Honley High School
Encyclopedia
Honley High School is a secondary school
situated on the edge of the village
of Honley
in the Holme Valley
, West Yorkshire
, England
. The catchment area is the neighbouring villages of Brockholes
, Honley
and Meltham
. Honley High has around 1,250 pupils aged 11–16. The new Head Teacher since January 2011 is Chris Sylge who has moved to Honley High School from Calder Valley High School.
The building was designed by architect Mr H Wormald, A.R.I.B.A. and was considerably extended in the 1950s with the addition of new classrooms, including a Geography Room, Biology Lab and Music Room and a Dining Room and Kitchen, in the original style.
At the time of the opening the school had a teaching staff of 14 and could accommodate 480 pupils.
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...
situated on the edge of the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Honley
Honley
Honley is a large village in West Yorkshire, England near to Holmfirth and Huddersfield situated on the banks of the River Holme in the Holme Valley. In 2001 it had a population of 5,897 according to the census.-Education:...
in the Holme Valley
Holme Valley
Holme Valley is a large civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 25,049 . Its administrative centre is in Holmfirth. Other sizeable settlements in the parish include, Brockholes, Honley and New Mill...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The catchment area is the neighbouring villages of Brockholes
Brockholes
Brockholes is a small village in West Yorkshire, England in the administrative area of Kirklees Metropolitan Council and Holme Valley Parish Council. It is within the Postal district of Holmfirth....
, Honley
Honley
Honley is a large village in West Yorkshire, England near to Holmfirth and Huddersfield situated on the banks of the River Holme in the Holme Valley. In 2001 it had a population of 5,897 according to the census.-Education:...
and Meltham
Meltham
Meltham is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Holme Valley, below Wessenden Moor, four and a half miles south-west of Huddersfield on the edge of the Peak District National Park...
. Honley High has around 1,250 pupils aged 11–16. The new Head Teacher since January 2011 is Chris Sylge who has moved to Honley High School from Calder Valley High School.
Grammar school
The School first opened its doors to pupils in September 1932. Sir James Hinchliffe LL.D, chairman of the West Riding County Council, officially opened the school at a ceremony held on Saturday 29 April 1933 at which the Bishop of Wakefield, Dr J Buchanan Seaton offered a prayer of dedication.The building was designed by architect Mr H Wormald, A.R.I.B.A. and was considerably extended in the 1950s with the addition of new classrooms, including a Geography Room, Biology Lab and Music Room and a Dining Room and Kitchen, in the original style.
At the time of the opening the school had a teaching staff of 14 and could accommodate 480 pupils.
Comprehensive school
In 1973 Holme Valley Grammar School became Honley High School and a vast, new complex of modern buildings accompanied the change over to a comprehensive education. These included a Sports Hall, Gymnasium, Music Rooms, Drama Studio and Art and Craft Rooms and workshops. In the Jubilee year of 1982 the school had a teaching staff of 82 and a pupil population of approximately 1300.Notable features
- The school is a specialist schoolSpecialist schoolThe 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...
in Science and Mathematics.
- The school also has a specialist autismAutismAutism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
unit that takes children from all over the KirkleesKirkleesThe Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...
area.
- In February 2000 Honley High featured in a list of only 29 schools that OfstedOffice for Standards in EducationThe Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
announced had excellent improvement since the first round of inspections.
- The January 2005 Ofsted report stated: "This is a good school that is very well led by a headteacher with energy and vision, committed to all pupils achieving their best. Good teaching leads to pupils learning well and making good progress across the school. The school gives good value for money." However, the I.T department was told to improve. Since then, the whole I.T suite has been upgraded.
- In January 2011, Mr. C. Sylge became the new head, and has a positive influence on the school. Pupils have taken well to his ambition and general kindness.
Notable alumni
- Jonathan Holmes (1973–1980) Professor of Physical Geography, University College London
- JehstJehstWilliam G. Shields, better known as Jehst or a slew of aliases including The High Plains Drifter, Billy Brimstone and Jay Star, is an English rapper and co-founder of hip hop label YNR.-Biography:...
rapper (1992–95) - Jonathan SteadJonathan SteadJonathan Graeme "Jon" Stead is an English football player who currently plays as a striker for Bristol City...
(1994-9) - Eorl CrabtreeEorl CrabtreeEorl Crabtree is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Huddersfield Giants of Super League. An England international representative prop forward, he has played his entire career to date at Huddersfield.-Biography:...
(1994-9) - Merz (musician)Merz (musician)Merz is an English multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. He has released three albums.-Early life:Born Conrad Ewart Lambert in Dorset, England, he grew up in Wakefield & Huddersfield, Yorkshire. He moved to London in 1992.-Career:...
(1979–84)
Holme Valley Grammar School
- David BintleyDavid BintleyDavid Bintley, CBE, is a former English ballet dancer, the current artistic director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet and co-artistic director of the New National Theatre Tokyo ballet company.- About :...
, choreographer and Director since 1995 of Birmingham Royal BalletBirmingham Royal BalletBirmingham Royal Ballet is one of the three major ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet....
(1969–76) - Squadron LeaderSquadron LeaderSquadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
John Stanley Booth DFCDistinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, Chief Test Pilot for Saunders-RoeSaunders-RoeSaunders-Roe Limited was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works East Cowes, Isle of Wight.-History:The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliot Verdon Roe and John Lord took a controlling interest in the boat-builders S.E. Saunders...
from February 1956 until killed on 5 June 1958 at Boscombe DownMoD Boscombe DownMoD Boscombe Down is an aircraft testing site located at Idmiston, south of Amesbury, in Wiltshire, England. It is run and managed by QinetiQ, the company created as part of the breakup of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in 2001 by the UK Ministry of Defence...
in the rocket-powered Saunders-Roe SR.53Saunders-Roe SR.53|- See also :-References:NotesBibliography* Jones, Barry. "Saro's Mixed Power Saga". Aeroplane Monthly, November 1994, Vol 22 No 11 Issue 259. pp. 32–39. London:IPC. ISSN 0143-7240....
XD151 (1932-8) - Maj GenMajor-General (United Kingdom)Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
David Capewell OBE, current Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations), previously Deputy Commander of NATO Rapid Deployable Italian CorpsNATO Rapid Deployable Italian CorpsThe NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Italy is a corps headquarters of the Italian Army. It was established in November 2001 as a High Readiness Force of NATO. The staff of NRDC-IT is located in Solbiate Olona, a few kilometers northwest of Milan...
and Commander from 2007-8 of 3 Commando Brigade3 Commando Brigade3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
(RM), and from 2000-2 of 40 Commando40 Commando40 Commando RM is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
(1970-7) - Roy CastleRoy CastleRoy Castle OBE was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. He attended Honley High School, where there is now a building in his name...
(1943-7) - Prof David LockwoodDavid LockwoodDavid Lockwood is a sociologist.His book, The Blackcoated Worker, sought to analyse the changes in the stratification position of the clerical worker by using a framework based on Max Weber's distinction between market and work situations...
CBE, Professor of Sociology from 1968-2001 at the University of EssexUniversity of EssexThe University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965... - Geoffrey Riley GC, won the George CrossGeorge 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...
in May 1944 when aged 14 at the school (1941-6) - John Swallows, oceanographer (1935–42)