Neston High School

Neston High School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status located in Neston on the Wirral Peninsula, in the English county of Cheshire.[1]

Neston High School
Address
Raby Park Road

Neston
,
Cheshire
,
CH64 9NH

England
Coordinates53.29669°N 3.05514°W / 53.29669; -3.05514
Information
TypeAcademy
Department for Education URN138318 Tables
OfstedReports
HeadteacherKeith Simpson
GenderCoeducational
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1665 as of May 2013
Capacity1750
Websitenestonhigh.com

Previously a community school administered by Cheshire West and Chester Council,[2] Neston High School converted to academy status in July 2012.[3] The school continues to coordinate with Cheshire West and Chester Council for admissions.

Description

The school was opened as Neston Secondary School in 1958, in purpose-built buildings.[4] Planning for the new school had started in 1950.[5] The cost of the new school was £117,000.[6] It was opened by Selwyn Lloyd.[6] In his speech, he said that the new school "was one more step in carrying out the revolutionary promises of the Education Act of 1944".[7] The first headteacher was Robert Hird, and the school opened with 320 pupils, with space for 360.[7][8] In 1968 improvements were made to the school buildings to prepare for the raising of the school leaving age to 16.[9] Hird remained head until 1979, when Geoffrey Sirett was appointed.[10] From 1972, following the abolition of the eleven-plus, children in the local catchment area were automatically allocated a place at Neston, now called Neston Comprehensive School.[11] Neston High School converted to academy status in July 2012. it was tested by Ofsted in 2013 and designated a Good school.[3][12]

In 2016 the school gained two national awards as part of the National Good Schools Guide scheme.[13] The school was rated 'Good' overall by an Ofsted inspection in January 2017.[14] [15]

The school moved into new modern buildings in September 2017, built on the other side of Neston Recreation Centre to the original building[15].[16] The original building has now been demolished and all-weather pitches have been installed along with a car-park and school drop off point. The school project cost £25m: the leisure centre refurbishment £2.2m. [17]

Buildings

The new buildings, completed in 2017, were a result of the Priority School Building Programme which took over where Building Schools for the Future had left off. The contractors were Morgan Sindall. It is a large three storey rectangle, with two three storey light wells at its heart. The classrooms, laboratories and workshops all face outwards and benefit from natural light. [18] There are 16 Science Labs, 13 Art and Design Technology classrooms, and a Drama Studio in addition to over 60 55m² classroom and teaching spaces. The new building provides an ICT rich library area, a learning resource centre and a Sixth Form Study area. As in every new build there are lettable areas such as the 450 square metre dining room with outside dining area, an eco-garden and improved parking facilities for staff and visitors. There are gyms and appropriate changing facilities. [18]

Academics

Neston operates an entitlement curriculum believing that students 'have a right to immerse themselves in studies that takes full account of their potential and capability.'[19] The curriculum extends beyond the timetabled lessons, there are extensive 'Learning Outside The Classroom (LOTC) programmes. In 2012 Ofsted published a research paper using Neston as the example of good practice. It remained current for four years.[20]

Virtually all maintained schools and academies follow the National Curriculum, and are inspected by Ofsted on how well they succeed in delivering a 'broad and balanced curriculum'.[21] Schools endeavour to get all students to achieve the English Baccalaureate(EBACC) qualification- this must include core subjects a modern or ancient foreign language, and either History or Geography.

Neston operates a three-year, Key Stage 3 where all the core National Curriculum subjects are taught. Each fortnight, years 8 9, study English (7 sessions), Maths (8), Science (6), PE (4), PRSE/RE (2). In addition they study Spanish (3), French (4) or German (4), RS, Art, Music, Drama, Technology and Computing. In year 7, there is food tech but only one language.[19]

In Key Stage 4 all students study English (8), Maths (8), Science (10), PE (2), PSRE/RE (2) and four options (5 sessions each). One of the options must be History or Geography. [19] Neston High School offers GCSEs and Cambridge Nationals. Students in the sixth form have the option to study from a range of A-levels and BTECs.[22]

Pastoral

The pastoral system in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 is based on the house model. In addition to the inevitable sports competitions, the Head of House oversees a team of form teachers whose job is to monitor the pupils progress and wellbeing. The house has its own dedicated learning support assistants and runs its own mentoring programme. Students are involved as e-buddies, mentors and sports captains. [23]Each house sponsors a charity that is selected by the students.

The houses are Grenfell, named after Sir Wilfred Grenfell who was a doctor and Medical Missionary, Overton who was the first Chair of Governors, Stewart named after Mike Stewart, a science teacher who died young and suddenly, Summers who built the Shotton steel works and Talbot the family name of the Earls of Shrewsbury.[23]

Notable former pupils
  • Simon Byrne, Chief Constable, Police Service of Northern Ireland, 2019 .[24]

References
  1. "Home | Neston High". Nestonhigh.cheshire.sch.uk. 25 November 2013. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  2. Live, Cheshire (21 December 2011). "Neston High School will apply to Secretary of State for academy status". CheshireLive.
  3. "Neston High School - GOV.UK". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk.
  4. REPORT for the year 1957. CHESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL EDUCATION COMMITTEE. 1957. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  5. "Alsager College wants to carry on training teachers who have drive and initiative: Full Support from County Education Authority". Winsford Chronicle. 11 February 1950. Retrieved 25 January 2021. NESTON SECONDARY SCHOOL. It was decided to acquire a site of some eighteen acres fronting Raby-road, Neston, for the proposed Neston Secondary (Modern) School ...
  6. "New Neston School to be opened by Mr. Selwyn Lloyd". Cheshire Observer. 21 June 1958. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  7. "Neston's New School Opened by Mr. Selwyn Lloyd". Liverpool Echo. 21 June 1958. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  8. "Wirral post for Greetland headmaster". Halifax Evening Courier. 31 August 1957. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  9. "Work on Wirral Schools". Liverpool Echo. 3 November 1967. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  10. "School head". Liverpool Echo. 6 October 1979. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  11. "Schools are going all-in at a variety of speeds". Liverpool Echo. 19 April 1972. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  12. "Ofsted Full Section 5 Report 2013". ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  13. Norbury, David (13 January 2016). "Neston High recognised in national awards". CheshireLive.
  14. "Ofsted Short Inpection January 2017". ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  15. Norbury, David (24 September 2017). "Neston's new £25m high school sees local living wage protest". CheshireLive.
  16. Norbury, David (4 April 2018). "Neston recreation centre to reopen after £2.2m makeover". CheshireLive.
  17. "New building for Neston High School – Neston". www.nestonlocal.com. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  18. "New building for Neston High School – Neston". www.nestonlocal.com. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  19. "NHS Curriculum". www.nestonhigh.com. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  20. "Learning outside the classroom". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  21. Roberts, Nerys. "The school curriculum in England Parliamentary Briefing Paper" (PDF). parliament.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  22. "Overview | Neston High". Nestonhigh.cheshire.sch.uk. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  23. "Talbot House". www.nestonhigh.com. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  24. "Byrne, Simon, (born 29 April 1963), Chief Constable, Police Service of Northern Ireland, since 2019". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001 (inactive 28 January 2021).CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2021 (link)


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