The Deepings School

The site was on nine acres, on the main Spalding to Market Deeping road. It had steel and reinforced concrete, faced with Stamfordstone bricks from Williamson Cliff Ltd; Northampton Cathedral had been built with such bricks in 1955. Architectural locks and door fittings came from Neville Watts of Sheffield. The decorative finishes (paint and varnish) came from T & R Williamson of Ripon in North Yorkshire. The steel windows and curtain walling came from Siddons Engineers of Redhill in north Nottingham. Structural steelwork was from Robert Stevenson Structural of Norwich[1]

The classrooms decorated in soft pastels, so as not to distract, with stronger shades in the circulation areas of corridors and stairways. In the domestic science room were facilities for cooking on gas, electricity and solid fuel. On the ground floor was a general science room, with five island benches. The gym was 16ft high, and had 2,800 sq ft, with mahogany herringbone sprung flooring. Gym equipment was supplied by Olympic Gymnasium Services company of north Manchester. The boys' showers had red flooring, to give a sensation of warmth. The assembly hall and dining room were combined, with the kitchens at the back of the hall; it was to serve around 200 meals a day. The practical handicraft room was joined to the main building with a concrete archway - it taught wood and forge work, metal turning and lathe operating.[2][3]

Deepings County Secondary Modern opened on Tuesday 9 September 1958 with 247 pupils.[4] It was opened by Kesteven Education Authority, based in Sleaford. It cost £100,000, and it was hoped to have around 300 boys and girls. The headmaster was Mr E Lamb. It was co-educational, which was Kesteven's policy. It took in those from Market Deeping, West Deeping, Deeping St James, Langtoft, Baston and Greatford.

It became a comprehensive school in the mid-1970s with around 450 pupils, the first true comprehensive in South Kesteven. The school converted to academy status on 1 February 2012.

In February 1987, it was hit by an outbreak of meningitis, with four boys at Peterborough District Hospital.[5]

School teaching provision is in line with National Curriculum, and includes the humanities, sciences, mathematics, English language and literature, technology, communications and foreign languages. Subjects can be taken towards GCSE and A-level examinations.

Teaching of foreign languages other than those provided within the main curriculum takes place after school and in night classes.

Up until school year 2011/12, new pupils were allocated to a school house, in which they remained until year 11. There were eight houses in the school: Brunel, Cavell, Eliot, King, Lennon, Newton, Radcliffe and Tudor. These names were decided upon through collaboration between pupils and the school governors. Houses competed, particularly in the annual school sports day.

As of September 2013, the school adopted a new college system. Every pupil – including those already at the school – is now placed into one of three colleges: Priory, Guthlac and Welland. These are names based on the history of the badge: the boat in it represents St. Guthlac's boat as he sailed down the River Welland. Priory is for the priory St. Guthlac then went to. Within each college there are 9 tutor groups, and as before intercollege competitions take place, although more frequently than before. Pupils now wear college personalised ties, with a stripe of the college colour. Each college has its own base and area within the school.

• Malcolm Christie, British Footballer
• Jade Etherington, British Paralympian – Medal Winning downhill skier
• Jonathan Foyle, architectural broadcaster[8]
• Johnathan Hoggard, BRDC British Formula 3 driver[9]
• Julie Hollman, heptathlete
• Robert Welbourn, British Paralympian swimmer
• Ben Wright, footballer

• Official website