Beal High School

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Beal High School

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Founded: 1957
Type: Comprehensive
Location: Ilford, London, England
LEA: Redbridge
Ofsted number:
School Category: Community
Headteacher: Mrs Mt. Snowdon, Mr Mckenzie
Staff:
Students:
Age Range: 11 to 18 years old
Gender: Male and Female
Website: Official Beal High Website

Beal High School is a school sited next to the A1400 Woodford Avenue. This road travels North-West from Gants Hill towards the junction of the A406 North Circular and the M11 motorway. The building sits at the top of a hill and thus offers fine views North towards Epping Forest.

The school has over 1700 students and around 100 teachers along with 100 support assistants. The school begins at Year 7 and continues with compulsory schooling through to Year 11. Years 12 and 13 form the optional 6th form.

The school has recently gained specialist school status, September 2004, becoming a Media Arts College.

[edit] History

Beal's roots go back to the foundation of a senior department to South Park Primary School in 1908. In 1931 it was transferred to Ley Street (the present Seven Kings High School site) as Beal Modern School. The Boys’ and Girls’ schools functioned as separate units, although on the same site. They became grammar schools in 1948. In 1957 the Boys’ school moved to the present Woodford Bridge Road site.

By 1982, Beal High School had become fully comprehensive. The transition had started in 1976, with the first comprehensive entry, and when the first girls arrived at the school.

A further transition took place in the life of Beal High School in 1997 when, as a result of the shortage of secondary school places in the London Borough of Redbridge, Beal High School expanded from 6 forms of entry (180 students per year group) to 8 forms of entry (240 students per year group).

As a result of the need to accommodate extra students, an enormous building programme took place. Not only were new classrooms built, but also extra specialist facilities: Drama Studios, Science Laboratories, a Library Resource Centre, Information Technology rooms, Sixth Form facilities, a new administrative area and expanded dining hall. In addition, the building programme was utilised to provide refurbished suited accommodation for all departments and to improve the circulation of students around the school.