South Yorkshire Times January 23rd 1965
Northcliffe ‘High’ in the Forefront
Parents of third formers at Conisbrough Northcliffe High School heard last night (Thursday) that the school will be one of the first to offer students a chance to take the new Certificate of Secondary Education.
Headmaster Mr. Arthur Young gave this message to the parents – about 100 of them – at a meeting attended by other senior staff and members of staff concerned with the school’s third year students.
Starting in September
Mr. Young told the “South Yorkshire Times”, “Thursday’s meeting was called mainly to inform parents of the third year about the Certificate of Secondary Education and to encourage as many as possible to allow their children to join the course at our school, starting in September.”
He added, ”There are, in fact, 26 boys and girls at present in a fourth year form who intend to stay on at school an extra year to take the C.S.E. in the spring of 1966.
“Although there are a few schools in various parts of the country who will b e taking the Certificate this year, there are not many schools who will have reached that stage by the time our boys and girls do.”
The Equivalent
Of the new Certificate itself Mr. Young said, “It is now quite clear that if boys and girls obtain a grade one pass in the C.S.E., it will be accepted as the equivalent of a G.C.E. “O” level pass by the various employment bodies throughout this country.”
Northcliffe High School is also in the forefront of Secondary education in that by September this year two of its fifth forms will be studying to G.C.E. “O” level standards. This will be, of course, in addition to the form studying for the C.S.E.
Several Transfers
Considerable numbers of Northcliffe students have been transferred to the sixth form of Mexborough Grammar School. “This has been building up steadily during past years and they are now transferring at the rate of about twelve a year,” said Mr. Young.
Thursday’s meeting was also aimed to clarify parents’ and pupils’ ideas about careers.
“It is in the third year that children begin to form a definite idea about careers,” said Mr. Young.
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