John Kyrle High School
Encyclopedia
John Kyrle High School is a secondary school
situated in Ross-on-Wye
, Herefordshire
, England
. It is named after the philanthropist John Kyrle
(1637–1724), known as "The Man of Ross".
. The Ross-on-Wye Grammar School and secondary modern school (the Overross School) were merged in 1979 to form a single comprehensive school
called John Kyrle High School. In August 1979, the Lower School site, the former grammar school, was badly damaged by fire. This site was closed in 1997.
The site where is the school is currently situated is about 15 acres. The building was built during the Second World War and although it was planned for a 500 pupil school it was also planned to be an emergency hospital in case of severe bombings. The main corridors and rooms off it were built in such a way that it could be used as a hospital. The Ross-on-Wye Secondary Modern opened on the site in 1953, although it was intended to be a boys school that could provide support 500 pupils. At this time there were only 14 classrooms, a science room, an art room, two craftrooms, two domestic science rooms, library, two handicraft rooms, gymnasium with changing rooms, entrance and exhibition hall, an assembly hall, administration block, dining room and kitchens.
The cost of the building and grounds to Herefordshire County Council was £122, 250 not including equipment.
status, among other awards for its large investment in Interactive White Boards and a large amount of computer facilities. The school also recently received an ofsted "outstanding" school award in 2008. It became a New Convertor Academy in January 2010 following the Headteacher attending a presentation given by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Education in Downing Street.
The school has attained the following awards:
. She was led around the school by the headteacher, Mr Griffiths, and ended by talking to some of the children about the school.
Main areas on the tour of the school were the refurbished Design and Technology rooms, the ICT Department and the Art Block.
pitch, and most recently a new music block.
For a period in 2007, the school topped the 'Hall of Fame' on the website 'RateMyTeachers.co.uk'
John Kyrle High School also offers many clubs and extra-curricular activities, most of which are sport-related. These usually take place during the lunch break or after school.
, German
and Spanish
. French is taught to all in Year Seven, and in Year Eight a second language, German or Spanish, is taken up, depending on the student's choice. It is compulsory at the school to continue to do at least one language at GCSE level. The school has been given a Language College
status.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
situated in Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, 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...
. It is named after the philanthropist John Kyrle
John Kyrle
John Kyrle , known as "the Man of Ross", was an English philanthropist, born in the parish of Dymock, Gloucestershire but best remembered for his time in Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire.- Education & Legal Background :...
(1637–1724), known as "The Man of Ross".
History
The school site was opened in 1953 and was Herefordshire's first secondary modern schoolSecondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
. The Ross-on-Wye Grammar School and secondary modern school (the Overross School) were merged in 1979 to form a single comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
called John Kyrle High School. In August 1979, the Lower School site, the former grammar school, was badly damaged by fire. This site was closed in 1997.
The site where is the school is currently situated is about 15 acres. The building was built during the Second World War and although it was planned for a 500 pupil school it was also planned to be an emergency hospital in case of severe bombings. The main corridors and rooms off it were built in such a way that it could be used as a hospital. The Ross-on-Wye Secondary Modern opened on the site in 1953, although it was intended to be a boys school that could provide support 500 pupils. At this time there were only 14 classrooms, a science room, an art room, two craftrooms, two domestic science rooms, library, two handicraft rooms, gymnasium with changing rooms, entrance and exhibition hall, an assembly hall, administration block, dining room and kitchens.
The cost of the building and grounds to Herefordshire County Council was £122, 250 not including equipment.
Awards
The school has been awarded Technology CollegeTechnology College
Technology College is a term used in the United Kingdom for a secondary specialist school that focuses on design and technology, mathematics and science. These were the first type of specialist schools, beginning in 1994. In 2008 there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also...
status, among other awards for its large investment in Interactive White Boards and a large amount of computer facilities. The school also recently received an ofsted "outstanding" school award in 2008. It became a New Convertor Academy in January 2010 following the Headteacher attending a presentation given by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Education in Downing Street.
The school has attained the following awards:
- Language CollegeLanguage CollegeLanguage Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
s Status - Technology CollegeTechnology CollegeTechnology College is a term used in the United Kingdom for a secondary specialist school that focuses on design and technology, mathematics and science. These were the first type of specialist schools, beginning in 1994. In 2008 there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also...
Status - Vocational School
- ArtsmarkArtsmarkArtsmark is a national award scheme managed by Arts Council England. The scheme, that is open to all schools in England, recognises schools with a high level of provision in the arts.There are three levels of award:* Artsmark Gold* Artsmark Silver...
Gold Award from the Arts Council EnglandArts councilAn arts council is a government or private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing events at home and abroad... - International School Award 2007-2010
- School Achievements Award from the Department for Education and Skills
- School Curriculum Award
- CharterMark Award for Excellence
- Healthy Schools
- Investor in People Award
- Teaching Awards Winner
- Sport England
- Diana Award
- Governor MarkGovernor MarkGovernor Mark is a quality standard for School Governing Bodies in England. It was developed in 2006. The process of accreditation involves assessment against a detailed framework covering all aspects of the responsibilities of school governance...
The Royal Visit
On Friday 11 July 2003 Queen Elizabeth II visited the school on her tour of the West Midlands regionWest Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
. She was led around the school by the headteacher, Mr Griffiths, and ended by talking to some of the children about the school.
Main areas on the tour of the school were the refurbished Design and Technology rooms, the ICT Department and the Art Block.
Development
Over the years there has been much work done to the school, including lifts for disabled access to upper floors, refurbishment of the canteen, a Sixth Form Common Room, an astroturfAstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
pitch, and most recently a new music block.
For a period in 2007, the school topped the 'Hall of Fame' on the website 'RateMyTeachers.co.uk'
John Kyrle High School also offers many clubs and extra-curricular activities, most of which are sport-related. These usually take place during the lunch break or after school.
Modern Foreign Languages
John Kyrle High School teaches three main languages, namely FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. French is taught to all in Year Seven, and in Year Eight a second language, German or Spanish, is taken up, depending on the student's choice. It is compulsory at the school to continue to do at least one language at GCSE level. The school has been given a Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
status.
School Trips
Most of the school's departments organise exchanges and visits for all years, some of which are listed below:- Geography GCSE and AS/A2 Residential Visits
- Foreign Exchange Students Scheme with France (Condé-sur-NoireauCondé-sur-NoireauCondé-sur-Noireau is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.It is situated on the Noireau River. In the fifteenth century, the town was occupied by the English, and belonged to Sir John Fastolf of Caister Castle in Norfolk...
) and Germany (BetzdorfBetzdorfBetzdorf may refer to:*Betzdorf, Luxembourg, a village and municipality in Luxembourg*Betzdorf, Germany, a town, municipality and Verbandsgemeinde in Germany*Betzdorf...
) - Art Trips to galleries
- Kisiki College, Namatumba, Uganda in Year 12/13.
- Year 7 trips to Drayton Manor and Paris
- Year 8 trips to Drayton Manor and Normandy
- Year 9 trip to Germany
- Year 9 + 10 trip to Spain
- Year 10 GCSE History Northern Europe Trip (Belgium and Trenches)
- Year 12 trip to New York
- Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions & training in Years 9-13.
Notable Alumni
- Mrs. Joyce Thomas, MBE, DL (1928)
- Mr. Paul Deneen, B.Ed. (Hons.) MA, OBE, JP, DL
Renowned Visitors to the School
- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
- The Right Honourable Lord Baker of Dorking CH, PC
- The Right Honourable The Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon GCMG, KBE, PC
- Sir John Harvey-Jones RN (Rtd.), MBE
- Mr. Martin Bell OBE (Former MP for Tatton)
- General Sir Peter Edgar de la Cour de la Billière KCB, KBE, DSO, MSC, MC & Bar
- Sir Colin Ryley Shepherd (Former MP for Hereford)
- Mr. Paul Keetch (Former MP for Hereford)
- Mr. David Hallam (Former MEP for Herefordshire and Shropshire)
- Mr. Jesse Norman BA (Hons), MA, PhD, (MP For Hereford and Herefordshire South)