Colchester County High School

Colchester County High School for Girls is a secondary school in Colchester for girls. It is a 'parallel' to the Colchester Royal Grammar School, with some students of the Sixth Form of the former school attending the latter. It scores very high on the league chart for the UK.

History

The school was originally located in the albert hall in the High Street (now the Co-operative Bank), until its intended premises at the top of North Hill (now the Sixth Form College) were completed. Later, the lower school moved to Greyfriars on East Hill and nearly 50 years ago the whole school moved to Norman Way.

It was founded at the beginning of the last century as a girls' school for Colchester, and subsequently became a grammar school admitting girls from North East Essex and beyond on the basis of an 11+ selection test. It moved to its present site in 1957. Situated a mile to the west of central Colchester, the school is housed in a light, modern three-storey building set in its own extensive grounds on a large, quiet campus.

Academics

The school became one of the first Science Specialist Schools in the country and new laboratories within the Science and Sixth Form building have increased facilities in this area. Other subjects have dedicated rooms within the school including those especially equipped for Art, Music, ICT and Careers Guidance. An assembly hall in which the whole school can meet is the setting for Drama productions, and, together with a well-equipped gymnasium, is also used for Physical Education. The library has over 12,000 books and other resource material. There is a large Sixth Form common room and a Sixth Form Resource Centre containing internet computers for exclusive use by Sixth Form students. The school has recently became a specialist Modern Language school as well. Teaching French, German, Spanish and Latin.

School Motto

Wisdom Giveth Life

This has been the school's motto since the school opened in 1909. This reading is still included in the traditional school assembly at the start of each academic year:

Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

For Wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the days of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

Ecclesiastes, chapter 7, verses 11-14, "Wisdom Giveth Life"

Uniform

The uniform for CCHS is a navy blue jumper with 'C.C.H.S.' written in red on the left side, light blue blouse (Years 7-9) or a light blue polo shirt for Years 10-11, navy blue skirt reaching just below the knee or trousers, a more recent uniform addition. Tights must be skin colour, black or dark blue, and socks must be dark blue, white or black. School shoes must be black.

Notable Alumnae

• Helen Boaden, director, BBC News

The uniform for CCHS is a navy blue jumper with 'C.C.H.S.' written in red on the left side, light blue blouse (Years 7-9) or a light blue polo shirt for Years 10-11, navy blue skirt reaching just below the knee or trousers, a more recent uniform addition. Tights must be skin colour, black or dark blue, and socks must be dark blue, white or black. School shoes must be black or brown.

The current Head Mistress is Mrs. Elizabeth Ward.

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