Fairfield High School for Girls
Encyclopedia
Fairfield High School for Girls, is an all-girls' secondary school
in Droylsden
, Greater Manchester
.
According to the school's website the ethos is strong and traditional, and the website also claims a commitment to academic success for its girls, including high standards of behaviour and appearance. The current Headmaster is Mr J R Hedley, following the retirement of Mr Penter in 2005.
It is situated between the A662 and A635
in Fairfield. The M60
is less than a mile away to the east. Fairfield Avenue is accessed via the A635 to the south.
, based at The Square. There were plans in 1965, by the divisional executive (for the Tameside area), for it to become a sixth form college
, to come into operation by 1967. The Lancashire Education Committee never approved the plan. It was administered by the Borough of Tameside from April 1974.
(which became an independent school at the same time), just before the school became comprehensive in 1979. The school lost its sixth form.
The school was Grant Maintained between 1993 and 1999. It is currently a Foundation School and became a Specialist Science College
in September 2004.
~ The Debating Society.
~ Y7 Circle Time.
~ Choir.
~ Band.
~ Volleyball.
~ Lacrosse.
~ Drama Group.
~ Eco Schools Group.
~ Young Enterprise Group.
~ Computer Club 4 Girls.
~ Design Technology Workshop.
~ Chess Club.
~ Critical Thinking AS Level.
~ Religious Studies GCSE Full Course on Sikhism.
~ Spanish GCSE.
~ Microsoft Office Specialist Certificates.
~ Additional Maths
~ Twilight Courses
The school has a virtual learning space offering students help and guidance at home. Virtual Learning Zone
The group hold two meetings each year, one in the spring and a second in the autumn. These meetings are open to all ex-pupils and offer an opportunity to meet up with old friends in the school hall, with refreshments, whilst raising money for a charity.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Droylsden
Droylsden
Droylsden is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is to the east of Manchester city centre, and west-southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne, it has a population of 23,172....
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
.
Admissions
There are around 950 girls and over 50 teachers.According to the school's website the ethos is strong and traditional, and the website also claims a commitment to academic success for its girls, including high standards of behaviour and appearance. The current Headmaster is Mr J R Hedley, following the retirement of Mr Penter in 2005.
It is situated between the A662 and A635
A635 road
The A635 is a main road that runs between Manchester and Doncaster running east–west through Stalybridge, Saddleworth Moor, Holmfirth and Barnsley....
in Fairfield. The M60
M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton...
is less than a mile away to the east. Fairfield Avenue is accessed via the A635 to the south.
History
It was established in 1796 by Mary Tyrrell and the Moravian Church, a Protestant organisation which originates in the 15th Century, with just 21 girls and 6 teachers. Thus, it has been providing inclusive girls education for over 200 years.Grammar school
It was a girls' grammar schoolGrammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, based at The Square. There were plans in 1965, by the divisional executive (for the Tameside area), for it to become a sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
, to come into operation by 1967. The Lancashire Education Committee never approved the plan. It was administered by the Borough of Tameside from April 1974.
Comprehensive
In 1975 the headmistress, Miss Ruth Gleave, resigned and became head of Bradford Girls' Grammar SchoolBradford Girls' Grammar School
Founded in 1857, Bradford Girls' Grammar School is an independent senior school for girls aged 11 – 18 with co-educational preparatory school and nursery, called Lady Royd Preparatory School for boys and girls aged 2 – 11 years....
(which became an independent school at the same time), just before the school became comprehensive in 1979. The school lost its sixth form.
The school was Grant Maintained between 1993 and 1999. It is currently a Foundation School and became a Specialist Science College
Science College
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics...
in September 2004.
Significant staff changes
Mr Howell, Deputy Headteacher, retired in 2008. He joined the school in January 1984 in the position of Head of Science. After a short time in post, Mr Howell's responsibilities were extended and he led a new initiative, the Technical and Vocational Educational Initiative (TVEI). Mr Howell was later promoted to the Senior Leadership Team. Shortly afterwards, he was promoted to the position of Head of Upper School (including responsibility for Years 10 and 11), and then he became Deputy Headteacher, working with the ex-Headteacher Mr Penter.Extra-Curricular activities
The school hosts a number of extra-curricula activities, including:~ The Debating Society.
~ Y7 Circle Time.
~ Choir.
~ Band.
~ Volleyball.
~ Lacrosse.
~ Drama Group.
~ Eco Schools Group.
~ Young Enterprise Group.
~ Computer Club 4 Girls.
~ Design Technology Workshop.
~ Chess Club.
Expanding Opportunities
They are now offering students the chance to study for extra qualifications outside their normal study. For example:~ Critical Thinking AS Level.
~ Religious Studies GCSE Full Course on Sikhism.
~ Spanish GCSE.
~ Microsoft Office Specialist Certificates.
~ Additional Maths
~ Twilight Courses
The school has a virtual learning space offering students help and guidance at home. Virtual Learning Zone
Academic performance
The school was ranked second in Tameside in the 2010 school results league table St Thomas More RC College (a mixed school), and 11% above the national average. Tameside GCSE results are more reasonable than many parts of Greater Manchester.[CN] The school was graded 2 (good) by Ofsted in its most recent report.Academy conversion
The school converted to an Academy school on April 1, 2011.Alumni
The school retains strong links with its alumni through the Old Girls Association.The group hold two meetings each year, one in the spring and a second in the autumn. These meetings are open to all ex-pupils and offer an opportunity to meet up with old friends in the school hall, with refreshments, whilst raising money for a charity.
Droylsden Fairfield High School
- Diana Cavanagh, Director of Education for Bradford from 1996–2001
- Prof Anne Tattersfield OBE, Professor of Respiratory Medicine from 1984-2005 at the University of NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamThe University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
, President from 2000-1 of the British Thoracic SocietyBritish Thoracic SocietyThe British Thoracic Society was formed in 1982 by the amalgamation of the British Thoracic Association and the Thoracic Society. It is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.-Function:...