Sunnydown School is a special secondary school situated in the town of Caterham in Surrey, England. Founded in 1949, it is the second oldest special school in Surrey.[1] The school educates students aged 11 to 18.
| Sunnydown School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
Portley House, 152 Whyteleafe Road , , CR3 5ED | |
| Coordinates | 51°17′41″N 0°05′06″W / 51.294698°N 0.084941°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Community school |
| Motto | We Come To Conquer |
| Local authority | Surrey County Council |
| Department for Education URN | 125458 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Headteacher | Paul Jensen |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 11 to 17 |
| Enrolment | 82 |
| Colour(s) | Green |
| Website | http://www.sunnydown.surrey.sch.uk/ |
Organisation
editThe school is classed as a community special school[2] and has an average intake of 20 students annually. It is located in the civil parish of Caterham on the Hill and right next to de Stafford School. It also touches the southwestern part of the London Borough of Croydon.
The school acts as a stepping stone from primary education to further education colleges. Students at Sunnydown take 8 GCSE exams along with the ASDAN bronze award in Year 10 onwards and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Pupils at the school follow a set of guidelines set by the staff in order to develop their independence and also prepare them for higher education and potential employment.[3] Around half of the students at the school attended the boarding side of the school before boarding ended in 2021.[citation needed]
Guildford origins
editSunnydown School was originally founded in 1949 on the Hog's Back at Guildford,[4] before relocating to Portley House in Caterham in 1983.[1]
Portley House
editThe school's main building, Portley House, was built in 1856 for a wine merchant, Charles Dingwall.[5][1] Since then the building has had various extensions added, and in 1951 it became a school for the deaf named Portley House Boarding Special School.[6][7] Recent additions to the school include a new Science Room in 2001, a new gym and practical cooking room in 2010[1] and more recently, a two-storey classroom block to replace two prefabricated classroom blocks. A new £20,000 'sensory room' was opened by sports broadcaster John Inverdale in October 2017.[8]
Students
editA significant majority of students at the school are diagnosed with a form of autism spectrum disorder. The school deals with those who have speech and language disorders as well. The school deals with those with varying levels of disability and suits the learning environment to those. The catchment area of Sunnydown is very wide, taking people from Tandridge and as far as Woking and Surrey Heath whilst in the borders of Surrey.
Headteachers
edit| Headteacher | Years in office |
|---|---|
| Moore Armstrong | 1989 – July 2014 |
| Paul Jensen | September 2014 – present |
Statistics
edit| OFSTED periodic inspection grade (1 = excellent 4 = inadequate)[9] | |
|---|---|
| Year | Rating |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2005 | 2 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "History - Sunnydown School". www.sunnydown.surrey.sch.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- ^ Sunnydown School Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ "Vision,Mission,Values". Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ Ltd, Councils & Education Press (1 January 1973). Education Committees Year Book. Councils & Education Press Limited. ISBN 9780900313479.
- ^ "The history of Portley in Caterham - OpenBibArt". www.openbibart.fr. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
- ^ "Caterham, Portley House Boarding Special School (Deaf)".
- ^ "An Introduction to Sunnydown School Booklet 2020 - Prospective Students September 2021 and beyond" (PDF). www.sunnydown.surrey.sch.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- ^ "Here's how a new £20,000 'sensory room' is helping schoolboys with special needs in Caterham". www.getsurrey.co.ukk. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- ^ Ofsted Communications Team (5 November 2010). "Find an inspection report". ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2017.