Joseph Rowntree School

Admissions

The school is just north of Huntington, close to the A1237 bypass, the Foss Walk, and the River Foss. The school has a sixth form. It became a specialist technology college in 1998. JRS has a friendly rivalry with Huntington School, due to the proximity of the schools and frequent participation by both in sports competition. However Joseph Rowntree typically has a lower intake of students from its catchment area than Huntington.

History

The Joseph Rowntree Village Trust maintains the model village of New Earswick, built by the Quaker organisation. It is analogous to Bournville and the Cadbury family, who were also Quakers. The village of Earswick is on the other side of the A1237 and the river, to the north-east. The primary school opened in 1912. The school was built when the area was in the North Riding Local Education Authority. It opened on 12 January 1942 to serve the Flaxton Rural District, comprising nineteen villages. It was officially opened on 7 July 1942 by Rab Butler. It had a capacity for 480, based on class sizes of 40. It was 14 acres (57,000 m²) and built in West Huntington Park. From 1944, it was proposed to make the school bi-lateral, with a technical school section of the school intake. In 2016, the school was successfully sued for £180,000 due to disabled discrimination of a former employee.

Curriculum

Hair and Beauty, Graphics, Business, Sociology, Media, Resistant Materials, Electronics, Psychology, Sport Studies, Land Studies, Computer Science, Health and Social Care and Triple Science are optional, taken only as lessons if chosen as GCSE and A-Level Courses at Key Stage 4 or Sixth Form level. English, Maths, Science, R.E and P.E are compulsory for the whole school, besides Sixth Form, while Languages, Food, Textiles, DT, Art, ICT, History, Geography, Citizenship, Music and Drama are compulsory for Key Stage 3.

Comprehensive school

The early 1970s were a period of change for the school. In 1973 the long planned raising of the school leaving age to 16 came into effect, in the same year North Riding Education Committee adopted the comprehensive system. As a result of the 1974 local government reorganisation of 1974 the school continued as a comprehensive under control of North Yorkshire County Council, with intake mainly from the Ryedale District Council catchment area. With 1973 being the first year with a full fifth form, by 1974 there were sufficient numbers for the creation of a sixth form, although initially only fourteen pupils took advantage. Five academic subjects were available with the first A Levels awarded in 1976.

Education in York was reorganised in 1985 and the school became a comprehensive. When the York bypass was built in 1985, an underpass was built for walking to Haxby from the school.

School reconstruction

Construction began on the £29m reconstruction project in September 2008, and was completed in early 2010. It was built by Carillion, with an energy efficient building with a biomass boiler and 120-seat lecture theatre. The old school was demolished and used as foundation material for a car park.

The school has a main hall, playing fields, a sport centre, and an ASD unit. Each department is called a cluster, named after a famous topic or individual corresponding to the department's subject, such as Turing, Faraday and Vaudeville.

Academic results

Results at GCSE are at the England average. In 2009 72% of students achieved 5 or more passes at GCSE A*–C. At A-level in 2009, 99% of students achieved grade A to E, 90% achieved A to C and 60% of students achieved A's or B's.

Diplomas

Joseph Rowntree School offers the Society, Health and Development diploma for young people aged 14–19.

Former students