Esher Church of England High School is a
coeducational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
secondary school and academy in
Esher
Esher ( ) is a town in Surrey, England, to the east of the River Mole.
Esher is an outlying suburb of London near the London-Surrey Border, and with Esher Commons at its southern end, the town marks one limit of the Greater London Built-Up ...
,
Surrey, England.
History
The school opened as
Wayneflete School in 1958. In 1985, through an amalgamation two other local secondary schools:
Bishop Fox School in West Molesey and St Andrew's School in Cobham, was renamed Trinity School. To reflect ongoing links with the
Diocese of Guildford
__NOTOC__
The Diocese of Guildford is a Church of England diocese covering eight and half of the eleven districts in Surrey, much of north-east Hampshire and a parish in Greater London. The cathedral is Guildford Cathedral and the bishop is the ...
and provide its location in the title, the school was renamed in 2000.
In 2004 Esher C of E High School was designated specialist status as an Arts College and in 2007 a state of the art Performing Arts Centre was opened by
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. With significant improvements in exam results year on year, and following and 'outstanding' Ofsted judgement in 2009, the
Department for Education
The Department for Education (DfE) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further and higher education), apprenticeships and wider skills in England.
A Department ...
awarded High Performing Specialist Status and designated Esher C of E High School a 'Leadership Partner School'.
In 2011 Esher C of E High School was one of 100 'outstanding' schools assessed and designated as a National Teaching School and a National Support School. In 2012 construction began on a new £2.5 million Sports Centre, which was opened by
Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V. Since 1942, the title has been held by Prince Edwar ...
in February 2013.
In July 2013 a £9 million capital investment programme began at the school with a new Science Block with nine laboratories and lecture theatre, Learning Resources Centre with mezzanine level for the Learning Development Department.
The school converted to
academy status on 1 March 2014.
House system
There are four houses named after near stars or star clusters each with notable distinctions in
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
making them objects of study in broader areas of research into
physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
:
*
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated Alpha CM ...
*
Vega
Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr. This star is relatively close at only from the Sun, a ...
*
Capella
Capella is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Auriga. It has the Bayer designation α Aurigae, which is Latinised to Alpha Aurigae and abbreviated Alpha Aur or α Aur. Capella is the sixth-brightest star in ...
*
Mimosa
''Mimosa'' is a genus of about 590 species of herbs and shrubs, in the mimosoid clade of the legume family Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word (''mimos''), an "actor" or "mime", and the feminine suffix -''osa'', "resemb ...
Each house has tutor groups with students from the five school years and competes in sport and other events.
Specialist needs
The school has Speech, Language and Communications Needs ('SCLN') and
SEN trained staff to improve education for children who struggle in communication and in an educational setting respectively. SEN children are wherever achievable within the school's financial constraints totally integrated into all aspects of the school community.
Reflecting demand in this category (whether among parents or pupils themselves), in 2012, 14.9% of pupils were supported by school action plus or with a statement of SEN, compared with the national average of 8.1%, an increase of 0.5% on the previous year, and the leading mainstream school in the borough.
Educational equipment and spaces
Academic
The classrooms and specialist facilities such as the technology and food rooms incorporate technology in teaching spaces to emulate that used in leading employers' workplaces and/or further education. All halls and rooms are purpose-built for the size of the school and their intended use.
Music and performance
The school has regular concerts. Year groups arrange local and West End theatre trips and it has a dedicated theatre for stage productions.
Sports
Two from four pathways are chosen in personal fitness and education - Aesthetic (gymnastics, dance, cheer leading etc...), Games (invasion, net and wall, striking and fielding etc...), Fitness (testing, components of fitness and methods of training) and Leadership (organisation, communication and planning skills in sport), making use of:
*Football, rugby and cricket pitches
*Netball pitch
*Tennis court
*Indoor pool (heated), gymnasium and sports hall.
Every pupil in KS4 (years 10 to 11) leaves with a qualification in Physical Education and so choose which qualification in the first few months of year 10.
*Entry Level Certificate - practical option with 6 activities from 3 of the following assessment areas: Games Activities, Gymnastics Activities, Swimming Activities, Athletic Activities, Adventurous Activities, Exercise Activities or Dance
*Sports Leaders Award Level 1 - combines elements of educational practice, technical understanding and practical certification
*Short Course Physical Education - certifies candidates in most advanced educational framework, technical/psychological understanding and practice
Teacher training
Less than two years after its millennium renaming, the school built on its existing expertise to become a centre for School-Centered Initial Teacher Training (SCITT), which has trained 190 teachers in partnership with three others including
George Abbot School
George Abbot School is a Mixed-sex education, coeducational secondary school and sixth form with Academy (English school), academy status in Burpham, Surrey, Burpham, north-east of the town centre of Guildford providing a comprehensive education ...
, 95% of whom went on to work in Surrey Schools. A greater proportion of accredited teachers under this route than average attain more senior positions and specialist accreditations. Ofsted and most past trainees have rated the SCITT provision as outstanding.
Uniform
The uniform is split into two genders, one for the girls and one for the boys. It includes a blazer, a star whose colour is dictated by the student's house, trousers/skirts and black shoes. Older year groups wear different ties to younger years and get to wear badges if they are on certain clubs/committees/boards.
Assessment
The school was judged Good by Ofsted, following a short inspection in 2017. The last full inspection took place in 2013, where the school was judged Good, down from the previous judgment of Outstanding in 2009. One of the four criteria remained outstanding: the behaviour and safety of pupils.
[2013 inspection report](_blank)
Ofsted. Retrieved 2014-01-15
Results
Notes and references
;Notes
;References
External links
School website
{{authority control
Secondary schools in Surrey
Borough of Elmbridge
Church of England secondary schools in the Diocese of Guildford
Academies in Surrey