Wilsthorpe School (formerly Wilsthorpe Community School) is a co-educational

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

and

sixth form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...

located in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, England.Wilsthorpe site
Retrieved 17 November 2009

History

It opened in 1954 as the Wilsthorpe Secondary Modern School. Neighbouring the school was the Parklands County Secondary Modern School, which became an infants school. During the Eighties it was known as Wilsthorpe Community School. The school gained Business and Enterprise specialist school status in 2005. The secondary school shares its site with Parklands Infants School and Harrington Junior School, enabling children to stay on the same site from their first year of school all the way to the Sixth Form of approximately 140 students. Also on the same site are Brackenfield Special School and English Martyrs RC Junior School. Following its gaining Business and Enterprise status, the school used its capital grant to fund a separate building which was named The Enterprise Centre. In 2009 this was extensively refitted as a state-of-the-art teaching facility for 'catering'. In July 2017, work began on the building of an entire new school building, behind the existing school buildings. The current Sports Hall will remain (with a gymnasium in the new building) as will the Enterprise Centre and the current Sixth Form building, which will be repurposed. It is hoped that the new building will be available for staff and students to move into in September 2018. After that, the existing school buildings will be demolished and the area landscaped. The school now has proven strength in all academic areas, according to OFSTED. In addition it is strong in Sports and Drama, both of which are well catered for in the new building. In recent years Wilsthorpe has developed a strength in the production of stage shows which have included ''Little Shop of Horrors'', ''Singin' in the Rain'', ''Fame!'', ''Hairspray'', ''Grease'', ''The Sound of Music'' and, in 2017, ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

''. The show currently in rehearsal for February 2018 is ''West Side Story''. There are also secondary productions including ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (2016) which was also performed at the RSC's Other Place in Stratford-on-Avon. Previously a community school administered by

Derbyshire County Council Derbyshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire, England. It has 64 councillors representing 61 divisions, with three divisions having two members each. They are Glossop and Charlesworth, ...

, in December 2018 Wilsthorpe Community School converted to academy status and was renamed Wilsthorpe School. The school is now sponsored by The Two Counties Trust.

Film

The school was involved in the filming of

Shane Meadows Shane Meadows (born 26 December 1972) is an English director, screenwriter and actor, known for his work in independent film, most notably the cult film ''This Is England'' (2006) and its three sequels (2010–2015). Meadows' other films inc ...

' film ''

This Is England ''This Is England'' is a 2006 British drama film written and directed by Shane Meadows. The story centres on young skinheads in England in 1983. The film illustrates how their subculture, which has its roots in 1960s West Indies culture, especi ...

'' in 2005. The school is the location for the opening/fight sequence in the film.

Leadership and facilities

The headteacher, appointed in 2008, is Jonathan Crofts, a former teacher at the school, who was Deputy Headteacher at

Chellaston School Chellaston is a suburban village on the southern outskirts of Derby, in Derbyshire, England. History An early mention of Chellaston is thought to be a reference to Ceolarde's hill. This is mentioned in a 1009 charter when nearby lan ...

prior to the appointment. The school has a floodlit astro-turf pitch, named the Bainbridge Astro in memory of a former Head of Sport and Recreation, John Bainbridge. The Enterprise Centre was opened by Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire, in May 2008.

Academic performance

As of 2021, the most recent available school performance data are from the 2018/19 year, before the school became an academy. The school's Progress 8 score was average. The proportion of pupils entering the English Baccalaureate was above average, at 50% compared to the local authority average of 35%. The proportion of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs was 45%, similar to the local authority average of 44%. The Attainment 8 score was just below average.

Notable former staff and pupils

* Sir Brian Smedley, Judge, taught here briefly in 1957Sir Brian Smedley Obituary
The Times, 10 May 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2007 * Allan Baker, Wilsthorpe's head, was awarded a

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in the 1977 Queen's Birthday honours for "services to education". * Lucy Kite, TV presenter *

Mark Draper Mark Andrew Draper (born 11 November 1970) is an English football coach and former professional footballer. As a player, he was a midfielder from 1988 to 2003, notably in the Premier League for Leicester City, Aston Villa and Southampton. He ...

, former professional footballer (Aston Villa, Southampton, England U-21) *

Lewis McGugan Lewis Shay McGugan (born 25 October 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. A player with excellent natural stamina, technical skills and mental attributes, he has represented England at under-17 and under-19 lev ...

, professional footballer (currently with Sheffield Wednesday) * Dan Wheeldon, cricketer * Saira Khan, TV Personality

References

{{authority control Secondary schools in Derbyshire Long Eaton Educational institutions established in 1954 1954 establishments in England Academies in Derbyshire