Holly Lodge High School
Coordinates: 52°29′53″N 1°59′18″W / 52.49818°N 1.98831°W
 | |
| Established | 1922 as Holly Lodge, a grammar-type secondary school for girls; 1992 as Holly Lodge High School |
|---|---|
| Type | Co-educational secondary comprehensive with specialist Science status |
| Headteacher | Mr P Shone |
| Location |
Holly Lane Smethwick West Midlands England |
| Local authority | Sandwell |
| DfE URN | 104018 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 1326 |
| Ages | 11–16 |
| Website |
www |
Holly Lodge High School College of Science is a secondary school located in Smethwick, West Midlands, England.
Admissions
It is located on Holly Lane on the middle point between Smethwick and Oldbury, near West Smethwick Park and West Park Road less than a mile from the M5. There are also entrances on Marshall Street and Forster Street. The school has a large percentage (65%) of pupils from Sikh, Hindu and Islamic communities. 23% of the school population are white.
The school was expanded in September 1992 when it took in the pupils of Smethwick Hall Boys School, which had closed at the end of the school year that July.[1]
The current headteacher is Mr P Shone. Between September 2009 and August 2011, extensive refurbishment and some new building occurred on the site as part of the 'Building Schools of the Future' programme. A total of 23 million pounds was spent on improving the facilities.
History
It was originally a girls' and boys' grammar school. The girls' grammar school at Holly Lodge, formerly the home of the Downing family, opened in 1922, moving to a new building in 1927. The boys' grammar school opened in Holly Lodge, moving to a new building opposite the girls' school in 1932. A more detailed background to these early years can be found in The birth of an industrial grammar school:a study of the origins and early development of the Holly Lodge Grammar Schools in Smethwick (available in the Community History Reserve Collection at Sandwell Libraries). In 1940 the school was evacuated to avoid possible bombing. It settled in Newport Shropshire, sharing Adams Grammar School: AGS in the mornings and Holly Lodge in the afternoons.
In 1967, the boys' school was joined with James Watt Technical School (a boys' school) on Crockett's Lane. The girls' and boys' schools were united in 1974 as a high school admitting children of all abilities on the two original sites. A Science and Technology block was built in 1970 prior to the amalgamation of the boys' and girls' schools. For a number of years, a co-educational high school was run on the premises that had once been the girls' grammar school, while the former boys' grammar school premises housed West Park Sixth Form College, which closed in 1992. In September 1992, the modern Holly Lodge officially began when three schools in West Smethwick merged. The school has been rebuilt following the Building Schools for the Future programme.
Holly Lodge became a specialist College of Science in the summer of 2004.
In 2010 the school received a lot of press coverage due to the remodelling and refurbishing of the building which was provided by BSF 'Building Schools For The Future' and also received attention when Atlantic R&B Singer Lloyd Polite visited during one of the yearly talent shows where he had a session with a year 11 group giving them tips and advice for the music industry.
There is still an active Holly Lodge Grammar & James Watt Technical School Old Boys Association and a separate Holly Lodge Old Girls Association.
Academic performance
In 2009, 27% of students gained five GCSEs at grades A* - C including English and mathematics. This was, however, a 12% improvement on 2008 results. The science specialism is working exceptionally well with 65% of the students gaining grades A* to C. This is above the national average. This was acknowledged by Ofsted in June 2010. The school has gone from strength to strength, in the summer examinations in 2010; 39% of the students gained five A*-C grades including English and mathematics. This rose again in 2011; to 50% gaining 5x A*-C grades including English and mathematics. The school went through another Ofsted inspection in May 2013. The leadership of Ahson Mohammed was having an impact as each category was judged as 'good' with exemplary practice in developing literacy. The school has therefore moved from National Challenge to a good school in four years.
Holly Lodge has also developed a thriving inclusive sixth form, offering both level 2 and 3 qualifications, to meet the progression needs of their students and external applicants. They have a range of both academic and vocational courses and provide extensive individual support, with opportunities to contribute to the real and varied life of the school. At the heart of the sixth form lies a strong system of pastoral care. The sixth form pastoral team are on hand to support students with their studies, career and higher education guidance and applications. Students are expected to develop and demonstrate qualities of self–motivation, maturity, resilience and commitment to their studies. They are very proud of their retention and course completion record as well as the outcomes for individual students. The sixth form is a pleasant and enriching experience. It provides both challenging and stimulating programmes and is housed in accommodation that includes a study room that is fully equipped with up-to-date technology, a Common Room and the Learning Resource Centre.
Alumni
Holly Lodge Grammar School
- Adrian Coles OBE, Director General of the Building Societies Association since 1993
- Robin Corbett, Baron Corbett of Castle Vale (1933-2012), Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead from 1974-9, and Birmingham Erdington from 1983–2001
- Philip Davis, Leader (Labour) of Telford & Wrekin Council from 2000-4
- Julian Dawes, Musician - Composer
- Sam Egginton (Boxer)
- Alan Jones OBE, Managing Director of TNT UK from 1984–99
- Julie Walters, actress and author
- Len Webster, author
References
- ↑ "Smethwick Hall Boys' School, Sandwell: Schools in Sandwell UK". Schooletc.co.uk. 1992-08-31. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
Walters, J. (2008) That's Another Story: the autobiography Chapter 7 'I thought you'd failed', London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Webster, L. (1973) The birth of an industrial grammar school: a study of the origins and early development of the Holly Lodge Grammar Schools in Smethwick In the Community History Reserve Collection, Sandwell Libraries.