PrudhoeCommunity High School is a school located in Prudhoe, England. Situated on Moor Road, Prudhoe, PCHS is a high school and sixth form college. Students range from year 9 to year 13. The school was opened in 1958, starting with 350 pupils, and has expanded over the years. The school now serves around 1,000 students. In September 2016 the new all in one school building opened its doors. This replaced the old, outdated campus buildings.
The school used to consist of several buildings and departments. The main school building was where the maths, languages, and sciences departments were based, as well as ICT rooms, the Contemporary Arts department, the music department, and part of the PE department. Other buildings included the humanities block, where the student support areas, finance office, and administrative staff were based. It was also where the Humanities department, consisting of history, geography, and ethics, was based. The block also housed the Drama department and a Police Office. The school included an English block, a Sixth form study area, a DT and Business and ICT block, an Engineering building, and a full sports hall and gymnasium. The Art Building was opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II in May 1998. The old sports hall used to include a squash court, a fitness room, and a large gym with cricket batting nets, two small and one large basketball court. In the main building there was also a gymnastics hall. The school had on average one IT classroom per department.
In March 2015 it was announced that Prudhoe would be getting a full new school rebuild after years of campaigning by both MP Guy Opperman and Head Teachers at the school. The tender for the building work was won by Sir Robert McAlpine who carried out the main construction. Various other contractors worked on the site including Owen Pugh and Armac Demotion. The new building came at a cost of around £12.5m. Building work on it officially begun in the end half of 2015 and opened in September 2016. Located on the existing school site, The work entailed demolition of the existing main school building and part demolition of the existing sports hall, the erection of a two-storey school building, phased relocation, reconfiguration of vehicular and pedestrian access and laying out of associated car parking, cycle parking, boundary treatments and landscaping. The scheme was built under the Priority Schools Building Programme and work was funded by the Education Funding Agency following a successful bid to the agency from Northumberland County Council. When the old school closed there was a large fire in the old hall. It caused a lot of damage and made the area temporarily unsafe due to asbestos in the roof. The finished landscaping and car parking is due to be completed by the end of Summer 2017.
Technology
Prudhoe Community High School used to be a specialist technology college, although from 2011 students were not obliged to study a technology subject at GCSE level. Currently courses include textiles, electronics, resistant materials, food, graphics and the 14–19 nationally acknowledged engineering diploma.
IT facilities
The school now has 7 IT classrooms. As an educational establishment within the Northumberland LEA, PCHS has full WiFi access for staff and students in all of its buildings and outside coverage as well. Every classroom in the school has at least one PC, with portable laptops available to students.
Prudhoe Community High School supports its pupils through a learning resource centre, which includes a library, career advice centre, creative area, and 26 computers for use by students.
Clubs
The Learning Resource Centre hosts to several after-school clubs. These include the year nine reading group and a homework club.
Sports facilities
Outside the building are some basketball and tennis courts. The school also has three large playing fields. One has athletics facilities, one has football posts and the third is a 5G astro-turf pitch. The schools sporting facilities were reduced in wake of the construction of the FUSE Media Centre but have now been fully reinstated.
Extracurricular and S.E.N. support
There is a permanent team of staff on hand who can help with extra lessons and one-on-one learning. The school has two connections offices and provides help for those looking towards further and extended education. A school nurse is available to give confidential free advice.
