Oakwood Technology College
Encyclopedia
Oakwood Technology College (OTC) is a secondary school in Rotherham
, South Yorkshire
, England
. It is situated on Moorgate Road, almost in the centre of Rotherham, and receives children from a number of primary schools throughout Rotherham.
In 2004, 1071 students attended the school in Year 7 to Year 11.
). It was separated into a boys' and girls' school. Students would have to pass the Eleven-Plus examination to gain entry to the school.
The new Science Department which looks out onto the main road was completed in 2002. The rest of the school was set to be re-built and for construction to begin in the summer of 2011, unfortunately this was abandoned after government spending cuts.
The idea of this is to ease students into the secondary education system by keeping students with one familiar teacher, the same students in the same classes, and a consistent environment.
Until 2006, the language taught in the first year would be German and French, depending on which 'half' of the year the student was in. In the second year, either the alternative language or Urdu would be picked up. Recently, Spanish has offered to year sevens.
At GCSE level, high achieving students are given the opportunity to study two languages in the time of one GCSE. This is known as the 'Dual Languages' course. In year ten the students 'first language' will be studied intensively and the exams will be taken, and in year eleven the 'second language' will be concentrated on.
'Core subjects' are compulsory for each path. These are English, Mathematics, Science, RE
, PSHE and PE
. English and Mathematics provide full GCSE qualifications along with Technology. RE is a compulsory half (Occasionally full) GCSE. PE is a compulsory subject to study, although the final exam is optional for students.
In Year 8, students choose which Technology subject they would like to study in full for the following years. Due to the College's specialism a full technology qualification must be studied.
Students have a choice about whether or not to take IT
; although lessons must be attended, students can chose which qualification they wish to gain. The ECDL course leads to a basic qualification proving competence in IT, whilst the CIDA course forms a small part of the DIDA course (both subjects in their own right) and is taken primarily in the student's spare time.
(CIN). For its efforts, the school has been featured on regional news broadcasts and the BBC Children In Need show itself.
The school hosts an annual CIN Concert, in which students from years seven to eleven, teachers and even ex-students, showcase their talents, whether they lie in music, singing, dance or drama. Recently, performances have included Rotherham Ethinc Drumming (RED), which originated from OTC's own African drumming group, the GCSE Drama and BTEC Performing Arts groups, and the 'Bondathon', arranged and performed in 2007 by year 11 students.
In addition to this, the school holds an afternoon of fund raising activities which include sponsorship, jumble sales, coffee mornings and cake sales.
Each year, the school raises several thousands of pounds, which all goes to CIN.
and be renamed the Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival.
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
, 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...
. It is situated on Moorgate Road, almost in the centre of Rotherham, and receives children from a number of primary schools throughout Rotherham.
In 2004, 1071 students attended the school in Year 7 to Year 11.
History
Opening in 1952 before it became a comprehensive, it was known as Oakwood Technical High School (a Secondary Technical SchoolSecondary Technical School
A Secondary Technical School was a type of secondary school in the United Kingdom that existed in the mid-20th century under the Tripartite System of education. For various reasons few were ever built, and their main interest is on a theoretical level....
). It was separated into a boys' and girls' school. Students would have to pass the Eleven-Plus examination to gain entry to the school.
The new Science Department which looks out onto the main road was completed in 2002. The rest of the school was set to be re-built and for construction to begin in the summer of 2011, unfortunately this was abandoned after government spending cuts.
Curriculum
From year seven to eleven, students can study English, Mathematics, Science, Art, IT, PE, Geography, Technology, Music, History, Drama and Foreign Languages.Foundation studies
Foundation studies are taught to year 7 students in one room with a singular teacher. These lessons include Geography, History, RE, IT, PSHE, Music and English.The idea of this is to ease students into the secondary education system by keeping students with one familiar teacher, the same students in the same classes, and a consistent environment.
Languages
The school actively encourages students to study languages for at least the first three years of their schooling. In year seven one language only is taught, in year eight a second language is picked up.Until 2006, the language taught in the first year would be German and French, depending on which 'half' of the year the student was in. In the second year, either the alternative language or Urdu would be picked up. Recently, Spanish has offered to year sevens.
At GCSE level, high achieving students are given the opportunity to study two languages in the time of one GCSE. This is known as the 'Dual Languages' course. In year ten the students 'first language' will be studied intensively and the exams will be taken, and in year eleven the 'second language' will be concentrated on.
Options
In Year 9, students select one of three study 'Pathways'- Pathway A is the vocational path; in this path a student learns through job placement and gains experience in a workplace setting.
- Pathway B is the diploma path; subjects studied on this path provide qualifications such as the BTEC diploma or DIDA qualifications.
- Pathway C is the standard path; qualifications gained from this path are AQA/Edexcel GCSEs. Up to 3 can be chosen.
'Core subjects' are compulsory for each path. These are English, Mathematics, Science, RE
Religious Education
Religious Education is the term given to education concerned with religion. It may refer to education provided by a church or religious organization, for instruction in doctrine and faith, or for education in various aspects of religion, but without explicitly religious or moral aims, e.g. in a...
, PSHE and PE
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. English and Mathematics provide full GCSE qualifications along with Technology. RE is a compulsory half (Occasionally full) GCSE. PE is a compulsory subject to study, although the final exam is optional for students.
In Year 8, students choose which Technology subject they would like to study in full for the following years. Due to the College's specialism a full technology qualification must be studied.
Students have a choice about whether or not to take IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
; although lessons must be attended, students can chose which qualification they wish to gain. The ECDL course leads to a basic qualification proving competence in IT, whilst the CIDA course forms a small part of the DIDA course (both subjects in their own right) and is taken primarily in the student's spare time.
Children In Need
For the several years OTC has raised funds for the BBC charity Children In NeedChildren in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
(CIN). For its efforts, the school has been featured on regional news broadcasts and the BBC Children In Need show itself.
The school hosts an annual CIN Concert, in which students from years seven to eleven, teachers and even ex-students, showcase their talents, whether they lie in music, singing, dance or drama. Recently, performances have included Rotherham Ethinc Drumming (RED), which originated from OTC's own African drumming group, the GCSE Drama and BTEC Performing Arts groups, and the 'Bondathon', arranged and performed in 2007 by year 11 students.
In addition to this, the school holds an afternoon of fund raising activities which include sponsorship, jumble sales, coffee mornings and cake sales.
Each year, the school raises several thousands of pounds, which all goes to CIN.
Real ale festival
From 1992 to 2010, the school was home to the Oakwood Real Ale and Music Festival, which took place in February each year. Money raised from the festival went directly to the school. From 2011, the festival will be moving to the Magna CentreMagna Science Adventure Centre
Magna Science Adventure Centre is an educational visitor attraction, appealing primarily to children. It is located in a disused steel mill in the Templeborough district of Rotherham, England. The site is formerly home to the Steel, Peech and Tozer steel works...
and be renamed the Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival.
Notable alumni
- Dean AndrewsDean AndrewsDean Andrews is a British actor.He is most famous for his role as DS Ray Carling in the BBC Television drama Life on Mars...
, actor, Life on MarsLife on Mars (TV series)Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural.... - Nick BanksNick BanksNick Banks is the English drummer in the British band, Pulp. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Sarah Banks, two children , and his dog Geoff...
, drummer, PulpPulp (band)Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks .... - Nigel CroftNigel Howard CroftNigel Howard Croft was appointed as Chairman of ISO’s Technical Committee TC 176/SC 2 in February 2010, with overall responsibility for the ISO 9001 standard, used worldwide as a basis for certification of quality management systems.- Education :Nigel Croft attended Oakwood Comprehensive School,...
, Chairman of the ISO Technical Committee, TC 176 - Justine GreeningJustine GreeningJustine Greening is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. She has been the Member of Parliament for Putney since 2005. She was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury in May 2010, and became Secretary of State for Transport on 14 October 2011...
, Conservative Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for PutneyPutney (UK Parliament constituency)-Elections 1950–1979:-Elections 1918–1945:-Notes and references:...
and Secretary of State for TransportSecretary of State for TransportThe Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors... - John HampshireJohn HampshireJohn Harry Hampshire John Harry Hampshire John Harry Hampshire (born 10 February 1941, Thurnscoe (near Barnsley, Yorkshire) better known as Jack Hampshire, is a former English cricketer, who played eight Tests and three ODIs for England between 1969 and 1975. He played first-class cricket for...
, England and Yorkshire cricketer - James MayJames MayJames Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
, co-presenter of the motoring programme Top Gear, journalist and writer - Sir Mike TomlinsonMike TomlinsonSir Michael John Tomlinson CBE is the chair of the Working Group for 14–19 Reform which has been commissioned by the British Government to look into reform of the syllabus and qualifications structure for 14–19 year-olds in the English education system.-Early life:He passed the eleven plus...
, former Chief Inspector of Schools in England from 2000-02