Robert Smyth School
Encyclopedia
The Robert Smyth School is a school
in Market Harborough
, Leicestershire
, England
for 14-19 year olds. It is situated in the north of the town, on Burnmill Road, close to St Luke's hospital.
of the City of London
. In 1607 he founded Market Harborough Grammar School. The building still exists in the Market Place. For the first 150 years, it was only open to boys who were of the Anglican
faith. In 1909, Leicestershire County Council built a new school, called the County Grammar School of Edward VII
, on the present location on Burnmill Road. In 1944, the school fees were stopped and it became known as Market Harborough Grammar School. In 1978, it became Robert Smyth School.
It used to be known as Market Harborough Upper School, being one of the few remaining upper school
s in England. It is one of two secondary schools in the Harborough district, the other being Lutterworth College
. They both consistently get some of the best exam results in Leicestershire. The middle school in the town is the Welland Park School
, to the south of the town.
With around 100 staff and more than 1300 students, it provides a comprehensive education for students in Key Stage 4
(KS4), for GCSE and Post-16 (A-levels). It is a Technology College
and has been awarded both an Investors in People
award and an Artsmark
Gold award. In 2006 a successful application was put forward for the school to become a dual status technology/arts college. The catchment area of the school covers both the town of Market Harborough itself and the surrounding South Leicestershire villages, primarily Kibworth
, Fleckney
, Great Glen
, King's Norton
, Foxton
, the Langtons, Gumley and Laughton.
consisting of four 'houses' Bragg, Moseley, Wartnaby and Pickering. The houses are named after historical figures from the town and are mainly in existence for administrative purposes (main school lessons are timetabled by house group and house assemblies are held weekly) but inter-house sports are also popular activities. Two Year 12 students from each house are nominated by staff annually to become school prefects and each house has a number of house prefects depending on the intake that year. The school also has a school council which consists of about 20 students from each house, two of which go forward to board meetings. The school council are students who want to make the school a better place for the students and suggest positive changes for the school. The school council also has a MySpace
account for students to provide suggestions..
There were previously three houses (Wartnaby, Bragg and Hammond) and students were divided into house determined by the area that the student lived within the catchment ares - Bragg for the centre of Market Harborough, Wartnaby for the outlying villages and the other for the in between area.
Each house is split into tutor groups of 20 to 30 students, from all four school year groups. This arrangement of vertical tutoring was put into place in the academic year 2005/6, as per the suggestion of Colin Dean, and it was hoped it would encourage peer mentoring and a greater sense of school community. Forms meet daily and take part in activities such as organising assemblies.
as it's commonly known is housed in the 'Sixth Form Centre', a separate building to the lower school, providing a cafeteria
, computer suite and quiet work areas. Sixth form lessons are held throughout the school. This building has a few classrooms, but the majority of sixth form classes are still taught in the main buildings in the school.
Both sixth form and main school students have access to the Studyzone, which contains a library and small number of computers. Lower school students have a separate canteen, situated a short distance from the main building and refreshments are also provided through a bar (open at all times) in the main school hall and through a hatch in the external wall of the sixth form canteen at break and lunchtimes. Main school students are not permitted to set foot in the 6th form centre but often do for many reasons.
, Leicester Mercury
and a radio interview that took place on BBC Radio Leicester
.
For those who are in year 10 and 11, there is a dress code. The school provides T-Shirts and Jumpers with the school badge. However, students can wear a white polo shirt, a shirt with a collar, or a plain black jumper. Black trousers must be worn, and there has been a recent crackdown on girls wearing plain black skinny jeans. Also, girls can wear knee-length black skirts, with either black or flesh-coloured tights. Black shoes are to be worn. And only studs can be worn in the ears, not dangly earrings.
and table tennis
, has been converted into a performing arts hall - "The Max", named after governor Maxwell Corney (to the distress of many pupils, the school decided against calling the new hall 'the Corney'). This has a highly flexible format with space for dancing classes, acting, and small offset theory classrooms. A new/extended sports centre has been built adjacent to the existing one (in which indoor football, netball
, basketball
and other sports can be played) to modernise the sports facilities at the school. There is also a large school field, on which football, hockey
and rugby
are played, an outdoor basketball court and two tennis
courts. The library offers the usual reference facilities plus a thriving lunch time chess club. The school has a number of IT rooms, all networked with internet access and several science labs.
The school recently celebrated its 400th anniversary with a weekend of special events. On Saturday 19 May 2007, there was an evening meal in which deputy head Philip Pope's band performed. Whilst on the following Sunday, the 20th, there were many tours around the school.
There is also an introduction about the school, from Colin Dean, on a different page.
The school's online magazine, RS Magazine, is found on a separate site and features a diverse range of articles varying from critical student insights into school life to very comical and often highly incredulous short stories.
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
in Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, 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...
for 14-19 year olds. It is situated in the north of the town, on Burnmill Road, close to St Luke's hospital.
History
Around 1570, Robert Smith, from the town, walked to London. By 1598, he had become comptrollerComptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. In 1607 he founded Market Harborough Grammar School. The building still exists in the Market Place. For the first 150 years, it was only open to boys who were of the Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
faith. In 1909, Leicestershire County Council built a new school, called the County Grammar School of Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, on the present location on Burnmill Road. In 1944, the school fees were stopped and it became known as Market Harborough Grammar School. In 1978, it became Robert Smyth School.
It used to be known as Market Harborough Upper School, being one of the few remaining upper school
Upper school
Upper Schools tend to be schools within secondary education. Outside England, the term normally refers to a section of a larger school. There is some variation in the use of the term in England.-State Maintained Schools:...
s in England. It is one of two secondary schools in the Harborough district, the other being Lutterworth College
Lutterworth College
Lutterworth College is a large 14–19 non-selective Upper School with a fully comprehensive intake, situated in the rural market town of Lutterworth in district of Harborough in the South Leicestershire countryside. A Specialist Technology and Applied Learning College and Church of England Voluntary...
. They both consistently get some of the best exam results in Leicestershire. The middle school in the town is the Welland Park School
Welland Park School
Welland Park Community College, or Welland Park School as it is better known is a secondary school in Market Harborough, Leicestershire for students aged 11 to 14. The school holds specialist Technology College status.-School history:...
, to the south of the town.
With around 100 staff and more than 1300 students, it provides a comprehensive education for students in Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4 is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other exams, in maintained schools in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland—normally known as Year 10 and Year 11 in England and Wales, and Year 11 and Year 12 in Northern Ireland, when pupils are...
(KS4), for GCSE and Post-16 (A-levels). It is a Technology College
Technology 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...
and has been awarded both an Investors in People
Investors in People
Launched in 1991 Investors in People is a business improvement tool administered by UK Commission for Employment and Skills and supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ....
award and an Artsmark
Artsmark
Artsmark 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. In 2006 a successful application was put forward for the school to become a dual status technology/arts college. The catchment area of the school covers both the town of Market Harborough itself and the surrounding South Leicestershire villages, primarily Kibworth
Kibworth
Kibworth is an area of the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, that contains two civil parishes—the villages of Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt . According to the 2001 census, Kibworth Beauchamp has a population of 3,798, and Kibworth Harcourt has a population of 990. The two...
, Fleckney
Fleckney
Fleckney is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, EnglandThe village appeared in the Domesday Book, and was a farming community until the 19th century, which saw development of industry, first bricks and then later hosiery.The population increased after the...
, Great Glen
Great Glen, Leicestershire
Great Glen , also known as Glen Magna, is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, about seven miles south-east of Leicester. Its name comes from the original Iron Age settlers who used the Celtic word glennos meaning valley, and comes from the fact that Great Glen lies in part of the...
, King's Norton
King's Norton, Leicestershire
Kings Norton is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated to the east of Leicester, and about 2½ miles south-west of Billesdon. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 69.- Church :...
, Foxton
Foxton, Leicestershire
thumb|Foxton parish churchFoxton is a village in Leicestershire, England, to the north-west of Market Harborough. It is on the Grand Union Canal and is the site of the Foxton Locks and Foxton Inclined Plane.-External links:****...
, the Langtons, Gumley and Laughton.
Houses and Forms
The school is the largest in Market HarboroughMarket Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
consisting of four 'houses' Bragg, Moseley, Wartnaby and Pickering. The houses are named after historical figures from the town and are mainly in existence for administrative purposes (main school lessons are timetabled by house group and house assemblies are held weekly) but inter-house sports are also popular activities. Two Year 12 students from each house are nominated by staff annually to become school prefects and each house has a number of house prefects depending on the intake that year. The school also has a school council which consists of about 20 students from each house, two of which go forward to board meetings. The school council are students who want to make the school a better place for the students and suggest positive changes for the school. The school council also has a MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
account for students to provide suggestions..
There were previously three houses (Wartnaby, Bragg and Hammond) and students were divided into house determined by the area that the student lived within the catchment ares - Bragg for the centre of Market Harborough, Wartnaby for the outlying villages and the other for the in between area.
Each house is split into tutor groups of 20 to 30 students, from all four school year groups. This arrangement of vertical tutoring was put into place in the academic year 2005/6, as per the suggestion of Colin Dean, and it was hoped it would encourage peer mentoring and a greater sense of school community. Forms meet daily and take part in activities such as organising assemblies.
Sixth form
Post-16, or sixth formSixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
as it's commonly known is housed in the 'Sixth Form Centre', a separate building to the lower school, providing a cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
, computer suite and quiet work areas. Sixth form lessons are held throughout the school. This building has a few classrooms, but the majority of sixth form classes are still taught in the main buildings in the school.
Both sixth form and main school students have access to the Studyzone, which contains a library and small number of computers. Lower school students have a separate canteen, situated a short distance from the main building and refreshments are also provided through a bar (open at all times) in the main school hall and through a hatch in the external wall of the sixth form canteen at break and lunchtimes. Main school students are not permitted to set foot in the 6th form centre but often do for many reasons.
Dress Code
In Sixth Form, students are free to dress as they please, although are requested to make appropriate choices and avoid extremes of fashion. In the past, shorts for Sixth Form boys were not permitted, but this rule has since been relaxed to allow the wearing of tailored shorts, but only when the school decides to let them (currently, this seems to be whenever year 11 are not in school i.e. during exam leave). The wearing of shorts by Sixth Form boys and, as of 2009, girls, has proved contentious at the school. Following a letter sent in to the local newspaper by Oliver Langmead, a sixth form student, media interest has arisen, with articles appearing in the Harborough MailHarborough Mail
The Harborough Mail is a weekly newspaper which serves Market Harborough and the surrounding area. There are two versions, one of which covers the Lutterworth area in more detail, entitled the...
, Leicester Mercury
Leicester Mercury
The Leicester Mercury is a British regional newspaper, owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust, for the city of Leicester and the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland...
and a radio interview that took place on BBC Radio Leicester
BBC Radio Leicester
BBC Radio Leicester is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. The station broadcasts from studios in Leicester on 104.9 FM, on DAB, and via the BBC iPlayer.-History:...
.
For those who are in year 10 and 11, there is a dress code. The school provides T-Shirts and Jumpers with the school badge. However, students can wear a white polo shirt, a shirt with a collar, or a plain black jumper. Black trousers must be worn, and there has been a recent crackdown on girls wearing plain black skinny jeans. Also, girls can wear knee-length black skirts, with either black or flesh-coloured tights. Black shoes are to be worn. And only studs can be worn in the ears, not dangly earrings.
Facilities
Other notable facilities of the school are The Main Hall - an assembly hall, in which assemblies are held, as well as concerts, proms and other large scale events. The Old Gym, which previously allowed students can take part in activities such as trampolineTrampoline
A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes....
and table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
, has been converted into a performing arts hall - "The Max", named after governor Maxwell Corney (to the distress of many pupils, the school decided against calling the new hall 'the Corney'). This has a highly flexible format with space for dancing classes, acting, and small offset theory classrooms. A new/extended sports centre has been built adjacent to the existing one (in which indoor football, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and other sports can be played) to modernise the sports facilities at the school. There is also a large school field, on which football, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
are played, an outdoor basketball court and two tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts. The library offers the usual reference facilities plus a thriving lunch time chess club. The school has a number of IT rooms, all networked with internet access and several science labs.
Events
The school holds a number of expressive arts events each year – an annual dramatic production, a rock concert involving local bands whose members attend the school, an annual Leavers’ Concert and concerts in the Spring and Christmas involving all school ensembles. Every year the CAIRS (Charitable Action In Robert Smyth) committee organises the CAIRS concert – which is a talent showcase and usually involves singers, dancers, musicians and sometimes drama or stand up comedy. The proceeds of this, as with all activities organised by CAIRS, are split between a number of nominated charities.The school recently celebrated its 400th anniversary with a weekend of special events. On Saturday 19 May 2007, there was an evening meal in which deputy head Philip Pope's band performed. Whilst on the following Sunday, the 20th, there were many tours around the school.
Website
The school's website recently went under construction and its new look was unveiled in June 2007. It now has more information and a friendlier appeal. On the opening couple of weeks of the new website, headteacher Colin Dean had written the following statement talking about the redesigning:
As you will have noticed if you’ve visited before, our website has been redesigned. Part of this development involves a greater emphasis on you, the users of the site. Over the summer months new features will be added, partly prompted by you if you submit your ideas using the form below. Students should be a central part of any development within school so we’re particularly keen to hear your ideas. It’s your school and your school website; make your voice! - Colin Dean
There is also an introduction about the school, from Colin Dean, on a different page.
The school's online magazine, RS Magazine, is found on a separate site and features a diverse range of articles varying from critical student insights into school life to very comical and often highly incredulous short stories.
Alumni
- Martin Johnson - manager of the England rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teamEngland national rugby union teamThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. - Allison PearsonAllison PearsonAllison Pearson is a Welsh author and newspaper columnist. Her novel I Don't Know How She Does It, published in 2002, has sold four million copies and has been made into a movie of the same name starring Sarah Jessica Parker...
(née Judith Lobbett) - Daily MailDaily MailThe Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
columnist - Matthew Cornwell - Northampton Saints player, Ex Exeter player, Ex Leicester Tigers player and England U21 Captain
- Dan Cole (rugby union)Dan Cole (rugby union)Dan Cole is an English rugby union player who plays at prop for Leicester Tigers in the Aviva Premiership.-Club career:Cole's first team début came in the October 2007 EDF Energy Cup pool match against Bath...
- Leicester Tigers player and England Saxon
Market Harborough Grammar School
- Sir William Henry BraggWilliam Henry BraggSir William Henry Bragg OM, KBE, PRS was a British physicist, chemist, mathematician and active sportsman who uniquely shared a Nobel Prize with his son William Lawrence Bragg - the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics...
KBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Nobel prizeNobel Prize in PhysicsThe Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
-winning physicist and inventor of the X-ray spectrometerX-ray spectroscopyX-ray spectroscopy is a gathering name for several spectroscopic techniques for characterization of materials by using x-ray excitation.-Characteristic X-ray Spectroscopy:... - Marshal of the Royal Air ForceMarshal of the Royal Air ForceMarshal of the Royal Air Force is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff, and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff, who were promoted to it on their last day of service. Promotions to the rank have ceased...
Sir Keith WilliamsonKeith WilliamsonMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Keith Alec Williamson, GCB, AFC , is a retired senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He was Chief of the Air Staff from 1982 to 1985.-RAF career:...
(1939–44) Chief of the Air Staff 1982-5 - Prof Rosemary Cramp CBE (1940-7), Professor of Archaeology, University of Durham (1971–90)