Philip Morant School and College
Encyclopedia
Philip Morant School and College (originally known as Norman Way School) is a comprehensive
secondary school
and college
located within the Prettygate suburb of Colchester
, Essex
. Philip Morant is a foundation school
and a technology college
. The name Philip Morant
was chosen a few months later, after the 18th Century local historian and archeologist. The school has been given academy status, with this plan going into action in November 2011.
. In 1996 a sixth-form college was added to the school.
At the moment there are 5 houses. These are Aylward, Faraday, Nuffield, Churchill and Ryder.
, Humanities, Drama
and Modern Foreign Languages are taught. In as small building connected to the House Block, there is the semi-separate Art classrooms.
There is a one-floored Technology Block nearby where all forms of Technology are taught. Connected to this block are the Gymnasium, Main Hall, and the 3 floor Science
Block. The old Boy's Changing Rooms (located near the Gym) have been changed into a fitness suite. There is the Music block, next to the Technology Block. Attached to that is the Sports Hall and the Sports Hall Annex. Finally there is a separate 1 floored Maths Block, where some Science class rooms are located, as well as a computer room. The College is contained in a separate building, though some of the Maths block is almost solely used by the College. Around these buildings are playgrounds and a Car-park.
Students also have the opportunity to become eco-reps, sport captains, form captains and members of the school council.
inspection in 2001 rated the school as level 1, "outstanding". In 2006 the school received an overall level 3, rating the school as "satisfactory" but "with some good features". The most recent inspection in February 2010 rated the school as level 2 "Good".
In summer 2009 the school again applied to extend the road through fields in the southern residential area, but this time it was to be linked to a £130m government-funded expansion of the school which would allow it to take on pupils from other two schools. Council policy was set in October 2009 to allow the road extension if it can be proven that the grant is genuinely conditional on the altered road access. In mid-2010 it was announced that there would be no cash for the school expansion from Building Schools for the Future
programme. However Colchester council has not announced that it will halt its road building programme, in spite of local demands to preserve the green space.
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...
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...
and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
located within the Prettygate suburb of Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. Philip Morant is 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....
and a 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...
. The name Philip Morant
Philip Morant
Philip Morant was an English clergyman, author and historian.He was educated at Abingdon School and Pembroke College, Oxford, eventually taking his Masters Degree at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in 1729.Ordained in 1722, he began his association with the county of Essex with a curacy at Great...
was chosen a few months later, after the 18th Century local historian and archeologist. The school has been given academy status, with this plan going into action in November 2011.
History
The school was founded in September 1965. For the first two years it was located in the Greyfriars area of Colchester and took on only Year 7 and Year 8 students. During this time the current House Block, Hall and Gym were built in Prettygate. The school expanded in several stages – the main work took place in 1974 and 2003. In 1993 the school became a specialised 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...
. In 1996 a sixth-form college was added to the school.
At the moment there are 5 houses. These are Aylward, Faraday, Nuffield, Churchill and Ryder.
Campus
There a several main buildings at Philip Morant. There is the two-floored 'House Block' where EnglishEnglish studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, Humanities, Drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
and Modern Foreign Languages are taught. In as small building connected to the House Block, there is the semi-separate Art classrooms.
There is a one-floored Technology Block nearby where all forms of Technology are taught. Connected to this block are the Gymnasium, Main Hall, and the 3 floor Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
Block. The old Boy's Changing Rooms (located near the Gym) have been changed into a fitness suite. There is the Music block, next to the Technology Block. Attached to that is the Sports Hall and the Sports Hall Annex. Finally there is a separate 1 floored Maths Block, where some Science class rooms are located, as well as a computer room. The College is contained in a separate building, though some of the Maths block is almost solely used by the College. Around these buildings are playgrounds and a Car-park.
Students
There are around 1600 students (as of 2008). The students are divided into 5 houses: Aylward , Churchill, Faraday, Nuffield, and Ryder. Each house has around 300 students, a "hHouse area" and a certain day of the week when Prefect duties are done, though before 2011 students used to do two days. Students in Year 10 and 11 can become prefects—this means they do 'duties' around the school one lunchtime a week. This may include things like monitoring the halls or 'door duties'. Students can then become Senior Prefects, which allows them to go first into lunch every day of the week (instead of the one day for their house). Each year, 12 students in Year 10 are selected to be in the 'Student Management Team' until they leave. This team includes the Head Boy and Girl of the school.Students also have the opportunity to become eco-reps, sport captains, form captains and members of the school council.
Ofsted Report
The OfstedOfsted
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 ....
inspection in 2001 rated the school as level 1, "outstanding". In 2006 the school received an overall level 3, rating the school as "satisfactory" but "with some good features". The most recent inspection in February 2010 rated the school as level 2 "Good".
Planning Controversy
Norman Way was originally planned in the 1960s to be an inner ring road for Colchester with the "Norman Way School" (and several neighbouring schools) facing onto the road. Instead the metalled road was truncated a short distance before the school for safety reasons, and a footpath set on the original route. The alternative vehicular route requires driving through narrow residential streets. Several times since then the school has applied to have Norman Way extended along part or all of the original route so that pupils and visitors would not have to walk the extra 100m, but each time this was vetoed by the Council after vigorous protests against the increased traffic expected by the local residents.In summer 2009 the school again applied to extend the road through fields in the southern residential area, but this time it was to be linked to a £130m government-funded expansion of the school which would allow it to take on pupils from other two schools. Council policy was set in October 2009 to allow the road extension if it can be proven that the grant is genuinely conditional on the altered road access. In mid-2010 it was announced that there would be no cash for the school expansion from Building Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future is the name of the previous UK Government's investment programme in secondary school buildings in England. The program is very ambitious in its costs, timescales and objectives, with politicians from all English political parties supportive of the principle but...
programme. However Colchester council has not announced that it will halt its road building programme, in spite of local demands to preserve the green space.