Diss High School

Diss High School is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status located in Diss, Norfolk, England. The school has approximately 931 pupils from ages 11 to 18.[1]

Diss High School
Address
Walcot Road

Diss
,
Norfolk
,
IP22 4DH

England
Coordinates52°22′48″N 1°06′54″E
Information
TypeStand alone convertor Academy
Department for Education URN137092 Tables
OfstedReports
HeadteacherDr. Janet Hunt[1]
GenderCo-educational
Age11 to 18
Enrolment931 pupils
Former pupilsOld Dysseans
Websitehttp://www.disshigh.norfolk.sch.uk

Main school

The school is split into two main blocks designated A and B. A block is home to the English, Geography and History departments. It also holds the main school library and the staff room. B block houses the maths, science and modern foreign languages departments as well as the hall, school office, head teacher's office and head of year offices. The Art and Design Technology departments have a separate block as does the Music department. In 2014, Diss High School received a 'good' rating from Ofsted.[2]

Academics

The school supplements the formal with a wide range of extra-curricular activities that go beyond sport and music

Curriculum

Virtually all maintained schools and academies follow the National Curriculum, and are inspected by Ofsted on how well they succeed in delivering a 'broad and balanced curriculum'.[3] The school has to decide whether Key Stage 3 contains years 7, 8 and 9- or whether year 9 should be in Key Stage 4 and the students just study subjects that will be examined by the GCSE exams at 16. Diss has chosen the latter route.[4]

Key Stage 3

In the first two years all students follow a basic course comprising Art, Design Technology, English, Drama, PSHEE, Geography, History, Food, French, Spanish, Computing, Mathematics, Music, Religious Studies and Science.[5]

Key Stage 4

Currently all pupils study English, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, Computing, a Modern Foreign Language (French or Spanish), a Humanities subject (History or Geography), Careers, Religious Studies and PSHEE. They opt to study two other GCSE subjects.[5] To make a language compulsory at Key Stage 4 is unusual. Staff turnover has made it difficult to deliver good results and depressed the number of youngsters obtaining the English Baccalaureate that requires it.[6]

Uniform

In February 2014, the school featured in several media reports after it announced a ban on skirts as part of the school uniform, to begin the following September.[7] The ban received support from some parents and criticism from others.[7] The governing body supported the ban with Norfolk County Council stating that it is for the school to set rules and regulations on uniform.[8][9]

Notable alumni

Diss High School and its predecessor schools have been attended by several notable former pupils. These include footballers Matthew Upson[10] and Declan Rudd.[11] Politician Ralph Howell, businessman Eric Nicoli[12] and Church of England clergyman Christopher Dalliston all attended Diss Grammar School. Painter and etcher James Henry Govier taught art at the Grammar School between 1965 and 1972 after it merged with the grammar school in Eye.[13] Writer and environmentalist Roger Deakin taught English and French at Diss Grammar for three years.[14]

References
  1. "Diss High School - GOV.UK". Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  2. "Diss High School Ofsted 'Good' report". Ofsted News. 26 February 2014.
  3. Roberts, Nerys. "The school curriculum in England Parliamentary Briefing Paper" (PDF). parliament.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  4. "Curr-KS4". www.disshigh.norfolk.sch.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  5. "PROSPECTUS 2019-2020" (PDF). www.disshigh.norfolk.sch.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  6. "Ofsted short report 2018". ofsted.gov.uk. April 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  7. Bareham, Dominic (11 February 2014). "Girls to be banned from wearing skirts at a Norfolk school - but what do you think?". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  8. "Top school bans girls from wearing skirts in crackdown on 'immodest' clothes". The Daily Telegraph. 11 February 2014. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  9. "UK school bans skirts for girls". The Financial Express. Press Trust of India. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  10. "'Football: Upson Makes History". Diss Express. 15 August 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  11. "Football: Declan set to sign two-year Canaries contract". Diss Express. 16 May 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  12. "Old pupils celebrate grammar's centenary". Diss Express. 25 September 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  13. "J H Govier". Eye Grammar Old Students' Association. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  14. "Obituaries: Roger Deakin". The Daily Telegraph. 22 August 2006. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.