Poltair School

Poltair School is a coeducational secondary school located on the site of the former St Austell Grammar School in St Austell, Cornwall, England.

Poltair School
Address
Trevarthian Road St Austell , Cornwall , PL25 4BZ England
Coordinates	50°20′35″N 4°47′11″W
Information
Type	Academy
Established	1907
Local authority	Cornwall Council
Trust	Cornwall Education Learning Trust
Department for Education URN	147442 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Headteacher	Mark Everett
Gender	Coeducational
Age	11 to 16
Enrolment	803
Colour(s)	Traditionally bottle-green, currently navy blue
Website	http://www.poltairschool.co.uk

Admissions

It has educational links with schools in Dithmarchen, Germany, notably the Gymnasium Heide-Ost. It has also had links with Collège des Quatre Vents in Lanmeur, Brittany, France.

History

Grammar school

It was founded in 1907.

Comprehensive

It became comprehensive in 1971, at the same time that it lost its sixth form. St Austell Sixth Form College was built at the same time next to the Mid-Cornwall College of Further Education on Palace Road. These merged in 1993[1] to form St Austell College, opposite the school.

In 2007, Poltair School held its centenary, which included guided tours of the school, a service at St John's Methodist Church, and celebrations at St Austell's Eden Project.

Academy

In September 2019 Poltair School converted to academy status and is now sponsored by the Cornwall Education & Learning Trust.

Buildings

The school has recently undergone a £5 million redevelopment programme, which included a new main hall, dining hall, radio studio, and dance/drama facilities, amongst other additions.

The school launched a full student radio station, Inferno Radio, in 2004. This is no longer running.

Academic performance

The school's GCSE pass rate increased 16% in the 2 years up until July 2007. However its GCSE pass rate is well below the England average, and the second lowest in Cornwall (above Redruth School).

Notable former pupils

• Steve Double, Conservative MP since 2015 for St Austell and Newquay
• Steve Baker, Conservative MP since 2010 for Wycombe

St Austell County Grammar School

• Robert Duncan, actor
• Felicity Goodey CBE DL, former presenter on Radio 4 and BBC North West Tonight[2]
• Sir Laurence Martin,[3] Vice-Chancellor from 1978 to 1990 of Newcastle University, and gave the BBC's Reith Lecture in 1981.
• John Nettles, actor[4]
• A. L. Rowse, academic and author.[5]
• Robin Skynner, psychiatrist, known for 1983 book Families and How to Survive Them
• L. H. C. Tippett, statistician[6]
• David Tremlett, artist[7]
• Fred Trethewey, former Archdeacon of Dudley
• Edward Rowe (actor), Cornish comedian and theatre actor (AKA:Kernow King)

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Sixth form merger
2. "Ms. Felicity Goodey". Debretts. Archived from the original on 15 February 2013.
3. Stevenson, Jane. "Features". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011.
4. "John Nettles". TV.com.
5. "EUL MS 286 - A L Rowse: papers compiled by Eric Glasgow". Archives hub. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
6. Stanton, R.G. (1987). "The Work of L. H. C. Tippett" (PDF). Ars Textrina. 7: 179–185.
7. "David Tremlett on beatniks, the Royal College and early British Conceptual art". artCornwall.org. Retrieved 18 January 2021.

Sources

• The Times Monday 30 October 1972, page 12

External links

• EduBase