Trinity Catholic School

Trinity Catholic School
Type Voluntary aided
Religion Roman Catholic
Principal Chris Gabbett
Chair Juliet Dove
Location Guy's Cliffe Avenue
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire
CV32 6NB
England
Coordinates: 52°17′46″N 1°33′06″W / 52.2960°N 1.5517°W / 52.2960; -1.5517
Local authority Warwickshire
DfE URN 125756 Tables
Ofsted Reports
Students 1,145 (2009)
Gender Mixed
Ages 11–18
Website www.trinity-school.org.uk

Trinity Catholic School is a mixed Catholic secondary school in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. The school has Technology College status awarded in 2000 and Arts College status awarded in 2004 and had been awarded Artsmark Gold award.[1] Following an Ofsted inspection in 2009, the school was given a Grade 3 (satisfactory) rating for its overall performance.[1] Another Ofsted inspection took place in June 2013, the school had improved and received a Grade 2 (Good). The school has a sixth form college on site.

Until September 2005 when they were amalgamated, the school operated from two separate campuses: Dormer Hall on Myton Road in Warwick, and Bishop Bright Hall/Freeman Hall on Guy's Cliffe Avenue in Leamington Spa.

Students at the school were allowed to wear casual clothes of their own choosing until September 2004, when uniform with purple and yellow tie was introduced. The move came after failed attempts in 2001 to introduce a uniform.[2] Many parents and students dislike the uniform, due perhaps to issues with students losing their clip-on ties, all students must wear a Clip On Tie as of September 2011. Currently, year 7, 8 and 9 wear a yellow and purple tie, whilst years 10 and 11 wear a blue tie with the school logo. Years 12 and 13, the Sixth Formers are allowed to wear their own clothing.

The school gained publicity in March 2009 when a pupil was questioned by police after bringing a stun gun onto the site and three fellow students were zapped.[3][4]

At the beginning of the 2012 term, Dr Jim Ferguson retired and Chris Gabbett was appointed in his place.

Ethos

Trinity was founded as a liberal Catholic school. Teachers were called by their first names, and students didn't wear uniform. Since 1989, the school has become slightly less liberal, and in 2002 uniform was introduced, although many parents and pupils tried to protest this.[5]

History

The school was founded as an amalgamation of two catholic schools in the area: Bishop Bright Grammar School and Dormer High School. Dormer High School opened in Myton Road, Warwick, in 1959.[6] Bishop Bright Grammar School opened in 1966, with Peter Hastings as its founding headmaster.[7] It was built on a new site at Guy's Cliffe Avenue, Leamington Spa.

In the late 1970s or early 1980s, under the education reforms of the time, the two original schools merged to form a new catholic comprehensive school. For a number of years the school remained divided between the two original sites; named as Bishop Bright Hall, in Guy's Cliffe Avenue and Dormer Hall in Myton Road. A sixth-form college, named Freeman Hall, was added to the Guy's Cliffe site. In February 1999 the school announced its intention to combine all of the school facilities onto a single site.[8] In September 2005, following the completion of a multimillion-pound extension, they were amalgamated at the Guy's Cliffe Avenue site in Leamington Spa.[1]

Introduction of uniform

Pupils were allowed to wear casual clothes of their own choosing; a rule in place from the school's foundation. In March 2002, after prolonged discussion, and in the face of considerable opposition from parents, students and teachers, the school governors decided that a uniform was to be introduced the following school year.[5][9] During the following months parents, students, and the school's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) fought to get the decision overturned.[10] Under a newly appointed temporary head, plans to introduce the uniform were put on hold in September 2002.[11]

In October 2003, a uniform was finally imposed for new-starters for the following (2004/5) school year. Pupils organised demonstrations, and lessons were boycotted in protest against the way the decision had been taken. The school stated that parents of pupils starting at the school wanted the uniforms and characterised the protestors as not being representative of the majority view,[12] and the PTA was criticised for lobbying the parents, pupils and teachers to continue the protest.[13] The Member of Parliament for the area became involved, inviting the Archbishop of Birmingham to intervene and help to resolve the disagreement.[14] In November 2003, at the annual meeting of the PTA, a clear majority of parents supported a vote of no-confidence in the governing body, calling for them to resign.[15]

The protests failed however, and on the first day of the 2004/5 school year, new pupils arrived at the school wearing the uniform.[16]

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ofsted report 2007
  2. ↑ BBC News, Tuesday, 9 October, 2001 Retrieved 6 December 2009
  3. ↑ BBC News, Thursday, 12 March, 2009 Retrieved 6 December 2009
  4. ↑ "13-Year-Old Arrested Over School Stun Gun Attack". The Daily Telegraph. London. 12 March 2009.
  5. 1 2 "Governors vote for uniform at Trinity". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 20 March 2002.
  6. ↑ "The borough of Warwick: Public education". British History Online. University of London & History of Parliament Trust.
  7. ↑ "Tables made of wood from skips". The Independent. London: independent.co.uk. 12 January 1995.
  8. ↑ "Move to bring school together". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 12 February 1999.
  9. ↑ "School uniform takes a new twist". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 5 December 2001.
  10. ↑ "Battle Plans Drawn Over Uniforms". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 2 April 2002.
  11. ↑ "New Trinity head on secondment; Uniform Issue on Hold as School Seen Through First Term". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 4 September 2002.
  12. ↑ "Student Boycott Over Trinity Uniform Plans". Leamington Spa Courier. 2 October 2003.
  13. ↑ "Trinity's PTA Criticised Over Uniform Row". Leamington Spa Courier. 10 October 2003.
  14. ↑ "Archbishop Approached Over Trinity Dispute". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 23 October 2003.
  15. ↑ "Uniform saga: County will not get Involved". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 23 February 2004.
  16. ↑ "Pupils arrive in uniform after protests". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 7 September 2004.
  17. ↑ "Nizlopi's new sound". Leamington Courier. 4 September 2006.
  18. ↑ "Naomi dreams of a hit with her debut song; Fame calls but aim is to enjoy making music". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 8 March 1999.
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