Henry Mellish School and Specialist Sports College
Henry Mellish School and Specialist Sports College was a small, non-denominational secondary school in Bulwell, Nottingham, England, situated in an area of high social deprivation.
| The Henry Mellish School & Sports College | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| |
Highbury Road , , NG6 9DS | |
| Coordinates | 52°59′36″N 1°11′18″W |
| Information | |
| Type | Secondary |
| Motto | Tenax Propositi (Firm of purpose) |
| Established | 1929 |
| Closed | June 6, 2009 (Now The Bulwell Academy) |
| Local authority | City of Nottingham |
| Specialist | Sports and ICT |
| Department for Education URN | 122878 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Chair | R. Ogier |
| Head teacher | Tony Bond (acting) |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 16 |
| Enrolment | 539 |
| Colour(s) | Black and gold |
| Publication | Mellish Mercury |
| Replaced by | The Bulwell Academy |
History
Early history
The school was founded as a boys' grammar school in 1929 - the Henry Mellish Grammar School, and named after Eton-educated Henry Mellish, a British Army colonel and local councillor, who died two years prior to the opening. The school was sited near the Highbury Vale tram stop and opposite the Highbury Hospital on Highbury Road (B682).
School specifics
Towards the end of its lifespan the subjects taught at the school were:
- English
- Maths
- Science
- Geography
- Textiles
- Art
- ICT
- PE
- Workshop
Closure in 2009
The school was closed on 6 June 2009 in preparation for the opening of The Bulwell Academy. This merged the school with the other major educational institute in the local area, River Leen (formerly Alderman Derbyshire). Originally the merge of these two school was deemed unthinkable by local residents due to the overwhelming rivalry between the two schools.
Former Head Teacher, Mr. Graham Roberts has notably gone on to also be the head of the merged Bulwell Academy.
The close of the school came a shock to many current and former students, being one of the fastest improving schools in the city. Improvements such as the relatively new refurbished community sports college in which lessons would often take place.
During the transition into the new Academy building, both of the yet unclosed school took temporary new names. Henry Mellish being chiefly renamed "Bulwell Academy Highbury".
Academic performance
Henry Mellish School was judged to require special measures in 2005, but had since vastly improved - the school gained its specialist sports college status with information and communication technology (ICT) as a second specialism in March 2005. The schools GCSE results had improved dramatically over the previous six years, going from 13% of students achieving 5 A*-C grades in 2003 up to 65% in 2008 which made the school the 5th highest achieving secondary school in the city of Nottingham at the time.
Alumni
- Luke Fletcher, cricketer
As Henry Mellish Grammar School
- Robin Bailey, actor
- Sir Neil Cossons OBE, Chairman from 2000-03 of the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME), Chairman of the Association of Independent Museums from 1978–83, and President from 2001-03 of the Newcomen Society
- Dr Sidney Holgate CBE, mathematician who founded Grey College, Durham and was the son of the woman who named the Holgate School (Hucknall)
- Pete Luckett, Canadian presenter
- Robert Raymond, filmmaker in Australia
- Dave Rowberry, pianist (briefly) in The Animals
- Prof Peter J. Taylor, Professor of Geography from 1995-2010 at Loughborough University, Professor of Political Geography from 1970-96 at Newcastle University