Taunton Manor opened in 1959. The main buildings have stayed pretty much the same since then, with various extensions being built.
Coulsdon High
Taunton Manor reopened as Coulsdon Highin the Summer of 1994. Several new extensions were built for the changeover. In 1999 the school, which was located in an area where some other schools were selective, attempted to change its admissions policy to achieve "a more balanced ability range", but was prevented from doing so. A further judgement the following year allowed it to retain its feeder primary schools. Coulsdon High received a 'Good' Ofsted judgement in 2001, and was awarded specialist status for maths, science, IT and design technology in 2002. In 2003 the school was reported to be suffering significant financial challenge, with an impending budget deficit that was set to impact the school timetable and staffing levels. The problems were linked to a national school funding crisis. Ofsted's system of inspection changed significantly in 2005, and in 2006 Coulsdon High was put into Special Measures. However a few months later it received its best ever SATS results, and the following year the special measures were revoked by Ofsted when the school was judged to be rapidly improving. The report praised the vision and commitment of the headteacher and senior management team as crucial in setting the agenda for improvement, and also found the school to be in the top 25 per cent of schools for the value it added to students' achievements. However plans to replace Coulsdon High with a sponsored academy were already under way on the grounds that the period in special measures had affected pupil recruitment and created doubt that the school could recover the confidence of local parents quickly enough for financial viability to be restored. Many objected to the plans, claiming that the consultation was flawed and highlighting the school's recent rapid progress. In its final year Coulsdon High achieved the best GCSE results in the school's history, a 41% A* - C pass rate. Coulsdon Academy closed in July 2007, and the occasion was marked with a party, attended by former staff and students.
Oasis Academy Coulsdon
The school reopened again as Oasis Academy Coulsdon on 1 September 2008. The opening ceremony was attended by the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of SchoolsLord Adonis and the founder of the Oasis Trust Steve Chalke. The new headteacher was John Murphy. Oasis invested over £20 million of government funding into the school, resulting in the opening of a community health-care centre in 2009 and a sixth form in 2011. In July 2014 the Sixth Form shut down due to poor intake. The academy was rated as "good" by Ofsted in its first full inspection in 2011, and it maintained that rating under the revised Ofsted framework in 2015. In 2020, the school closed early for the academic year because of the that year's Coronavirus pandemic.
Famous graduates
Famous graduates of Oasis Academy Coulsdon in all its previous forms, the three times world championboxerDuke McKenzie. Mazhar Majeed, the cricket bookmaker who was arrested on charges of match fixing, is also a graduate.
Safety & Security
Oasis Academy Coulsdon contains an advanced security system using Salto Inspired Access to secure and control doors around the premises. All classroom are always locked from the outside and has a fully integrated lockdown system allowing the school to remain secure during a threat. All areas of the building have fire sprinklers built into the ceiling and fire extinguishers placed strategically around the building. The building is protected from fire with an addressable digital Protec fire alarm system installed. There are over 100 CCTV cameras installed and DMR Digital radios are used to ensure secure communication.
