer, concert promoter, publisher's adviser, supporter of young musicians, and friend to some of the last century's most notable musicians...
, classical music concert organiser - Michael CassonMichael CassonMichael Casson OBE born in London, was a studio potter, referred to as "respected and charismatic".He studied art and woodwork at Shoreditch College, and ceramics at Hornsey College of Art., and was one of the founding potters of the Craft Potters’ Association, a co-operative that acquired a shop...
OBE, potter - Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
Grahame Dawson CBE CB, Chief Engineering Officer from 1938-40 of RAF Fighter CommandRAF Fighter CommandRAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
, and in charge of engine repairs during the Battle of BritainBattle of BritainThe Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940... - Sir Hugh Ellis-Rees CB, UK Permanent Representative to the Organisation for European Economic Co-operationOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentThe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade...
(OEEC - became the OECD in 1961) - Tom Lyon CBE, became Chairman of the Clam Brummer Group adhesives company, and formed the Confederation of British IndustryConfederation of British IndustryThe Confederation of British Industry is a British not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal charter which promotes the interests of its members, some 200,000 British businesses, a figure which includes some 80% of FTSE 100 companies and around 50% of FTSE 350 companies.-Role:The CBI works...
(CBI) in 1965 from the Federation of British IndustriesFederation of British IndustriesThe Federation of British Industries was founded by the Midlands industrialist Dudley Docker in 1916. It was composed of 124 firms which all gave £1,000 for its foundation. The FBI never took part in labour relations but progressively involved in tariff reform...
, the National Association of British Manufacturers, and the British Employers Confederation - W. J. MacQueen-PopeW. J. MacQueen-PopeWalter James MacQueen-Pope was an English theatre historian and publicist. From a theatrical family which could be traced back to contemporaries of Shakespeare, he was in management for the first part of his career, but switched to publicity, in which field he became well-known...
, theatre historian - Guy Marrian CBE, Professor of Chemistry in Relation to Medicine from 1939-59 at the University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
and endocrinological biochemist who identified the steroids pregnanediolPregnanediolPregnanediol is an inactive product that forms when the body breaks down the hormone progesterone. A test can be done to measure the amount of pregnanediol in urine. The urine test offers an indirect way to measure progesterone levels in the body....
and oestriolEstriolEstriol is one of the three main estrogens produced by the human body.-Synthesis:Estriol is only produced in significant amounts during pregnancy as it is made by the placenta from 16-Hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone sulfate , an androgen steroid made in the fetal liver and adrenal glands.The human...
Tollington Grammar School
- Chris GilbeyChris GilbeyChris Gilbey OAM is an Australian entrepreneur and music industry identity. He has helped shape the careers of artists such as INXS, Tommy Emmanuel, Keith Urban, The Church, The Saints, AC/DC and Stevie Wright...
, music industry executive and composer - Maurice Saatchi, Baron SaatchiMaurice Saatchi, Baron SaatchiMaurice Nathan Saatchi, Baron Saatchi is the co-founder, with his brother Charles, of the advertising agencies Saatchi and Saatchi and M&C Saatchi, where he currently serves as Executive Director.- Early life :...
, husband of Josephine HartJosephine HartJosephine Hart, Lady Saatchi was an Irish-born British writer, theatrical producer and television presenter... - Captain Ian Shoobridge, helicopter pilot
- Prof David Skilton, Professor of English since 1988 at Cardiff UniversityCardiff UniversityCardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
- Sir John SorrellJohn SorrellJohn "Long John" Sorrell was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger in the NHL playing for the Detroit Falcons and the New York Americans...
CBE, designer, owner of Newell and Sorrell, and Chairman from 1994-2000 of the Design CouncilDesign CouncilThe Design Council is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body incorporated by Royal Charter and registered as a charity.Registered charity number 272099.- In the beginning :The Design Council started in 1944 as the Council of Industrial Design... - Anne WeymanAnne WeymanAnne Judith Weyman OBE is a British woman. She was Chief Executive of the Family Planning Association, 1996–2008; and is a Member of the General Medical Council. She was appointed OBE in 2000...
OBE, Chief Executive from 1996-2008 of the Family Planning AssociationFamily Planning AssociationFPA is a UK registered charity working to enable people to make informed choices about sex and to enjoy sexual health. It is the national affiliate for the International Planned Parenthood Federation in the United Kingdom. It celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2010...
William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School
- Dave DaviesDave DaviesDavid Russell Gordon "Dave" Davies is an English rock musician best known for his role as lead guitarist and vocalist for the English rock band The Kinks....
(rock singer) - Ray DaviesRay DaviesRay Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
(rock singer) - Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
(rock singer)
Creighton Comprehensive School
- Toby YoungToby YoungToby Young, MA, FRSA is a British journalist and the author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, the tale of his stint in New York as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair magazine...
, author and journalist - Dexter FletcherDexter FletcherDexter Fletcher is an English actor. He is best known for his role in Guy Ritchie film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels as well as television roles in such shows as the dramedy Hotel Babylon, the critically acclaimed HBO series Band of Brothers and earlier in his career, the children's show...
, actor/TV personality
External links
- Fortismere School website
- Fortismere School Sixth Form
- The Old Tollingtonians Society
- Fortismere School Association
- Fortismere Alumni website
- Fortismere Art & Photography Department Flickr Website
- Fortismere Art Department Blip.tv Channel
- Fortismere UKIERI London-Delhi International Linking Project
- EduBase