Helsby High School
Encyclopedia
Helsby High School is a State-maintained Secondary School on Chester Road in Helsby
, north-west Cheshire
, UK
, for pupils aged between 11 and 18. The school performs to a very high standard, with well above-average attainment at both GCSE and A-level. Its A-level results are in the top ten percent of comprehensives in the UK, and one of the highest in Cheshire. It is situated to the east of Helsby.
, one of the forerunners of ICI
, laid the foundations of the old school buildings on Waterloo Street in Runcorn
. In 1897 the school opened as Runcorn Institute School, being renamed in 1907 the Runcorn Institute County Secondary School. The 1908 Inspector's Report shows a school with 133 pupils, drawn mainly from the Runcorn area, but with several others coming 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 in 1905, the site might increase in value for office purposes, and a more suitable site could then be found. In 1914 a further inspection declared the building unsuitable as a secondary school.
. By 1939 only the walls of the school had been completed. In light of the shortage of building materials the education committee were forced to seal off the girls' school. The boys' school was completed however 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 all the buildings. In 1949 the boys' and girls' schools were completed and re-opened. The schools were then 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.
and 1960s
the Grammar Schools at Helsby were the main grammar schools in the Runcorn area, and the period was generally one of stability. Recorded highlights indicate something of the humdrum and conservative feel of the period: 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. The girls never returned, much to the boys dismay.
, educational trends tended toward comprehensive schooling for all. This was to lead eventually to the merger of the two schools, and the end of the merged school's existence as a grammar school. In 1977 the last 11+ cohort was 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, although this cohort continued to receive single-sex education (as did the earlier cohorts moving through the school) until the end of their GCE examinations at age 16. 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.
The school offers both French and German. The latter subject is taught from the second form 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, Drama & Theatre Studies, Government & Politics, Sociology and Psychology.
The school also enjoys many successful school productions and extra curricular Drama activities.
Over the last two years the school has seen 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Oh What a Lovely War' performed to a very high standard.
Also, there are many highly successful sports teams, including the Basketball team which represented Great Britain at the last schools World Championships held in Pau, France
.
Helsby
Helsby is a large village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. At the 2001 Census, Helsby had a population of 4,701.-Geography:...
, north-west Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, for pupils aged between 11 and 18. The school performs to a very high standard, with well above-average attainment at both GCSE and A-level. Its A-level results are in the top ten percent of comprehensives in the UK, and one of the highest in Cheshire. It is situated to the east of Helsby.
The Runcorn School
On 14 April 1894 John Brunner MP, a partner in Brunner MondBrunner Mond
Tata Chemicals Europe is a UK-based chemicals company that is a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Limited, itself a part of the India-based Tata Group...
, one of the forerunners of ICI
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
, laid the foundations of the old school buildings on Waterloo Street in Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
. In 1897 the school opened as Runcorn Institute School, being renamed in 1907 the Runcorn Institute County Secondary School. The 1908 Inspector's Report shows a school with 133 pupils, drawn mainly from the Runcorn area, but with several others coming in from Frodsham
Frodsham
Frodsham is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Its population is 8,982. It is approximately south of Runcorn, 16 miles south of Liverpool, and approximately south-west of Manchester...
, Helsby and Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
. 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
Widnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge
The Runcorn-Widnes Transporter Bridge crossed the river Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal linking the towns of Runcorn and Widnes. It was completed in 1905, it was Britain's first transporter bridge and the largest of its type ever built in the world. It continued in use until 1961 when it was...
was completed in 1905, the site might increase in value for office purposes, and a more suitable site could then be found. In 1914 a further inspection declared the building unsuitable as 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 warWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. By 1939 only the walls of the school had been completed. In light of the shortage of building materials the education committee were forced to seal off the girls' school. The boys' school was completed however in 1940. In 1941 the buildings were requisitioned by the Ministry of Supply
Ministry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply was a department of the UK Government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. There was, however, a separate ministry responsible for aircraft production and the Admiralty retained...
, and became a hostel for munitions workers in Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. 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
Ministry of Education (United Kingdom)
The administration of education policy in the United Kingdom began in the 19th century. Official mandation of education began with the Elementary Education Act 1870 for England and Wales, and the Education Act 1872 for Scotland...
approved the reinstatement and completion of all the buildings. In 1949 the boys' and girls' schools were completed and re-opened. The schools were then occupied by 350 boys and girls from the Runcorn County Grammar School, and, in accordance with the Education Act 1944
Education Act 1944
The Education Act 1944 changed the education system for secondary schools in England and Wales. This Act, commonly named after the Conservative politician R.A...
became The County Grammar School for Boys, Helsby and The County Grammar School for Girls, Helsby.
Post-War Period
Through the 1950s1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
and 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
the Grammar Schools at Helsby were the main grammar schools in the Runcorn area, and the period was generally one of stability. Recorded highlights indicate something of the humdrum and conservative feel of the period: in 1951 the Conservatives' victory in Helsby's mock election reflected the national result, as Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
was returned as Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
. 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
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
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. The girls never returned, much to the boys dismay.
Comprehensive
In the predominantly Labour-led governments of the 1960s and 1970s1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
, educational trends tended toward comprehensive schooling for all. This was to lead eventually to the merger of the two schools, and the end of the merged school's existence as a grammar school. In 1977 the last 11+ cohort was 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, although this cohort continued to receive single-sex education (as did the earlier cohorts moving through the school) until the end of their GCE examinations at age 16. 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
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
status.
Subjects
At present, the school curriculum employs many different subjects. In the fourth form, 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 History, Geography, Business Studies, Systems and Control, Art, Music, Drama, Information and Health and Social Care, Food Technology, Media 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 the third form, 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 the second form 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, Drama & Theatre Studies, Government & Politics, Sociology and Psychology.
Music
A central part to school life is its wide range of extra-curricular opportunities, including the Junior, Jazz and Senior Bands and a range of excellent choirs. There is a very wide range of sporting opportunities which often lead to successes in national competitions.The school also enjoys many successful school productions and extra curricular Drama activities.
Over the last two years the school has seen 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Oh What a Lovely War' performed to a very high standard.
Also, there are many highly successful sports teams, including the Basketball team which represented Great Britain at the last schools World Championships held in Pau, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Alumni
- George GilbodyBoxing at the 1980 Summer OlympicsBoxing at the 1980 Summer Olympics took place in the Indoor Stadium of the Olympiski Sports Complex in Moscow. The boxing schedule began on 20 July and ended on 2 August...
, lightweight boxer, competitor at the 1980 Summer Olympics1980 Summer OlympicsThe 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
in MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... - Raymond GilbodyBoxing at the 1980 Summer OlympicsBoxing at the 1980 Summer Olympics took place in the Indoor Stadium of the Olympiski Sports Complex in Moscow. The boxing schedule began on 20 July and ended on 2 August...
, bantamweight boxer, competitor at the 1980 Summer Olympics1980 Summer OlympicsThe 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
in MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, British bantamweight boxing champion (1985-1987) - Paul MarsdenPaul MarsdenPaul William Barry Marsden is a British writer, businessman and former politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury and Atcham from 1997 until 2005...
, MP for Shrewsbury and AtchamShrewsbury and Atcham (UK Parliament constituency)Shrewsbury and Atcham is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
(1997-2005), and now Chief Executive since 2008 of the Painting and Decorating Association - Louise Woodward, contentiously convicted of the involuntary manslaughter of a child in her care in MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1997
Helsby County Grammar School
- David EdmondsDavid EdmondsDavid Albert Edmonds CBE is a British businessperson, civil servant and administrator, chair of the Legal Services Board....
CBE, civil servant, Chair of the Legal Services BoardLegal Services BoardThe Legal Services Board is the new, independent body responsible for overseeing the regulation of lawyers in England and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice...
and Chairman of Wincanton plcWincanton PLCWincanton plc is a British provider of logistics with its origins in milk haulage. The company provides transport and logistics services including specialist automated high bay, high capacity warehouses, and supply chain management for businesses. Wincanton's specialist markets include water,...
since 2008, and Director-General of OftelOftelOftel has been superseded as the British telecommunications regulator by Ofcom .----The Office of Telecommunications was a department in the United Kingdom government, under civil service control, charged with promoting competition and maintaining the interests of consumers in the UK...
from 1998-2003 - Andrew Forbes, actor and writer
- Peter Ford, Ambassador to Syria from 2003-6, and to Bahrain from 1999-2003
- Sir Kenneth Greene, Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
from 1981-97 - Prof David Griggs, Professor of Mathematical Sciences since 2007 at Monash UniversityMonash UniversityMonash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in Australia, and Director from 2001-6 of the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and ResearchHadley Centre for Climate Prediction and ResearchThe Met Office Hadley Centre for Climate Change — named in honour of George Hadley — is part of, and based at the headquarters of the Met Office in Exeter...
(part of the Met Office) - Graham Kendall, Chief Executive of Sheffield Development CorporationSheffield Development CorporationThe Sheffield Development Corporation was created in 1988 to oversee the urban regeneration of the Lower Don Valley area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.-History:...
from 1990-7 - Brian MacArthur, newspaper editor, notably of TodayToday (UK newspaper)Today was a national newspaper in the United Kingdom, which was published between 1986 and 1995.-History:Today, with the American newspaper USA Today as inspiration, launched on Tuesday, 4 March 1986, with the front page headline, "Second Spy Inside GCHQ". At 18 pence, it was a middle-market...
from 1986-7 - Tony RossTony RossTony Ross is a British illustrator and author for children.He is most noted for his work with Francesca Simon on the Horrid Henry books, and has also illustrated the Harry The Poisonous Centipede and Dr. Xargle series of books...
, illustrator - Paul SherwenPaul SherwenPaul Sherwen is an English former professional racing cyclist. He is now a broadcaster on cycling, notably the Tour de France. He raced in seven editions of the Tour, finishing five, and gained a reputation for his ability to suffer over long mountain stages.-Cycling career:Born in Widnes,...
, professional cyclist and broadcaster - Gary Parsonage, 1996 Atlanta Olympics, member of Team Great Britain, riding Magic Rouge in Equestrianism Three-Day Event Olympic Athletes