| AdminHistory | Wisewood Senior School opened on 19th June 1933. The offical opening was on 7th September 1933, and the school had 460 pupils. Sheffield City Council bought land by Ben Lane and Rural Lane for £1,350 in 1927 to build a school to serve the new Wisewood Estate. The school was designed by City Architect WG Davies FRIBA, and was erected at a cost of £25,000 by T Roper and Sons Ltd. Wisewood Junior School, which served Wisewood Senior School, opened the previous year in 1932.
During the Blitz on Sheffield on 12th/13th December 1940, 17 incendiary bombs fell on the premises, but there was no damage to the school. On the 16th December 1940 the school was used as a Rest Centre for refugees.
In 1945 Wisewood became known as Wisewood Secondary School, and was a Secondary Modern. In 1969 Wisewood became a Comprehensive School, as part of a reorganisation across the city that year. In 1970 the Parent Teacher Association was established.
In September 1974 the first intake of 25 Sixth Form Students began their A-Level studies. The Sixth Form came to an end in July 1989.
The school closed in July 2011 and amalgamated with Myers Grove Secondary School to form Forge Valley Secondary School which opened in September 2011.
Adminstration:
Previous Names
Wisewood Senior, 1933-1945
Wisewood Secondary School, 1945
Wisewood High School, c. 1967
Wisewood Comprehensive School, 1969 - c. 1990s
Wisewood Secondary School, c. 1990s
Wisewood School and Community Sports College, c. 2005 - 2011
Head Teachers
Mr Arthur E. Linfoot, 1933-1947
Mr Douglas Cattell, 1947-1954
Mr A Goodfellow, 1954-1967
Mr G.I. Hook, 1967-1985
Mr Charles Sisum, 1986 - c. 1997
Mr R Barr, c. 1997 - c. 2002
Mrs Diane McKinlay, c.2002 - 2011
According to an HM Inspector's Report in January 1935, Wisewood Senior School consisted of a Headmaster, and 15 class teachers, plus two tempoary staff.
The next HM Inspector's Report in October/November 1950 stated there was a Headmaster and 23 teaching staff. At that time there was no body of Governors, or an Instrument of Government as required by Section 17 of the Education Act 1944. The school was organised on a four form entry system, sixteen forms used 16 classrooms, plus 7 specialist rooms. Pupils were classified on admission to the school. The four forms created by this process for each year included two forms which had the sexes mixed, one form for boys and one form for girls. The mixed Forms were at the upper and lower ends of the intelligance scale. By 1954, Meetings of Governors are recorded.
The HM Inspector's Report dated November 1963, states that the Governing Body consisted of a Chairman and twelve other members, and was shared with 5 other local secondary schools, which met each term in turn in the schools concerned. The Headmaster attended that part of the meeting given to the affairs of the school. At this time there was a Headmaster, 22 full time staff and one part time teacher.
From 1967, the school used the mixed-ability grouping to organise classes, where all abilities were in one class. There were three groups of staff who had special responsibility for overseeing the progress and welfare of indiviual pupils: Form Tutors, Head of House and Head of Department.
Wisewood became a Comprehensive in 1969, and 1973 saw the last year of Secondary Modern pupils pass through the school. From September 1973 the school was Comprehensive throughout. The Head Teacher during this period, Mr G.I. Hook, was an advocate for comprehensive, mixed-ability teaching of children.
The 1975 Notes for the Guidance of Parents' state that the Articles of Government set out that the Head Teacher is answerable to the Governors for the general direction of the conduct and curriculum of the school, and is responisble for its internal organisation, management and discipline. There were internal bodies that brought ideas, suggestions and recommendations to the running of the school. These were:
The Curriculum Committee
The Welfare Committee
The Staff Committee
The School Council
The Board of Governors. This consisted of political representatives from the City Council, staff, parents, students, a representative of Further/Higher Education and lay members. The Governors were answerable to the Local Educational Authority.
External Bodies:
Parents Association
Sheffield Educational Committee
Public Examination Boards
Institutes of Further and Higher Education
Representatives of local and national Industry and Commerce
The Department of Education and Science |
| Description | Admission Registers 1984 - 2010
Log Books, 1933 - 1974
Punishment Books, 1933 - 1985
Governors' Papers, 1951 - 1991
Head Teachers' Notes of Criticisms of lessons, 1933 - 1947
Headmasters' Papers, 1953 - 1967
Property and Building Related Papers, 1970 - 1980
School Programmes, Magazines, School Trips, Year Books and Gudies to the School, 1933 - 2008
Photographs, [c. 1934 - 2008]
Certificates, 1936 - 1970
Record of Visits, 1933 - 1938
Letters and Reports, [1930s - 1970s]
Miscellaneous Records, [1930s] - 2004 |