Hills Road Sixth Form College
Pills Road Sixth Form College | |
---|---|
Address | |
Cambridge , England , CB2 8PE | |
Coordinates | 52°11′17″N 0°08′07″E / 52.188151°N 0.135297°E |
Information | |
School type | Sixth Form College |
Motto | Latin: Virtute et fide By virtue and faith |
Established | 1974 |
School district | In co-operation with Cambridge CAP Partnership |
Authority | Directly government managed in co-operation with Cambs LEA |
Specialist | No specialism — Designated Outstanding |
Ofsted | Reports |
Principal | Jo Trump |
Teaching staff | 135 |
Gender | Mixed |
Age range | Generally 16-19 (full-time), all ages (evening classes) |
School roll | c.2,096 full-time, c.3,675 part-time[1] |
Average class size | 22 |
Language | English |
Hours in school day | Variable |
Classrooms | 94 |
Colour(s) | Maroon and sky blue |
Sports | Badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, rowing, rugby, squash, tennis, volleyball |
Nickname | "Hills" |
Test average | 98% pass, 48.8% A grade |
Newspaper | The Phoenix |
Student Council | http://www.myhrsfc.co.uk/ |
Website | http://www.hillsroad.ac.uk/ |
Hills Road Sixth Form College (commonly referred to as HRSFC, Hills Road or just Hills) is a public sector co-educational sixth form college in Cambridge, England, providing full-time A-level courses for approximately 2,400 sixth form students from the surrounding area and a wide variety of courses to around 4,000 part-time students of all ages in the adult education programme, held as daytime and evening classes.
History
Hills Road Sixth Form College was established on 15 September 1974 on the site of the former Cambridgeshire High School for Boys, when education in Cambridgeshire was reorganised on a comprehensive basis, and grammar schools and secondary moderns were replaced by a system of (mainly) 11-16 comprehensive schools and sixth form colleges.
Since then, the college has expanded from its original single building, with the addition of the Sports and Tennis Centre in 1995; the Colin Greenhalgh building, which houses most arts subjects such as English, Modern Languages and History; The Rob Wilkinson building housing the Physics, Chemistry, and PE departments was developed in 2004; in 2005 the Margaret Ingram Guidance Centre provided specialist tutorial accommodation. Although the College previously had ambitious plans for a major redesign between 2010 and 2013, the economic crisis reduced the scope of the plans: in 2010 the College administrative areas were redesigned, more classrooms added in the Physical Sciences, Psychology and Art departments, the staffroom enlarged and relocated, the library partially refurbished, an extra resource area built to compensate for the space used to build new classrooms and the student social area rebuilt.
In the early 1990s responsibility for further education was removed from local authorities (as part of reforms aimed at reducing the level of the council tax), and Hills Road like other colleges moved to direct funding from central Government.
Hills Road had been building up a reputation for academic excellence, mainly through a standard set by the old Grammar School, but this developed under Colin Greenhalgh, who led the College to obtain the Queens Anniversary Prize in Education and become the first institution nationally to become "Designated Outstanding" and thus win freedom from OFSTED.[citation needed]
Admissions and destinations
Hills Road is one of seven post-16 centres in the Cambridge Area 14-19 Partnership. The state-maintained secondary schools in the city and Village Colleges in the surrounding areas are the main feeder schools to the centre, although it attracts students from all over the county and further due to its strong reputation. Currently, about 85% of students come from the school's catchment area, and 80% of students are from state maintained schools.[2] Hills Road is permanently over-subscribed. The college typically requires candidates to achieve a B/6 (although at least an A for science and maths courses)[3] grade in a related GCSE to study an A-Level course,[4] whereas the nearby Long Road Sixth Form College typically requires a C/4 grade for entry to AS courses.[5]
Priority for places is given to those who have attended a school in the catchment area. However, due to its reputation, the college also attracts students from out of area establishments, although such applications are only considered after places have been offered to all qualifying applicants in the Cambridge area.[6] The College runs a relative admissions program, meaning that the grades which got you in one year may not get you in the next, as all applicants are judged relative to all the others who apply.
About 90% of Hills Road students go onto higher education following their time at the college, for 40% this is after a gap year. About 5% of students enter full-time employment. Over the last five years, half of students have gone on to attend one of just sixteen universities (Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, East Anglia, Leeds, Loughborough, Manchester, Oxford, Nottingham, Sheffield, Sussex, Southampton, UCL, Warwick and York).[7] In 2006, fifty-two Hills Road students gained places at Oxbridge; this was a larger number than at any other state school and represents one in every sixteen students.[8] Hills Road was recently ranked third in a list of the schools with highest levels of Oxbridge entry, after Westminster School and Eton College. The Sunday Times reported that Hills Road sends approximately sixty-five students to the universities of Cambridge and Oxford every year.[9]
Results and reputation
The College has consistently ranked among the top three state sixth form colleges, with an average of 404 A-level points per student (equivalent to, among others, 3 A grades at A-level and a B for an AS) in 2005. In 2010, the College had an A-Level pass rate of 99.7%, 52% of which were A* or A.[10] Hills Road Sixth Form College was voted the Sixth Form College of the Year in 2013, by the Sunday Times.[9] Additionally, in January 2014 Hills Road was named the "creme de la creme" of state schools by Tatler Magazine, and included in Tatler's list of thirty elite state school in the United Kingdom. [11]National measures also place the College in or around the top decile amongst all types of institution for added-value:[10] students of all abilities achieve better results in GCE AS/A levels than expected from their starting points. For example, the 2009 Alps Report places the College third in the sixth form college performance table and in the top 1% for all institutions.[12] On the most recent edition of the BBC league tables, Hills Road Sixth Form College achieved a contextual value added score of 1009.1.[13]
At its most recent OFSTED inspection, teaching and learning was judged to be 'Outstanding', the top grade, in the eleven departments inspected. Leadership and management was also reported as 'Outstanding'.[14] It therefore became the first centre in the country to receive 'designated outstanding' status, meaning it is no longer subject to routine inspections, but is liable to be 'spot checked' at any time to ensure standards are kept high.
Student newspaper
Founded in 2008, The Phoenix is the only regular (but unofficial) Hills Road Student Newspaper.
Pastoral care
Attention has been drawn by Ofsted to the quality of the College's caring support and guidance: "the appointment of specialist tutors has been successful in providing students with effective academic and personal support …. Students receive very effective tutorial support both through their regular meeting with one of the team of specialist tutors and through the high levels of less formal support they receive outside of lessons from their teachers. Students enjoy coming to college and feel that they are recognised and respected as individuals" (Ofsted).[15]
The College has a wide variety of resources to help students with learning needs. Staff from the College's Study Skills Centre are qualified to carry out assessments, to diagnose specific learning difficulties and then to offer appropriate support; they have extensive experience of supporting students with specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and other conditions within the autistic spectrum. The emphasis placed on ensuring that students are correctly assessed and reviewed throughout their course is evident in both the last Ofsted report and in the published prospectus.[16]
Notable alumni
Cambridgeshire High School for Boys
- Martin Amis - novelist and son of Sir Kingsley Amis
- Syd Barrett and Roger Waters of the rock band Pink Floyd; there is a suggestion that the song Another Brick in the Wall Part II, written by Waters, which includes the famous lyrics "we don't need no education", bears reference to Waters' miserable stint endured whilst at the County High School for Boys
- Sir John Bradfield - Founder of Cambridge Science Park, the first Science Park in Europe.
- Bob Klose - an early member of Pink Floyd
- Storm Thorgerson - co-founder of the Hipgnosis partnership, who designed record covers for artists including Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Genesis and Muse
Many other notable alumni are listed in the Alumni section of the Wikipedia entry for the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys.
Hills Road Sixth Form College
- Nicholas Astbury - Ambassador to Eritrea from 2006-8
- Alison Balsom - trumpeter signed with EMI Classics
- Catherine Banner - Author
- Edward Dusinberre - First violinist of the Takács Quartet
- Tom Findlay - Musician, half of Groove Armada
- Katie Rowley Jones - West End actress
- Tim Key - Surreal comedian and poet
- Nemone Metaxas - Radio DJ
- Mark Pettini, Essex County cricketer (and former captain). Former member of England Under-19 team
- Hector Janse van Rensburg - watercolor painter, also known as Shitty Watercolour
- Surie - Singer, representing the United Kingdom in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Storm
- Ben Thapa - member of male singing quartet G4
- Tom Westley, Essex County England Test cricketer and captain of England Under-19 at the 2008 Under-19 Cricket World Cup
- Gus Unger-Hamilton - Musician, member of Alt-J
Principalship
The College is managed by the College Strategy Team (CST), consisting of the Principal, the Deputy Principal and two Assistant Principals.
The management of the College is split into three areas of responsibility (Teaching, Learning & Student Support, Planning & Quality, Resources), each of which is assigned to a member of the CST.
Current CST Structure
Role | Name | Area of Responsibility |
---|---|---|
Principal | Jo Trump | |
Deputy Principal | Nicki Dartnell | Teaching, Learning & Student Support |
Assistant Principal | Dave Jones | Planning & Quality |
Assistant Principal | Jill Aberdour | Resources |
Previous Principals
- Colin Hill (1974–1984)
- Colin Greenhalgh (1984–2002)
- Rob Wilkinson (2002–2008)
- Linda Sinclair (2008–2017)
Student Council
The College Student Council is a prominent part of the Hills Road environment. Its Chair and another officer sit on the board of governors.
Current Officers
Position | Officer |
---|---|
Chair | Keilan Grant |
Vice Chair | Tooba Ahmed |
Secretary | Will Reeder |
Treasurer | Charlie Taylor |
Events Officer | Naomi Sleator |
Equality & Diversity Officer | Lola O'Brien-Dele |
Welfare Officer | Simon Murray |
NUS Officer | Jodran Humphrey |
Charities Officer | Lauren Owen |
Environment Officer | Cara Beckwith |
Societies Officer | Heloise Pinto |
Communications Officer | Brendan Coll |
Past Officers
Academic Year | Chair | Vice Chair | Secretary | Treasurer | Events | Equality & Diversity | Welfare | NUS | Charities | Environment | Societies | Communications | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Head | Imagery | Graphics | Media | Web Design | ||||||||||||
2012-2013 | Isaac Turner | Hester Cant | Josh Eaton | Tom Zhang | Jack Summers | Ada Humphries | none | Ella Halfpenny | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |||||
2013-2014 | Thevindu Edirisinghe | Demitri Economou | Emily Zheng | Scott Menzies | Olly Sanusi Bartlett | Jessica Finn | Catherine Spencer | Nabeel Rahman | Rory Braggins | Florence Burn | Annabel Lake | Frankie Enticknap | Greg Chalmers | Daniel Norris | Thomas Frodsham | |
2014-2015 | Alice French | Stephen Watkins | Dong Zheng | Jola Maczkiewicz | George Smith | Ellie Raine | Alex Moor | Ramganesh Lakshman | Lucy Williams | Callum Delhoy | Claudia Codling | Gareth Nunns | ||||
2015-2016 | Uvini Edirisinghe | Vineeth Joseph | Arabella Kirby | Taha Khan | Hannah Theobald | Elspeth Davies | Rock Pok Tao Fong | Hannah Foley | Francesco Dernie | Molly Mead | Alice Gilby | |||||
2016-2017 | Zehra Munir | Ben Fraser | Sian Rose | Arjun Bendre | Ben Hunt-Deol | Emma Pearce | Sam Polhill | Georgie Pailes | Ela Maczkiewicz | Gina Morris | Dave Monis | |||||
2017-2018 | Evren Uygun | Finn Jarvis | Emily McCord | Rahul Jhawar | Tamara El-Halawani | Theo Long | Jamie Gooding | Georgia Howitt-Sutton | Tolu Ojo | Lottie Reeder | James Taylor (Ben Wilkinson, prior to his resignation[17]) | |||||
2018-2019 (present) | Keilan Grant | Tooba Ahmed | Will Reeder | Charlie Taylor | Naomi Sleator | Lola O'Brien-Dele | Simon Murray | Jordan Humphrey | Lauren Owen | Cara Beckwith | Heloise Pinto | Brendan Coll |
References
- ^ http://d2ry7t303fmxh8.cloudfront.net/docs/default-source/default-document-library/financial-statements-year-ended-31-july-2016.pdf?sfvrsn=2
- ^ "Your Questions Answered". www.hillsroad.ac.uk.
- ^ "Subjects - Sixth Form Education - Hills Road Sixth Form College". www.hillsroad.ac.uk.
- ^ "Http Error Page". www.hrsfc.ac.uk.
- ^ "A-Level & Applied Courses - Long Road Sixth Form College". www.longroad.ac.uk.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Life after Hills Road Archived 2007-07-07 at the Wayback Machine Hills Road Website. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ Hackett, G., State Schools & Oxbridge table, page 8 of The Sunday Times, 2006-12-17
- ^ a b Times, The Sunday. "Parent Power 2018: Best UK Schools Guide" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
- ^ a b "Latest News - College Life - Hills Road Sixth Form College". www.hillsroad.ac.uk.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-01-11. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-03. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "BBC NEWS - Education - League Tables - Performance results for Hills Road Sixth Form College". news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ 3 Archived 2008-03-09 at the Wayback Machine OFSTED. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ "Support & Guidance - Sixth Form Education - Hills Road Sixth Form College". www.hillsroad.ac.uk.
- ^ "Support & Guidance - Sixth Form Education - Hills Road Sixth Form College". www.hillsroad.ac.uk.
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/BenWilkinsonForComms/posts/322624104830010