Brentwood County High School ''(colloquially referred to as BCHS)'' is a state-funded

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

(formerly a

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

) located in the town of Brentwood, Essex. The school is a member of the Osborne Co-Operative Academies Trust and educates 842 students from East London and South West

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

. On 1 September 2017 the school was re-opened as a member of the Osborne Co-Operative Academy Trust. In an Ofsted report on 7 June 2022 the school was rated as 'Good'.

The School

The school is on a single site consisting of grammar school buildings originally built in 1927. After the school's conversion from a girls' grammar school in 1972, a linking extension was added where science, art and design, and technology are taught. Facilities include a drama hall, sports hall, gymnasium, fitness suite, library, sports field, and indoor swimming pool.

History

In 1913, a private school for girls which originally opened in 1876, was taken over by

Essex County Council Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. It has 75 councillors, elected from 70 divisions, and is currently controlled by the Conservative Party. The council meets at County Hall ...

opening with only fifty-four students as a girls' grammar school. In 1927, the school moved from Queen's Road, Brentwood to its current site at Seven Arches Road Brentwood. Extensions were added by 1937 to provide accommodation for 450 girls. During the grammar school era of the 1960s and early 1970s, it was the female counterpart of Brentwood School, which was a boys' direct grant grammar school at that time. The school celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1963 and then in 1965 plans were laid to convert it from a girls' grammar school into a co-educational school which, after extensive building works, happened in September 1978. In 2013, the school celebrated its centenary year and became a voluntary aided school by converting to foundation school status forming the Brentwood Community Learning Trust. Since 2017, the school has been part of the Osborne Co-Operative Academy Trust. The trust is based around a group of schools in Thurrock, including St Clere's secondary school. St Clere's was the original school in the trust which has now expanded to include two secondary schools and four primary schools

Brentwood County High School will be undergoing a major rebuilding and refurbishment programme from the summer of 2017. The rebuilding and building of the new areas will start in the summer of 2021, funded by the Education and Schools Funding Agency (part of the Department for Education). The building works are planned to include the construction of a new science, art, and technology block to replace the blue 1970s block which will be knocked down. The rest of the school will be completely refurbished. The building programme is expected to take three years to complete (estimated 2024).

Sport

The school's rugby teams compete at a national level, winning the Carnegie Cup in 2008, and coming as runners-up in 2009. The school also has successful football, netball, swimming and water polo teams which compete at a regional level. As well as this, BCHS has been partnered with the West Ham United Foundation, as a hub school, since 2016.

Awards

Brentwood County High School has achieved Eco-Schools, Eco-School status by being awarded four Green Flags and an Energy Award by

Keep Britain Tidy Keep Britain Tidy is a UK-based independent environmental charity. The organisation campaigns to reduce litter, improve local places and prevent waste. It has offices in Wigan and London. History Keep Britain Tidy was originally set up by a conf ...

. The school is one of only 23 schools to be awarded four Green Flags. The school also holds National Healthy School Status (NHSS) and has won awards for the school's education of English and Humanities from the Prince's Institute of Teaching and the Geographical Association, as well as the

Sportsmark Sportsmark is Sport England's accreditation scheme for secondary schools. The scheme recognises a school's out of hours sports provision.

award for the provision of physical education.

Sixth Form

BCHS hosts one of two campuses for the Osborne Sixth Form and it has around 200 students studying A-Levels and Level 3 BTECs. Students attending the sixth form are a mixture of students who attended BCHS up to year 11, and a number who join the school for year 12.

Notable former pupils

Pixie Lott Victoria Louise Lott (born 12 January 1991), better known by her stage name Pixie Lott, is an English singer and songwriter. Her debut album, '' Turn It Up'', released in September 2009, reached number six on the UK Albums Chart and sold ov ...

, singer, who returned to the school in 2010 to perform a concert and answer questions from students * Jonjo Shelvey, footballer * William Lloyd, Conservative Party Councillor * Liz Jones, journalist and writer *

Joan Sims Irene Joan Marion Sims (9 May 1930 – 27 June 2001) was an English actress, best remembered for her roles in the ''Carry On'' franchise, appearing in 24 of the films (the most for any actress). On television, she is known for playing Gran i ...

, actress in ''

Carry On Carry On may refer to: * ''Carry On'' (franchise), a British comedy media franchise *Carry-on luggage or hand luggage, luggage that is carried into the passenger compartment * ''Carry On'' (film), a 1927 British silent film * ''Carry On'' (novel), ...

'' films * Patricia Hodgson, broadcasting executive

External links

Official school website

References

{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1876 1876 establishments in England Secondary schools in Essex Academies in Essex