Bay House School

Bay House Academy
Address
Gomer Lane Gosport , Hampshire , PO12 2QP England
Information
Type	Academy
Established	1972
Local authority	Hampshire
Specialist	Maths & Computing
Department for Education URN	116501 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Headteacher	Mr Ian Potter
Gender	Coeducational
Age	11 to 18
Enrollment	2132
Former name	Gosport County Grammar School

Bay House Academy and Sixth Form is an 11–18 mixed academy school in Gosport, Hampshire.

Admissions

It currently has around 2500 pupils and students attending the school; about 470 students are in the Sixth Form. It is a 12-form entry school. It also currently has 13-forms in Year 9.

History

Grammar school

It was the co-educational Gosport County Grammar School, formed in 1902. Bay House was built in 1838.

Comprehensive

It was established in 1972 through the amalgamation of Gosport Grammar School and Privett Secondary School. It is a specialist school in maths and computing and has foundation status, having formerly been a grant-maintained school. Sited adjacent to Stokes Bay, part of its premises occupies Bay House, built in 1838 as a seaside villa for Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton. Bay House itself suffered a major fire in late 1984, the house, a grade II listed building, was badly damaged. A major restoration took place restoring the house to the condition we see it in today. The house re-opened to pupils in 1987.

In March 2010, the assistant head teacher, Jim Wood, told an education seminar in Portsmouth that school teachers should act like Dirty Harry.

Tutor System

The School has 12 forms of entry; intake is confined to its catchment area, except for those families living outside still able to place their children in the School because of siblings already attending Bay House. Teaching at Bay House is organised through subject Departments and the pastoral system is year-based. Pupils keep the same tutor and head of year throughout Year 7–11, so far as staffing stability allows. There are approximately 250 (full-time equivalent) teaching staff currently in post. Each Year (7–11) comprises 12 tutor groups – each pupil is randomly selected in the beginning of the year 7 to be in 1 of 12 tutor groups. With other pupils, the tutor group and tutor will be together until the end of year 11.

School

The site includes the main house which is predominantly used for social sciences such as religious education, psychology and philosophy, and also contains the headteacher's office and reception. A main building built around a long corridor consisting primarily of science laboratories is connected to the house. There is a gym with a basketball court on the top floor and changing rooms on the bottom floor. A drama block is next to this with the field and tennis courts situated behind it. Also on the site are several language huts (originally put in place as a temporary measure during expansion of the School, but now permanent), a mathematics block, an English block, a music block and a Design and Technology block. A new building has just been completed (2009) which will offer more technology and ICT facilities. Off the main site across the road there is a sports hall owned by the School, with a large field and astro-turf. Situated behind the Cocked Hat restaurant is another playing field for Bay House students.

Teachers

The school consists of roughly 250 teachers. Some of the teachers appeared on the BBC Two quiz show Eggheads. Ex-Head of Year and prominent paedophile Mr Braid was probably active throughout his 30-year career.

Academic performance

It gets above-average results at GCSE and A-level; Hampshire is a high-performing county.

Alumni

Gosport County Grammar School

• Roger Chase, Director of Personnel from 1989–91 at the BBC, and Chairman from 1979–91 of the BBC Club
• Ronald Denny, Chief Executive from 1979–85 of Rediffusion plc
• Phil Elliott, nuclear physicist, winner of the 1994 Rutherford Medal and Prize
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Freer CBE, Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies from 1980–2, AOC from 1975–8 of No. 18 Group RAF and from 1972–5 of No. 11 Group RAF, and Station Commander from 1963–66 of RAF Seletar (in Singapore)
• Air Vice-Marshal David French CB MBE, Station Commander from 1988–90 of RAF St Athan
• Prof Dennis Fry, Professor of Experimental Phonetics from 1958–75 at University College London
• David Harding, Chief Executive from 2000–7 of William Hill (bookmaker)
• Dr Richard Pike, Chief Executive since 2006 of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Pam Rhodes, former presenter of Songs of Praise
• Matt Ritchie, Professional football player for AFC Bournemouth, League 2 Player of the Year 2011-2012
• Prof Roger Lentle, Professor of Digestive Physiology Massey University New Zealand from 2000 to date
• Mike Trueman, mountaineer and author. Former Gurkha officer who co-ordinated the much publicised rescue on Everest after the storm in 1996, which was later the subject of the film "Everest". Summited Everest in 1999 and author of "The Storms", published in 2015.

External links

• Bay House School
• A VLE provided by the school to help pupils with their studies
• Statistics, HantsWeb
• EduBase