Balshaw's Church of England High School explained

Balshaw's CE High School
Coordinates:53.6876°N -2.6862°W
Mottoes:Non Sibi Sed Aliis
Not for yourself but for others
Aiming at Excellence
Founded:1782
Head:SC Steven Haycocks
Founder:Richard Balshaw
Address:Church Road
Country:England
Postcode:PR25 3AH
Ofsted:yes
Dfeno:888/4500
Urn:119775
Enrolment:921[1]
Gender:Mixed
Lower Age:11
Upper Age:16
Colours:Black & White
Free Label 1:Former name
Free 1:Balshaw's Grammar School
Free Label 2:Diocese
Pushpin Map:United Kingdom Borough of South Ribble

Balshaw's CE High School is a comprehensive Church of England secondary school located on Church Road in Leyland, England.

Location

It is situated on Church Road in Leyland, England just south of the B5248 in the east of Leyland, close to the West Coast Main Line, and 546 yards (500m) west of the M6.

History and events

Foundation

The school was founded by Richard Balshaw in 1782.[2] He established a high school called Golden Hill - until the 1920s that school was the original school for Balshaw's pupils. In 1922 work started on building a new school on a 5-acre site.

Grammar school

Opened in 1931, it was Balshaw's Grammar School until 1972, when after the abolition of the 11 plus exam, it became Balshaw's High School.

Comprehensive

In 1972 the school partnered with Parklands High School opening Runshaw College, joining to combine both the schools' sixth forms. The school later abandoned its Grammar status in favour of comprehensive status in September 1972, becoming Balshaw's High School. In 1994 the school became a Church of England school.

Headteachers

Jo Venn finished her stint as headteacher at the end of the 2014 spring term; having been in the position from 1995 where she took over from Paul Ingram. Venn was the first female headteacher[3] throughout the school's history. From September 2014, Steven Haycocks became headteacher, making him the first new headteacher in 20 years.

Ofsted inspections

The school was formally inspected by the HM Inspectorate of Schools on Thursday 4 June 2009, the previous one being in 2006, and achieved 'Good' status. A further Inspection took place in 2013 where the school was promoted to 'Outstanding' status.[4] However, following the latest inspection which took place on 2 and 3 February 2023, the school was downgraded to a status of ‘Good’ with the report published online on 21 March 2023.

Eco-Schools

Balshaw's is part of the Eco-Schools scheme in Lancashire. This came with a lot of development, by way of recording waste usage, electricity, gas, and how well the school does economically on budgets and the environment. This meant creating new targets and innovating energy use for better sustainability. On 2 July 2009, the first Eco event held was an "Eco-Day", in which the pupils worked with eco-friendly materials and learnt about how to lead environmentally friendly lifestyles. Further Eco events and projects have been held.[5]

Notable former pupils

Balshaw's Grammar School

Leyland Grammar School

Notes and References

  1. https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50211861 Inspection of Balshaw’s Church of England High School
  2. Web site: About the school. balshaws.lancs.sch.uk.
  3. Web site: History of the School. Balshaw’s Church of England High School. 17 December 2016.
  4. Web site: Balshaw's Church of England High School. balshaws.lancs.sch.uk.
  5. Web site: Balshaw's C.E. High School, Leyland » Fairtrade / Eco Garden Party Thursday 17.07.14 at 6.30-8.00PM . https://web.archive.org/web/20140915004117/http://www.balshaws.lancs.sch.uk/2014/06/fairtrade-eco-garden-party-thursday-17-07-14-at-6-30-8-00pm . 15 September 2014 .
  6. Web site: Leyland's Tom Bidwell up for an Oscar for Wish 143. 25 February 2011. www.bbc.co.uk.
  7. News: Kay . Oliver . Clarke Carlisle shows a head for heights . 16 October 2020 . The Times . 5 February 2011.
  8. Web site: Profile: Clarke Carlisle - No ordinary footballer . ITV News . 16 October 2020 . 5 February 2015.
  9. Web site: Phil Jones | Balshaw's Church of England High School. www.balshaws.lancs.sch.uk.
  10. Web site: Aldington's Machine. IET History - The IET. 17 December 2016.