Fryerns Comprehensive School

Fryerns Comprehensive School /friːəns/, also known as Fryerns Community School, was a mixed intake secondary school in Basildon, Essex that opened in 1956. The school was situated around one mile directly east of Basildon town centre. It was closed in 1999 due to falling pupil numbers. The site is now home to both Essex County Council's Adult Community Learning service and Social Services, while the remaining site has been redeveloped into two housing estates.

Fryerns School
Address
Craylands

Basildon
,
Essex
,
SS14 3RN

England
Coordinates51.577°N 0.487°E / 51.577; 0.487
Information
TypeSecondary school
MottoLatin: Age Quod Agis
("If you do something, do it well.") Motto on Fryerns pulpit in hall "Labor omnia vincit"
Established1956
Closed1999
Local authorityEssex
Department for Education URN115224 Tables
OfstedReports
HeadteacherCyril Baggs (First)
David A. Anderson (Last)
GenderMixed
Age11 to 18
Colour(s)Blue/yellow   
PublicationFryern' Easy
Former nameFryerns Grammar and Technical School, Craylands County Secondary
FateClosed in 1999
Websitehttp://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/fryerns/index.html
Craylands School, built in 1935. Taken in 2007 by Paul Francis.
Fryerns School. 2007 by Paul Francis.

History

Fryerns School was the first new secondary school to be opened in Basildon New Town.[1] Its name came from the nearby Fryerns Farm which also provided the name for the local area.

Fryerns was created as a Grammar and Technical school. In August 1968, it merged with Craylands County Secondary school, which had opened on the same site in 1935, to create Fryerns Comprehensive. The influx of families into the area meant that another secondary school, Barstable, was placed across the road. In 1994, the school changed its name once again to Fryerns Community School.

Essex County Council Education department closed Fryerns in 1999 due to falling pupil numbers and a serious funding issue.[2][3] Basildon's demographics had changed markedly over the previous four decades. A rapidly ageing population meant that there were too many schools in the district for the number of pupils and Fryerns had to close. Fryerns, had been threatened with closure in 1990–91 but a strong defence of the school was launched in parliament by the then Basildon Conservative MP David Amess.[4] In the speech he stated that no school would close in Basildon while he was its member of parliament. This turned out to be the case as in 1997, he did not contest the Basildon seat as the New Labour candidate Angela Smith MP was elected. Less than two years later the school had closed.

After closing, the newer school buildings to the south of the site were taken over by Essex Social Services and the playing fields next to it were used for a new housing estate. The school buildings and fields of the old Craylands school were left derelict. Eventually the buildings were demolished and work was started on another new estate.[5]

School traditions and achievements
  • Perridge Awards – These were medals awarded for consistent effort, progress and conduct. They were awarded in three categories, bronze, silver and gold.
  • Cake Competition – An annual five-a-side football knockout competition. If a class played a team from the year above they would get a two goal head start. So if a year 11 team played a year 7 team the match would start at 10 – 0. The prize was a large cake produced by the Home Economics department.
  • Skiing trip to Villach, Austria was organised annually for pupils in years 8 and 9.
  • In 1987 the sculptor Sokari Douglas Camp was artist-in-residence at the school. Her piece “mother and child” was on display in the entrance hall.[6]

Headteachers

Below is a list of all the headteachers in the school's history.[7]

  • Cyril Baggs - Left as head of Grays County Tech to become first appointed head in 1957.
  • Sydney Hopewell - Became head in April 1969 after Baggs' departure.
  • Ken Hunter - Took over the headship from Hopewell in September 1974.
  • Mr. Turner - Became acting head in August 1980 after Hopewell left. He took charge to the end of the year.
  • Timothy F. Slater - Was appointed headteacher in January 1981 through to August 1994.
  • Bob Plimmer - Became acting head for the following autumn term after Slater's resignation.
  • Stuart Hayes - Took over in January 1995.
  • David A. Anderson - Took charge for the school's final year until it closed on August 31, 1999.

Notable former pupils ("Fryernists")
  • Graham Bonney - singer (chart hit with "Super Girl" in 1966)[8]
  • Nicholas Farrell - actor
  • Aden Hynes Sculpture Studios - Sculptor
  • Jillean Porter, former England Netball Captain and winner of 100 international caps.[9]
  • Jon Robson - golfer[10]

Badge

The school's badge is a stag lying in a laurel wreath. This denotes peace, harmony and triumph.[11]

References
  1. "B. Cox (2006) "Basildon History Online." Retrieved 17 January 2013". Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  2. "Fryerns School to close - It's official." Basildon Recorder, 21/09/98. Retrieved 13 January 2017
  3. "Carry on teaching until 1999" Basildon Recorder, 1 October 1998. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  4. "David Amess MP defends Fryerns School. 6.44 pm. Retrieved 19 January 2013". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 12 December 1991. Archived from the original on 22 December 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  5. ""Craylands and Fryerns redevelopments." Retrieved 18 January 201313". Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  6. ‘’Residencies’’ Fryerns School, Basildon 1987. Retrieved 19/01/13.
  7. "Fryerns School - Basildon". www.basildon.com. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  8. From a former pupil
  9. "Netball career of Jillean Hipsey, nee Porter". Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  10. "From a former pupil". Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  11. ""Meaning of heraldry symbols" (sic) Retrieved 18/01/13". Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
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