Dorothy Stringer School

Last updated

Dorothy Stringer School
Dorothy Stringer School Logo.jpg
Dorothy Stringer High School - geograph.org.uk - 1624782.jpg
The school in 2009
Address
Dorothy Stringer School
Loder Road

, ,
BN1 6PZ

England
Coordinates 50°50′56″N0°08′36″W / 50.84893°N 0.14341°W / 50.84893; -0.14341
Information
Type Community school
MottoEducation for Life
Established1955
Local authority Brighton and Hove
Department for Education URN 114580 Tables
Ofsted Reports
HeadteacherMatt Hillier
Staff120
Gender Coeducational
Age11to 16
Enrolment1681
Colour(s)Black and yellow
Website www.dorothy-stringer.co.uk

Dorothy Stringer School is a secondary school located in Brighton, East Sussex, England. It has over 1,600 pupils [1] and 115 members of staff. There are 64 forms, each with an average of 26 students.

Contents

Location and history

The school, named after a 20th-century Mayoress of Brighton, [2] opened in 1955. [3] Dorothy Stringer is on the same campus as Balfour Primary School, Varndean Secondary School and Varndean College Sixth Form College. The campus is bounded by Surrenden Road, Loder Road, Balfour Road and Friar Crescent, with Stringer Way providing an alternative entrance via the main staff car park. Local buses include the 5B, the 94 and 94a, which serve as combined school buses for Dorothy Stringer and Varndean to Hanover and Kemptown. [4]

With the exception of Balfour Primary School, each of the institutions used to exist in a different educational form; Dorothy Stringer was a Secondary Modern School, whilst Varndean College and Varndean School were Boys' and Girls' grammar schools respectively.

In 2003, the school was the subject of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) programme involving several other schools (including the neighbouring Varndean Secondary School, Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College and what was the COMART College of Media and Arts), as well as the construction firm Jarvis. For Dorothy Stringer this involved the construction of a new sports hall and associated facilities, new music suites, art studios and some new ICT suites.

Awards and initiatives

Dorothy Stringer gained the Eco-Schools Green Flag award in 2000 and has maintained its status, updating the school as rules become stricter. [5] It was the only secondary school in Brighton to hold this award until its renewal in June 2016, [6] and the school secured the award for the 9th time in 2021. [7] In the late 1990s, the school focused on recycling and improving the look of the school grounds. Since 2000 the Dorothy Stringer Environmental Partnership has focused on increasing the biodiversity of the grounds [8] and solar power. [9] In 2003, a dilapidated classroom building set among the woodland was renovated into the Brian Foster Environment Centre, named after a late teacher. [10] From this base, Dorothy Stringer has become the lead environmental school in Brighton and Hove, forming international links with St Joseph's School in Le Havre [11] for which funding from the Franco-British Council [12] [ failed verification ] was won, and a student exchange trip is run for Year Seven pupils. Dorothy Stringer is also known for its forming of links with neighbouring schools and, within the school, involving a large number of students in educational environmental activities.

Dorothy Stringer became a specialist sports school in 2002 and despite the government abolishing specialisms in schools in 2012, sport remains an important feature: pupils receive at least two hours of sport education a week, in line with government guidelines. [13] Becoming a sports school has entailed the demolition of the sports hall and the construction of a new venue twice the size, with an additional dance studio, gym and changing rooms. [14] As part of the school's responsibilities as a sports school, Dorothy Stringer undertakes work to promote sport in local primary schools, which is chiefly done through the JSLA and a new scheme which involves establishing and nurturing dance clubs in local primary schools and organising a mass performance at the Brighton Dome. [15]

Dorothy Stringer is also a part of the Healthy School initiative, a Partnership Promotion School, a Training School, a recipient of money from the Big Lottery Fund for the school newsletter, and benefits from the European Union's III A programme. Dorothy Stringer has long owned the Dolawen Centre, [16] an outdoor pursuits centre on a working farm in the Snowdonia National Park near Bangor, north-west Wales. This facility allows the school to organise annual trips for its Year 7 pupils and lease the building for the use of other schools, organisations and individuals.

In January 2017, Dorothy Stringer was listed as one of the UK's best state schools in Tatler Magazine , [17] which praised the school's GCSE results and sports facilities. Although since the current headmaster took on the roll, there has been a serious issue within the school, a culture of bullying and bigotry that has given the school a new reputation among Brighton’s many students of one of the worst schools in the city.

Academies Act 2010

On 25 June the new Conservative-Liberal coalition released details of 'Outstanding' schools that had, so far, expressed an interest in Academy status, under the Academies Act 2010. Dorothy Stringer School was one of the education establishments on this list, indicating the governors' wish to receive more information and explore all possible options. [18]

Notable former students

Ken Browne incident

In September 2009 it was revealed that a senior member of the school's teaching staff, Ken Browne, had been arrested in July of that year under suspicion of possessing indecent images of children such as pictures of girls from year 7 in changing rooms. The school attempted to pre-empt scandal by first releasing information of Browne's arrest to parents via a letter, before later contacting the local paper, The Argus . Ken Browne was immediately removed from the teaching staff at the school and has since moved from the area. [22] On 20 January 2011, Browne pleaded guilty to his charges [23] and later that year was sentenced to 10 months in prison. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brighton</span> Seaside resort on the south coast of England

Brighton is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the city of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located 47 miles (76 km) south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age, Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods. The ancient settlement of "Brighthelmstone" was documented in the Domesday Book (1086). The town's importance grew in the Middle Ages as the Old Town developed, but it languished in the early modern period, affected by foreign attacks, storms, a suffering economy and a declining population. Brighton began to attract more visitors following improved road transport to London and becoming a boarding point for boats travelling to France. The town also developed in popularity as a health resort for sea bathing as a purported cure for illnesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitehawk</span> Human settlement in England

Whitehawk is a suburb in the east of Brighton, England, south of Bevendean and north of Brighton Marina. The area is a large, modern housing estate built in a downland dry valley historically known as Whitehawk Bottom. The estate was originally developed by the local council between 1933 and 1937 and included nearly 1,200 residences. Subsequently, the Swanborough flats were built in 1967, and in the 1970s and 1980s much of the estate was rebuilt by altering the road layouts and increasing the number of houses. Whitehawk is part of the East Brighton ward of Brighton and Hove City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brighton College</span> Public school in East Sussex, England

Brighton College is an independent, co-educational boarding and day public school for boys and girls aged 3 to 18 in Brighton, England. The school has three sites: Brighton College, Brighton College Preparatory School and the Pre-Prep School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mary Erskine School</span> Private day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland

The Mary Erskine School, popularly known as "Mary Erskine's" or "MES", is an all-girls private secondary school in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1694 and has a roll of around 750 pupils. It is the sister school of the all-boys Stewart's Melville College (SMC) with which MES shares a coeducational nursery and junior school for pupils aged 3–11.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coldean</span> Suburb of Brighton and Hove, England

Coldean is a suburb of the English city of Brighton and Hove. Located in the northeast corner of the urban area, it was developed by Brighton Corporation in the 1950s as one of several postwar council estates necessitated by the acute housing shortage in the area after World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mile Oak</span> Human settlement in England

Mile Oak is a locality forming the northern part of the former parish of Portslade in the northwest corner of the city of Brighton and Hove, England. Now mostly residential, but originally an area of good-quality agricultural land, it covers the area north of Portslade village as far as the urban boundary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varndean School</span> Community school in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England

Varndean School is a secondary school serving a large area of Brighton, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varndean College</span> Sixth form college in Brighton, East Sussex, England

Varndean College is a sixth form college in Brighton and Hove that serves the needs of sixth form students and adults.

Blatchington Mill School is a coeducational secondary school in Hove, Brighton and Hove for 11 to 16-year-olds.

Cardinal Newman Catholic School is an 11–18 voluntary aided comprehensive school located in Hove, East Sussex, England. It is a Catholic mixed comprehensive; established to serve the many parishes that lie on the coastal band between Newhaven and Seaford in the east and Shoreham in the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portslade Aldridge Community Academy</span> Academy in Portslade, Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom

Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) (formerly Portslade Community College) is a OFSTED rated 'Good' secondary school led by Principal Mr Mark Poston located in Portslade, in the city of Brighton and Hove, England. The school has around 1000 pupils. It is part of the Aldridge Education multi-academy trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brighton Forum</span> Building

Citibase Brighton is a complex of serviced offices on a prominent elevated position in the Round Hill area of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. The large Gothic Revival building, by two architect brothers from London, has had three greatly different uses since its construction at the edge of Brighton parish in 1854: for its first 85 years, it trained Anglican schoolmistresses; then it became a military base and records office; and in 1988 it opened as a multipurpose business centre and office complex. The elaborate flint exterior is finely detailed in the Gothic style, especially around the windows. English Heritage has listed it at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

Hove Park School is a mixed secondary school and sixth form centre located over two sites in Hove, East Sussex, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear Road, Brighton</span>

The Bear Road area is a largely residential area in the east of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. Centred on the steep west–east road of that name, it is characterised by terraced houses of the early 20th century, but Brighton's main cemeteries were established here in the 19th century and there is also some industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prestonville, Brighton</span>

Prestonville is a largely residential area in the northwest of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. It covers a long, narrow and steeply sloping ridge of land between the Brighton Main Line and Dyke Road, two major transport corridors which run north-northwestwards from the centre of Brighton. Residential development started in the 1860s and spread northwards, further from central Brighton, over the next six decades. The area is characterised by middle-class and upper-middle-class housing in various styles, small-scale commercial development and long eastward views across the city. Two Anglican churches serve Prestonville—one at each end of the area—and there are several listed buildings.

Gilbert Murray Simpsonfriba (1869–1954) was a British architect from Brighton who did most of his work in the seaside resort. In 1890 Simpson joined his father Thomas, architect to the Brighton and Preston School Board and the Hove School Board, and helped to design some of the "distinguished group of board schools" for those institutions during the late 19th century. He took over the firm of Thomas Simpson & Son when his father died in 1908, and went on to design several other institutional buildings in Brighton. His elder brother Sir John William Simpson was also an architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elm Grove, Brighton</span>

Elm Grove is a mainly residential area of Brighton, part of the English coastal city of Brighton and Hove. The densely populated district lies on a steep hill northeast of the city centre and developed in the second half of the 19th century after the laying out of a major west–east road, also called Elm Grove. Terraced houses, small shops and architecturally impressive public buildings characterise the streetscape: within the area are a major hospital, two churches and a former board school, as well as Brighton's oldest council houses and an interwar council estate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AFC Varndeanians F.C.</span> Association football club in England

AFC Varndeanians Football Club is a football club based in Brighton, East Sussex, England. The club are currently members of the Southern Combination Premier Division and play at the Withdean Stadium.

References

  1. "Dorothy Stringer School - GOV.UK". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  2. Collis 2010 , p. 52.
  3. Collis 2010 , p. 301.
  4. "Secondary School Buses". Brighton & Hove Buses website. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  5. "School Grounds". eco-schools.org.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  6. "School Search". eco-schools.org.uk. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Stringer Press | Spring Term 2021". Issuu. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  8. "Butterfly Havens". Dorothy Stringer School website. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  9. "Travel". Dorothy Stringer School website. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  10. "The Brian Foster Environment Centre". Dorothy Stringer School website. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  11. "International relationships / Presentation". Saint-Jo College lycée privé. Archived from the original on 8 November 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  12. "Franco-British Council". Franco-British Council.
  13. "Minister exercised over PE issue". BBC News. 16 January 2006.
  14. "Dorothy Stringer School Brighton BN1 6PZ". sports-facilities.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  15. "Let's Dance – thousands of Brighton and Hove school children step out on stage at the Dome". Brighton and Hove News. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  16. "dolawen_main". public.dorothy-stringer.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  17. "The Tatler guide to the best state secondary schools 2017". Tatler. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  18. Richardson, Hannah (25 June 2010). "Would-be academy list published". BBC News.
  19. Davidson, Max (9 June 2009). "State vs independent schools: Brighton, East Sussex". ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  20. "Dorothy Stringer Prize Giving Evening".
  21. "Brighton boy Seann Walsh on his new show, The Lie-In King".
  22. Morgan, Tom (5 September 2009). "Top teacher is hled on child porn charges". Daily Express .
  23. Massey, Nina (21 January 2011). "Paedophile deputy head pleads guilty to making child sex images". News Shopper . Orpington.
  24. "Former Brighton teacher jailed over child pornography". BBC News. 24 February 2011.

Bibliography