The Hillcrest School
Encyclopedia
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 pre-fabricated school in Halesowen Road which was known locally as "The Iron School". Saltwells in turn closed in 1986 to merge with an expanded Hillcrest, though it still does not have enough places to accommodate the town's entire secondary school age population. As a result, a significant number of pupils aged 11 to 16 living in Netherton have had to attend schools further afield including Heathfield Foundation Technology College in Cradley Heath
and Castle High School
in Dudley.
The school's current Principal is April Garratt who took over in Easter 2007. Prior to this the school was run by Dame Maureen Brennan
, who became a Dame of the British Empire in December 2005 in recognition of her services to local education. She had been appointed as Principal of the school five years earlier, shortly after a damning OFSTED
report which criticised the school for a catalogue of shortcomings, combined with a disappointing 17% of GCSE students attained 5 or more A-C grades. Standards have improved dramatically since Dame Brennan's arrival.
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...
, near Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
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 pre-fabricated school in Halesowen Road which was known locally as "The Iron School". Saltwells in turn closed in 1986 to merge with an expanded Hillcrest, though it still does not have enough places to accommodate the town's entire secondary school age population. As a result, a significant number of pupils aged 11 to 16 living in Netherton have had to attend schools further afield including Heathfield Foundation Technology College in Cradley Heath
Cradley Heath
Cradley Heath is a town in the Black Country, located in Sandwell metropolitan borough, England. The name is usually pronounced "Craid-ley", not "Crad-ley", but in the Black Country accent, it may even sound like "Craig-ley Aith"...
and Castle High School
Castle High School (Dudley)
For schools of the same name, see Castle High School.Castle High School is a secondary school located in Dudley, West Midlands, England. It caters for pupils aged from 11 to 16 years. It is also a specialist Arts College.-The school:...
in Dudley.
The school's current Principal is April Garratt who took over in Easter 2007. Prior to this the school was run by 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 became a Dame of the British Empire in December 2005 in recognition of her services to local education. She had been appointed as Principal of the school five years earlier, shortly after a damning OFSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
report which criticised the school for a catalogue of shortcomings, combined with a disappointing 17% of GCSE students attained 5 or more A-C grades. Standards have improved dramatically since Dame Brennan's arrival.