Plymstock School

Plymstock School

Established	1911
Headteacher	Mr David Farmer
Specialism	Sports College
Location	Church Road Plymouth Devon PL9 9AZ England
Local authority	Plymouth
DfE URN	113537
Ofsted	Reports
Students	1456
Gender	Coeducational
Ages	11–18
Website	www.plymstockschool.org.uk

Coordinates: 50°21′44″N 4°05′17″W / 50.36218°N 4.08796°W / 50.36218; -4.08796

Plymstock School is a state comprehensive secondary school (ages 11–18) in Plymstock, a popular suburb of Plymouth, Devon, England. It was the first West Devon comprehensive school (built on the core of a post war secondary school) and is now a Specialist Sports College.

As of 2006^[update] it has some 1,600 students, of whom 240 are in the sixth form. The school claims to be "the most oversubscribed school in Devon".

Plymstock School was maintained by Devon County Council until 1 April 1967, when it was tranferred to Plymouth City Council which has maintained it since then.^[1] In 2003 it underwent what was reported as a budget crisis, forcing redundancies and reduced spending on new classrooms to replace temporary facilities. The school offers AS and A levels as the sixth form option, having no plans despite the large pupil numbers, to teach the International Baccalaureat or the pre-U despite the IB now being offered in many leading schools in the city and county including Ivybridge Community College, Plymouth High School for Girls, Plymouth College and Exeter School on the basis that such qualifications are not essential in England.

In many of the last School ratings in Local, and National Newspapers, have claimed Plymstock to be in the top 5 of Plymouth, with the higher ranked schools being Private (11+ examination schools) and within the top 800 of England. (Herald, The Independent). As of the 2009 OFSTED report, this school has been rated as 'Outstanding'.

Its local feeder primary schools include: Elburton Primary; Hooe Primary; Dunstone Primary; Pomphlett Primary; and Oreston Primary.

History

The school was opened on 26 April 1911 as the Plymstock Senior Mixed School, and replaced the Dean Cross Elementary School for Boys. The first headmaster was T F Jarvis. Its name was changed to Plymstock County Senior Mixed School, and then to Plymstock County Secondary School, and in September 1961 to its current name. In 1965, it became a comprehensive school, and the buildings were extended between 1969 and 1970 to accommodate a further 300 pupils.^[2]

Notable alumni

• Sharron Davies - Olympic swimmer and television presenter
• Mecia Simson - Britain's Next Top Model Cycle 5 Winner
• Vince Freeman - Musician winner of the MTV indie musician of the year award
• Liz White - Actress credits include popular BBC drama series Life on Mars (TV Series) and the film Vera Drake
• Antony Jinman - Polar explorer
• Heather Knight - cricketer^[3]

References

1. ^ Moseley, Brian; Watson, Deborah (27 July 2010). "Devon County Local Education Authority". The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History. Brian Moseley. http://www.plymouthdata.info/Schools-LEA-DevonCC.htm. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 
2. ^ Moseley, Brian; Watson, Deborah (27 July 2010). "Plymstock County Senior Mixed School". The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History. Brian Moseley. http://www.plymouthdata.info/Schools-LEA-DevonCC-Plymstock%20Senior%20Mixed%20%20PSK.htm. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 
3. ^ "Knight is a first among equals at Plymstock". This is Cornwall. Northcliffe Media. 3 December 2008. http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Knight-equals-Plymstock/story-11512108-detail/story.html. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 

• "It's a model school in every way bar one ... the money's just not there" Education The Guardian, Friday July 18, 2003

External links

• School website