Gilberd School

The Gilberd School

Established	1912
Type	Academy
Headteacher	Linda Exley
Location	Brinkley Lane Colchester Essex CO4 9PU England
DfE number	881/5441
DfE URN	137926 Tables
Ofsted	Reports Pre-academy reports
Students	1350
Gender	Coeducational
Ages	11–16
Website	www.gilberd.com

The Gilberd School is a coeducational secondary school with academy status, located in Colchester, Essex, England.

History

The school originally opened on 12 July 1912 in buildings on North Hill, Colchester. During the 1930s the school became known as the North East Essex Technical College and School of Art; in 1959 the college was renamed the Gilberd County Technical School after Dr William Gilberd (also known as William Gilbert), the "father of electricity and magnetism" and medical advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. (The School of Art became the Colchester Institute.)

The school was one of three Grammar Schools in Colchester: the Royal Grammar School (boys), Colchester County High School (girls) and the Gilberd School (co-educational). Educational reorganisation made all schools co-educational while also turning the Gilberd School into a Comprehensive. The site is now used as Colchester Sixth Form College, and the school is based in Brinkley Lane in the Highwoods area of the town.

The school converted to academy status on 1 March 2012.

Overtime, the Gilberd School has been developing its facilities as more people are living in Highwoods. There are plans to build a new subject block and sports hall onto the school for completion summer 2015.

Highwoods Sports Centre makes use of the school's sports facilities in the evening and at weekends.

Lately the new Gilberd School sports hall has been opened and has eight basketball hoops and a climbing wall at the back. Another new feature is some new outdoor learning class rooms for P.E, and outdoor learning.

Notable former pupils

• Alex Gilbey
• Dave Rowntree
• Graham Napier

External links

• Official website