Selhurst High School


Selhurst High School for Boys is a name that has been given to two separate schools in England that existed at different times, but occupied the same site. The former school had been a grammar school that closed in 1988, the latter was the relaunch of a former comprehensive school, Ingram, under a different name in a different location. Thus, the current Selhurst High School for Boys is not simply an extension of the old school but rather has a more complex heritage. The school, located in the north of Croydon, is currently referred to as Selhurst Mathematics and Computing Specialist School. The school is notable not only in the eminent alumni that feature among its forerunners' former pupils, but also because of the dramatic contrasts in its academic fortunes over time.

History

The original Selhurst High School for Boys

In 1904 two schools were opened under the name Croydon Borough School, one of which was for boys, the other for girls. The Borough Grammar School for Boys was opened in September 1904 at the Scarbrook Road premises occupied in the evenings by Croydon Polytechnic. The school moved into its premises in the Crescent in September 1913 but returned to Scarbrook Road in 1915 for the remainder of the First World War. In this period, the Crescent was used as a hospital. The school enjoyed a good reputation as a grammar school and remained a grammar school until it was taken into the State system in 1970 by Margaret Thatcher, the Education Secretary in Edward Heath's Conservative government. As a comprehensive, it became known as Selhurst High School for Boys. By 1977, a study of the school's population of 650 14- to 18-year-old boys, showed that the school was the most ethnically diverse in the UK, with an overall mix of 51% non-white grandparents. The school's legacy as a grammar school permeated its culture and structure even into its comprehensive era. Masters continued to wear gowns and it retained a two-tier prefect system, the cane, and a public school 4 house system: alpha ; gamma ; delta.
The school's proximity to Selhurst High School for Girls led to regular interaction between the two schools with regular drama productions involving both schools, and a mixed gender sixth form block and 'playground', although lessons were still attended separately.
Due to falling student numbers the school closed in 1988, as did the girls' school. The Boys school buildings went on to house Selhurst College, a tertiary sixth form college. This closed in the late 1990s and when in September 1999 Ingram School buildings were closed, this separate comprehensive was moved to the old Selhurst site and renamed as Selhurst High School for Boys.

Headmasters of the Boys' School

The Borough Grammar School for Girls was opened in September 1904. It was housed in the premises of South Norwood branch of Croydon Polytechnic until January 1910 when it moved to its new building on "The Crescent" which had been designed by the architect Carter Pegg in the Crescent. During World War I it moved to the Croydon Polytechnic buildings in order that The Crescent premises should be used as a hospital. Following World War I it returned to The Crescent. During the Second World War, the school was evacuated to Hove and in 1940 moved inland to Virginia Water and Egham and later to "The Beeches", at Guildford, again to return after the conclusion of hostilities. Mirroring the Boys' school, in 1971 the school became a Comprehensive for girls aged 14 and above. Like its male counterpart, it was closed in 1988 on account of falling numbers and secondary reorganisation. The buildings went on to house the BRIT School.

Heads of the Girls' School

Beginnings

, a public elementary school, was established in 1905 on Ingram Road in Thornton Heath, Surrey. It was a mixed school in its beginnings and remained a mixed school after its name was changed in 1922 to Ingram Council School.
After the Butler Act of 1944, Ingram was attributed Secondary Modern status and the school was divided into two schools for either sex, becoming Ingram County Secondary School for Boys and Ingram County Secondary Girls' School.

Ingram County Secondary Girls' School

The girls' school, also known as Ingram High for Girls, continued until 1958. After this date the girls school moved to new premises less than a mile away to become Westwood High School from 1958. This school is still in operation today.

Ingram High School for Boys

Like the girls' school, Ingram for Boys was also known as Ingram High and became a comprehensive school in the 1970s. It maintained a steady record of moderate academic achievement until the early 1990s. Its fortunes then declined spectacularly, and in 1995 it was named by the government as one of the 18 worst schools in Britain; it was placed in Special Measures and closed.

Ingram Infants

When Ingram Road School was opened in 1905, an infants school was also established, named Ingram Rd Infants School. Like its larger counterpart, the Infants' School also changed its name by dropping the 'Road' in 1922, to become Ingram Infants School. It preserved this name until 1961 when it was renamed David Livingstone Primary School.

The new Selhurst High School for Boys – Ingram re-launched

Selhurst was formed from the re-launch of Ingram High School which had been placed in Special Measures in 1995. The school was moved to its present site in 1997 and re-named Selhurst High School for Boys. A new Headteacher was appointed in 1999 and Special Measures were removed in 2000. Subsequent inspections by Ofsted in 2002 and 2006 were satisfactory.

2008 closure

At the meeting of the Croydon Council School Organisation Committee at the end of March 2007 the decision was taken to close Selhurst Maths and Computing School in August 2008. Many people will remember that Selhurst, as Ingram High School, was in Special Measures for a number of years and was highly underperforming. Under the current Headteacher the school has grown from strength to strength and the 2006 examination results are the best it has ever achieved. Selhurst also had a very positive Ofsted inspection last October which recognised the school’s significant strengths.
The difficulty is that fewer and fewer parents have chosen Selhurst for their sons and because of low numbers the school is no longer viable. School budgets are dependent on the number of pupils in the school and Selhurst with such low numbers would not be able to deliver an appropriate curriculum. Pupils currently in Year 9 at Selhurst will begin moving to new schools at the end of May and it is expected that the great majority will have transferred by the end of term. They will all be in their new schools for the beginning of term in September so that they can start their GCSE courses. This transfer process will be repeated for the current Year 7 and Year 8 at this point next year.
Clearly some staff will be leaving the school at the end of this term and others will stay until the last pupils leave in July 2008.
The School re-opened in 2011 under its new name 'The Crescent Primary School'. The headteacher is currently Jane Fairbourn.

Buildings

Selhurst

The school was set in the Crescent, Croydon, close to Selhurst Park. It is a red brick building, once covered in ivy. It has a semi-circular front and boasted a large main hall, extensive playing fields, two gyms and a library. The school also had its own sports ground at the foot of South Norwood Hill at Norwood Lake in Woodvale Avenue, and use of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

Ingram Building

The buildings of the site of Ingram on Springfield Road have been identified as being of Architectural or Historic Interest

The Old Croydonians' Association

The Old Croydonians' Association represents past pupils of the schools that have occupied the Crescent site in Selhurst. They represent:
There is a dedicated website at https://www.TheOldCroydonians.org.uk where ex-pupils are encouraged to join for a small annual fee.

Alumni

Of Selhurst Grammar School for Boys/Original Selhurst High School for Boys