Whitley Bay High School
Whitley Bay High School is a mixed upper school and sixth form located in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, England.
| Whitley Bay High School | |
|---|---|
 Pictured in 2011 | |
| Address | |
Deneholm Monkseaton , , Whitley Bay NE25 9AS | |
| Coordinates | 55°02′53″N 1°27′57″W |
| Information | |
| Type | Foundation school |
| Established | 1935 |
| Local authority | North Tyneside |
| Department for Education URN | 108638 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Chair of Governors | Paul Mitchell |
| Headteacher | Steve Wilson |
| Staff | approx. 180 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age | 13 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 1,602 |
| Colour(s) | Blue and White |
| Website | http://www.whitleybayhighschool.org |
Admissions
The school has 1600 pupils; more than 600 are in the sixth form. In 2006, the school was awarded Specialist College Status in Science & Humanities.
It is situated next to Monkseaton Drive (A1148), towards the north of Monkseaton. There is s subway for access under the main road. It is in the parish of St Peter, Monkseaton.
History
Grammar school
The school was originally built as a grammar school in 1963, and was originally known as Whitley Bay and Monkseaton Grammar School. The buildings were officially opened on 7 December 1963, by Edward Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth. It was formerly housed in what is now the Marden Bridge Middle School. The original buildings on site were A Block, B Block and C Block.
Comprehensive
In 1973, it became a high school. In 1995, the biology class of Elizabeth Pollock featured in the Radio 4 programme Six of the Best, looking at how the human eye worked.
Buildings
It has four main buildings, with several other outlying blocks around them. They are:
- A-Block: English, Modern Foreign Languages (French and German), Science (predominantly Chemistry), the school gym, canteen, main hall and various offices.
- B-Block: Mathematics, Geography, Philosophy and Ethics, ICT and an additional sports hall (known as B-Block Hall).
- C-Block: Childcare, Design and Technology, Media Studies, Food Technology, Healthcare, Science (predominantly Biology), learning support and Textiles.
- D-Block (built 2003): Art, Drama, Music, Science (predominantly Physics), the School Library, a music recording studio and a drama studio.
- E-Block (built 2008): Art and Textiles.
- F-Block: Psychology.
- G-Block: Business Studies and Economics.
- H-Block: History and a Reprographics office.
- I-Block: Physical education block for written work.
- S-Block: Media.
Former pupils
- Rudolf Abel, aka Vilyam Genrikhovich Fisher – KGB spy, born in Benwell.
- Alan Campbell – MP for Tynemouth, taught History at the school from 1980–9, and married a former pupil.
- Frank Collins – SAS Soldier, first to enter the building in the Iranian Embassy Siege. Later ordained as a Church of England minister. Committed suicide in 1998 a year after the publication of his book 'Baptism of Fire'.
- Graham Fenton – Footballer who formerly played for Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City.
- Sam Fender – Musician and Brit Award Winner
- Prof Sir Lawrence Freedman CBE, Professor of War Studies since 1982 at King's College London, and one of the inquirers of The Iraq Inquiry
- John Thomas Young Gilroy – English artist and illustrator, best known for his advertising posters for Guinness, the Irish stout.
- Alex Oates – Award-winning playwright and screenwriter.
- Joyce Quin – Baroness Quin of Gateshead, former MP for Gateshead East, also former prisons minister and deputy agriculture minister.
- Peter Ramage – professional footballer
- Lucy Ratcliffe – model and Britain's Next Top Model, Cycle 1 winner.
- Andrea Rea, aka Huffty – presenter of The Word (TV series).
- Greg Rutherford, professional footballer
- Michael Shanks – British archaeologist who taught Latin, Greek and Ancient History 1983–1988.
- Steven Tupling – former Middlesbrough, Hartlepool United and Cardiff City player, formerly taught PE at the school.
- Roger Uttley – former English rugby union player. Taught PE in the 1970s.
- Dame Ethel Wormald, Labour councillor and Lord Mayor of Liverpool
- Elliot Anderson - Premier League Footballer, played for the academy and now first team for Newcastle United