The Castle School

The Castle School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, England, which serves the town and the surrounding villages. Pupils from Bristol also attend the school. There are around 1,189,pupils, including 360 in the sixth form.

Not to be confused with The Castle School, Taunton.
The Castle School
Sixth Form Centre
Address
Park Road

Thornbury
,
Gloucestershire
,
BS35 1HT

England
Coordinates51.6153°N 2.5250°W / 51.6153; -2.5250
Information
TypeAcademy
Established1952 (1952)
Department for Education URN139348 Tables
OfstedReports
HeadteacherJoseph Docherty
Staff100
GenderCoeducational
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1,189
Colour(s)Black, Amber/Gold
Websitewww.thecastleschool.org.uk

The main school site on Park Road has seen additions in recent years including the community sports centre,[1] and the Octagon art gallery[2][3] and classroom. The Gloucester Road buildings approximately half a mile away are primarily used as the sixth form centre, but also house the vocational faculty used by lower years.[4]

Former headmaster Adrian Verwoert was awarded a CBE for services to education in May 2004.[5] Joining the school in 1980, he was appointed as head in 1988. He was succeeded by Melanie Warnes in September 2004. She left in 2014.[6]

History

In 1862, Handel Cossham, a local preacher, built the original village school, a British School, at Gillingstool.[7] Some years later, because of overcrowding, a new infant school building was added adjacent to the original school. In 1952 the school was separated into infants, juniors and seniors and the latter formed the Thornbury County Secondary school. Before this it was an 'all-age' school taking pupils up to age thirteen, known as Thornbury Council School.[8]

In 1962, during the headship of Mr Cliff J. Martin, plans were drawn up for a new building to house the expanding secondary school.[9] Building work started the following year on Park Road, the site used as the school's playing field. In 1965, the building was opened under the new name of The Castle School, which reflected the school's new position adjacent to Thornbury Castle, whilst keeping the same initials (TCS). The official opening ceremony took place in 1966, attended by the Duke of Beaufort, Chancellor at the University of Bristol at the time.

The county infant and junior schools at Gillingstool later formed the Leaze School, which is now known as Gillingstool Primary School.[10]

The school became a comprehensive in 1972, the same year that Thornbury Grammar School moved from its site on Gloucester Road to new buildings in Alveston (also becoming a comprehensive with the new name of Marlwood School). The Castle School took over the Gloucester Road buildings which now form its Sixth Form Centre.

Notable alumni

References
  1. "The Castle School, Bristol". School Hire. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  2. Sauvebois, Marion (18 September 2013). "Metalmorphosis wows at Castle School's Octagon Gallery in Thornbury". Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  3. "Gallery to open with print show". Gazette. 28 May 2004. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  4. "Grammar School". Thornbury Museum. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  5. "Head teacher retires". Gazette. 16 July 2004. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  6. "New head teachers sought in Thornbury and Alveston, South Gloucestershire after sudden resignation". Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  7. "Handel Cossham". Thirnbury Roots. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  8. "Thornbury and District Museum: Thornbury's publicly-funded schools". Thornbury Voice. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  9. Sims, Aaron (29 September 2016). "Tributes paid to 'trailblazer' founding Castle School headmaster Cliff Martin". Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  10. "Our History". Gillingstool Primary School. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  11. Ashcroft, Esme (2 April 2017). "Where did these 11 Bristol celebrities go to school?". Bristol Live. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  12. Sims, Aaron. "'Gotham' actor Richard Kind to star in film by Thornbury director Matt Kane". Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  13. Iles, Rob (23 May 2013). "Former Liverpool target and Wales under-17 captain Joe Morrell looks forward to starting professional career at Bristol City after leaving The Castle School". Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  14. "Bristol comedian wins top Edinburgh award". B24/7. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  15. Iles, Rob (10 January 2013). "Lloyd Spacey says The Castle School are proud of Mako and Billy Vunipola". Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
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