The Elizabethan High School
Encyclopedia
The Elizabethan High School, alongside Retford Oaks High School
and St Giles Special School, is one of three secondary schools in the Nottinghamshire
market town of Retford
. The school has specialist status in Science
and Mathematics.
, on the side of the River Idle
once known as West Retford.
achieves results above the average for England.
In terms of academic performance, the Elizabethan is the highest performing of the two schools in Retford, with above average GCSEs. A-levels results at slightly below the average for England, though above average for the Local Authority. The results are good for a school in Bassetlaw
, which is one of the lowest performing districts in Nottinghamshire
.
in its latest inspection in May 2011. This was an improvement from its previous rating of "satisfactory" in 2008.
, also known as Retford County high School for Girls in the 1950s. The analogous boys' school was the King Edward VI Grammar school (now part of Retford Oaks High School
). In 1940, 180 girls from Great Yarmouth High School for Girls were evacuated to Retford, and joined the school. They stayed until September 1944. The school on Pelham Road had around 400 girls in the 1950s and 1960s. The former site is to become a Nottingham County Council property. It was off Queen Street, the road leading from the A620 Babworth
Road to Retford railway station
, in the area known as West Field close to the East Coast Main Line
.
on Hallcroft Road became the new school's Lower Site and the Retford Girls' High School became the school's Upper Site, next to the Chesterfield Canal
.
Whilst split across two sites, years 7 and 8 were taught at the Lower Site and years 9 through 13 at the Upper Site. To facilitate this arrangement, staff travelled between the sites during the school day, although the students remained on a single site.
were replaced. This project culminated in 2006 with the school being relocated to a purpose built building, not far from the former Lower Site, on the school's playing fields. This new building replaced the split site arrangement with a single site and moved the Post 16 provisions to new Sixth Form centre jointly run with other schools.
Retford Oaks High School
Retford Oaks High School is a comprehensive school in the market town of Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, situated in the coal-mining district of Bassetlaw.-Admissions:...
and St Giles Special School, is one of three secondary schools in the Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
market town of Retford
Retford
Retford is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, located 31 miles from the city of Nottingham, and 23 miles west of Lincoln, in the district of Bassetlaw. The town is situated in a valley with the River Idle and the Chesterfield Canal running through the centre of the...
. The school has specialist status in Science
Science College
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics...
and Mathematics.
Admissions
It is situated to the north of Retford town centre, to the east of the A638A638 road
The A638 is a main road in England that runs between the A1 at Markham Moor in Nottinghamshire and Chain Bar Junction 26 of the M62 motorway south of Bradford in West Yorkshire....
, on the side of the River Idle
River Idle
The River Idle is a river in Nottinghamshire, England. Its source is the confluence of the River Maun and River Meden, near Markham Moor. From there, it flows north through Retford and Bawtry before entering the River Trent at Stockwith near Misterton...
once known as West Retford.
Facilities
Modern facilities were provided for the school as part of the PFI scheme which saw the rebuilding of secondary schools across Bassetlaw. PE facilities are largely provided as part of the new site, in contrast to former provisions at the previous sites. Modern ICT facilities including building-wide wireless coverage, mobile laptop trolleys, six permanent ICT teaching rooms and interactive white boards.Headteachers
- Ms Lynn Kenworthy (formally Lynn French) (September 2004 – Present)
- Mr Bob Hopley
- Mr Don Wilcox
Academic performance
GCSE results have improved steadily over recent years and, as of 2010, 80% of GCSE students achieve 5A* to C grades, with 53% achieving 5A*-C grades including English and Mathematics, exceeding the national average of 48.9%. The school's Post 16 centre, run jointly with Retford Oaks High SchoolRetford Oaks High School
Retford Oaks High School is a comprehensive school in the market town of Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, situated in the coal-mining district of Bassetlaw.-Admissions:...
achieves results above the average for England.
In terms of academic performance, the Elizabethan is the highest performing of the two schools in Retford, with above average GCSEs. A-levels results at slightly below the average for England, though above average for the Local Authority. The results are good for a school in Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw is the northernmost district of Nottinghamshire, England, with a population according to the 2001 UK census of 107,713. The borough is predominantly rural, with two towns: Worksop, site of the borough offices, and Retford...
, which is one of the lowest performing districts in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
.
Ofsted
The school has received a rating of "good", the second highest rating, from OfstedOfsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
in its latest inspection in May 2011. This was an improvement from its previous rating of "satisfactory" in 2008.
Grammar school
The Retford High School for Girls was a girls' grammar schoolGrammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, also known as Retford County high School for Girls in the 1950s. The analogous boys' school was the King Edward VI Grammar school (now part of Retford Oaks High School
Retford Oaks High School
Retford Oaks High School is a comprehensive school in the market town of Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, situated in the coal-mining district of Bassetlaw.-Admissions:...
). In 1940, 180 girls from Great Yarmouth High School for Girls were evacuated to Retford, and joined the school. They stayed until September 1944. The school on Pelham Road had around 400 girls in the 1950s and 1960s. The former site is to become a Nottingham County Council property. It was off Queen Street, the road leading from the A620 Babworth
Babworth
Babworth is a village and civil parish in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England, about 1½ miles west of Retford. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,329...
Road to Retford railway station
Retford railway station
Retford railway station serves the town of Retford in Nottinghamshire, England. and is 223 km north of London Kings Cross and 28 km south of Doncaster on the East Coast Main Line...
, in the area known as West Field close to the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
.
Comprehensive
The School was first created in September 1979, following a reorganisation of the secondary schools in Retford. At this time the former Hallcroft Girls' secondary modern schoolSecondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
on Hallcroft Road became the new school's Lower Site and the Retford Girls' High School became the school's Upper Site, next to the Chesterfield Canal
Chesterfield Canal
The Chesterfield Canal is in the north of England and it is known locally as 'Cuckoo Dyke'. It was opened in 1777 and ran 46 miles from the River Trent at West Stockwith, Nottinghamshire to Chesterfield, Derbyshire...
.
Whilst split across two sites, years 7 and 8 were taught at the Lower Site and years 9 through 13 at the Upper Site. To facilitate this arrangement, staff travelled between the sites during the school day, although the students remained on a single site.
New building
As part of the Bassetlaw PFI project, the school buildings in RetfordRetford
Retford is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, located 31 miles from the city of Nottingham, and 23 miles west of Lincoln, in the district of Bassetlaw. The town is situated in a valley with the River Idle and the Chesterfield Canal running through the centre of the...
were replaced. This project culminated in 2006 with the school being relocated to a purpose built building, not far from the former Lower Site, on the school's playing fields. This new building replaced the split site arrangement with a single site and moved the Post 16 provisions to new Sixth Form centre jointly run with other schools.
Newsletter
The school produces a termly newsletter, The Elizabethan Highlights, which is distributed to current students and other interested parties.Retford High School for Girls
- Tess Alps, Chief Executive since 2007 of ThinkboxThinkboxThinkbox is the marketing body for the main UK commercial TV broadcasters - Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media, and Turner Media Innovations. UKTV joined Thinkbox in January 2011. Its aim is to work with the UK marketing community to help customers get the best out of television in all its forms...
(Head Girl from 1971-2) - Kathryn Riddle, High Sheriff of South YorkshireHigh Sheriff of South YorkshireThe High Sheriff of South Yorkshire is a current High Sheriff title which has existed since 1974, the holder is changed annually every March.For around 1,000 years the entire area of Yorkshire was covered by a single High Sheriff of Yorkshire. After the Local Government Act 1972 the title was split...
from 1998-9, and Chairman since 2006 of the Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health AuthorityNHS Yorkshire and the HumberNHS Yorkshire and the Humber is a strategic health authority of the National Health Service in England. It operates in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, which is coterminous with the local government office region....