Smithdon High School

Infobox UK school
name = Smithdon High School

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latitude = 52.93626
longitude = 0.49702
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established =
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head_label = Headteacher
head = Mr Jonathon Goodchild
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specialist = Maths and Computing College
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street = Downs Road
city = Hunstanton
county = Norfolk
country = England
postcode = PE36 5HY
LEA = Norfolk
ofsted = 121157
staff = 130 +
enrollment = 1234
gender = Coeducational
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
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website = http://www.smithdonhighschool.org.uk/
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Smithdon High School (formerly known as Hunstanton Secondary Modern School) is a comprehensive school in Hunstanton, Norfolk. Designed by the controversial architects Peter and Alison Smithson and completed in 1954, the school was immediately acclaimed by the architectural critics. However, its stark and uncompromising design, particularly the large expanses of glass (inspired by the work of Mies van der Rohe) caused some practical problems with heating and cooling, and this has since been modified by the addition of black panels in place of glass. This building is now officially a Grade II listed building due to its groundbreaking architectural style.

Architectural history

Hunstanton School was one of the most popular works by the Smithsons, in stark contrast, for example, to the 1960s Robin Hood Gardens, a widely reviled housing project in East London. Known locally as 'the glasshouse', the school was strikingly modern in many ways, most notably in its extensive use of glass and steel, and the unusual free-standing water tower.

The school today

The school is under the Local Educational Authority of Norfolk County Council. The current headteacher is Jon Goodchild and in a recent OFSTED report the school was rated Grade 3: Satisfactory, and in some areas Grade 2: Good. For a few years now the school has had specialist status in Mathematics and Computing, and is working on becoming specialist in performance arts.

tudy facilities

The school has many study facilities to aid the education of its students, these facilities include the library and many computer rooms. The library (or Learning Resource Centre as it is officially known) is located on the first floor of the Katherine Shaw block (so named after the headteacher, under which it was built), which was opened by the Queen in 2000. The library is made available to all students during break and lunchtimes, and can be used throughout the school day by the sixth form for silent study.

The school is constantly growing through the supreme budget it is receiving, and has transformed from a classic secondary modern school into the new age of technology, with interactive white boards in almost all classrooms, computers available in all classrooms and the 7 computer rooms, and the dramatic improvement in Music Technology to comply with the specifications needed for the new course, including the building of a recording studio.

A technology block was built in 2004 as the school heard of more pupils arriving in year 7 due to the middle schools of the area being converted into primary schools.

ee also

*Robin Hood Gardens
*Brutalist architecture

External links

* [http://www.smithdonhighschool.org.uk School's Official Website]
* [http://www.open2.net/modernity/3_9.htm From Here to Modernity]