New Mills School Explained

New Mills School
Coordinates:	53.367°N -1.997°W
Motto:	Let Right Be Done
Established:	1912
Head:	Heather Watts
Country:	England
Postcode:	SK22 4NR
Ofsted:	yes
Dfeno:	4057
Urn:	112936
Staff:	65
Enrolment:	824 pupils
Lower Age:	11
Upper Age:	16
Colours:	Black, red
Free Label 1:	Former name
Free 1:	New Mills Grammar School New Mills School Business and Enterprise College
Website:	http://www.newmillsschool.co.uk/

New Mills School & Sixth Form is a comprehensive school, situated in the town of New Mills, in the north west of Derbyshire.

Admissions

The school teaches pupils from Year 7 to Year 11. The school was given its title as Business and Enterprise College in 2005 and this status was renewed in 2009.

The school's main feeder primary schools are New Mills, Newtown, St George's, Thornsett, Hayfield, Hague Bar and St Mary's.

History

Grammar school

The school was opened in 1912 as the New Mills Grammar School and celebrated its 100th birthday in 2012. It had around 500 boys and girls in the early 1960s, then 600 by 1964 and 700 by 1969, with a sixth form of 200. The school was designed by George H. Widdows, the Chief Architect of Derbyshire County Council, described as "a leading designer of schools in the early C20 and an exponent of advanced ideas on school planning and hygiene", and is a Grade II listed building.^[1]

Controversy

In 2023 the school scheduled a "Drag 'n' Rainbows" non-uniform day for students and teachers, encouraging students to dress up in drag and inviting a drag queen. The event was cancelled after adverse press coverage, including on TalkTV.^[2]

Headteachers

Norman Taylor (d.1962, had a distinguished war career)
Philip Vennis 1962–71 (died 1999; former deputy headteacher, Ounsdale High School 1955–62, Principal of Itchen College 1971–88)^[3]
Jesse Elms, resigned early 2014.
John Kuczaj, temporary headteacher for the rest of the 2013–14 school year.
Debbie McGloin, 2014–19, current headteacher of Glossopdale School.
Alison Barker and Caroline Jesson, 2019–21.
Heather Watts, current head.

Subjects

There were 23 subjects at New Mills School, taught by 59 teachers in 8 different buildings and 50 rooms: rooms 5–18, Music 1–2, Language 1–4, Maths 1–6, Sixth Form 1–5, Drama 1–2, Art 1–3, the Gym, Workshop 1–2, Food 1–2, 8 Science labs and a construction centre.

The school lost its sixth form, in spite of considerable local support, in 2017 and in 2019 it now is a 11–16 Comprehensive.^[4]

The school is home to Take Part in the Art, a local arts scheme.^[5]

Notable former pupils

New Mills Grammar School

Thomas Brimelow, Baron Brimelow CMG OBE, Ambassador to Poland from 1966–69
Prof Reginald Coates, civil engineer
Lloyd Cole, singer
Sir Martin Doughty, chairman of Natural England from 2006, and of the Association of National Park Authorities from 1997–2001, and leader of Derbyshire County Council from 1992–2001
Sir Brian Heap CBE, master of St Edmund's College, Cambridge from 1996–2004
Tony Marchington, entrepreneur
John Pilkington Hudson CBE GM, Professor of Horticultural Science at the University of Bristol and Director of the Long Ashton Research Station from 1967–75, and Professor of Horticulture from 1958–67 at the University of Nottingham
Roy Powell, jazz pianist

New Mills Secondary School

Tess Daly, television presenter

External links

Notes and References

Book: The Buildings of England: Derbyshire . Pevsner . Nikolaus . Nikolaus Pevsner . Williamson . Elizabeth . 1978 . Yale University Press . 0-14-071008-6 . 287.
Web site: 2023-06-09 . School that invited 11-year-olds to wear 'full blown drag' scraps Pride event . 2023-09-10 . TalkTV . en.
Book: Vennis . Diana . A lifetime in English education: Philip Vennis from pupil to principal in post-war Britain . September 2012 . Matador . 9781780882963 . 157–241.
News: Disappointment as New Mills Sixth Form will close for good . 14 December 2016 . 16 February 2019 . Buxton Advertiser .
Web site: We are Take Part . Take Part in the Art . 25 May 2020.