Oakmeeds Community College
Encyclopedia
Oakmeeds Community College is a Secondary School
located in central Burgess Hill
, West Sussex
, England
. The headteacher is Colin Taylor B.Ed M.A.
Oakmeeds celebrated its semicentennial in 2005. According to Ofsted
, in 2010 there were 1059 students at Oakmeeds, between age 11 and 16. The Ofsted
report in 2004 classed Oakmeeds as a "Good School" and in 2008 classed Oakmeeds as a "Borderline to Good School". It is recognised as a Business and Enterprise College
and also has Eco School status and the Sportsmark
, GCSE results are generally above average.
Oakmeeds takes its name from the oak trees in the school grounds, running along the path of a Roman road
, and Meeds Pottery, which stood there before Oakmeeds was built. It mainly serves Burgess Hill; but also has students from nearby villages, including Hassocks
and Hurstpierpoint
, as well as the City of Brighton and Hove area, and Haywards Heath
, to the north.
Oakmeeds used to have pupils placed into four different houses, based on areas around Sussex
. These were Caburn, Ashdown, Beacon and Firle. However, due to a reorder of the pastoral system of the school, it was decided that the houses would no longer exist from September 2008.
In 2009, T block suffered substantial damage to one side as a result of an arson attack. The arsonist, a former pupil at the school who was convicted in March 2011 , destroyed art and RE coursework and put half of T block out of action until September 2010.
In June 2011 much of the school had to be evacuated when a pupil brought a grenade
in from a school trip at Newhaven Fort
. The pupil found the WWII grenade on the beach there. A bomb squad had to be called in to dispose of the grenade. The grenade wasn't live.
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...
located in central Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill is a civil parish and a town primarily located in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England, close to the border with East Sussex, on the edge of the South Downs National Park...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, 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 headteacher is Colin Taylor B.Ed M.A.
Oakmeeds celebrated its semicentennial in 2005. According to Ofsted
Ofsted
The 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 ....
, in 2010 there were 1059 students at Oakmeeds, between age 11 and 16. The Ofsted
Ofsted
The 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 ....
report in 2004 classed Oakmeeds as a "Good School" and in 2008 classed Oakmeeds as a "Borderline to Good School". It is recognised as a Business and Enterprise College
Business and Enterprise College
Business and Enterprise Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields...
and also has Eco School status and 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...
, GCSE results are generally above average.
Oakmeeds takes its name from the oak trees in the school grounds, running along the path of a Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
, and Meeds Pottery, which stood there before Oakmeeds was built. It mainly serves Burgess Hill; but also has students from nearby villages, including Hassocks
Hassocks
Hassocks is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Its name is believed to derive from the tufts of grass found in the surrounding fields....
and Hurstpierpoint
Hurstpierpoint
Hurstpierpoint is a village in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Together with Sayers Common it forms one of the Mid Sussex civil parishes, with an area of 2029.88 ha and a population of 6,264 persons....
, as well as the City of Brighton and Hove area, and Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath
-Climate:Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Rail:Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line...
, to the north.
Oakmeeds used to have pupils placed into four different houses, based on areas around Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. These were Caburn, Ashdown, Beacon and Firle. However, due to a reorder of the pastoral system of the school, it was decided that the houses would no longer exist from September 2008.
In 2009, T block suffered substantial damage to one side as a result of an arson attack. The arsonist, a former pupil at the school who was convicted in March 2011 , destroyed art and RE coursework and put half of T block out of action until September 2010.
In June 2011 much of the school had to be evacuated when a pupil brought a grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
in from a school trip at Newhaven Fort
Newhaven Fort
Newhaven Fort was built on the recommendation of the 1859 Royal Commission to defend the growing harbour at Newhaven, on the south coast of England...
. The pupil found the WWII grenade on the beach there. A bomb squad had to be called in to dispose of the grenade. The grenade wasn't live.