Seaham High School

Seaham High School
Address
Map
Station Road

, ,
SR7 0BH

Coordinates54°50′40″N 1°21′45″W / 54.84458°N 1.36263°W / 54.84458; -1.36263
Information
TypeAcademy
Local authorityDurham County Council
TrustEden Learning Trust
Department for Education URN147711 Tables
OfstedReports
Head teacherGeoffrey Lumsdon[1]
GenderCoeducational
Age11 to 16
Websitehttp://www.seahamhighschool.com/

Seaham High School (formerly Seaham School of Technology) is a coeducational secondary school located in Seaham, County Durham, England, for pupils aged 11–16. It is the only secondary school in the area, acting as a hub for most year 6 children leaving the local primary schools. The school is part of the Eden Learning Trust.

History

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Seaham School of Technology opened in 1964 on a site in Burnhall Drive in Seaham.[2] It was a comprehensive school that later incorporated two other secondary schools: Seaham Northlea (1975; until 1962, this had been known as Seaham Harbour Girls Grammar School) and Seaham Camden Square (1979).[3] Seaham Grammar Technical School opened in 1964, which became Seaham Northlea Comprehensive around 1971.

21st century

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In 2007, the local Seaham Star newspaper reported that the school was to be rebuilt on a field at the back of the Milton Close area of Deneside. Pupils and parents were invited into the school to voice their opinion on plans for the new school. Its cost was estimated at £16,000,000 and was scheduled for construction in 2013.

Later, planning permission for a new school building was granted for a site formerly occupied by Seaham Colliery (locally known as "The Knack"). However, in 2010, the Building Schools for the Future plan was scrapped by the new Conservative coalition government.[4]

In 2010 the school was temporarily placed under 'special measures' after Ofsted identified several critical failures, including poor examination results and site security issues. The school was removed from special measures in late 2010 after Ofsted noted an improvement in performance.

Plans to rebuild the school were resurrected in August 2014.[4] In September 2014, it was reported that the school building had structural problems and was being held up with 60 tonnes of steel.[5] The rebuilding of the school was one of 12 schemes submitted to Durham County Council in late 2014.[6]

In September 2016, the school moved to a new £14 million building on Station Road in the town, and was renamed Seaham High School.[7] The previous school was to be demolished and the site used for housing.[8]

In May 2017, Ofsted visited the school and classed it as 'Good'.[9]

Previously a community school administered by Durham County Council, in September 2020 Seaham High School converted to academy status. The school is now sponsored by the Eden Learning Trust.

Further education

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The school currently does not have its own sixth form; most students leaving the school go to East Durham College, Sunderland College or Durham Sixth Form Centre.

Notable former pupils

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References

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  1. ^ "Teaching Staff" (PDF). 6 March 2019. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Seaham School Of Technology (Closed)". GetTheData. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Seaham Harbour Girls Grammar School". Durham County Record Office: the official archive service for County Durham and Darlington. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b Tallentire, Mark (13 August 2014). "Hopes raised for new Seaham school". Northern Echo. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Seaham school classrooms buckle with rot". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  6. ^ Metcalfe, Will (31 October 2014). "Seaham School rebuild under £155m Government scheme set to be approved by planners". Chronicle. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. ^ "New name for rebuilt £14million school". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Homes hope as final days of old school site are numbered". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  9. ^ "OFSTED". Seaham High School. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
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