The De Montfort School

History

1954 – Evesham County Secondary School (the original name) opened, set in 9½ acres with 505 pupils on roll (though the school was only designed for 360) and 23 teaching staff. It was originally intended to be the first of two or three secondary modern schools in Evesham. The school grounds were once orchards owned by the Barnett family and later the Osbornes. The school was designed by Richard Sheppard and Partners of London and built by Espley and Co Ltd. The building contract (at a projected cost of £98,000) was signed in the winter of 1952 and work was to be completed with 21 months of the start. The design was very modern and cutting edge (with 8,000 square feet of plate glass windows at a cost of £2,200) and was fitted out with modern equipment for concerts, domestic science, arts, crafts and horticulture. Much of the furniture and other kit, however, was old having been transferred from the pupils’ previous schools.

The original school block (which these days houses the small hall, humanities, reception, the gymnasium and the Head’s office) contained the hall, the gym, one domestic science room, one needlework room, one art room, the library, a canteen kitchen, nine classrooms and the administrative rooms. There were also separate practical and rural science rooms. A report in the local paper of Saturday 6 November 1954 highlighting the modern design and construction of the school concludes "Up to the same modern standard are the sanitation and plumbing. The domestic science kitchen even has a low sink to receive waste water from the clothes wringers. No mod con forgotten…".

The school was due to open on 9 September 1954 but there was a delay because of problems with the sewers. Around 70 senior boys attended the school while the other pupils were taught (by a mix of transferred and appointed teachers) at Evesham Church of England School (Merstow Green), Bengeworth Church of England School, Evesham County Boys School, Evesham County Girls School, the Domestic Science Centre (in the town) and the Woodwork Centre (in the town) . 1 October 1954 the sewer link was completed. Furniture was transferred to the school. 4 October 1954 all the children on roll registered at the school for lessons for the first time. In the Head’s first report to Governors in November 1954 (typed on foolscap size paper) he described the school organisation as being made up of "14 classes – 4 in the first year,4 in the second, 3 third-year and 3 fourth-year classes. A specialist-system of teaching has been adopted, although in the first year particularly the time-table has been so arranged that each form spends a good proportion of its time with one teacher". Under the heading of General in the report to governors, Mr Cave wrote "The normal working of the school has developed quite satisfactorily. The change for most children to the new building has undoubtedly been salutary. A large proportion wear school uniform; and the school nurse, in particular, has been impressed by a new attitude to appearance and cleanliness; although there remain a few cases which are still not creditable to the school". Because the school was oversubscribed, space was always a problem. A new Assembly Block was planned to hold a hall large enough to hold all the pupils, three science laboratories, a second domestic science room and a second art room and more classrooms.

Academic

Lessons are taught in dedicated subject departments. Students in Year 9 take a common curriculum consisting of English, Mathematics, Science, French, Spanish, Art, Design, History, Geography, Philosophy and Ethics, Music, Drama, Physical Education and Personal, Social and Health Education. Each subject area groups students in the way it deems most appropriate and children who require additional help are withdrawn from some lessons. In Years 10 and 11, students follow two year courses in English, Mathematics, Science and Physical Education, in addition to half courses in Information Technology and Philosophy and Ethics. Students can choose three optional subjects from a range on offer, including pre-vocational and GNVQ Part 1 Courses. The school offers 23 A-Level courses plus GNVQ and AVCE Business, Leisure & Tourism, Intermediate and Advanced Level.

Admissions

The school has 3 entry points at year 6, year 9 and year 12. Entries at year 6 are predominantly from its feeder schools St. Richard's C of E First School and Bengeworth Academy, but entries from other local schools are sometimes made. Entries at year 9 are predominantly made by students who studied at the school during year 8, but a significant number are also made by students from Blackminster Middle School. Entries at year 12 normally come from a more varied set of institutions including those who studied at the school at GCSE continuing studies at A level and some students moving to the school from other local secondary schools.

Evesham High School