Graveney School

Graveney School is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status in the Furzedown area of Tooting, southwest London, England. The school has a partially selective admissions policy. At the beginning of 2023, the school was assessed in an Ofsted inspection report as outstanding.^[1]

Graveney School
Address
Welham Road Tooting , London , SW17 9BU England
Coordinates	51.4235°N 0.151°W / 51.4235; -0.151
Information
Type	Academy
Motto	"Committed to excellence"
Established	1669
Department for Education URN	137005 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Chair of the Governors	Ian Parkes
Principal	Cynthia Rickman
Staff	c. 200
Gender	Mixed
Age	11 to 18
Enrolment	2259
Houses	St. John's, Rosa Bassett, Ensham, Furzedown, Battersea
Colour(s)	Black, gold and blue
School fees	None
Website	www.graveney.org

History

Graveney School can trace its origins back to a school founded in the late 1660s by Sir Walter St John, 3rd Baronet, in Battersea, and the modern Graveney was established in 1986 as an amalgamation of Ensham School (for girls) and Furzedown Secondary School (mixed). Furzedown was formed in 1977 as an amalgamation of Battersea Grammar School (for boys) and Rosa Bassett School (for girls).

Created as a standard comprehensive school under the control of the local education authority (initially the ILEA, later Wandsworth), a significant change occurred in 1991 when Graveney became a grant-maintained school,^[2][3] giving far greater control to the school governors. Following the changes resulting from the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, which abolished grant-maintained status, the school preserved a degree of independence by electing to become a foundation school.

The school achieved Technology College status in 1995^[4] and also moved to a partially selective admissions policy in September of that year.^[5][6] From the introduction of selection the school was permitted to choose up to 50% of pupils by ability; however, this was reduced to 25% in 2000,^[7] increased to 30% in 2001^[8] and reduced back to 25% in 2004,^[9][4] Graveney School converted to become an academy on 1 August 2011.^[10]

Years 7 to 11

When students begin their education at Graveney in Year 7, they are placed into sets depending on their Year 6 SATs and their Wandsworth test result. After Christmas of year 9, usually February, students pick their GCSE options. English Language and Literature, Maths, Science and PE are compulsory for the two years.

The sixth form

The sixth form offers a range of subjects, including some that are not available at GCSE, such as Film Studies, Government & Politics, Further Mathematics, Philosophy, Photography and Psychology. Students can also retake GCSEs in Mathematics and English. The sixth form has minimum entry requirements of 5 A*-Cs at GCSE level for internal students. For a student to graduate from year 12 to year 13, they must have attained minimum grades of two Es at AS level.

Site and buildings

Graveney initially operated on both the former Furzedown and Ensham sites; however, the Ensham building was closed and the school now occupies what was Furzedown Secondary School on either side of Welham Road in Tooting, south west London.

The part of the site on the southern side of Welham Road is the former Rosa Bassett School, the main building of which was opened in 1913.^[11] The larger area to the north of the road is the former Furzedown Training College (a teacher training college), which was opened in 1915.^[12] The buildings surround a tree-lined campus and include Furzedown House, a Grade II-listed^[13] Georgian house, built in 1794.^[12][14]

The other buildings include: Red House, College House, Lower School, Upper Science, Lower Science, Atkins Technology Centre, the Tech block, an independent study centre, Bradford House, The Oppenheimer Observatory, a sports hall and a multigym.

On the north side of Welham Road, there is also a recreation area which is owned by Wandsworth Council but used by Graveney during school hours for Sports Studies and PE lessons. The area consists of a small running track, an astro turf pitch, 2 tennis courts which can be converted into another pitch and a cricket area.

7 Hours on Earth

Between 2017 and 2020, students and staff made a film about aliens, 7 Hours on Earth, which was released worldwide as an independent film.^[15] It is an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream, with the fairies reimagined as aliens.^[15]

Headteachers and principals

• 1986 –1989 John A. Phillips^[16]
• 1989 – 2019 Graham Stapleton
• 2019 – Cynthia Rickman

Notable alumni

• Dami Bakare, volleyball player^{[17][failed verification]}
• Grace Wales Bonner, fashion designer^[18]
• Otto Farrant, actor
• Ethan Hayter, road and track cyclist^{[19][failed verification]}
• Quillan Isidore, BMX rider^[20]
• Ramona Marquez, Outnumbered actress^[15]
• Naga Munchetty, journalist, newsreader on BBC News, TV presenter
• Amol Rajan, BBC Media Editor and former editor of The Independent newspaper^{[21][failed verification]}
• Kyle Sinckler, rugby union player^[22]
• Hero Fiennes Tiffin, actor^{[23][failed verification]}
• Jamael Westman, actor^{[24][failed verification]}