Furzedown Secondary School
Encyclopedia
Furzedown Secondary School was a mixed
comprehensive school
in South London
. It was established in Welham Road on the boundary between Streatham
and Tooting
in 1977, following the amalgamation of Battersea Grammar
boys' school and Rosa Bassett
girls' grammar school.
The school closed when it was amalgamated with Ensham School
, a comprehensive school for girls, in 1986 to create the new Graveney School
, an enlarged mixed
comprehensive school
which incorporated the Furzedown Secondary School site.
and Rosa Bassett School
in 1977. Neither school's site was sufficient to house the combined school, however Furzedown took over many of the buildings of the Furzedown Training College (a teacher training college) which were located opposite the Rosa Bassett buildings on Welham Road.
The combined former Rosa Bassett and Furzedown College buildings offered sufficient accommodation for the whole school, and the former Battersea Grammar site at Abbotswood Road, Streatham
, was soon closed following the amalgamation. The playing fields at Abbotswood Road continued to be used by the new school.
Although physically adjacent, the school was split across the two Welham Road sites, with the younger pupils from the first two years (ages 11–13) on the former Rosa Bassett site to the south and the older pupils in the upper-school on the northern side of the road. This split could not be maintained for all lessons and this resulted in a considerable movement of pupils between the two sites throughout the day. At that time Welham Road was fairly heavily trafficked and a near-fatal accident in c. 1980, followed by protests from parents and children, prompted the closure of the road to through-traffic.
During the 1983–1984 academic year the ILEA
announced plans for the amalgamation of the school with Ensham School
, a nearby girls' school, along with the intention of removing the school's sixth form
. Despite protests by parents and staff the first part of this plan went ahead in 1986, and the new Graveney School
was created. Graveney initially operated at both the former Furzedown and Ensham school sites, but eventually consolidated on the Welham Road buildings.
John Phillips had been the headmaster of Battersea Grammar School from 1973 and became the new headteacher of Graveney School in 1986, remaining there until 1989.
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
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...
in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. It was established in Welham Road on the boundary between Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
in 1977, following the amalgamation of Battersea Grammar
Battersea Grammar School
Battersea Grammar School was a Voluntary-Controlled Secondary Grammar School in South London. It was established in Battersea by the Sir Walter St John Trust in 1875 and moved to larger premises in Streatham in 1936....
boys' school and Rosa Bassett
Rosa Bassett School
Rosa Bassett School was a grammar school for girls in South London. It was established in Stockwell in 1906 as the Stockwell County Secondary School and in 1913 moved to Welham Road on the boundary between Streatham and Tooting, becoming the County Secondary School, Streatham, often referred to as...
girls' grammar school.
The school closed when it was amalgamated with Ensham School
Ensham School
Ensham School was a girls' comprehensive school in Tooting, South London. During the 1930s it was a mixed central school. By the 1950s it had become a girls' secondary modern school...
, a comprehensive school for girls, in 1986 to create the new Graveney School
Graveney School
Graveney School is a foundation specialist school with Technology College status in the Furzedown area of Tooting, south west London. The Principal is Graham Stapleton and the Headteacher is Keith Barbrook. It teaches years 7 to 11 , with nine classes per year averaging thirty students each. In...
, an enlarged mixed
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
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...
which incorporated the Furzedown Secondary School site.
History
Furzedown was formed following the amalgamation of Battersea Grammar SchoolBattersea Grammar School
Battersea Grammar School was a Voluntary-Controlled Secondary Grammar School in South London. It was established in Battersea by the Sir Walter St John Trust in 1875 and moved to larger premises in Streatham in 1936....
and Rosa Bassett School
Rosa Bassett School
Rosa Bassett School was a grammar school for girls in South London. It was established in Stockwell in 1906 as the Stockwell County Secondary School and in 1913 moved to Welham Road on the boundary between Streatham and Tooting, becoming the County Secondary School, Streatham, often referred to as...
in 1977. Neither school's site was sufficient to house the combined school, however Furzedown took over many of the buildings of the Furzedown Training College (a teacher training college) which were located opposite the Rosa Bassett buildings on Welham Road.
The combined former Rosa Bassett and Furzedown College buildings offered sufficient accommodation for the whole school, and the former Battersea Grammar site at Abbotswood Road, Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, was soon closed following the amalgamation. The playing fields at Abbotswood Road continued to be used by the new school.
Although physically adjacent, the school was split across the two Welham Road sites, with the younger pupils from the first two years (ages 11–13) on the former Rosa Bassett site to the south and the older pupils in the upper-school on the northern side of the road. This split could not be maintained for all lessons and this resulted in a considerable movement of pupils between the two sites throughout the day. At that time Welham Road was fairly heavily trafficked and a near-fatal accident in c. 1980, followed by protests from parents and children, prompted the closure of the road to through-traffic.
During the 1983–1984 academic year the ILEA
Inner London Education Authority
The Inner London Education Authority was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990.-History:...
announced plans for the amalgamation of the school with Ensham School
Ensham School
Ensham School was a girls' comprehensive school in Tooting, South London. During the 1930s it was a mixed central school. By the 1950s it had become a girls' secondary modern school...
, a nearby girls' school, along with the intention of removing the school's sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
. Despite protests by parents and staff the first part of this plan went ahead in 1986, and the new Graveney School
Graveney School
Graveney School is a foundation specialist school with Technology College status in the Furzedown area of Tooting, south west London. The Principal is Graham Stapleton and the Headteacher is Keith Barbrook. It teaches years 7 to 11 , with nine classes per year averaging thirty students each. In...
was created. Graveney initially operated at both the former Furzedown and Ensham school sites, but eventually consolidated on the Welham Road buildings.
Headmaster
- 1977–1986 John A. Phillips, BA (Oxon)
John Phillips had been the headmaster of Battersea Grammar School from 1973 and became the new headteacher of Graveney School in 1986, remaining there until 1989.