Park House School
Encyclopedia
Park House School is a secondary school
in Newbury
, Berkshire
in the United Kingdom
. It accepts students aged 11–18 and currently has approximately 1,300 students on roll including a sixth form of around 300.
On 1st May 2011, Park House School became an independently run Academy. It was formerly a comprehensive school run by the West Berkshire
Education Authority
, whereby students are divided up into four houses (each of which are in turn split into two), which are named after traditional trees, which are then broken down into 2 tutor groups for each house per year. The tutor groups are named after Greek letters. Each House is led by a member of staff and run by Year 12 and 13 House Presidents & Vice Presidents. They are supported by House Captains from Years 10 and 11. All staff members belong to a house, as do all Sixth Formers:
The houses were previously named after rivers and were Kennet, Lambourne, Loddon and Embourne.
are situated together in a central area of the school. Both include private study areas. The school has a book stock of over 12,000 items, which is supplemented with a regular exchange of books from the Berkshire Education Library Service. There is also a wide range of periodicals and multimedia facilities. There are about 210 computers situated in different areas all with internet access. The school is also a member of Newbury Library which facilitates inter-library loaning.
.
in 1998 – one of the first wave of schools to achieve this status. It is and will remain the only Sports College in the Local Education Authority. As part of the government push to fund facilities of Sports Colleges, Park House received funding for an AstroTurf
pitch and floodlights
.
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...
in Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It accepts students aged 11–18 and currently has approximately 1,300 students on roll including a sixth form of around 300.
On 1st May 2011, Park House School became an independently run Academy. It was formerly a comprehensive school run by the West Berkshire
West Berkshire
West Berkshire is a local government district in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England, governed by a unitary authority . Its administrative capital is Newbury, located almost equidistantly between Bristol and London.-Geography:...
Education Authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
House system
The school operates a house systemHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
, whereby students are divided up into four houses (each of which are in turn split into two), which are named after traditional trees, which are then broken down into 2 tutor groups for each house per year. The tutor groups are named after Greek letters. Each House is led by a member of staff and run by Year 12 and 13 House Presidents & Vice Presidents. They are supported by House Captains from Years 10 and 11. All staff members belong to a house, as do all Sixth Formers:
| House | Subdivisions | House Head |
|---|---|---|
| Beech | Delta and Lambda | Mrs Marshall |
| Cedar | Alpha and Sigma | Miss Atkinson |
| Elm | Omega and Gamma | Miss Hutchings |
| Oak | Theta and Beta | Miss Weeks |
The houses were previously named after rivers and were Kennet, Lambourne, Loddon and Embourne.
Facilities
The main library and sixth form libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
are situated together in a central area of the school. Both include private study areas. The school has a book stock of over 12,000 items, which is supplemented with a regular exchange of books from the Berkshire Education Library Service. There is also a wide range of periodicals and multimedia facilities. There are about 210 computers situated in different areas all with internet access. The school is also a member of Newbury Library which facilitates inter-library loaning.
Location
The school site is situated on an extensive area of former parkland on the Andover Road, a residential area of Newbury in West BerkshireWest Berkshire
West Berkshire is a local government district in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England, governed by a unitary authority . Its administrative capital is Newbury, located almost equidistantly between Bristol and London.-Geography:...
.
Sports College Status
The school was designated as a Specialist Sports CollegeSports College
Sports Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, PE, sports and dance. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Sports...
in 1998 – one of the first wave of schools to achieve this status. It is and will remain the only Sports College in the Local Education Authority. As part of the government push to fund facilities of Sports Colleges, Park House received funding for an AstroTurf
AstroTurf
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 floodlights
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
.
Notable alumni
- Tom CroftTom CroftTom Croft, born 7 November 1985 in Basingstoke, England, is a rugby union player for Leicester Tigers in the Aviva Premiership.-Background:Croft's best position is blindside flanker, but he can fill in at openside flanker , and lock...
, rugby union player for England and the British Lions - Toby RadfordToby RadfordToby Alexander Radford is a Welsh cricket coach, cricketer and cricket administrator.The son of a Welsh journalist Brian Radford, Toby represented Middlesex , Sussex and Berkshire as an right-handed opening batsman and an occasional off-spinner in fourteen first-class matches and six List A...
, cricketer, cricket coach - Sam TillenSam TillenSamuel Lee "Sam" Tillen is an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Brentford. He joined Icelandic club Fram in 2008....
, Footballer - Joe TillenJoe TillenJoseph Edward "Joe" Tillen is an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for MK Dons. A winger, he joined Icelandic club Fram in 2008....
, Footballer - Martyn AshtonMartyn AshtonMartyn Ashton is a mountain bike trials rider and team manager. He has been riding professional trials since 1993 and is often described as a mountain biking legend. He has been credited with turning it from a niche form of riding into the sport it is today.-Biography:Ashton started out as a...
, Mountain Biking
External links
- [www.parkhouse.westberks.org Park House School website]