Mayfield School, Portsmouth

Students

At Mayfield students are encouraged to take one extra curricular club a week. This can range from sports like Football, Netball and Basketball to academic clubs like Math club, Science club and Homework club.

Grammar school

The school is located in the buildings of the former Portsmouth Northern Grammar School for Boys and Portsmouth Northern Grammar School for Girls, which were opened in 1932. (The boys school had begun as the Northern Secondary School in Kingston in 1921). After wartime evacuation, the two secondary schools were re-established in 1946 as a result of the 1944 Education Act. The boys' school housed approximately 550 boys in 1970 and was run by the City of Portsmouth Education Committee.

Comprehensive

In 1975 the two schools were amalgamated with Brunel School (boys) and North End Modern Girls' School to form the largest comprehensive school in Portsmouth, with approximately 1800 pupils. The roll was later reduced by the setting up of Portsmouth's Sixth Form College with the school losing its sixth form.

In 1999, the school was failing academically and was placed in "special measures" after an Ofsted inspection said it was failing to provide an acceptable standard of education. By 2001 the school was facing another crisis—this time a staff problem, as the school had 12 vacancies due to long-term sickness and unfilled positions. Training new teachers became a priority and the school introduced a new graduate teacher programme and created a new teacher training room. With a series of new teachers and new coaching programmes the school has experienced a slight increase in academic achievement, with a 4% rise in GCSE achievement in 2004, compared with 2003.

In 2005, 150 students of the school launched a protest against the deportation of a fellow student, Lorin Sulaiman, who had previously immigrated from Syria in 2003 after fearing for her safety.

Since 2005, the school reintroduced the prefect system with Deputy and Head Boy and Girl.

In 2007, the school received the Special Performing Arts Status after raising £50,000. The school spent the money on a brand new state-of-the-art Dance/Drama Studio. The director of this status is Mr Gary Appleton who coincidentally is the Head of Drama and Director of School Productions. During the summer of 2008 a brand new modern Dance Studio was built under the specialist status, replacing the schools old 'small gym'.

All-through

In September 2014 the school opened an infant and junior section of the school meaning that pupils can attend from the age of 4 to 16.

School Productions

Studio 1 productions

Studio 1 productions are a new type of production within Mayfield School. Since becoming an arts college, the Drama Studio 1 has become renowned as an auditorium for smaller scale productions other than the main ones. So far these have been:

School uniforms

The school has a compulsory school uniform policy. The uniform includes a white long sleeve or short sleeved shirt. Black straight legged trousers girls may also have the choice of wearing a black skirt that is from the uniform supplier Penelope Anne. Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 wear black blazers with the Mayfield logo also from the school supplier however Year 11's in the year 2011 do not have to wear blazers (It will be essential that 2012's Year 11's, 2013's Year 11's etc. to wear the blazer). A black cotton school V Neck jumper or black cotton cardigan with the school logo (from the school supplier) is optional however no other jackets are to be worn once entering the school building. As well as a tie;

It is essential that all ties are clip on and bought from the school supplier. Prefects and captains have badges that is compulsory to wear.