- Chantry High School (Suffolk)
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Chantry High School and Sixth Form Centre Type Secondary Head teacher Andrew Fell Chairperson Bill Chair Specialism Humanities Location Ipswich
Suffolk
EnglandChantry High School and Sixth Form Centre is a comprehensive school in Chantry, Ipswich, Suffolk, England.
History
In September 1962, the newly constructed comprehensive Chantry Secondary Modern opened to serve the recently established council estate of Chantry in southwest Ipswich. Originally, the school consisted of the two three-floored blocks (A to the north and G to the south), and the main Hall area, which were designed to the standard architectural appearance of many early 1960s office buildings. Following the growth of the estate, the school’s student attendance grew rapidly into the 1970s, resulting in the extension of the site to accommodate the two-floored Science Block (that was later extended), and the three single-floored Damien, Shaftsbury, and Kenny blocks.
It wasn’t until the late 1970s, following numerous educational reforms, that the ‘Secondary Modern’ was dropped in favour for Chantry High.
Although the reputation of the school was know to be the most precarious in the region, since the late 1990s this generalisation has gradually been eroded, resulting in the school’s status to be praised by Ipswich County Council and Ofsted.
Sixth Form Centre
In 1981, the quarter-of-a-million pound Sixth Form Centre and library block opened to the school’s west following the extensive amalgamation of creating further education centres to accommodate east Suffolk. Originally, the Sixth Form served Chantry, East Bergholt, Stoke, Copleston, Kesgrave, and numerous smaller schools, acting as an alternative the already established Northgate Sixth Form centre. Recently, due to the increase of Sixth Form Centres within Ipswich, Chantry became renowned for serving mainly Stoke and Chantry – resulting in the name Chantry and Stoke Sixth Form Centre.
Following the opening of Suffolk One in September 2010, the chapter finally closed on Chantry and Stoke Sixth Form Centre. Nevertheless, 34 students of Year 13 are still situated in the centre, standing as the remaining generation to use the facilities. In June 2011, the centre will close. There people at chantry will go to Suffolk One
In the Twenty-First Century
It was expected for the school to be rebuild under the Labour Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme, however severe cuts in public expenditure by the coalition government has halted this programme, leaving the future of any reconstruction in doubt.
Recently, a major structural issue has become apparent in the school’s Science Block. Built in two halves, the first half was constructed in the 1960s on a moving foundation that responds to land shifts; meantime, the 1970s extension was built on a solid foundation on a lower level. This structural difference has resulted in the appearance of cracks in the building’s central corridor where one part of the block is moving away from the other.
Coordinates: 52°02′42″N 1°07′47″E / 52.0450°N 1.1296°E
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