Hatfield Visual Arts College
Encyclopedia
Hatfield Visual Arts College is an Arts College
on Ash Hill Road between Hatfield and Dunscroft in South Yorkshire
England
.
Based in Ash Hill, Hatfield, South Yorkshire, to the east of Doncaster
near the A18 and M18, it educates 11–18 year olds from the areas of Hatfield, Stainforth
, Dunsville, Dunscroft, Hatfield Woodhouse and teens from other regions of Doncaster. The site is shared with Coppice School, a school for pupils with learning difficulties from ages 3–18.
, called the Da Vinci Learning Centre.
The school is situated in a former coal mining area
, with local pits closing in recent years, and consequently above average unemployment, although Stainforth Colliery opened again in January 2008.
To take books out of the library, a fingerprint
system is used. Its former high level of truancy
has been curbed by keeping children in at lunchtime, more police patrols, and electronic registration at the beginning every lesson.
The school had a strong history of performing arts with a locally acclaimed wind band and choirs. It's performing arts prowess is now demonstrated each year at the school pantomime and the various other performances which take place throughout the year.
On 16 December 2009 the school decided to no longer use mixed year form classes and the forms are now separated
into year groups. The school's last OFSTED inspection was in June 2011 when the school was deemed to have made good progress and was taken out of special measures only 18 months after being put in.
The school currently has a staff band named Chalkface
composed of Mr Deakes on vocals, Mr Bacon on lead guitar, Mr Blackett on bass guitar, Mr Woods on keyboards, and the brains behind the unit, Mr Cairns on Drums.
The college has been given permission to convert to Academy status and from September 2011 will be known as Ash Hill Academy.
, BTEC
or A level qualifications. Although the school is improved from what it was, it still gets low GCSE results, barely above the national minimum, but about average for Doncaster LEA. The results at A Level are even lower. The Hungerhill School
down the road (A18) in nearby Edenthorpe
gets respectable GCSE results just over the national average, but has no sixth form. Only five of Doncaster's seventeen secondary schools get GCSE results over the national average, and the LEA wants six schools to become academies
. Barnsley LEA also has low results.
Arts College
Arts Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, the performing, visual and/or media arts...
on Ash Hill Road between Hatfield and Dunscroft in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
England
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...
.
Based in Ash Hill, Hatfield, South Yorkshire, to the east of Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
near the A18 and M18, it educates 11–18 year olds from the areas of Hatfield, Stainforth
Stainforth, South Yorkshire
Stainforth is a small town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is located roughly north-east of Doncaster, close to Hatfield and Thorne. It has a population of 6,342.-Etymology:...
, Dunsville, Dunscroft, Hatfield Woodhouse and teens from other regions of Doncaster. The site is shared with Coppice School, a school for pupils with learning difficulties from ages 3–18.
History
The school was previously known as Hatfield High School. In 1997, a fire destroyed the science block section and former year 7 and 8 classrooms of the annexed Ash Hill Middle School. Another fire in November 2001 caused £750,000 of damage to the front building, destroying the main hall and eighteen classrooms, including computer equipment the school had recently obtained in the Foundation IT building. Seven fire engines attended. It became an Arts College in 2003. A new Arts and Maths building was opened on 26 January 2007 by Alan JohnsonAlan Johnson
Alan Arthur Johnson is a British Labour Party politician who served as Home Secretary from June 2009 to May 2010. Before that, he filled a wide variety of cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown governments, including Health Secretary and Education Secretary. Until 20 January 2011 he was...
, called the Da Vinci Learning Centre.
The school is situated in a former coal mining area
South Yorkshire Coalfield
The South Yorkshire Coalfield is defined by a triangle lying between Barnsley, Doncaster and Sheffield, though a few mines within the coalfield lie outside this area. It is part of the larger Midland coal field which stretches from Nottingham in the south to Bradford and Leeds in the north...
, with local pits closing in recent years, and consequently above average unemployment, although Stainforth Colliery opened again in January 2008.
To take books out of the library, a fingerprint
Fingerprint
A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
system is used. Its former high level of truancy
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
has been curbed by keeping children in at lunchtime, more police patrols, and electronic registration at the beginning every lesson.
The school had a strong history of performing arts with a locally acclaimed wind band and choirs. It's performing arts prowess is now demonstrated each year at the school pantomime and the various other performances which take place throughout the year.
On 16 December 2009 the school decided to no longer use mixed year form classes and the forms are now separated
into year groups. The school's last OFSTED inspection was in June 2011 when the school was deemed to have made good progress and was taken out of special measures only 18 months after being put in.
The school currently has a staff band named Chalkface
composed of Mr Deakes on vocals, Mr Bacon on lead guitar, Mr Blackett on bass guitar, Mr Woods on keyboards, and the brains behind the unit, Mr Cairns on Drums.
The college has been given permission to convert to Academy status and from September 2011 will be known as Ash Hill Academy.
Setting
Hatfield VAC is set out in four blocks:- A Block, Marco Polo representing Green Family (one of the 4 families in school)
- B Block was burnt down - but replaced in 2006 with a new building named DaVinci Center, making it AD block. Representing the Red Family.
- C Block, Shakespeare is the main block, consisting of the Dining hall, Library, etc. This building represents Blue Family.
- P.E Block, Marie Curie representing Yellow Family - Also joined with them are the science classes, although attached to the C block.
Academic performance
Students can study for GCSEGeneral Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
, BTEC
Business And Technology Education Council (BTEC)
The Business and Technology Education Council is the British body which awards vocational qualifications. Such qualifications are commonly referred to as "BTECs"....
or A level qualifications. Although the school is improved from what it was, it still gets low GCSE results, barely above the national minimum, but about average for Doncaster LEA. The results at A Level are even lower. The Hungerhill School
Hungerhill School
Hungerhill School, A Specialist Centre for Science, Mathematics and Computing, is a Mathematics and Computing College on Hungerhill Lane off Thorne Road in Edenthorpe, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.-Admissions:...
down the road (A18) in nearby Edenthorpe
Edenthorpe
Edenthorpe is a village and civil parish in the east of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in the English county of South Yorkshire. It has a population of 4,752.-Geography:...
gets respectable GCSE results just over the national average, but has no sixth form. Only five of Doncaster's seventeen secondary schools get GCSE results over the national average, and the LEA wants six schools to become academies
Academy (England)
In the education system of England, an academy is a school that is directly funded by central government and independent of control by local government in England. An academy may receive additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, either financially or in kind...
. Barnsley LEA also has low results.