Chelmsford County High School for Girls

Chelmsford County High School main building

Chelmsford County High School for Girls, or "CCHS", is a selective grammar school for girls aged 11-18 located in Chelmsford, Essex, England. It is one of the most consistently high-achieving secondary schools in the UK, not just academically, though CCHS is regularly one of the top 5 schools for both GCSE and A-level results, but also musically, with several music orchestras, choirs, and bands performing regularly in venues as prestigious as the Royal Albert Hall, and in sport too, with several school teams reaching national championships.

In addition these achievements, the school aims to instill in its students a sense of self-esteem and a love of learning for its own sake, and "for each student to succeed in whatever field she chooses". There are over 800 pupils on the school roll with 150 in the Sixth Form.

The current acting Headmistress is Glynis Howland. The previous Head, Monica Curtis, retired in 2006.

History

The school was built in 1906, and officially opened in May 1907, with its first Headmistress Mabel Vernon-Harcourt. It had 76 pupils on the school roll, divided into three forms: IIIa, IV and V. Although the age range was originally 12-18, in 1915 a Preparatory department was added which took girls from the age of eight; the department closed in 1947.

The Old Girls’ Society was formed in 1908 by the first girls to leave the School at the end of their education, and the first Magazine was published in December 1909.

In January 1910 the School Hostel opened in rented premises at 39 Broomfield Road under the care of a Mrs Smylie. It allowed pupils with long journeys between home and school to stay in Chelmsford during the week. In January 1911, Miss Edith Bancroft became the second Headmistress, until she retired in 1935. A new school science building, known as Bancroft Wing, was named in her honour when it was finished in 1950.

In June 1916 Winifred Picking became the School’s first University success when she gained a First Class degree in the Natural Science Tripos at Girton, Cambridge. Her name can still be seen on the School's Rolls of Honour.

The school remained open throughout World War I, with forms being assigned "shelter" in a place away from windows or an outer wall. It also took in refugee students from Belgium and educated them.

The school's motto "Vitae lampada ferimus" or " We carry the lamp of life" was chosen in 1923, from a shortlist of 18 suggestions. It can be currently seen as part of the school crest.

In 1925 the School House system was first set up, with each House named after a Governor of the School: Chancellor, Hulton, Pennefather - pronounced “penny feather” and Tancock. This was changed in 1986 to three houses, C, H, and S; in 1996 a fourth house, G, was added.

Miss Bancroft retired as Headmistress in 1935 and was succeeded by the school’s third Headmistress, Miss Geraldine Cadbury until 1961. A science block, the Cadbury Science Building, was named after her when it opened in 1995. Bancroft Wing subsequently became a languages building.

1936 saw the School Hostel shut down due to lack of viability - this was due to improved transport around Chelmsford.

A year later, in 1937, the electric bell system was first installed. It was removed in 1999, as Monica Curtis, the previous Head, believed it reduced punctuality.

The school, as before, remained open during World War II, though this time the school was damaged several times in air raids. Fortunately the worst raid, when nearly every window in the school was broken, occurred during a school holiday. Maintaining examination conditions during air raids was also a problem: eventually exam candidates were given their own separate shelter.

Extensive building work was initiated in the 50s and continued throughout the 60s - in that time, the current caretaker's house, swimming pool, hall, canteen, art rooms, and library were built. In the 70s, three demountable classrooms, known as 23, 24,and 25 were built. Only 25 remains today.

In 1979, Miss Phyllis Pattirson retired, having been headmistress since 1961, and was replaced by Miss Anne Brooks in 1980. 1980 also saw the first male teacher, a Mr Clark, being employed at the school.

The introduction of Technology, particularly IT, began in the 80s and continued up til the present day, with three computer rooms, three specialist technology rooms, and the training of all pupils in the use of ICT, leading many to a GNVQ or GCSE in the subject.

Miss Brooks retired in 1989 and was replaced in 1990 by Bernice McCabe, who served for seven years until 1997.

In 1992, CCHS became a Grant Maintained school with control over its own funds, and a School Bursar was employed; the current Bursar is the appropriately named Alison Money. Margaret Thatcher, along with the local MP Simon Burns, also paid a brief visit to the school on the 30th March 1992.

In 1997, Bernice McCabe left to take up the post of Headmistress in the North London Collegiate School for Girls. She was replaced by Monica Curtis, who oversaw the development of the new school Astroturf pitch in 2004, the extension of the sixth form common room to include toilets and showers in 2005, and the planned construction of a new music building in 2007. Unfortunately, Mrs Curtis was forced to retire early due to ill health. The post of headmistress was advertised in the Summer term, but no appointment was made. The post was re-advertised in September 2006 and Nichole Chapman was selected as the school's new headmistress. She will take up the post this coming Easter until which time Glynis Howland, previously a Deputy Head, continues as the Acting Headmistress.

Daily Life

Assembly

As required by British law, CCHS holds an "Act of Collective Worship" every day. On Mondays and some Wednesdays, Assembly is held in individual forms after registration, with pupils in turn having to present their own assembly of a subject of their choice. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, H&S and C&G Houses attend a school Assembly respectively, while the other Houses again have Form Assembly. On Fridays, the whole school used to come together in the Hall for a school-wide Assembly, but due to Fire Regulations has now been split into the Junior Assembly (Years 7-10), held in the Hall, and Senior Assembly (Years 11-13), held in the Gym.

The responsibility for school Acts of Daily Collective Worship falls on the Head of the RE department, currently Jeraldine McCarthy. Although any teacher, or indeed, visitor, is welcome to lead an Assembly, it is mostly led by a member of Senior Management or the RE department, often related to an item that has recently appeared in the news. A termly "theme" is set that teachers planning Assemblies can also refer to, for example "Love in 1 Corinthians 13" or "Caring and Sharing". The school regularly has talented pupils play musical pieces or sing while students are filing in for Assembly.

However, the last Ofsted Report for the CCHS considered its provision of the Daily Act of Collective Worship was inadequate

School Day

The school day begins at 8:45am, though the school is open to students from 8:00am. Registration is held at 8:45am, and assemblies (on the days they are held) start at 8:55am. Lessons begin at 9:10am. CCHS has five minutes "travelling time" between lessons to ensure students have adequate time to reach their next classroom. The day is divided into five hour long lessons. There is a short break at 10:10am and an hour for lunch.

Typically the day is broken up as follows:

Time	Activity / Event
8:45	Registration.
8:55	School or Form Assembly
9:05	End of Registration / Assembly
9:10	Lesson 1
10:10	Break
10:30	Lesson 2
11:30	End of Lesson 2
11:35	Lesson 3
12:35	Lunch
1:35	Lesson 4
2:35	End of Lesson 4
2:40	Lesson 5
3:40	End of School Day

The school day may be disrupted by House events, such as Decorated Classroom Competition or Sports Day, or by School events, such as the Carol Service or Commemoration.

Achievements

CCHS is noted for its high academic achievements. It is one of the most consistently highly performing schools of the past ten years, and regularly appears in the top 10 of the Times School Supplement for GCSE and A Level results. The school also has an extremely high rate of attendance in comparison with other schools.

Specialisms

• CCHS gained Technology College status in 2000. It is a recognition of:
  • The school's high success in exams, but particularly in technical subjects,
  • The techniques developed to raise educational standards, as well at the utilisation of existing ones,
  • The school's work in the local community, and its sharing of facilities, particularly through IT (such as Silver Surfers, a programme to teach the elderly to use the Internet),
  • The expansion of links with local businesses, and the formation of well educated, articulate young women who are confident in the workplace.
• Music College status (with English) was attained in 2004.
• Languages College status has also recently been attained.

Awards

• CCHS held Beacon School status from 2001 to the award's discontinuation in 2005, as an example of successful practice with a view to sharing the practice with others.
• An Achievement Award was awarded in all three years (1999/2000 to 2001/2002) that the scheme ran. The Award was made for achieving better results than most schools in similar circumstances.
• In July 2002, CCHS was awarded with the Sportsmark Gold from Sport England for its out of hours sports provision and a broad and balanced PE curriculum. There are two levels of award: Sportsmark and Sportsmark Gold.

Trivia

• Every year in summer a pair of ducks nest in the quad and raise a brood of ducklings. They sometimes wander inside the building itself.
• Wherever there is a house event, there's a male teacher in drag.
• The first fall by a pupil into a school pond was in 2004.
• The longest serving teacher is currently Mary Reeve, head of the Latin department - she has been teaching at CCHS since 1967.
• Four pupils from the school have appeared on Blockbusters.

Famous Alumni

• Anne Cullen - played Carol Grey in The Archers.
• Joy Bome - awarded an MBE in 2001 “for services to the community, especially music, in Chelmsford, Essex”.
• Dame Margeret Anstee - UN Under-Secretary General from 1987-93.
• Rachel Elnaugh - Entrepreneur and recently a panellist for Dragons' Den.

External links

• The official CCHS website
• CCHS's entry at Rate My Teacher - CCHS is on the leadership board for highest rated schools.
• The last Ofsted Report for CCHS