| Diss High School | |
| Pushpin Map: | Norfolk |
| Coordinates: | 52.3799°N 1.1151°W |
| Type: | Stand alone convertor Academy |
| Head Label: | Headteacher |
| Head: | Janet Hunt |
| Address: | Walcot Road |
| City: | Diss |
| County: | Norfolk |
| Country: | England |
| Postcode: | IP22 4DH |
| Ofsted: | yes |
| Urn: | 137092 |
| Enrolment: | 931 pupils |
| Gender: | Co-educational |
| Lower Age: | 11 |
| Upper Age: | 18 |
| Free Label 1: | Former pupils |
| Free 1: | Old Dysseans |
| Website: | http://www.disshigh.norfolk.sch.uk |
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]
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]
The school supplements the formal with a wide range of extra-curricular activities that go beyond sport and music
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]
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. 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]
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]