Rossett School to meet parents to discuss sixth form merger concerns

Rossett School leaders are to meet parents next week to discuss concerns about the sixth form merger with Harrogate Grammar School.

Students planning to join Rossett sixth form in autumn were informed last week they will be taught at nearby Harrogate Grammar School instead. Current Rossett sixth form students are unaffected.

The move took pupils and parents by surprise, with some questioning why they weren’t consulted and unhappy at the potential disruption.

About 65 Rossett students will be affected and school leaders held a media briefing yesterday to provide more details about the merger and the reasoning behind it. They revealed:

Richard Sheriff, chief executive of the trust, said collaborative sixth forms were a proven model in Harrogate, citing St Aidan’s Church of England High School and St John Fisher Catholic High School.

Mr Sheriff added there had been a long-term vision for Rossett and Harrogate Grammar School to collaborate more closely and the merger would not only achieve this but also improve education for students.

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He said better children’s outcomes was the main driver for change but acknowledged cost was also “absolutely part of this”.

Rossett’s income, which is based on student numbers, has decreased significantly in recent years due to pupil numbers falling by roughly a third from 1,500 to 1,000.

Mr Sheriff said the decline in pupil numbers was due to fewer students from Leeds attending because of higher bus fares and improved schools in Leeds as well as Rossett’s ‘requires improvement’ rating by schools inspector Ofsted.

He said the Ofsted assessment “weighed heavily” on Rossett and the merger would demonstrate the school’s commitment to improve.

Mr Sheriff added building a new joint sixth form building was a long-term dream. He said:

“It’s hard for any school to survive on their own these days. It’s not a safe place to be.”

‘We have to be realistic’

Rossett consulted with governors about the merger but not parents — why not? Mr Sheriff said:

“What would we do with the outcome of the consultation if parents said ‘we’d like to keep things as they are’?

“If we did that the school would be bankrupt next year. We have to be realistic and genuine with parents.”

Harrogate Grammar School

Tim Milburn, who will formally take up the headteacher’s role at Rossett in September after previously being deputy headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, hopes next week’s meeting will reassure parents. He said:

“There’s been some questions and concerns but we have tried to respond to them quickly.

“The news will have come as a shock and we acknowledge there are concerns but we have thought long and hard about how we can make the best provision for children. We want Rossett to be a thriving, growing school again.”

What about special needs students that might be particularly anxious about the unwanted change of environment?

Pete Saunders, the current acting headteacher at Rossett, said:

“In that scenario, special educational needs co-ordinators will get together with parents and students and discuss what provision they need to make the transition successfully.”

Mr Saunders added another advantage of the move is that Rossett sixth formers will be able to take advantage of Harrogate Grammar School’s broader curriculum, which includes subjects such as medical science that otherwise would not be available.

Tim Milburn appointed headteacher of Harrogate’s Rossett School

Harrogate Grammar School deputy headteacher Tim Milburn has been appointed headteacher of Rossett School.

Mr Milburn has been at HGS for nine years, initially as assistant headteacher. He previously spent four years as director of personal development at Ilkley Grammar School.

History teacher Mr Milburn is also the designated safeguarding lead for Red Kite Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust with 13 schools. Rossett is expected to be the 14th school to join the trust when final approval processes are completed this year.

The move completes a circle for Mr Milburn, who studied at Rossett and left in the 1990s. More recently he has also been helping to cover acting headteacher Pete Saunders’ paternity leave.

Mr Milburn, who takes up the post immediately, said:

“I am delighted to have been appointed Rossett School’s fifth headteacher and I would like to thank the governing body for entrusting me with this privileged position.

“I have been fortunate to have already spent a lot of time in school, getting to know staff and students, and have been made to feel so welcome. This time in school has allowed me to see, first hand, the dedication, commitment and care of our staff. I have also met many students who embody the best of Rossett. They are responsible, resilient and ambitious to be the best version of themselves.

“This is a truly exciting time for the school. Rossett’s golden jubilee will allow us to celebrate a past where so many families, including my own, have been well served by the school.

“As the new headteacher I look forward to leading the next chapter of Rossett’s history, working in partnership with our families, in our pursuit of ‘success for everyone’.”

Tim Milburn has returned to the school where he studied

Richard Sheriff, chief executive of Red Kite Learning Trust, said:

“We are very proud of Mr Milburn and congratulate him for being appointed to this very exciting and important role. We are excited to be working with him as Rossett integrates into our trust and we know he will do a tremendous job in leading the talented team at Rossett.

“Mr Milburn and his team are ambitious for the school and are determined to ensure it delivers excellence for every child.”

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Meet the man aiming to restore pride and ambition at Rossett School

Taking on your first headteacher role would be a daunting prospect for any aspiring leader.

Doing so at a time of significant change and challenge in the school’s history would cause many to think twice.

Not so Pete Saunders.

The geography teacher has stepped into the top job at Rossett School on the back of a difficult time: the departure of former head Helen Woodcock, a critical Ofsted report that failed to improve on its ‘requires improvement’ rating, and questions over discipline in the school.

Nevertheless, he is ambitious about the school’s future.

“We want it to be a place of excellence, a place your children come to and they experience excellence in everything they do. We definitely have the raw materials for that.”

Mr Saunders is an experienced assistant and deputy head. Having studied at Durham University, he trained and began his career in London, and has spent 10 of his 14 teaching years in senior leadership roles.

He moved to Harrogate five years ago, returning close to his roots: he is a former pupil of Ripon Grammar School, where his father was an assistant headteacher.

Mr Saunders has been acting head at Rossett since January and says there has already been rapid progress since Ofsted visited before Christmas.

“Last half term we achieved a lot. We put a lot of focus on behaviour and attitudes – getting the basics right. That’s an on-going thing, it doesn’t get solved straight away.

“It’s a minority of children and they do face significant challenges. We have to work with them – it’s not a quick fix. Rossett is a very inclusive school and tries to support children no matter what their start in life has been.

“It’s very important to establish high standards. What we have been doing is raising the bar of the expectations. That applies to all children, not just that group.

“It’s being proud of the school you come to, wearing your uniform with pride, those sorts of things.”

As well as concerns over discipline, inspectors identified shortfalls in leadership and management, which Mr Saunders says were rectified “the day after the inspection”.

Despite the headline-grabbing problems, he believes there is much to be proud of in the report, and at Rossett more generally.

He cites the strength of the curriculum and teaching, the support for students to reach their potential, whatever that is, and the strong links with the community, as among the school’s strengths.

His favourite moments are the end-of-term presentations, when students are rewarded for their achievements. Mr Saunders describes seeing them cheer for their classmates and celebrate each other as “heartwarming”.

Rossett has the unusual assets on site of a thriving community sports centre and a huge adult education centre welcoming thousands of students through its doors each year.

Both of those are performing well, growing their numbers again after the challenges of the pandemic.

Covid is also behind a lot of the problems cited by Ofsted, Mr Saunders says.

“Some of the behaviours that the minority are displaying have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Some of the children in years 7 and 8 didn’t get an end to their primary school and it’s a key time for socialising.

“We’re teaching social norms as well as teaching the curriculum of subjects. We’re looking at how to do that most effectively, not just assuming children know how to do it.

“Nationally, there has been a huge downturn in attendance at school, especially for disadvantaged students. The impact on some parents’ perceptions of the importance of attendance has been quite big.

“We’re working with families to ensure they know how important it is and what the gaps will do to their child’s progress.”

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As well as internal changes to address its challenges, Rossett is considering a fundamental shift: joining the Red Kite Learning Trust.

The multi-academy trust includes 13 schools from North and West Yorkshire. Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett Acre Primary School and Western Primary School – all within striking distance – are already part of the family.

Its chief executive, Richard Sheriff, is full of enthusiasm about the prospect of welcoming Rossett School into the fold. He says he will be working closely with the school over the coming months:

“We hope by working together, we can do more for young people.

“It’s not an exclusive club: it’s great to work with St John Fisher, Harrogate High and St Aidan’s too. It’s about Harrogate working as one.

“Harrogate is a community. There has been too much in the past about being divisive. That’s not the way we work in education. We work in the service of children.”

Pete Saunders, acting headteacher of Rossett School, and Richard Sheriff of Red Kite Learning TrustPete Saunders, left, and Richard Sheriff

If it goes ahead, any move for Rossett to join Red Kite would not take effect until September – at the same time as a new permanent head should be beginning work.

While Mr Saunders has an eye on that opportunity, he says his priority is doing what is right by the school and its students.

“I’ve got a fantastic team of staff. Absolutely everyone has risen to the challenge. They want the best for the children here.”

He hopes those principles, determination and hard work will reassure current parents and those considering Rossett for their children in future.

“If I’m the head from September, we will not accept anything less than excellence. Parents can be confident I will not settle for anything that’s not as good as, or better than, other schools in this local area.

“We will take a real interest in your child and help them develop who they are.”

Rossett headteacher resigns amid major reorganisation

Rossett School in Harrogate has announced the resignation of its headteacher.

Helen Woodcock had been headteacher since September 2014 but had been on leave since Christmas. An Ofsted report published in January this year said the school “required improvement”. 

The developments were announced in a letter to parents from chair of governors John Hesketh, who said acting headteacher Pete Saunders will take over for the rest of the academic year.

The school has also stated its intention to join the Red Kite Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust that includes Harrogate Grammar School.

Thanking Ms Woodcock for her contribution to the school, Mr Saunders said:

“I am proud to be leading Rossett during this time of change as we work towards our aim of providing the very best education and excellent outcomes for all our students.”

Mr Saunders added that the school was excited about its plans to join the Red Kite Learning Trust — Rossett School was one of the founder members of the Red Kite Alliance nearly 14 years ago, which was the starting point for the trust.

Mr Saunders said:

“We look forward to being part of such a strong family of schools to share our resources and expertise, and create fantastic opportunities for our students and our staff. We have no doubt that this will be a great match for both our school and the trust that will support us to achieve the excellence we strive for.”

Acting headteacher Pete Saunders

Mr Saunders will be supported in his role by Richard Sheriff and Matthew West from the Red Kite Learning Trust.

Mr Sheriff is a National Leader of Education and chief executive of the RKLT, and Mr West is an Ofsted inspector and principal of Temple Moor High School in Leeds.

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The letter to parents included a statement from Ms Woodcock in which she described Rossett as “a very special place”.

She said:

“It is a truly inclusive comprehensive school which supports all students to realise their potential, regardless of their background or the challenges in the personal lives.

“I have been privileged over the years to lead a committed and professional body of staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure that each and every student receives the highest quality of teaching and support through some of the most challenging years we have seen in education nationally.”

Mr Hesketh added: “This is only the start of our journey to being recognised as a truly outstanding school.”