Parrs Wood High School

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Parrs Wood High School

Motto	"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, it is not an act but a habit"
Established	1967
Type	State Comprehensive
Headteacher	Tarun Kapur
Specialism	Arts, Technology
Location	East Didsbury Greater Manchester United Kingdom
LEA	Manchester City Council
Staff	250
Students	2030
Gender	Mixed
Ages	11 to 19
School colours	Jade green. Black (Yr 10 & 11), light blue
Website	http://www.parrswood.manchester.sch.uk

Parrs Wood High School (known locally as just Parrs Wood) is a specialist arts and technology, state comprehensive secondary school and higher education college, situated in Didsbury, Manchester, England. It educates young people between the ages of 11 and 19 years; A-Levels are taught at the Parrs Wood Sixth Form Centre, although this is directly integrated with the main school. It was awarded dual specialist status in technology and the creative and performing arts by the Specialist Schools Trust in recognition of its vision for integrating the arts with technology. Parrs Wood is the 4th biggest school in the UK,^[1] for pupils aged 11-19, with 2,030 students and 450 in the sixth form centre.

The school developed the IRIS (It Really Is Simple) behaviour management software, which is currently used by many schools.

1 Head teachers
2 Awards
3 Incidents
4 Alumni
5 Media
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Head teachers

In 2002, Rachel Jones took over as the acting headteacher on the departure of Sir Iain Hall, who had accepted a position with the international arm of the Specialist Schools Trust. Sir Iain received a knighthood from the Queen for his services to education. The current headteacher is Tarun Kapur.

Parrs Wood High School was rebuilt from scratch in 2000, with the previous school being the original, slightly dilapidated, construction from 1967. The rebuild cost around £12 million, and also included the building of a cinema, gym, swimming pool, bowling alley, bingo hall, arcade and several restaurants.

Sir Iain Hall made the school into one the most over-subscribed schools in the country. The LEA has been asking the school to take on more pupils at the already overcrowded school, after many parents kept their children off school until they found a place at Parrs Wood.

In December 2007 the school was officially placed into special measures after an Ofsted report slated poor management at the school. Jones and Ashley are currently suspended and Tarun Kapur has taken over as head. The school was criticised for taking part in too many initiatives, not moving children forward and its poor results at KS3, partly as a result of a two year pilot where children take SATs in year 8.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Awards

2003 School Achievement Award
Dual Specialist Status in Technology and the Creative Arts
Technology College
Arts College
High Tech Accolade
Leading Edge Partnership
ICT Register
Investor In People
Basic Skills Quality Mark
National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
Sport England
Manchester Healthy School Partnership
International School Award 2005-2009
Football Charter Award
DfES Designated Leading Edge School

[edit] Incidents

On 10 May 2007, a canister of CS gas was discharged in the science area of Parrs Wood, which resulted in 58 students and staff being taken to hospital (although no-one was seriously injured). The incident was described as an "idiotic prank" by Greater Manchester Police ^[2]

In November 2007 a team of Ofsted inspectors inspected the school. During their two day visit the school inspectors criticised very poor leadership at the school, jointly run by two headteachers.^[3] During their last inspection in 2001 they had praised the school for its success. For many years Parrs Wood was regarded as Manchester's best state secondary and an example of a successful "inner-city" school.^[4] Previous head Sir Iain Hall was knighted for services to education. Ofsted have recommended the school to be put in special measures and will be closely monitored and an outside head be brought in.^[5]

On the 17 December 2007, David Ashley and Rachel Jones were suspended on full pay after the school failed a recent Ofsted report which put the school into special measures. A new headteacher Tarun Kapur was brought in and is now the "executive" head.^[6]

There have been recent school rivalries between the pupils of Parrs Wood High School and Barlow High School. Police had to be called in to both schools after violent attacks and threats occurred. Pupils from Parrs Wood have since been banned from going to Barlow, and vice versa.

[edit] Alumni

Danny Webber - Footballer for Sheffield United, a team who are in the Championship.
Lieutenant Steve Underwood - Flight Lieutenant Steve Underwood AFC (43) with the Red Arrows as Red 10.
Stephen Threlfall - Director of Music at Chetham's School of Music.
Judy Shekoni - Actress in Eastenders and other Soap Opera.
Ruth Sheldon - Champion Chess Player.
Hannah Pool - Fashion Editor with The Guardian and Author of My Father's Daughter.
Lucy Powell - Labour MP Candidate

[edit] Media

Television Parrs Wood Technology College and Sixth Form Centre is regularly used for filming. Some of the filming that goes on in the school includes:

Videos for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
Channel 4 - High School Prom
Channel 4 - Singing/acting auditions
BBC - The Street
BBC - Waterloo Road - Actors and Actressess are found at Parrs Wood to appear in the drama.
Teachers TV

School's main sports hall

Part of the open plan school.

A birdseye view of Parrs Wood school campus.

Parrs Wood House - A Grade I listed Victorian building once belonging to the Parrs family has been turned into a music department for the school and also South Manchester City Learning Centre