Erith School
Encyclopedia
Erith School is a bilateral secondary school in Erith
in the London Borough of Bexley
in England.
and transfer from one band to another takes place, with one band being more academically demanding than the others.
It is situated just off the Bexley Road (A220).
, and was operating similar to two separate school.
In 1979, the "hands off Erith School" campaign successfully allowed the school to maintain its status. There were plans by Bexley council to either close the school or split it into two.
In 1996, the two sites of Erith School, the East and West buildings, merged onto one site on Avenue Road, with a new teaching block, sports hall and all weather astroturf facilities. The old West site on Brook Street is now home to Northumberland Heath Primary School. In 2005, the school was awarded Specialist Schools status by the Government, recognising its excellence in PE, Maths and ICT. This was announced in a formal opening by Sir Trevor Brooking
. A new Post-16 block opened in May 2007. Its Community Sports Centre oversees usage during the evenings and weekends by a variety of teams.
Erith
Erith is a district of southeast London on the River Thames. Erith's town centre has undergone a series of modernisations since 1961.-Pre-medieval:...
in the London Borough of Bexley
London Borough of Bexley
The London Borough of Bexley lies in south east Greater London, and is a borough referred to as part of Outer London. It has common borders with the London Borough of Bromley to the south, the London Borough of Greenwich to the west, across the River Thames to the north it borders the London...
in England.
Admissions
It has specialist status as a Sports College and a Mathematics and Computing College. Although a comprehensive, it is halfway to a grammar school as it selects many pupils by academic ability for the bi-lateral intake. Intake is bandedAbility grouping
Ability grouping is the educational practice of grouping students by academic potential or past achievement.Ability groups are usually small, informal groups formed within a single classroom. Assignment to an ability group is often short-term , and varies by subject...
and transfer from one band to another takes place, with one band being more academically demanding than the others.
It is situated just off the Bexley Road (A220).
History
The former school has been known as Erith County School and Erith Grammar School and was on Avenue Road. Prior to that, it had been spread over three buildings in Belvedere. The main building shared with Erith Technical School, All Saints' School, and a new purpose-built school at The Oaks.Early history
Erith School was founded in 1973 by the amalgamation of Northumberland Heath Secondary Modern School on Brook Street, which became the West building, and Erith Grammar School, which became the East building. In 1977, it changed from being a comprehensive school to a bilateral schoolPartially selective school (England)
In England, a partially selective school is one of a few dozen state-funded secondary schools that select a proportion of their intake by ability or aptitude, permitted as a continuation of arrangements that existed prior to 1997....
, and was operating similar to two separate school.
In 1979, the "hands off Erith School" campaign successfully allowed the school to maintain its status. There were plans by Bexley council to either close the school or split it into two.
Modern history
In 1993 two (male) art teachers, aged 42 and 38, were suspended having been found in possession of child pornography.In 1996, the two sites of Erith School, the East and West buildings, merged onto one site on Avenue Road, with a new teaching block, sports hall and all weather astroturf facilities. The old West site on Brook Street is now home to Northumberland Heath Primary School. In 2005, the school was awarded Specialist Schools status by the Government, recognising its excellence in PE, Maths and ICT. This was announced in a formal opening by Sir Trevor Brooking
Trevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
. A new Post-16 block opened in May 2007. Its Community Sports Centre oversees usage during the evenings and weekends by a variety of teams.
Headteachers
- Ronald Sumner (1950–72)
- Brian Pimm (1972–88)
- Toby Hufford (1989–2009)
- Julie Turner (2009-)
Academic performance
Although a partially selective school, it gets low GCSE results and particularly low A-level results. Bexley LEA has three grammar schools, attracting the more able pupils.Notable alumni
- Jimmy BullardJimmy BullardJames Richard "Jimmy" Bullard is a footballer who currently plays for Ipswich Town. He played youth football at West Ham before moving to Gravesend & Northfleet in 1998...
- Ex- West Ham United, PeterboroughPeterborough United F.C.Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
, Wigan Athletic, Fulham and current Hull CityHull City A.F.C.Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
midfielder. - Mr Michael Johnson - PE Teacher - Worked at the school full time from 1968 thru 2008.
- Curtis WestonCurtis WestonCurtis James Weston is an English professional footballer who plays for Gillingham.-Playing career:...
- youngest ever player to play in a FA Cup Final. Currently playing at Gillingham FC
Erith Grammar School
- Rt Rev David Conner, Bishop of LynnBishop of LynnThe Bishop of Lynn is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after the town of King's Lynn in Norfolk...
from 1994-9 - Peter DenyerPeter DenyerPeter John Denyer was an English actor who was perhaps best remembered for playing Dennis Dunstable in London Weekend Television's Please Sir!, and its spin off series The Fenn Street Gang, taking on the role of a teenager when already into his 20s.Another semi-regular role, again for LWT, was as...
, actor - Clive Hodson CBE, Managing Director from 1989-95 of London BusesLondon BusesLondon Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
- Prof Ralph Hopkinson, Haden-Pilkington Professor of Environmental Design and Engineering from 1965-76 at University College LondonUniversity College LondonUniversity College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, and expert on lighting designArchitectural lighting designArchitectural lighting design is a field within architecture and architectural engineering that concerns itself primarily with the illumination of buildings. The objective of architectural lighting design is to obtain sufficient light for the purposes of the building, balancing factors of initial... - Wing CommanderWing Commander (rank)Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
G W 'Johnnie' Johnson, became Chief Test pilot of Hawker Siddeley Aviation during development of the Harrier - Michael Lewis, Editor from 1984-91 of BBC Radio SportBBC SportBBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
- Felicity PalmerFelicity PalmerDame Felicity Joan Palmer, DBE , is an English mezzo-soprano and music professor. She sang soprano roles until 1983....
CBE, mezzo-sopranoMezzo-sopranoA mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... - Prof Brian Pentecost OBE, Medical Director from 1993-9 of the British Heart FoundationBritish Heart FoundationThe British Heart Foundation is a charity organisation in Britain that funds research, education, care and awareness campaigns aimed to prevent heart diseases in humans.-Foundation:...
- Peter Robinson, Group Chief Executive from 1995-7 of the Woolwich Building SocietyThe WoolwichThe Woolwich is a trademark of the British bank Barclays. Originally the 'Woolwich' was the Woolwich Building Society before it demutualised and became a public limited company in 1997...
- Paul Barron, former goalkeeper at several English professional football clubs including ArsenalArsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace F.C.Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Queens Park Rangers and West Bromwich Albion - Sir William Taylor CBE, educationist and Vice-Chancellor from 1985-91 of the University of HullUniversity of HullThe University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
and from 1994-5 of the University of HuddersfieldUniversity of HuddersfieldThe University of Huddersfield is a university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- History :The University traces its roots back to a Science and Mechanic Institute founded in 1825... - Professor Colin Webb, Professor of Physics,Oxford University, founder of Oxford Lasers Ltd
- Peter Strittmatter, Regents Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona
Northumberland Heath Secondary Modern School
- Alan KnottAlan KnottAlan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....
, leading Kent and England TestTest cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
cricketer (wicket-keeperWicket-keeperThe wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
and batsman). 95 Tests for England 1967-81 and 269 dismissals (England record)
Former teachers
- Letty Norwood, longest serving female spy in British history, spying for the Soviets from 1934-73 (taught chemistry in the 1970s)