The Ashcombe School

The Ashcombe School is a mixed community comprehensive secondary school in Dorking, Surrey, for children aged 11 to 16 with a sixth form for ages 16 to 18.[1]

The Ashcombe School
Address
Ashcombe Road

Dorking
,
Surrey
,
RH4 1LY

United Kingdom
Coordinates51°14′19″N 0°19′46″W
Information
TypeComprehensive school, Community school
Established1976
Department for Education URN125264 Tables
OfstedReports
Head teacherChris Panting
Genderco-educational
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1408[1]
Houses4 (Windsor, Stuart, Tudor, and York)
Colour(s)Navy blue
SpecialistLanguage
Websitehttp://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/

History

The Ashcombe School was established in 1976, by the merger of Dorking County Grammar School and Mowbray School.[2] The co-educational Dorking County Grammar School had been founded in 1931 with the Amalgamation of the Dorking High School for Boys (1884–1930)[3] and St.Martin's Church Of England High School for Girls opened in 1903. Mowbray Secondary Modern School for Girls opened on an adjacent site in 1953.The schools were close enough to share the school kitchen [4]

Pupils

Pupils range in age from 11 to 18 and the current number on roll is approximately 1600 with a standard admission number of 240 pupils in Year 7, the year of intake.

Each year, approximately 240 pupils join The Ashcombe School from nearly 30 different primary and independent schools. The number of Sixth Form students is approximately 300, including some from other schools.

Curriculum and academic performance

The school curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and the school has been noted for its academic success.

The school claims that GCSE results have been consistent over several years with typically 100% gaining 5 A*-G, around 80% gaining 5 A*-C and 70% 5A*-C including Maths and English and over 20 pupils gaining 5 or more A* grades. In addition to A-levels (which are now divided into AS and A2 level courses), the sixth form offers a limited number of GCSEs and GNVQ. In the A-level examinations the average points score per student is consistently around 350pts per student. As a result of these successes, most students are offered university places, including entries to Oxbridge.

Language teaching

The Ashcombe School became a Specialist Language College in September 1998, allowing it to receive additional funding. It was featured in the Independent and the Guardian as a school that teaches Mandarin.[5][6]

Notable alumni

Dorking High School for Boys

Dorking County Grammar School
  • Pat Ambler,[9] pioneer in robotics and control languages, helped develop the Freddy II robot
  • Dr.William Cole [10]English conductor, composer and organist. Teacher at Dorking County School 1937-40
  • Michael Colborne[11] LVO , Royal Navy officer and private secretary to Charles, Prince of Wales, and later the Duke of Westminster.
  • Sir Stephen Lamport,[12] Receiver General at Westminster Abbey, former diplomat and Deputy Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales.
  • Michael Farquarson-Roberts, Royal Navy orthopaedic surgeon, naval historian.
  • Liz Lynne,[13] Former Liberal Democrat MP and MEP
  • Tom Mangold,[14] award-winning BBC journalist and writer
  • Sir Erich Reich,[15] Kindertransport refugee, Austrian born entrepreneur and charity fund raiser.

The Ashcombe School

References
  1. "Edubase: Establishment: The Ashcombe School". Department for Education. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  2. "ADA Membership Brochure". The Ashcombe Dorkinian Association. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  3. Staff registers , Surrey History Centre, National Archives
  4. The Ashcombe Dorkinian Association, Newsletter June 2012
  5. McCormack, Steve (5 July 2007). "Language of the future: Why Mandarin Chinese is taking off in schools". The Independent. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
  6. Cutforth, Sarah (6 April 2004). "The future is ... Mandarin". Education Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
  7. Jeffreys, Kevin, "Ede, James Chuter Chuter-, Baron Chuter-Ede (1882–1965)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2018 (subscription required)
  8. ‘GANDEE, John Stephen’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 accessed 30 March 2015
  9. "1954 Dorkinian". The Dorkinian. Ashcombe Dorkinian Association. 1954. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  10. http://ashcombedorking.com/ADASpr98/ADASpr98001.htm#Mac1 The Dorkinian, Issue No. 12 Spring 1998
  11. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2017/10/04/michael-colborne-loyal-aide-prince-charles-obituary/ Michael Colborner, Loyal aide to Prince Charles.
  12. Profile at Glasgow Caledonian University October 2005 Archived 22 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  13. "Liz Lynne MEP – MEP for the West Midlands". Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  14. "Curriculum Vitae". Tom Mangold. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  15. Kindertransport refugee receives a knighthood. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8435215.stm
  16. "Evan Davis to become a permanent presenter on Today". BBC. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
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