Welcome from our Principal
Welcome to Clacton County High School’s website. I hope you find the information contained in these pages informative and interesting. We have tried to provide something for all stakeholders and all those with a past or present interest in the School.
Clacton County High School has a long and proud tradition. Last year we celebrated our 80th anniversary and this is celebrated on our History pages. It is not surprising that a school with such a long history is based on the traditional values of respect, good behaviour and examination success. Whilst we celebrate our past achievements, as a school we are very much forward looking both in terms of the facilities and range of subjects that are on offer to all students.
The facilities and resources available to students are outstanding and in my view second to none in the area. The multi-million refurbishment and remodelling that took place five years ago have created an outstanding learning environment. Since then we have continued to improve these facilities. This year alone we will see the creation of a new changing pavilion in a joint project supported by Tendring District Council and the Football Foundation. There will also be a multi-sports stadium constructed allowing students to cheer on the continued success of sports teams. Internally, significant refurbishment will be taking place in all of the Technology rooms and a new area will be created to deliver the technical side of theatre as part of our Arts College specialism. You can take a look at the facilities on offer through our Virtual Tour, however nothing beats coming to look round the school for yourself.
I believe that the school is at the forefront of curriculum innovation and seeks to make personalised learning a reality. A major development this year has been the creation of a new curriculum model which allows students to begin studying for their GCSE or vocational courses from the start of Year 9. By providing effective support and guidance students are able to opt in Year 8 for those subjects that they wish to study to examination level. Students will be able to complete courses at different stages throughout Years 10 and 11 and opt for further areas of study to enable them to progress along their chosen path. For the vast majority of students this progression will be into the Sixth form at CCHS.
CCHS has joined together with other local providers to create the Clacton Consortium. The Consortium provides a vast range of courses for students at Post 16. These courses consist of traditional A Levels and a wide range of vocational courses at all levels. The success of the Consortium has been demonstrated by the significant rise in students opting to join the Sixth Form at CCHS. With more than 300 students we have a Sixth Form to be proud of, the range of courses now available ensures we can meet each student’s individual needs.
Last year we achieved fantastic results at Key Stage 3 and 4. We achieved record results in all three core subjects in the last of the Key Stage 3 tests and we were particularly pleased with the proportion of students achieving at least a level 6. At GCSE we achieved our best ever results at all levels. This has been achieved by raising expectations across the board with a strong focus on the core subjects of English and Maths. In English Language last year 76% of students in Year 11 gained at least a grade C at GCSE. Earlier this year this achievement was recognised by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) when we were identified as one of the most improved schools in the country. This award recognised our year on year improvement in the proportion of students gaining 5 or more GCSEs at grade C or higher including English and Maths.
Our aim as a school is to unearth the talent that exists in all children that will develop within them the confidence to succeed in their chosen path. Sometimes that talent is obvious be it sporting, mathematical, artistic or musical, sometimes it can be more hidden. Maybe a student is not going to leave school with straight As and A*s but will discover a flair in some vocational route. Whatever their talent our aim will be to raise their aspirations and by doing so increase their expectations of what they can achieve both now and in the future. As our mission statement indicates we wish to ensure that all learners have Wider Aspirations and Higher Expectations.
