Greenhead College
Encyclopedia
Greenhead College is a former grammar school
and current sixth form college
located in Huddersfield
, in the English
county of West Yorkshire
. The current principal is Martin Rostron.
With around 1800 pupils, it is a relatively large college, attracting pupils from as far afield as Wakefield
, Manchester
, Barnsley
, Bradford
, Leeds
, Halifax
, Oldham
and even Wetherby
.
and The Independent
A level college league tables in 2006. It came fourth in 2007 and sixth in 2008.
Nineteen students who left the college in 2010 went to the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge.
At AS and A level, students are required to take study General Studies. Both AS and A level General Studies is taught, and the exams sat during the second year of study.
Students who did not obtain sufficient GCSE grades to meet their offer, may still be admitted to the college, but have to re-sit the required GCSE during their first year, and obtain the required grade.
Students from partner schools are given priority for places at the college, and are required to obtain a minimum of five GCSE C grades (including a grade C in English) to gain a place at the college. The current partner schools are All Saints Catholic High School, Almondbury High School and Language College
, Colne Valley High School, North Huddersfield Trust School, Holmfirth High School
, Honley High School
, King James's School
, Moor End Technology College
, Newsome High School and Sports College, Netherhall Learning Campus, Royds Hall High School and Salendine Nook High School/Technology College.
Students from other schools are considered based on their mock GCSE results, a one to one interview and the availability of subject places, after partner school students have been taken into consideration. Many students from the Halifax secondary schools, such as The Crossley Heath School and North Halifax Grammar School
, go to Greenhead annually.
The college has been criticised for selecting only the brightest students. This has been denied by the principal Martin Rostron, on the basis that students of all abilities are taken from partner schools. Minimum criteria are given for partner school applicants (five GCSE C grades), but no indication of minimum criteria appears within the college's website or prospectus for non-partner school applicants.
The college has approximately 8 main buildings, all of which are internally linked. Each building represents a subject or a group of similar subjects. On 26 May 2004, the college officially opened a new building on the campus, the Conway Building. The building was dedicated to the former principal, Dr. Kevin Conway.
The college has a small football field and 2 tennis courts on site and a small hockey field. Many enrichments (extra curricular activities) offered by the college are done off campus due to the lack of outdoor space owing to the proximity to Huddersfield
town centre.
, Greenhead's Amnesty Group or a variety of sports activities and teams. Dozens of courses are offered, and taster sessions are provided so that students can make informed decisions. The college also has several musical ensembles, and produces a college show every year.
As part of the enrichment program, pupils must undertake one week of PaWS (Projects and Work Shadowing) in their first year. Work shadowing placements include medical, political, scientific and language based jobs, usually at a senior level within the respective companies. If a pupil does not wish to do work shadowing, many projects, from circus skills to mathematical art, are available.
Source: Greenhead College: Awards
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
and current sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
located in Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
. The current principal is Martin Rostron.
With around 1800 pupils, it is a relatively large college, attracting pupils from as far afield as Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
, Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
and even Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
.
Reputation
The college topped The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
A level college league tables in 2006. It came fourth in 2007 and sixth in 2008.
Nineteen students who left the college in 2010 went to the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge.
Subject choices
Students usually study 4 AS level subjects of their choice during their first year of study, and then continue to study 3 of these subjects at A level. The college is quite flexible with respect to courses being studied, with some students studying up to 6 A levels. There are over 30 different subjects for students to study.At AS and A level, students are required to take study General Studies. Both AS and A level General Studies is taught, and the exams sat during the second year of study.
Students who did not obtain sufficient GCSE grades to meet their offer, may still be admitted to the college, but have to re-sit the required GCSE during their first year, and obtain the required grade.
Admissions
Prospective students are informed that all applicants will be interviewed, and pre-interview selection criteria can be applied due to the high number of external applications received. There is a sense among some that the college should be more up-front regarding this issue.Students from partner schools are given priority for places at the college, and are required to obtain a minimum of five GCSE C grades (including a grade C in English) to gain a place at the college. The current partner schools are All Saints Catholic High School, Almondbury High School and Language College
Almondbury High School and Language College
Almondbury High School and Language College is a mixed, comprehensive, 11–16 school with 828 students on the roll. It is situated a large local authority council estate within the village of Almondbury, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Opened in 1963 as Almondbury County Secondary School, it has more...
, Colne Valley High School, North Huddersfield Trust School, Holmfirth High School
Holmfirth High School
Holmfirth High School is a school on Heys Road in Thongsbridge, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England....
, Honley High School
Honley High School
Honley High School is a secondary school situated on the edge of the village of Honley in the Holme Valley, West Yorkshire, England. The catchment area is the neighbouring villages of Brockholes, Honley and Meltham. Honley High has around 1,250 pupils aged 11–16...
, King James's School
King James's School
King James's School is located on King James Road, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England. King James's is a large non-selective school with a large sixth form.-Admissions:...
, Moor End Technology College
Moor End Technology College
Moor End Technology College is a community comprehensive school located in Crosland Moor, Huddersfield in England. It opened in 1972 and was known as Moor End High School. The name was changed in 1999 when it became a Technology College as part of the specialist schools programme. In September...
, Newsome High School and Sports College, Netherhall Learning Campus, Royds Hall High School and Salendine Nook High School/Technology College.
Students from other schools are considered based on their mock GCSE results, a one to one interview and the availability of subject places, after partner school students have been taken into consideration. Many students from the Halifax secondary schools, such as The Crossley Heath School and North Halifax Grammar School
North Halifax Grammar School
The North Halifax Grammar School is a grammar school, specialist science college and specialist languages college in Illingworth, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It is in the east of Illingworth, towards Holmfield and Holdsworth...
, go to Greenhead annually.
The college has been criticised for selecting only the brightest students. This has been denied by the principal Martin Rostron, on the basis that students of all abilities are taken from partner schools. Minimum criteria are given for partner school applicants (five GCSE C grades), but no indication of minimum criteria appears within the college's website or prospectus for non-partner school applicants.
Campus
The Greenhead College campus is located on one site, near the centre of Huddersfield. The campus is fairly small in comparison with the number of students enrolled - however, it manages to effectively provide provision for a multitude of subjects taught.The college has approximately 8 main buildings, all of which are internally linked. Each building represents a subject or a group of similar subjects. On 26 May 2004, the college officially opened a new building on the campus, the Conway Building. The building was dedicated to the former principal, Dr. Kevin Conway.
The college has a small football field and 2 tennis courts on site and a small hockey field. Many enrichments (extra curricular activities) offered by the college are done off campus due to the lack of outdoor space owing to the proximity to Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
town centre.
Staff
There are currently around 100 teaching staff to cater for the large number of students. However this number is larger due to the canteen staff, IT technicians, lab technicians and caretakers that also serve in the college.Hierarchy
The College Principal is Martin Rostron who is supported by vice principals, Anton McGrath and Sue Creamer. There are also three Assistant principals (Peter Gordziejko; Jeannine King and Christine Milsom) as well as a Business Manager (John Blake) and a Human Resource Manager (Debra Todd). In addition there are subject heads and then finally the subject teachers and assistants. There is also a Senior Student system at the college, where the students vote the heads of their Student Union.Extracurricular activities
Greenhead has a mandatory enrichment programme, which encourages pupils to partake in extracurricular activities such as The Duke of Edinburgh's AwardThe Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
, Greenhead's Amnesty Group or a variety of sports activities and teams. Dozens of courses are offered, and taster sessions are provided so that students can make informed decisions. The college also has several musical ensembles, and produces a college show every year.
As part of the enrichment program, pupils must undertake one week of PaWS (Projects and Work Shadowing) in their first year. Work shadowing placements include medical, political, scientific and language based jobs, usually at a senior level within the respective companies. If a pupil does not wish to do work shadowing, many projects, from circus skills to mathematical art, are available.
Awards
- The Queen's Award in 1996.
- The Educational Institution of the Year Award in 1999
- The Beacon College Award in May 1999, and again in September 2004
- The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Excellence in 2000 (for the second time)
- Officially announced as "outstanding" in the May 2004 Ofsted report
Source: Greenhead College: Awards
Notable alumni
- Mona SiddiquiMona SiddiquiMona Siddiqui OBE is a British Muslim academic. She is Professor of Islamic Studies and Public Understanding at the University of Glasgow, as well as the Director of its Centre for the Study of Islam, and is a member of the Commission on Scottish Devolution.She is also a regular contributor to...
, British Muslim academic. - Lisa HeadLisa HeadCaptain Lisa Jade Head was a British army officer. She was the first female bomb disposal officer ever to be killed on operations. She died on 19 April 2011 at the age of 29, having sustained serious injuries on active service in Afghanistan...
, first female bomb disposal officer in the British Army to be killed in operations.