King Edward VI College, Stourbridge

King Edward VI College (KEDST) is a selective state sixth form centre located in Stourbridge, England, in the West Midlands area.

King Edward VI College
Address
Map
Lower High Street

, ,
DY8 1TD

England
Coordinates52°27′31″N 2°08′49″W / 52.45856°N 2.14699°W / 52.45856; -2.14699
Information
TypeAcademy sixth form Day
MottoFrench: Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shame on him who thinks evil of it)
Established1552; 472 years ago (1552)
FounderKing Edward VI
Local authorityDudley
TrustHeart of Mercia Academy Trust
Department for Education URN148142 Tables
OfstedReports
PrincipalHolly Bembridge
GenderCoeducational
Age16 to 19
Enrolmentc. 2,250
Colour(s)   
Former nameKing Edward VI Grammar School
Websitehttp://www.kedst.ac.uk

It is situated in the centre of Stourbridge, to the north of the town centre, on the side of the ring road (A491). In 2024, the college was listed as 'good' following an inspection by Ofsted.[1]

The college's motto is the same motto as that of the Order of the Garter. Translated from Old French it meant "Shame be to him who thinks evil of it".

History

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The original school was founded on 21 May 1430 and was known as the Chantry School of Holy Trinity. The charter for the grammar school was granted on 17 June 1552 by King Edward VI. It became a selective sixth form college in September 1976 due to the introduction of comprehensive education in the Dudley borough, which Stourbridge had been incorporated into 2 years earlier and most of the rest of the borough had followed suit with a year earlier.[2]

In February 2021 the college converted to academy status and is now sponsored by the Heart of Mercia Academy Trust.[3]

Admissions

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The college is selective, and students are accepted only on the condition of achieving high grades at GCSE level.[4]

Students are generally from within the West Midlands, coming from as far afield as Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Worcester. Background education of most pupils is usually from state secondary schools, though there are many independent institutions in the area. For example, some pupils come from Elmfield Rudolf Steiner School and Old Swinford Hospital.

Campus

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The college buildings are all on one site, on Lower High Street in Stourbridge. The campus is bound by the Ring Road, Coventry Street, adjacent shops on Lower High Street and the street itself, and a new housing development. All lessons take place on college grounds.

In 2018 the college opened the new Frank Foley Building, situated near Duke Street, at a cost of £3.5 million. This provides a new canteen for students, dance studio, drama suite and computer science and graphic design facilities. Additionally, the new Henry Hickman Building at a cost of £1.8 million was completed in 2019, providing the college with a brand-new Library and upstairs are new classrooms for Politics, History and Classical Civilisation.

A-Level & AS subjects

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College building c.1950

Students choose 3 or 4 subjects to study in the first year, year 12. At the end of year 12, students who studied 3 subjects carry all of these through to the second year, year 13, whilst most students studying 4 subjects in year 12 drop a subject. Students following a 3 subject programme have more time for enrichment activities and time to focus on the chosen courses in depth, whilst those students studying 4 subjects have flexibility when deciding which subject to drop. These are the courses taught at Kings Edward's, as of September 2021.

Old Edwardians

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c.1858

King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys, Stourbridge

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References

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  1. ^ "King Edward VI College Stourbridge". Reports.ofsted.gov.uk. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  2. ^ "A History of Dudley". Localhistories.org. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  3. ^ "King Edwards VI College Stourbridge". www.heartofmercia.org.uk.
  4. ^ "King Edward VI College Stourbridge". Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  5. ^ "RFU - England". Englandrugby.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Cooper-Slipper". www.acesofww2.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2022.

Further reading

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  • Chambers, RL (1988). Story of a School: King Edward VI School, Stourbridge. Mark and Moody Ltd. ISBN 0-9506-4396-3.
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