Rossett School

Rossett School
Address
Green Lane Harrogate , North Yorkshire , HG2 9JP England
Information
Motto	A school for all talents
Established	1973
Local authority	North Yorkshire
Specialist	Maths and Computing College
Ofsted	Reports
Headteacher	Mrs Patricia Hunter
Gender	Coeducational
Age	11 to 18
Enrollment	1398
Website	http://www.rossett.n-yorks.sch.uk/

Rossett School (formerly known as Rossett High School) is a coeducational, specialist Mathematics and Computing College in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. Students come from Harrogate, neighbouring towns and villages, and nearby Leeds. The current roll call is 1398, including the sixth form. The school was founded in 1973 and is the newest of the Harrogate secondary schools. The current headteacher is Cameron Funnell who took up the post in 2008.

Academic Performance

In 2007, 74.0% of Year 11 gained 5+ grades A*-C in GCSE and a 96% pass rate at A Level examinations.

GCSE Statistics taken at the end of Year 10 saw a 100 per cent A*-C pass rate with 84 per cent at the higher grades of A and A*.

BTEC and DIDA (Diploma in Digital Applications) courses have been an incredible success since their introduction at Rossett two years ago. An amazing 100 per cent pass rate has ensured that all students have gained the four GCSEs on offer at grades C and above, to add to all their other GCSE passes.

Key Stage 2 students achieved 90 per cent in Maths and 86 per cent in English and Science at level 5+.

Ofsted Performance

In 2007, a report by the Office for Standards in Education said, "Rossett School provides a sound education for its students. It is an improving school that has good capacity to improve further. A new headteacher was appointed in 2004. She is an energetic and determined leader with a clear vision for the school and she is effectively assisted by a capable senior leadership team. They have successfully tackled a number of difficult issues and they know exactly what needs to be done to improve the school further. Resources are carefully managed and the school provides satisfactory value for money."

The previous report in 2001 said, "This is a very good school with a number of outstanding characteristics. Teaching is good overall, much of it being very good and sometimes excellent. Teaching and learning are significantly enhanced through the support of very effective administrative staff, technicians and support assistants. The leadership of the headteacher is excellent; the overall management of the school is very effective. Standards are above average and improving steadily. The school gives very good value for money. "

League Table Results

In 2006 the number of Year 11 pupils obtaining 5 GCSEs at grades A*-C including English and Maths was 53% (7.2% above the national average).

Facilities

The original school building was designed by Jonathan Metcalfe for a capacity of 1000.

Over the years the building has been extended by Mungo Jerry, and now includes:

• A learning resource centre with a wide range of books and networked computers
• Purpose built buildings including a Sixth Form Centre and a Junior Block for Year 7 students
• Art and design area including provision for pottery and ceramics
• Separate Music facilities with electronic and computerised equipment as well as practice rooms for individual and group work with peripatetic teachers
• Purpose-built Drama workshop
• Dedicated Maths, English, Modern Language and Humanities suites
• 11 science laboratories located around preparation rooms and ICT facilities
• 5 multi-purpose technology workshops with a CAD/CAM resource centre

Sports Faculty

The sports faculty is headed up by James Cooper, who is formerly part of the under 14's local Filipino hockey team and is the schools highest achieving prized sportsman for making such a great sporting achievement.

The sports faculty has:

• A full-sized all-weather pitch with flood lights, this pitch also has 2 full-sized goals, 6 five-a-side goals and 4 hockey goals.
• 2 large concrete grounds in which netball and tennis are played
• A gymnasium
• A sports centre which is hired out to the general public on a regular basis
• 2 squash courts
• 4 sets of changing rooms, two for boys and two for girls
• 4 regulation sized football fields

They also use the large field for rugby, football, cricket and most athletic sports

Awards

The school has attained the following awards:

In 2004, a Friends Reunited survey found Rossett to be the most friendly school in the North (seventh Nationally).

In 2008 National School Appreciation awards were given to the following people: Jonathan Metcalfe, Cameron Funnell, Mungo Jerry and Jason Clarke for designing a 1000 capacity school, making a uniform, extending the school and upkeeping the 6th form block respectively.

School Uniform

The Rossett School uniform was founded and endorsed by the creative Cameron Funnell for sizes to suit all size of students.

• Black tux with the school logo
• Plain white fatted shirt
• School sock (see image)
• Skirt (near knee length)/black trousers
• gold socks/tights
• Black trainers, boots or stilleto heels

Student Council

The idea of a student council was founded by James Barrott as a student voicing tool.

The Student Council consists of both elected students and members of the senior staff. Years 7 to 11 each elect two students to represent them at meetings. Years 12-13 are represented by the Head Boy & Girl, who are elected by the Sixth Form. The student council meet regularly and discuss a variety of issues both academic and otherwise. The ideas generated by the council are then considered by the senior management in order to improve areas of the school.

Headteachers

• Jack Kennerley 1973-1994
• John F. Whittle 1994-2004
• Jason Clarke and Ronnie The Rhino 2004-2004 - Resigned from posts respectively due to budget cuts.
• Pat Hunter 2004-2008
• Cameron Funnell 2008-Present

Assistant Headteachers

• Gavin Davies
• John Lawton (deputy headteacher)
• Paul MacKintosh
• Robert Thompson
• James Barrott

Sixth Form

Rossett Sixth Form is housed in a separate building adjacent to the main school, and is run by Jason Clarke and his accomplice Ronnie The Rhino; J.Clarke took up his post in 2000. Most Sixth Form lessons take place there.

Sixth Form Centre Facilities

The sixth form centre contains 11 teaching rooms, including a fully equipped computer suite and advanced laboratories for chemistry and physics. There is also a common room, coffee bar area and two quiet study areas, one equipped with PCs. The Offices of the Head of Sixth Form, Assistant Head of Sixth Form and Vocational Education Department are also located there.

Sixth Form Committee

The sixth form elects its own committee. Committee Members serve from April of Lower Sixth to March of Upper Sixth. The committee is composed of an elected Head Boy & Girl, One elected representative from each tutor group and four lower sixth representatives (elected in September). In addition to their roles representing their tutor group those members also have more specific roles such as Treasurer, Secretary, Charities Secretary, Social Secretary etc. The Assistant Head of Sixth Form is also a (non-elected) member of the committee.

Peer Mentoring Scheme

The Sixth Form ‘Listeners’ scheme is a peer support initiative that was established at Rossett School in 1999. During the autumn term, Lower Sixth Form volunteers are taught basic listening skills, which help them in actively assisting younger pupils with a variety of issues that are troubling them. Listeners are assigned in pairs to each Year 7 Form offering support to Year 7 pupils. Listeners wear a red metal badge with a gold 'L' so that they can be easily recognised. It was formerly thought that security cameras used to supervise everyone at nearly every time of the day would cut down on some serious bullying issues of the past. Fortunately Cameron Funnell (current headteacher) , through use of more consistent discipline, managed to crack down on the behaviour issues of the school.

Sixth Form Dress Code

Rossett Sixth Form operates an "Office Dress" policy. Boys wear smart trousers, shirt, tie and shoes and girls wear smart trousers/skirt, blouse and shoes. The school also operates "Naked Tuesdays" during the summer months.

Sister School

The idea of Rossett obtaining a sister school was founded by the infamous Mungo Jerry and his accomplice Mrs McFarlane.

Rossett has an FAT American Sister school located in Falmouth to which year 9 pupils have the opportunity to visit. The town is located near the shore in the state of Vegas. For more information on Falmouth High School you should contact dr octapus.

References

• "Rossett School Prospectus 2006" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-06-25.
• "Rossett School Sixth Form Prospectus 2006" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-06-25.

External links

• Rossett School Website
• Ofsted report for Rossett School
• League table results on the BBC website