Helsby High School

Infobox UK school
name = Helsby High School


size =
latitude = 53.27989
longitude = -2.75223
dms = dms
motto = "Ut Tibi Sic Aliis"
("Do to others as you would wish to be done to yourself")
motto_pl =
established = 1894
approx =
closed =
c_approx =
type = Comprehensive School
religion = Non-Denominational
president =
head_label = Headmaster
head = Mr R A V Evans BA Hons. M Ed.
r_head_label =
r_head =
chair_label =
chair = Sir Eric Anderson KT
founder = Sir John Brunner, 1st Baronet
founder_pl =
specialist = Science College
specialist_pl =
street = Chester Road
city = Helsby
county = Cheshire
country = England
postcode = WA6 0HY
LEA = Cheshire
Ofsted = 111440
staff = c. 90
enrollment = c. 1405
gender = Coeducational
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
houses = Orange, Yellow
colours = Bottle Green, Black and Yellow
publication = Fusion
free_label_1 =
free_1 =
free_label_2 =
free_2 =
free_label_3 =
free_3 =
website = http://www.helsbyhigh.cheshire.sch.uk/
website_name =

Helsby High School is a state maintained secondary school on "Chester Road" in Helsby, Frodsham, for pupils aged between 11 and 18. The school performs well, and its attainment is above average for the UK both at GCSE and A-level. Its A-level results are in the top ten percent of comprehensives in the UK, and the third highest in Cheshire, surpassed only by schools in Northwich and Tarporley.

History

The Runcorn School

The history of Helsby High School can be traced back to the 14th April 1894 when John Thomlinson Brunner MP, and partner in Brunner Mond one of the forerunners of ICI, laid the foundations of the old school buildings. In 1897 the school opened as Runcorn Institute School on "Waterloo Street", Runcorn. In 1907 the school became the Runcorn Institute County Secondary School. The 1908 inspector's report shows a school with 133 pupils, mainly drawn from the Runcorn area, although several came in from Frodsham, Helsby and Ellesmere Port. The inspection team drew attention to the inconvenience of using a Technical Institute as an Academic Institute. They criticised the "foul gases that pass into the woodwork room" when a gas engine was running. The inspectors were hopeful that when the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge was completed, the site might increase in value for office purposes and a more suitable site could be found. In 1914, a further inspection declared the building unsuitable for a secondary school.

The War Years

By the 1930s, it was clear that the school could not continue on its existing site. Helsby was proposed as the new site for the local Grammar Schools. Building work started in 1938 but was interrupted by the outbreak of war. In 1939, only the walls of the school were completed. In light of a shortage of building materials, the education committee were forced to seal off the girls' school. The boys' school was completed in 1940. In 1941, the buildings were requisitioned by the Ministry of Supply and became a hostel for munitions workers in Chester. There are no current records of any further uses during the war. In 1947, the buildings were de-requisitioned and in 1948, the Ministry of Education approved the reinstatement and completion of the buildings. In 1949, the boys' and girls' schools were completed and re-opened. In 1949, the schools were occupied by 350 boys and girls from the Runcorn County Grammar School and, in accordance with the Education Act 1944 became The County Grammar School for Boys' Helsby and The County Grammar School for Girls Helsby.

Post-War Period

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Helsby Grammar Schools were the main Grammar schools in the Runcorn area, and the period was generally one of stability with a number of recorded highlights. In 1951, the Conservatives' victory in Helsby's mock election reflected the national result as Winston Churchill was returned as Prime Minister. In 1953, the Coronation year, the school took part in the 'Coronation Survey of Education in the Empire' which aimed to show that 'although methods of education and ways of life differ, we are united under our Queen in the British Empire and Commonwealth.' In the harsh winter gales of 1966, the girls were sent home from school when strong gusts broke glass panels, rendering the building unsafe.

Recent years

In the predominantly Labour led governments of the 1960s and 1970s, educational trends led towards comprehensive schooling for all. This led to a great deal of change the boys' and girls' grammar schools of Helsby. In 1977 the last 11+ cohort were admitted but they were only to enjoy one year in the grammar school as in 1978, the two grammar schools were merged by the LEA, with support from the Governing Body (please see minutes of the Governing Body from the 1970s), into a single comprehensive school, to serve a similar area as the Grammar Schools as well as they had for many years. [Please see minutes of the Board Of Governors throughout the 1970s] By 1997, Helsby High School had emerged as one of the most successful schools in the county, based on both academic and non-academic activities. The school has continued to live up to the high standards of the Grammars that came before it and in 2003 the school was awarded Specialist Science College status.

Subjects

At present, the school curriculum employs many different subjects. In Year 10, the three Sciences - Chemistry, Biology and Physics - are separated out (having been taught as a combined science course in KS3) to allow specialist teachers to teach their subject with optimum success. Other subjects include: English, Mathematics, French, History, Geography, Resistant Materials, Art, Music, Information and Communication Technology, Religious Studies, Textiles, Food Studies and Physical Education. Throughout the school, pupils are setted into eight or ten sets - four or five in each half of the year group. In Year 9, class sizes are made smaller for the Sciences as three separate science courses are offered. The school offers both French and German. The latter subject is taught from year eight onwards. Latin was offered as a subject until 1999 when lack of uptake led to its removal from the GCSE option list. The subjects available for GCSE and/or A-Level, surplus to subjects taught in lower school include Business Studies, Economics, Electronics, Media Studies, Government & Politics, Sociology and Psychology. A central part to school life is its wide range of extra-curricular opportunities, including the Junior, Jazz and Senior Bands. The school now has an equally balanced male and female choir which until 2007 was almost entirely female. The choir sang is Saint Mark's Basilica in 2008. Until 2008, the school did have an orchestra which has now been discontinued. There are plans for a string enemble in 2009 however. In addition, the school has many other instrument specific musical ensembles (like guitar and flute) and many highly successful sports teams, inculuding the Basketball team which represented Great Britain at the last schools World Championships held in Pau, France.

References