Established 1958 Religion Roman Catholic Chair of Governors Mr P Davies Phone +44 1423 887254 Number of students 1,450 | Type Voluntary aided school Headteacher Mr R Pritchard Motto Educating for life Founded 1958 | |
Location Hookstone Drive
Harrogate
North Yorkshire
HG2 8PT
England Address Hookstone Dr, Harrogate HG2 8PT, UK Similar St Aidan's C of E High School, Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett School, Harrogate High School, Wetherby High School Profiles | ||
St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, is an 11–19 Catholic comprehensive school. It has developed steadily during the past 50 years and has around 1450 pupils.
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The school is set in 22 acres (8.9 ha) on the south side of Harrogate and skirted by Hookstone Wood.
History
The school buildings were first built in 1903 to hold a Catholic convent school under the Society of the Holy Child Jesus which moved from a building on Clarence Drive near Valley Gardens. The school was founded in 1958 on the site that is now the Area Education Office within the Harrogate High School campus. The school outgrew its facilities and moved to its current site on Hookstone Drive - using the buildings of the convent school although many nuns remained for some time to teach. The sisters of the Order of the Holy Child no longer teach at the school but maintain a convent over the road.
Buildings and grounds
Part of the site is made up of the original stone buildings of the convent. The science and technology building (along with the current school hall) was built in 1978 and is of a concrete construction. A sports hall of breeze block construction has been opened since to the rear of the buildings. Because much of the site was not purpose built as a school, much of the main buildings are unsuitable for modern educational use, this has led to a number of portable buildings and prefabricated cabins being built in the grounds. The school has large playing fields to the rear of the site which back onto Hookstone Woods. The school was ranked 20th in the country for public school GCSE results in 2014
In 2001 the school gained Specialist Arts Status, the first school of its type in North Yorkshire and opened the 'Keelan Centre' (named after the former headteacher, Terry Keelan), a new building linking the existing school and the school sports hall. This facility included a new dance and drama studio along with a new music block.
In September 2016 a new astro-turf pitch began construction after the school received funding from the FA. This is expected to be completed in early 2017.
Sixth form
The school forms part of an associated sixth form with St. Aidan's Church of England High School.