Longslade Community College
Encyclopedia
Longslade Community College is a comprehensive school
and Specialist Technology College in Birstall
, a suburban village directly outside of Leicester
city.
in Leicestershire
, and takes students from the ages of 14-19. Most pupils join the college from the local high schools; Stonehill High School in Birstall
, but an increasing proportion come from the city of Leicester
.
The College serves a large catchment area including the villages of Anstey
, Birstall, Cropston
, Glenfield
, Rothley, Thurcaston and Wanlip
.
The college also provides adult education and special needs education.
Longslade was created at a time of innovation in Leicestershire with regard to education. Leicestershire had created what was to be known as the Leicestershire Plan. Education authorities are not renowned from learning from each other but Leicestershire received delegations from half of the other authorities in England as well as attention from the USA to see the novel changes in Educational policy that they introduced.
The school population in Leicestershire was expanding. In 1948 there were just under 44,000 children in Leicestershire but this had expanded to over 72,000 by 1968. This was not just population growth but movement from Leicester to the outlying suburbs like Oadby
, Wigston and included in this list was Birstall. The county was setting out on what was to be known as the Leicestershire plan for comprehensive education. Where other schools in England were converting existing grammar schools and secondary modern schools to comprehensive education by changing their intake, Leicestershire decided to change the age of entry. Some schools were converted into what they called high schools that served ages 11 to 14 whilst others were converted into upper schools that educated children from age 14 to 18. This idea had been tried out experimentally in Oadby and Wigston in 1957 and the second phase was in 1960 taking in high schools in Scraptoft
(Hamilton High), Thurmaston
and with both a high and upper school on the new site between Birstall and Wanlip
.
results above the England average and well above the Leicestershire average. Again at A level the results are above par, and in the top third of Leicestershire schools. All Leicestershire schools have a sixth form.
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
and Specialist Technology College in Birstall
Birstall, Leicestershire
Birstall is a large village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is three miles north of the Leicester city centre and is part of the wider Leicester Urban Area....
, a suburban village directly outside of Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
city.
Admissions
There are over 1,000 pupils enrolled. The school is in the district of CharnwoodCharnwood (borough)
Charnwood is a borough of northern Leicestershire, England. It is named after Charnwood Forest, which it contains. Loughborough is the largest town in the district and serves as the borough's administrative and commercial centre.-History:...
in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, and takes students from the ages of 14-19. Most pupils join the college from the local high schools; Stonehill High School in Birstall
Birstall, Leicestershire
Birstall is a large village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is three miles north of the Leicester city centre and is part of the wider Leicester Urban Area....
, but an increasing proportion come from the city of Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
.
The College serves a large catchment area including the villages of Anstey
Anstey, Leicestershire
Anstey is a large semi-industrialised village in Leicestershire, England, located north west of Leicester in the borough of Charnwood. Its population was about 6,000 at the 2001 census although this is likely to have increased...
, Birstall, Cropston
Cropston
Cropston is a village within the civil parish of Thurcaston & Cropston, part of the Charnwood Borough of Leicestershire, England. It is on the edge of Charnwood Forest, and lies close to Bradgate Park. The village itself is small, with the older properties close to the crossroads of Reservoir and...
, Glenfield
Glenfield, Leicestershire
Glenfield is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It is part of the Blaby district, and has a population of about 10,000. Its location at the northwestern fringe of the city of Leicester effectively makes it a suburb, although it is politically and administratively separate...
, Rothley, Thurcaston and Wanlip
Wanlip
Wanlip is a small village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, with 68 properties and a population of about 150. It is a countryside village, north of Birstall, and west of Watermead Country Park and the River Soar. The A46 road runs directly past the village...
.
The college also provides adult education and special needs education.
History
The school opened as the Longslade Grammar School, which became a comprehensive in 1968 (??).Longslade was created at a time of innovation in Leicestershire with regard to education. Leicestershire had created what was to be known as the Leicestershire Plan. Education authorities are not renowned from learning from each other but Leicestershire received delegations from half of the other authorities in England as well as attention from the USA to see the novel changes in Educational policy that they introduced.
The school population in Leicestershire was expanding. In 1948 there were just under 44,000 children in Leicestershire but this had expanded to over 72,000 by 1968. This was not just population growth but movement from Leicester to the outlying suburbs like Oadby
Oadby
Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. It is to the east of Wigston Magna, and to the southeast of Leicester. Oadby forms part of the Leicester Urban Area, and is situated on the A6 road....
, Wigston and included in this list was Birstall. The county was setting out on what was to be known as the Leicestershire plan for comprehensive education. Where other schools in England were converting existing grammar schools and secondary modern schools to comprehensive education by changing their intake, Leicestershire decided to change the age of entry. Some schools were converted into what they called high schools that served ages 11 to 14 whilst others were converted into upper schools that educated children from age 14 to 18. This idea had been tried out experimentally in Oadby and Wigston in 1957 and the second phase was in 1960 taking in high schools in Scraptoft
Scraptoft
Scraptoft is a village in Leicestershire, England that is effectively a suburb of Leicester. It has a population of about 1,500. It lies north of the A47 road east of Leicester, and runs directly into the built up area of Thurnby and Bushby to the south...
(Hamilton High), Thurmaston
Thurmaston
Thurmaston is a village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. As of the 2001 census its population was 8,945...
and with both a high and upper school on the new site between Birstall and Wanlip
Wanlip
Wanlip is a small village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, with 68 properties and a population of about 150. It is a countryside village, north of Birstall, and west of Watermead Country Park and the River Soar. The A46 road runs directly past the village...
.
Academic performance
For quite a good catchment area, its results are above average. It gets GCSEGeneral Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
results above the England average and well above the Leicestershire average. Again at A level the results are above par, and in the top third of Leicestershire schools. All Leicestershire schools have a sixth form.
Alumni
- Prof. Paul CurranPaul Curran (academic)Professor Paul Curran is Vice-Chancellor of City University London. He took up his post in August 2010 having previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Bournemouth University and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Southampton where he is currently a Visiting Professor...
(1955- ) Vice Chancellor & Professor of Geography - Andy ReedAndy ReedAndrew John Reed is a British Labour Co-operative politician who was the Member of Parliament for the key marginal Constituency of Loughborough from 1997 to 2010.He is a notable sports enthusiast, a fortuitous coincidence as "Loughborough is home to the most comprehensive sports development...
MP for Loughborough (1964- ) - Simon Tebbutt - Economics Lecturer and Director of Teaching, University of Sheffield
- Carol LeaderCarol LeaderCarol Leader is an English theatrical and television actress.She played Sadie Tomkins in Casualty from 1988 to 1989, Barbara Charlton in Young at Heart from 1980 to 1981 and has also been in Flambards, First and Last, Safe, Peak Practice, and 1992 TV series Kevin and Co...
- actress and television presenter. - Mike HendrickMike HendrickMichael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...
- England cricketer.