Shenfield High School
Encyclopedia
Shenfield High School is a Business and Enterprise; and maths and computing specialist state school in Shenfield, Essex
. It is widely known as being a school that introduced splitting of boys and girls teaching classes in 1994 for Key Stage 3, and in core curriculum subjects in Key Stage 4 in order to combat declining test scores. The school also enjoys local and national sporting success, holding many titles in a wide variety of sports. On 1 October 2009, the Brentwood Gazette carried a lead article entitled "School could be prosecuted over reptile event" which highlighted the moves by the Animal Protection Agency (APA) against the school and organisors of the Reptile Breeders Expo event that took place on 27 September 2009. The school is used to controversy. In April 2000, a furore was generated when the school attempted to sack Dr Ralph Morse, Head of Drama and Media Studies simply because he was a pagan. When Dr Morse and Mr Toms left, the Expressive Arts Department lost much of its success.
pitch with associated changing and hospitality facilities was completed in 2010.
The school is also home to a variety of wildlife, both in the surrounding fields and trees, and in the small nature garden, which is used for school science lessons. Trees and hedges are planted between school buildings, and along the walkways that lead between the buildings.
and We Will Rock You.
, when the previous inspection happened on 23 January and 24 January 2007. The latest OFSTED inspection took place on 23 September and 24 September 2009, at which point the overall performance was rated as "Satisfactory" (Level 3). This is a lower rating than Sawyers Hall College received on their last inspection, despite the impending closure of the latter. Speaking on Radio 4 in March 2010, the headteacher John Fairhurst was extremely critical of the Ofsted inspection which he claimed was too short in duration and insufficient in depth to reach the conclusions made in the report. The school's specialist status as a Business and Enterprise school has opened a wider range of business-oriented subjects within the school, including Business Studies
(at GCSE, A-level and BTEC level 2 & 3), Accounting, Law and Economics
. Many subjects are also encouraged to relate aspects of their teaching to business life. The schools' specialist status is confirmed until 2010.
exams. Around 80% of students passed each of these exams in 2005.
at Shenfield High School enjoys high levels of academic success, with an average UCAS
point score of 283.8 per student. The average score per examination entry is 70.2 across the AS Level, A Level, and GNVQ examinations offered by the school.
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...
. It is widely known as being a school that introduced splitting of boys and girls teaching classes in 1994 for Key Stage 3, and in core curriculum subjects in Key Stage 4 in order to combat declining test scores. The school also enjoys local and national sporting success, holding many titles in a wide variety of sports. On 1 October 2009, the Brentwood Gazette carried a lead article entitled "School could be prosecuted over reptile event" which highlighted the moves by the Animal Protection Agency (APA) against the school and organisors of the Reptile Breeders Expo event that took place on 27 September 2009. The school is used to controversy. In April 2000, a furore was generated when the school attempted to sack Dr Ralph Morse, Head of Drama and Media Studies simply because he was a pagan. When Dr Morse and Mr Toms left, the Expressive Arts Department lost much of its success.
School Buildings
The school has a number of buildings, having one of the largest total areas of any school in the local area in order to cope with its 1,500 pupils. It has a total of 10 academic buildings, named A, C, E, H, i, P, S (with two buildings), T, and X, as well as a large sports centre, formerly owned by Brentwood Borough Council.School Grounds
The school itself has over 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of playing fields, which are used for breaktime recreation and physical education, as well as extracurricular activities. The school was also permitted access to the Shenfield Sports Centre building, which is on the school site, during school hours for the purposes of P.E. lessons and extracurricular clubs, and will continue to use the building now it has acquired it. The school also has an expansive playground, which includes facilities for tennis nets to be erected for P.E. or club use. A large astroturfAstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
pitch with associated changing and hospitality facilities was completed in 2010.
The school is also home to a variety of wildlife, both in the surrounding fields and trees, and in the small nature garden, which is used for school science lessons. Trees and hedges are planted between school buildings, and along the walkways that lead between the buildings.
Expressive Arts
The school prides itself with strong music and drama departments, especially with reference to extracurricular acitivites. Shenfield runs extremely successful concerts, which showcase the musical talent of the school. Traditionally, 2 Christmas concerts are held in early December, combining solo performances with ensemble items such as the school orchestra, swing band, and the traditional singing of carols by Year 7 students. Other notable ensembles include the Junior Wind band for younger students, and smaller groups such as the flute group and the clarinet group. The school also has a similar Easter Concert, and a musical is held nearer the end of the school year. In recent years, Shenfield has performed Joseph, Bugsy Malone, Back to The 80's, The Music Man, The Wizard of Oz, The Four Seasons Of Wounded Knee, High School MusicalHigh School Musical
High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
and We Will Rock You.
Academic
Shenfield High School was rated as "Good" (Level 2) overall by 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 ....
, when the previous inspection happened on 23 January and 24 January 2007. The latest OFSTED inspection took place on 23 September and 24 September 2009, at which point the overall performance was rated as "Satisfactory" (Level 3). This is a lower rating than Sawyers Hall College received on their last inspection, despite the impending closure of the latter. Speaking on Radio 4 in March 2010, the headteacher John Fairhurst was extremely critical of the Ofsted inspection which he claimed was too short in duration and insufficient in depth to reach the conclusions made in the report. The school's specialist status as a Business and Enterprise school has opened a wider range of business-oriented subjects within the school, including Business Studies
Business studies
Business studies is an academic subject taught at higher level in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, as well as at university level in many countries...
(at GCSE, A-level and BTEC level 2 & 3), Accounting, Law and Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. Many subjects are also encouraged to relate aspects of their teaching to business life. The schools' specialist status is confirmed until 2010.
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3 at Shenfield High School enjoys above average academic success, with an aggregate average score of 246 in 2005, with the Essex Local Authority average at 224, and national average at 217. This is a trend that has continued on from previous years. Students are examined in English, Science, and Maths at KS3 level, in the National Curriculum assessmentSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
exams. Around 80% of students passed each of these exams in 2005.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4, the schools' policy of splitting boys and girls only applies to English, Maths and Religious Education. All other subjects become mixed groups. In 2005, 58% of students obtained Level 2 (5 or more A* to C grades) in their GCSE examinations, only slightly above par with the Essex LA and national averages of 56%.Key Stage 5 / Sixth Form
The Sixth FormSixth 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,...
at Shenfield High School enjoys high levels of academic success, with an average UCAS
UCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is the British admission service for students applying to university and college. UCAS is primarily funded by students who pay a fee when they apply and a capitation fee from universities for each student they accept..-Location:UCAS is based near...
point score of 283.8 per student. The average score per examination entry is 70.2 across the AS Level, A Level, and GNVQ examinations offered by the school.
Notable alumni
- The Rt Hon Philip HammondPhilip HammondPhilip Hammond MP is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the current Defence Secretary in the Coalition government led by David Cameron, having succeeded Liam Fox on 14 October 2011...
, MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... - Russell ToveyRussell ToveyRussell George Tovey is an English actor with numerous television, film and stage credits. Tovey is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural drama Being Human which started in 2008...
, ActorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... - Sarah Champion, television presenter and disc jockey
- Ross KempRoss KempRoss James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
, ActorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... - Sarah KaneSarah KaneSarah Kane was an English playwright. Her plays deal with themes of redemptive love, sexual desire, pain, torture — both physical and psychological — and death. They are characterised by a poetic intensity, pared-down language, exploration of theatrical form and, in her earlier work, the use of...
, PlaywrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder... - Richard MadeleyRichard MadeleyRichard Madeley is a British television presenter and columnist. With his wife Judy Finnigan, Madeley has presented This Morning and later the weekday chat show Richard & Judy...
, Media personality