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.”

Read more:

• Rossett headteacher resigns amid major reorganisation
• Ripon Grammar School rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

A plan has been submitted to install 32 solar panels on Coppice Valley Primary School in Harrogate.

Red Kite Learning Trust, which runs the school, has lodged the plan with North Yorkshire Council.

It would see the panels installed on the school’s roof to generate 13.6 kwp of renewable energy. 

In documents submitted to the council, the trust said it felt the panels would help to enhance the character of the building.

It said:

“It is considered that the proposed solar panels would be complementary to the character of the building. 

“The visual appearance of the solar panels on the roofed area is considered appropriate for the school building, thereby enhancing the visionary appearance of the site as an up-to-date centre for learning, creating responsible citizens for tomorrow’s world with an appreciation for their surroundings and a duty of care for the environment. 

“It is considered that the panels could have a positive impact on the character of the building and no overall detrimental impact on the surrounding area.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

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• Harrogate district villagers demonstrate against 73-home scheme

Harrogate’s Rossett School has begun its search for a new headteacher.

Its current acting head, Pete Saunders, has been in post since January after the departure of Helen Woodcock, following a second consecutive Ofsted inspection which rated the school ‘requires improvement’.

The school is aiming to appoint a new permanent headteacher to begin in September. Its recruitment pack said:

“Harrogate is changing rapidly, with lots of new housing and a younger population bringing renewed energy into our community.

“There are also new challenges and although a town famous for flowers and cream teas, it also has pockets of significant deprivation and a fair share of the social issues that are prevalent in communities up and down the country.

“Our school also has its challenges and the second requires improvement judgement has accelerated our existing plans to join a multi academy trust.”

Governors have already confirmed they are hoping Rossett will join the Red Kite Learning Trust, which is already home to several local schools. Rossett School was a founding member of the Red Kite Alliance, a partnership of local schools, alongside Harrogate Grammar School.

Pete Saunders, acting headteacher of Rossett School, and Richard Sheriff, CEO of Red Kite Learning Trust

In a letter to prospective applicants for the headteacher post, chair of governors John Hesketh said:

“We have chosen to join a trust that shares our values but will also help accelerate our improvement journey and allow us to deliver success for everyone.

“We have listened carefully to the inspectors and have already made changes that have demonstrated our willingness to embrace change for the benefit of the young people we serve.

“We were delighted that inspectors judged the quality of education to be ‘good’, indeed 3 out of the 5 judgements were ‘good’. We are not complacent however and we know that there is much more to do, we are incredibly ambitious for our school.”

Salary up to £95,000

The school’s advert said it is looking for a new head who is “determined and ambitious for every child”, with the highest ethical standards. Professional generosity and kindness are also required, along with a willingness to pull together and to be creative in finding solutions.

As well as experience as a headteacher or deputy, the application pack said the successful candidate will have an “impressive” record of teaching in the classroom.

In line with national pay scales. the school said the new headteacher can expect a salary between £86,040 and £94,898, though it is open to negotiation. Should the school expand as the local population increases, the application pack said this could increase.

Mr Hesketh’s letter added:

“We can offer you the chance to lead a school at a really exciting time, a period when change is desired and where you can make a real difference as a leader.

“Within the trust you will have the support and opportunities you need to help achieve your goals. The trust describes its role as ‘helping you make our schools brilliant’, they don’t put limits on how high you can fly, they just want you to fly safely and sustainably.

“Support also means looking after your wellbeing and ensuring you can enjoy your leadership role and your life beyond the school gates. You will need time to discover and enjoy our glorious Yorkshire countryside as well as all our town and nearby city of Leeds can offer.”

Read more:

• Meet the man aiming to restore pride and ambition at Rossett School
• Headteacher of King James’s School in Knaresborough leaves after 15 years
• New permanent headteacher chosen for St Aidan’s in Harrogate

Teachers across the Harrogate district left the classrooms today as part of a series of national strikes organised by the National Education Union.

This morning, picket lines were seen outside schools including Harrogate High and Springwater in Starbeck.

Teachers from Rossett Acre Primary School formed a picket on Pannal Ash Road and received support from several passing motorists.

Year 6 teacher Timothy Marshall told the Stray Ferret the North Yorkshire secretary of the NEU had joined the picket first thing, and all the teachers were going to an official march in Leeds this afternoon.

He said:

“We were all a bit scared to be here at first, but we’re proud of what we do. We love our jobs and work incredibly hard.

“If you don’t pay teachers fairly, you have over-worked, unhappy teachers.

“I scrape to the end of the month every month, and my partner and I work full-time. I’m in a respected profession.

“Strike action is the last resort. Nobody wants to strike. I can’d afford to lose £300 this month, but that’s why I’m striking.”

A picket line outside Harrogate High School today

Mr Marshall said two non-union teachers had refused to cross the picket line this morning and five members of school support staff had joined the protest in solidarity as well.

He said he and his colleagues were striking not just to protest against a real-terms pay cut of up to 10% in recent years, but also to call for better working conditions and funding for schools.

Asked whether the strike action was justified when it resulted in more disruption for children’s education, he said:

“I would say taking the money out of school budgets impacts them more.

“I’m a teacher who needs resources. If we have to sit in assembly with the lights off, which we do, and in the staff room with the lights off, which we do, you can’t tell me this action is what is impacting schools.”

Rossett Acre Primary School is part of the Red Kite Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust with 13 member schools across North and West Yorkshire.

Its chief executive, Richard Sheriff, said many schools were taking steps to cut their fuel consumption and reduce bills, which he viewed as a sensible move amid a cost-of-living crisis. He said:

“No doubt schools are making every effort both in our trust and in every single part of the country to reduce bills.

“It’s good to hear they are making every effort to not use lights unnecessarily – the same as I do in my office.”

As a former president of the Association of School and College Leaders, he said he worked closely with unions to ensure conditions and benefits for staff were the best they could be.

However, he said, issues of funding for education were for the treasury and department for education. He added, as leader of RKLT, he was doing all he could to push the government for “fair and better funding for schools and our young people”.

Read more:

• Harrogate hospital nurses to strike again next month
• 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.”

Read more:

• Rossett headteacher resigns amid major reorganisation
• Harrogate’s Rossett School still ‘requires improvement’, says Ofsted

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, 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 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.

Read more:

• Fundraising appeals set up for Rossett students injured in Harrogate crash
• Harrogate’s Rossett School still ‘requires improvement’, says Ofsted

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.”

Mr Renton said Department for Education guidance stated schools should prioritise students taking exams and therefore pupils in years 11 and 13 would attend school as normal and either have lessons when teachers were not striking or undertake private study.

Other schools set for ‘unavoidable impact’

Harrogate Grammar School is part of Red Kite Learning Trust, which also manages Oatlands Junior School, Coppice Valley Primary School, Rossett Acre Primary School, Western Primary School in the Harrogate district.

Richard Sheriff

Red Kite chief executive Richard Sheriff sent a letter alongside Mr Renton’s saying “a very significant number of our teachers” are members of the NEU and “sadly it is unavoidable that this will have an impact on the provision we offer across our schools on the strike days”. He added:

“The impact will vary considerably from school to school, depending on the number of staff who are members of the union concerned and who decide to support the action.

“Red Kite Learning Trust is the employer for all our teachers and staff in schools, and we have received some information from the National Education Union (NEU) about how many members are in each of our schools. This information does not give us the full picture, however, as we do not know which teachers will choose to actually be on strike on the days concerned. Headteachers/principals will therefore have to cope with a high degree of uncertainty, as they plan for the strike days.”

He added:

There cannot be many families in the UK with two members whose work has been recognised by the monarch.

There may be none, so far, with two certificates signed by two different monarchs.

That rare privilege will belong to Richard Sheriff and his wife Janet, who have both now been made OBEs in recognition of their services to education.

Mr Sheriff, CEO of the Red Kite Learning Trust (RKLT) – a family of 13 schools including Harrogate Grammar School, where he was formerly head – has been included in the King’s first New Year Honours list.

He said:

“I was surprised and really delighted. I’m not one of those people that’s cynical about these things – it’s an absolute privilege.”

Though Mr Sheriff shared the news with his wife, he had not told their two sons until last night, as the list was about to be published.

A quiet toast at home with family was the planned celebration, before his schools reopen on Tuesday and normal work resumes.

However, he said, his new status has given him a change in attitude:

“You feel even more so you need to do something for it, make it look like you’re worth it. There’s a moral pressure there.

“There’s an element of embarrassment. I know so many people who are deserving of awards.

“Our chair of trustees Chris Tulley and all the trustees – they give up their time for nothing to help young people in our schools. The classroom teachers and teaching assistants, and the young people.

“The greatest thing in my job is bumping into kids I’ve taught and they tell you what they’ve been doing – and they’ve really done well. It’s just fantastic.”

Read more:

• Five Harrogate district recipients on King’s first honours list
• Harrogate Grammar School rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted

Mr Sheriff, who is the first person to have been president of the Association of School and College Leaders twice, said being able to give his time to the organisation and to other groups he has been a part of was a reflection of the support of the team around him throughout his career.

He described leading the RKLT as a privilege, bringing together people with “the same ethics and professional generosity” to ensure they delivered the best possible education.

He said:

“I’m an advocate for teaching and our profession. Anything that can put a positive light on a service that’s often seen in a dim light – a positive story about education.

“Working with young people is just brilliant and I don’t regret for a second 30-odd years of service to education.”

Awaiting a date for his investiture, Mr Sheriff reflected on attending Windsor Castle with his wife as she was awarded her honour by Princess Anne.

Mrs Sheriff – a headteacher at Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley who was made an OBE two years ago – now has her certificate on display at home.

Mr Sheriff  said:

“I took in my wife’s certificate and at the top of it, it’s signed in her own hand, ‘Elizabeth’. I looked and thought, ‘that’s a piece of history’.

“It’s absolutely wonderful. I was a huge admirer of the public service of the Queen. To have that in her own hand is very special.

“Now, alongside it, might be one signed ‘Charles’.  That’s something to pass down to our sons and then perhaps to our grandchildren. It’s quite special.

“I do appreciate it, I do feel very humbled by it, and I want to honour the honour by doing good with the time I’ve got to do it.”

Years of dedication in their fields have brought recognition for people from the Harrogate district.

The first New Year Honours List published in the reign of King Charles III features five residents from the area, each for different reasons.

Richard Sheriff, CEO of the Red Kite Learning Trust (RKLT), has been made an OBE for services to education.

The former headteacher was made head of the trust in 2018 after 11 years at Harrogate Grammar School.

RKLT now comprises 13 primary and secondary schools, including the grammar school. It became one of the first teaching school hubs in the country, while Mr Sheriff was the first person to serve two terms as president of the Association of School and College Leaders.

He remains chairman of the ASCL’s trust leaders advisory board as well as a member of the national STEM advisory board and a trustee of the professional teaching institute.

There are three recipients of MBEs in the Harrogate district.

Cyclist Lizzie Deignan, who grew up in Otley and now calls Harrogate home, appears on the list after many years of achievements.

Photograph: Trek Segafredo

She represented Team GB at two Olympic Games, winning silver in the women’s road race in London in 2012. She has triumphed in the women’s Tour de France and the UCI Women’s Road World Cup on two occasions each, and in other races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders and the Tour de Yorkshire.

The 34-year-old is now back in training after having her second child in September, and is expected to be racing for Trek-Segafredo again in 2023.

Read more:

• Harrogate district MP in line for peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours
• Harrogate drum teacher recognised in New Year Honours

Knaresborough resident Julia Skelton has been recognised for her services to charity and to the community in Bradford, through her role as executive director of Mind the Gap.

The theatre company offers training courses and live performance for people with learning disabilities and autism.

Dementia Forward CEO Jill Quinn has also been made an MBE, in recognition of her services to people with dementia across the Harrogate district.

She founded the charity in April 2012, supporting people with dementia and those caring for them. It has gone on to expand across North Yorkshire, offering an advice line, specialist dementia nursing services, and community events and groups for people with dementia and their families and carers.

The BEM has been awarded to Killinghall resident Anne Holdsworth, chair of the parish council and long-standing active volunteer in the community.

As well as almost 50 years on Killinghall Parish Council, Mrs Holdsworth has served on the village hall committee, as a governor at Killinghall Primary School, and as a member of the health authority. She has also represented the parish council at borough and county councils.

Want to know more about our local recipients of the King’s New Year Honours? Keep an eye on the Stray Ferret’s website and social media for in-depth stories and interviews tomorrow.

Harrogate Grammar School has been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

The Harrogate district’s largest school announced last night it had retained its outstanding verdict in its first full assessment for 15 years.

Ofsted has yet to publish the report but the school said in a statement that government inspectors had judged the school to be outstanding overall and in all five areas assessed: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and sixth form provision.

Inspectors described the school as “an extremely rewarding place to learn” with “an exceptional curriculum”. They added:

“Effective teaching and assessment enable pupils to learn well. This depth of knowledge is sustained from key stage 3 to the sixth form.

“Through sports, outdoor pursuits and performance opportunities, pupils develop their skills and self-confidence. Pupils are articulate and polite. They are keen to engage in discussion and debate. Teachers make sure that pupils’ views are heard.”

Ofsted described the sixth form curriculum as “exceptional”, offering students “an extensive range of subjects”. It added:

“The headteacher has built a very strong team of leaders at all levels. Leaders demonstrate clear moral purpose in their actions.

“Leaders maintain a constant focus on the safety and well-being of pupils. Pupils feel safe because of the supportive environment built by staff.”

Read more:

• Ripon Grammar boarding school rated ‘good’ by Ofsted
• St Aidan’s school in Harrogate rated’ inadequate’ by Ofsted
• Ofsted indicates Boroughbridge High School’s ‘good’ grade under threat

Headteacher ‘very proud’

Neil Renton

Headteacher Neil Renton praised students, parents, staff, governors and colleagues at Red Kite Learning Trust, which the school is a member of, for the outcome. He added:

“It makes us very proud to see the exceptional commitment that we experience every day from our community, being recognised in this way.”

Six inspectors visited Harrogate Grammar over two days last month.

Tougher regime

Ofsted’s assessment regime has become tougher since inspections resumed after covid in September 2021. Only 50% per cent of schools have maintained their outstanding judgement since then.

In January, Harrogate’s St Aidan’s Church of England High School, which was previously rated ‘outstanding’, was assessed as ‘inadequate’.

Christopher Russell, Ofsted’s national director of education, said:

“There’s no doubt that under the current education inspection framework, outstanding is a challenging and exacting judgement to achieve.”

Paul Cotton, chair of governors at Harrogate Grammar, said,

“The Ofsted report captures so clearly what takes place each and every day at the school. Harrogate Grammar School is indeed an extremely rewarding place to learn.”

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

“Students benefit from an exceptional curriculum at Harrogate Grammar School.”