Colchester County High School
| Motto | Wisdom Giveth Life |
|---|---|
| Established | 1909 |
| Type | grammar academy |
| Headteacher | Mrs Gillian Marshall MSc |
| Chair of Governors | Allan Blundell |
| Location |
Norman Way Colchester Essex CO3 3US England Coordinates: 51°53′08″N 0°52′32″E / 51.8855°N 0.8755°E |
| Local authority | Essex County Council |
| DfE URN | 137515 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 784 |
| Gender | Girls |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Website |
www |
Colchester County High School for Girls is a selective girls' grammar school with academy status in Colchester, Essex. The school consistently scores highly in the league tables for the UK.[1][2] It was fourth in the country in the 2013 secondary GCSE league tables,[3] and ninth in the country in the 2015 A-Level league tables.[4] Entrance to Year 7 is by an academic selection test, the Eleven Plus. Entrance into Year 12 is by GCSE grades, although priority is given to pre-existing pupils.
History
The school was originally located in the Albert Hall in the High Street (now the Co-operative Bank), until its intended premises at the top of North Hill (now the Sixth Form College) were completed. Later, the lower school moved to Greyfriars on East Hill and, in 1957, moved to new buildings in Norman Way, off Lexden Road. Most of the buildings are unchanged, but an extension including new Science laboratories and Sixth Form facilities was added in 2002. The 'mSchool' was added between 2006 and 2009, with new facilities for Music, Mathematics and the Mind; its 'iLab' (innovation laboratory) is one of the few in the UK outside a University.
It was founded in 1909 as a girls' school for Colchester, and subsequently became a grammar school admitting girls from North East Essex and beyond on the basis of an 11+ selection test. The school is situated a mile to the west of central Colchester, and celebrated its centenary in 2009-2010.
Specialisms
The school was one of the first Science Specialist Schools in the country. It later became a specialist Modern Language school too, teaching French, German and Spanish as well as Latin.
School motto
Wisdom Giveth Life has been the school's motto since the school opened in 1909.[5] This reading is still included in the traditional school assembly at the start of each academic year:
Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
For Wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the days of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
— -Ecclesiastes, chapter 7, verses 11-14
Subjects Taught
| Subject | Taught at KS3 | Taught at GCSE | Taught at A Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Biology | Yes | Compulsory | Yes |
| Chemistry | Yes | Compulsory | Yes |
| Classics | No | No | Yes |
| Creative and Critical Thinking | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dance | No | No | No |
| Drama | Yes | No | No |
| Economics | No | No | Yes |
| English | Yes | No | No |
| English Language | No | Compulsory | Yes |
| English Literature | No | Compulsory | Yes |
| Extended Project Qualification | No | Yes | Yes |
| French | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Further Mathematics | No | No | Yes |
| General Studies | No | No | Compulsory |
| Geography | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| German | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Healthy Living | Yes | No | No |
| History | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Information Technology | Yes | No | No |
| Latin | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mathematics | Yes | Compulsory | Yes |
| Music | Yes | Yes | No |
| Philosophy and Ethics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Physics | Yes | Compulsory | Yes |
| Physical Education | Yes | Yes | No |
| PSHE | Yes | No | No |
| Psychology | No | Yes | Yes |
| Religious Education | Yes | Yes | No |
| Spanish | No | No | Yes |
| Statistics | No | No | No |
Students have to complete the English Baccalaureate, which means at GCSE one language must be taken and at least one of Geography and History.
Notable former pupils
- Charlotte Atkins - MP for Staffordshire Moorlands
- Helen Boaden, director, BBC News
- Pamela Brown - writer
- Georgina Cates - actor (born Clare Woodgate)
- Beth Chatto - gardener
- Saskia Clark - GB Olympic Gold Medal Winning Sailor
- Stella Creasy - MP for Walthamstow
- Helen Mary Jones - member for Llanelli of National Assembly for Wales
References
- ↑ BBC News Education - recent performance at GCSE and A/AS level vs National Average
- ↑ DfE Schools and Local Statistics
- ↑ BBC News Education - Secondary league tables 2013: Best GCSE results
- ↑ "A-level results 2015: results from 400 state schools". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
- ↑ CCHS - about Colchester County High School for Girls