The Frances Bardsley School for Girls

The Frances Bardsley School for Girls

The Frances Bardsley School for Girls is a non-denominational girls school [ [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/pdf/?inspectionNumber=268961&providerCategoryID=8192&fileName=\school\102\s10_102351_20050513.pdf Microsoft Word - 102351.DOC ] ] and sixth form centre in the London Borough of Havering, East London, England. The school educates girls between the ages of 11 and 18 (school years 7 to 13).

The school is located in Brentwood Road, Romford. In 2005 the school had 1228 pupils on its role. The majority of pupils have white UK backgrounds though there has been a steady increase in girls from other ethnic and cultural backgrounds including African-Caribbean and those from the Indian subcontinent [ [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/pdf/?inspectionNumber=268961&providerCategoryID=8192&fileName=\school\102\s10_102351_20050513.pdf Microsoft Word - 102351.DOC ] ]

The student body represents girls from many different socio-economic backgrounds. Just over seven per cent of pupils claim free school meals which is below the national average [ [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/pdf/?inspectionNumber=268961&providerCategoryID=8192&fileName=\school\102\s10_102351_20050513.pdf Microsoft Word - 102351.DOC ] ] .Until 2003 the school was based on two separate sites; the Upper School (school years 9-13) at the existing site in Brentwood Road (built in 1910) and the Lower School (school years 7 and 8) at a separate site in Heath Park Road (built in 1906 and recognised by the Essex Education authority in 1909 when a commemorative stone was placed in the wall at the front of the school). These two sites were around a quarter of a mile from one another, and joined by a long road which is Catherine Road at the Lower School end and Lawrence Road at the Upper School end [ [http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=552734&y=188431&z=1&sv=brentwood+road&st=6&tl=Brentwood+Road,+RM2&searchp=newsearch.srf&mapp=newmap.srf Brentwood Road, RM2 ] ] . Girls from the Upper School often attended lessons on the Lower School site. GCSE and AS/A Level Art and Design were two of the subjects which girls frequently had to travel between the two sites for. It was considered that this was a less than desirable situation.

It was this less than desirable situation which meant that in 2003 the Lower School Site was sold and developed into houses and flats. The main school building was converted into 12 apartments and 2 duplex galleried houses and renamed ‘Academy Square’. As it is a grade II Listed Building it could not be knocked down. This project was not completed entirely until 2006 and went on to win the Built-In Quality Award from the London District Surveyors Association. This part of the work was done by [http://www.kcarchitects.co.uk/Kirby Cove Architects] who specialise in "Built-In" architecture (i.e. when a building which already exists is converted into something else).

The other buildings, including the gym, "B-Block" (a prefabricated building dating from the late 1980's) and "wing" (a supposedly temporary structure dating from the 1940's and comprising of a science laboratory and three classrooms) were demolished, and houses built on them. This estate is now known as ‘Academy Fields’.

Motto

The schools motto is "Gladly Lerne, Gladly Teche" and comes from the quotation "And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche." from Prologue, Line 310 of The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer.

History

Previous to the school becoming The Frances Bardsley School for Girls in 1972, the two sites had housed “sister” schools; a Secondary modern school and a Grammar school.

The first school was started, in 1906, by the founder Frances Bardsley in the centre of Romford; her vision was to provide free education for local girls. So established did the school become that it moved into large new premises on the northern outskirts of Romford (the modern day site on Brentwood Road). In the 1930’s, as a result of educational policy the school became a selective Grammar school, and was renamed The Romford County High School for Girls.

At this time the old Lower School site on Heath Park Road (now Academy Fields) was the Secondary Modern school known as The Heath Park Secondary Modern School for Girls.

After the reforming implementation of Comprehensive schools during the 1970’s The Romford County High School for Girls and The Heath Park Secondary Modern School for Girls amalgamated to become what we now know as The Frances Bardsley School for Girls, and the Lower School/Upper School dynamic that was in place until 2003, was established.

The school gained Specialist school status in the Visual arts in [http://www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/havering/schools/fbs/homepage/history/ July 2004]

Head Teachers

The current Head Teacher is Suzanne Phillips. She has held the post since 2001. Previous to her taking over the role the Head Teacher was Patricia Joughin. The headmistress during the 1980's was Mrs. Irwin-Hunt.

Forms

The school has 8 forms, named after trees. These forms are:

*Beech (commonly referred to as ‘F’ which stands for ‘Fagus’ the Latin word for Beech)
*Birch (commonly referred to as ‘B’)
*Elm (commonly referred to as ‘E’)
*Larch (commonly referred to as ‘L’)
*Oak (commonly referred to as ‘O’)
*Rowan (commonly referred to as ‘R’)
*Sycamore (commonly referred to as ‘S’)
*Willow (commonly referred to as ‘W’)

Sycamore was the last form to be created in 1993. It was added because the intake in Year 7 increased, so a new form was needed.

Absence rates

The school has a 7% authorised absence rate and 0.5% [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/04/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/311_5400.stm unauthorised absence rate] . This compares favorably to the 7% national authorised absence rate and 1.2% unauthorised absence rate in the UK.

GCSE results

The last published available information is from 2004, when 73% of pupils in Year 11 achieved 5 or more A*-C GCSE’s. This was up on the previous year when [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/04/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/311_5400.stm 70% of pupils in Year 11 achieved 5 or more A*-C GCSE’s]

Ofsted results

The last Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education) inspection took place between 7th and 10th March 2005 (inspection number 268961). Graham Preston lead the investigation, assisted by a team of 16 other inspectors.

The full report can be read here: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/pdf/?inspectionNumber=268961&providerCategoryID=8192&fileName=\school\102\s10_102351_20050513.pdf

Relationship with parents

From as far back as the school has existed the school has maintained strong links with parents and pupils. The school regularly issues newsletters. Here is a copy of a newsletter from 2001, this is a good example of the areas the regular newsletter covers: [http://www.francesbardsley.havering.sch.uk/Newsletter/News%2015-10-01.doc read it here]

Heads of department

*Visual Arts: Jacinta Appleby
*Design and Technology: J Hadley
*English Literature and Language: Chris Hampton
*General Studies: Peter Fowler
*Geography: L Hebden
*History: C Cranidge
*Information Technology: S Naquvi
*Mathematics: James Gannon
*Modern Foreign Languages: Rebecca Morgan
*Music: Mike Silk
*Physical Education: Melanie Cambridge
*Physical, Social and Health Education: P Hardy
*Religious Studies: Elizabeth Fowkes
*Science: Lorraine Holland
*Sixth Form: Michelle Carter-Saunders
*Technology: Teresa Haylock [http://www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/havering/schools/fbs/homepage/Staff/]

Abbreviations and nicknames

The school is often referred to by staff and pupils alike as "FBS", "Bardsley", "FB", "Franny B" and "Farny Barny". This is probably due to its very long name, and traditional nicknames given affectionately to schools.

Trivia

*In 1998 Head of Physical Education, Melanie Cambridge, appeared on the now decommissioned LWT show "Don't Try This at Home". The programme was based on a series of daredevil stunts, and Melanie had to jump out of a plane. This was most noteworthy to pupils at the time, because Essex-boy Darren Day brought his camera crew into the Lower School to "challenge" Melanie.
*In 1999 the school choir, at the time lead by Christine Petherick, sang on the London Heart 106.2 FM especially commissioned version of ‘I Have a Dream’ with Irish boyband, Westlife. They won this privilege after sending the radio station in a tape of them singing the song.
*The actress currently playing Louisa in The Sound of Music revival at London Palladium attends the school. Her name is Sophie Onslow [http://www.soundofmusiclondon.com/people/SophieOnslow.php]
*Former teacher at the school, Karen Tann, was awarded a Royal Institute of ChemistryTeacher Fellowship in 2005 [http://www.euchems.org/binaries/unitedkingdom_tcm23-95273.pdf]
*The school made headlines in 2007 when girls in year 7 were made to spend their break and lunchtimes in a “caged” area of a former tennis court, in order to stop them “grow [ing] up too fast” "(Suzanne Phillips, 16 March 2007, The Daily Mail)." The Daily Mail splashed the story on 16 March 2007 with the headline [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=442716&in_page_id=1770&ct=5 'Caged to Stay Young']
*The school made headlines locally when in the summer of 2007 The London Borough of Havering made objections regarding the schools use of criteria which allocate places on the basis of commitment to single sex education and on aptitude and ability for creativity in the Arts. The school argued that the school had always selected on these basis, The adjudicator, Dr Peter Matthews, upheld the objections. He concluded that the criteria were unlawful and were likely to act to the disadvantage certain social groups. A press release regarding this can be read [http://www.schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk/upload/PR116.07%20The%20Frances%20Bardsley.doc here]
*Former teacher Kate Spiller had her obituary published in The Guardian when she died in 2006. You can read it [http://www.guardian.co.uk/otherlives/story/0,,1827243,00.html here]
*The average teacher rating on [http://www.ratemyteachers.co.uk RateMyTeachers.co.uk] is 2.4

Notable Alumnae

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1266091/ Paula Jennings] from "New Tricks" and "Eastenders" attended the school until 1992.
*Natalie Steward won the Bronze medal for 100m freestyle at the 1960 Olympics. She can be found at List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women). She attended Frances Bardsley in the 1950s.
*Year nine art work is currently on display at the London College of Communications.

References

External links

* [http://www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/havering/schools/fbs/ The Official Frances Bardsley Website]
* [http://www.francesbardsleyfriends.org.uk/ The Friends of Frances Bardsley]