Great Barr School
Encyclopedia
Great Barr School is a co-educational secondary school
on Aldridge Road in Great Barr
, Birmingham
, England for pupils aged 11 to 19. The school is usually the next level for children who attended Great Barr Primary School
on the same area site.
The modern schools building had been incorporated into the comprehensive school and became the Lower School, with new buildings comprising the Middle and Upper Schools. The Lower school compromises of the English, History and Geography departments, with some Science and Technology rooms. The middle school is mainly made up of Technology rooms and the schools main library. The Upper School is primarily Science, Art, Religious Education, Personal Exercise and Modern Foreign Languages.
One of the school's most famous previous employees is Dame Maureen Brennan
, who is known for the turn-around of Hillcrest School and Community College
in Netherton, West Midlands
.
Recently, the sixth form centre has begun to offer post-16 vocational courses to pupils who wish to follow a vocational route to further education or training. As of 2011, these courses have included a Level 3 BTEC's in Forensic Science and Applied Biology and courses in iMedia and Sports Science.
On Thursday 24 November 2005 the schools new state-of-the-art music block was opened by then head teacher, Brian Sherratt
O.B.E. The date also marked the formal retirement of Dr Sherratt after 21 years at the school.
Currently, Great Barr is the largest single-site school in the country with over 2,400 pupils on roll.
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...
on Aldridge Road in Great Barr
Great Barr
Great Barr is a large and loosely-defined area which straddles the boundaries of Birmingham, West Bromwich and Walsall , West Midlands, England...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England for pupils aged 11 to 19. The school is usually the next level for children who attended Great Barr Primary School
Great Barr Primary School
Great Barr Primary School is a junior and infant primary school on Aldridge Road in Great Barr, Birmingham, England for children aged 3–10. The school usually acts as a precursor for Great Barr School a secondary school adjacent the site....
on the same area site.
History
The school was officially opened by the Rt. Hon. D Rogers on September 24, 1957 as Great Barr Comprehensive School. The school had opened in September 1957 with thirteen forms of 11 year old boys and girls and 615 pupils between the ages of 12 and 15, who were transferred from the Aldridge Road Boys and Girls Modern Schools which ceased to exist at that time. Mr Oswald Beynon MA was the first headmaster.The modern schools building had been incorporated into the comprehensive school and became the Lower School, with new buildings comprising the Middle and Upper Schools. The Lower school compromises of the English, History and Geography departments, with some Science and Technology rooms. The middle school is mainly made up of Technology rooms and the schools main library. The Upper School is primarily Science, Art, Religious Education, Personal Exercise and Modern Foreign Languages.
One of the school's most famous previous employees is Dame Maureen Brennan
Maureen Brennan
Dame Maureen Brennan is headteacher at Barr Beacon Language College in Walsall, West Midlands. She took over leadership of this school in Easter 2007 after spending several years as the Principal of Hillcrest School and Community College in Netherton, West Midlands...
, who is known for the turn-around of Hillcrest School and Community College
The Hillcrest School
The Hillcrest School and Community College is a secondary school located in Netherton, near Dudley, England.The school was opened in about 1960 as one of two new secondary schools built in the expanding town. The other was Saltwells Secondary School. Both of these schools replaced a smaller...
in Netherton, West Midlands
Netherton, West Midlands
Netherton is a town in the West Midlands within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. It lies around south of the town of Dudley and north of Cradley Heath...
.
Sixth Form Centre
Adjacent to the main school is the Sixth Form Centre. The sixth form centre acts as a college and form of higher education after leaving the last year, year 11. It provides its students with a two year course, first contains AS level study and the second year contains A2 level. Most students choose to enter the Sixth form after their last year, as it provides many different courses including Media Studies, Business Studies, Further I.T, Higher Musical Courses, Higher Science, Law, Psychology and many others. The main focus of the Sixth Form Centre is the library called the O.L.C (Open Learning Centre), the centre also contains many class rooms and space for students to study. The centre also contains a specialist Law Room that is made to look like a 'mock-up' court.Recently, the sixth form centre has begun to offer post-16 vocational courses to pupils who wish to follow a vocational route to further education or training. As of 2011, these courses have included a Level 3 BTEC's in Forensic Science and Applied Biology and courses in iMedia and Sports Science.
New phase
In 2005, the school was designated as a specialist Science and Mathematics College. The school also gained a new specialist science building.On Thursday 24 November 2005 the schools new state-of-the-art music block was opened by then head teacher, Brian Sherratt
Brian Sherratt
Dr. Brian Sherratt OBE JP FIMgt FRSA was Headmaster of Great Barr School a secondary school on Aldridge Road in Great Barr, Birmingham, England for children aged 11 to 19...
O.B.E. The date also marked the formal retirement of Dr Sherratt after 21 years at the school.
Current
The school's current head teacher is Kate Abbott.Currently, Great Barr is the largest single-site school in the country with over 2,400 pupils on roll.