Henry Mellish School and Specialist Sports College

Henry Mellish School and Specialist Sports College was a small, non-denominational secondary school in Bulwell, Nottingham, England, situated in an area of high social deprivation.

History

Early history

The school was founded as a boys' grammar school in 1929 - the Henry Mellish Grammar School, and named after Eton-educated Henry Mellish, a British Army colonel and local councilor, who died two years prior to the opening. The school was sited near the Highbury Vale tram stop and opposite the Highbury Hospital on Highbury Road (B682).

School specifics

Towards the end of its lifespan the subjects taught at the school were:

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Geography
• Textiles
• Art
• ICT
• PE
• Workshop

Closure in 2009

The school was closed on 6 June 2009 in preparation for the opening of The Bulwell Academy. This merged the school with the other major educational institute in the local area, River Leen (formerly Alderman Derbyshire). Originally the merge of these two school was deemed unthinkable by local residents due to the overwhelming rivalry between the two schools.

Former Head Teacher, Mr. Graham Roberts has notably gone on to also be the head of the merged Bulwell Academy.

The close of the school came a shock to many current and former students, being one of the fastest improving schools in the city. Improvements such as the relatively new refurbished community sports college in which lessons would often take place.

During the transition into the new Academy building, both of the yet unclosed school took temporary new names. Henry Mellish being chiefly renamed "Bulwell Academy Highbury".

Academic performance

Henry Mellish School was judged to require special measures in 2005, but had since vastly improved - the school gained its specialist sports college status with information and communication technology (ICT) as a second specialism in March 2005. The schools GCSE results had improved dramatically over the previous six years, going from 13% of students achieving 5 A*-C grades in 2003 up to 65% in 2008 which made the school the 5th highest achieving secondary school in the city of Nottingham at the time.

Alumni

As Henry Mellish Grammar School

• Sir Neil Cossons OBE, Chairman of the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) from 2000-3, Chairman of the Association of Independent Museums from 1978–83, and President of the Newcomen Society from 2001-3
• Surgeon Rear-Admiral John Drinkwater, Surgeon Rear-Admiral from 1985-7
• Prof David Greenaway, economist, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham since 2008, and Chairman of the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body since 2004
• Dr Sidney Holgate CBE, mathematician who founded Grey College, Durham and was the son of the woman who named the Holgate School (Hucknall)
• John Morley, interior designer, and President of the Decorative Arts Society from 1989–2001
• Prof Frank Musgrove, Sarah Fielden Professor of Education at the University of Manchester from 1970–82
• Prof Bruce Pattison (1933-5), Professor of Education at the Institute of Education from 1948–76
• Prof Malcolm Peaker, Hannah Professor at the University of Glasgow and Director of the Hannah Research Institute from 1981–2003, and Chairman of the British Nutrition Foundation from 2002-4
• Robert Raymond, filmmaker in Australia
• Sir Robert Salisbury, educational consultant
• Ian Hallam MBE
• Robin Bailey, actor
• Luke Fletcher, English cricketer

External links

• Bulwell Academy Official Website
• New Bulwell Academy
• Bulwell Academy Questions
• Edge academies
• Enterprising Science
• New academy
• EduBase