Colchester County High School

Colchester County High School for Girls

Motto	Wisdom Giveth Life
Established	1909
Type	grammar academy
Headteacher	Mrs Gillian Marshall MSc
Chair of Governors	Allan Blundell
Specialism	Science and Languages
Location	Norman Way Colchester Essex CO3 3US England
Local authority	Essex County Council
DfE URN	115370
Ofsted	Reports
Students	773
Gender	Girls
Ages	11–18
Website	www.colchestergirls.essex.sch.uk

Coordinates: 51°53′08″N 0°52′32″E / 51.8855°N 0.8755°E / 51.8855; 0.8755

Colchester County High School for Girls is a selective girls' grammar school in Colchester. The school consistently scores highly in the league tables for the UK.^[1] Entrance to Year 7 is by an academic selection test, the eleven plus. Entrance into year 12 is by GCSE grades.

History

The school was originally located in the Albert Hall in the High Street (now the Co-operative Bank), until its intended premises at the top of North Hill (now the Sixth Form College) were completed. Later, the lower school moved to Greyfriars on East Hill and, in 1957, moved to new buildings in Norman Way, off Lexden Road. Most of the buildings are unchanged, but an extension including new Science laboratories and Sixth Form facilities was added in 2002. The 'mSchool' was added between 2006 and 2009, with new facilities for Music, Mathematics and the Mind; its 'iLab' (innovation laboratory) is one of the few in the UK outside a University.

It was founded in 1909 as a girls' school for Colchester, and subsequently became a grammar school admitting girls from North East Essex and beyond on the basis of an 11+ selection test. The school is situated a mile to the west of central Colchester, and celebrated its centenary in 2009-2010.

Academics

The school was one of the first Science Specialist Schools in the country. It later became a specialist Modern Language school teaching French, German and Spanish.

School motto

Wisdom Giveth Life has been the school's motto since the school opened in 1909.^[2] This reading is still included in the traditional school assembly at the start of each academic year:

Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
For Wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Consider the work of God:for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the days of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

—-Ecclesiastes, chapter 7, verses 11-14

Uniform

The uniform for CCHS is a navy blue jumper with the CCHS logo on the left side, light blue blouse (Years 7-9) or a light blue polo shirt for Years 10-11, navy blue skirt, ending at or near the knee, or trousers. Tights must be black or dark blue (although skin coloured tights are also worn) and socks must be dark blue or black. School shoes must be black, brown or navy and heels or ankle boots/boots are not allowed. No canvas shoes are allowed, only leather or plastic. Hair bands must be blue or black. Sixth formers can wear any clothes that are presentable.

Notable former pupils

See also: Category:People educated at Colchester County High School

• Charlotte Atkins - MP for Staffordshire Moorlands
• Helen Boaden, director, BBC News
• Pamela Brown - writer
• Georgina Cates - actor (born Clare Woodgate)
• Beth Chatto - gardener
• Saskia Clark - GB Olympic Gold Medal Winning Sailor
• Stella Creasy - MP for Walthamstow
• Helen Mary Jones - member for Llanelli of National Assembly for Wales

References

1. ^ BBC News Education - recent performance at GCSE and A/AS level vs National Average
2. ^ CCHS - about Colchester County High School for Girls