Brigshaw High School

History

The school was opened in September 1972 with only 3 buildings, the main block, music and the sports block. In the first academic year, the school consisted of a first and second year from feeder schools and additional pupils from Sherburn High School. The first headmaster was a Mr Rollinson. The school's first musical production, 'The Boyfriend' was performed in 1978 followed by 'Oliver' in 1979. A new block, 'De-Lacy', was built in the mid-1980s to cope with school growth. Much of the school's main block was gutted by an arson fire in April 2000. Another eletrical fire in 2003 destroyed the sports block. In September 2004 the school became a specialist Language College as part of the UK's Specialist schools programme. Feeder schools include: Colton Primary School, Swillington Primary School, Great and Little Preston Primary School, Kippax North Junior and Infant School, Allerton Bywater Primary, Methley Primary schools, Kippax Ash Tree Primary school and Kippax Greenfields Primary school.

Federation

The schools in the Brigshaw Federation have worked closely over recent years. Eight of the schools in the Federation formally consulted on establishing a shared 'Trust' for the partnership, and achieved this on 1 April 2010.

Within the Trust are: Allerton Bywater Primary School; Brigshaw High School; Great Preston C of E Primary School; Kippax Greenfields Primary School; Kippax North Junior and Infants School; Kippax Ash Tree Primary School; Lady Elizabeth Hastings C of E Primary School; and Swillington Primary School.

Silkstone

The main building was destroyed by an arson fire in April 2000. It was rebuilt during 2002 at a cost of £8 million and opened in December 2002. It was renamed Silkstone after a coal face located underneath the school.

Sports hall

After the 2003 fire the sports hall was rebuilt in July 2005 at a cost of £2.5 million. The new sports facility includes a gym, a running track, football and rugby fields and indoor tennis and basketball courts and a bike track. Faults were found with the sports hall water system, and tests revealed evidence of Legionellosis in the water dispensed at drinking fountains.

Music

The music center is the only building left which remains from the original 1972 construction. Also in 2011 it has been updated with new Windows and a new state of the art music technology computer suite.

Curriculum

Brigshaw is a Language College. In year seven the 'Y' side of the year studies German and the 'X' side studies French. When pupils reach year eight they learn Spanish as well as German and French. Since 2005 some pupils have been fast tracked to take GCSE German and French two years earlier than typical; after completing language GCSE early they can choose between Spanish GCSE, or Japanese as a non-GCSE course.

In Year 10 pupils choose three 'pathway' subjects from Drama, Media, Business, ICT, Cooking, Electronics, Art, Music, Woodwork, Graphics, Textiles, Geography, History, P.E., Health and Social, and Metalwork. Some of these courses can be taken to BTEC level, where only coursework is carried out and no exams held.

In addition to the three chosen options there are compulsory subjects: English, Mathematics and Science, one or two languages (Spanish, German, French, Japanese or Russian) PHSE, RE and Basic P.E.

Prime Minister's Global Fellowship

School pupils have gained places on the Prime Minister's Global Fellowship programme, the first in the inaugural year of the programme, 2008, and again in 2009.

David Cameron

On the 9th June 2016, David Cameron came to Brigshaw to tell students and staff about the EU Referendum, as part of his trail.