Rickmansworth School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rickmansworth School (colloquially Ricky School), formerly Rickmansworth Grammar School, is a coeducational secondary school of around 1,200 pupils, situated in Croxley Green (Hertfordshire), near Rickmansworth. Its standing in comparison with the national average is very favourable at GCSE level and A Level.
| Rickmansworth School | |
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| Motto | Nisi Dominus Aedificaverit[1] |
| Established | 1956 |
| Type | comprehensive, foundation |
| Headmaster | Dr Stephen Burton |
| Chair of Governors | Dr Edgar Anderson |
| Specialisms | Performing Arts, Science |
| Location | Scots Hill Rickmansworth Hertfordshire WD3 3AQ England  |
| LEA | Hertfordshire County Council |
| Ofsted number | 117572 |
| Staff | 80 approx. |
| Students | 1200 approx. |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 11 to 18 |
| School colours | green |
| Website | Official site |
| Coordinates: | |
Contents |
[edit] History
Rickmansworth School, the fifth grammar school to be built after the war, was formally opened on 20th June 1956 by Countess Mountbatten of Burma, the first students having arrived in September 1954. It was not until September 1969 that the student body came to be socially representative of the local communities. The School was maintained as a county school by Hertfordshire local education authority until September 1990 when it was amongst the first schools in the country to take advantage of the opportunity offered by grant-maintained status to become a self governing school.[2]
[edit] School Status
Rickmansworth is a day secondary school, providing education to boys and girls aged 11 to 18 of all academic abilities, although 25% of the 11+ intake are selected using tests in mathematics and verbal reasoning, with a further 10% selected for aptitude in music. Most children are admitted at 11 and there is an additional intake at 16 into the Sixth Form.[3]
As a foundation school, Rickmansworth is self-governing and the Governing Body is responsible for the employment of staff, the admission of pupils, and all aspects of the organisation and running of the School.
Rickmansworth has specialist status in Performing Arts and as of 2008 gained an additional specialism in Science.
[edit] School House System
From 2007 the school house system was reorganised. Formerly students were placed randomly in houses named after ex-teachers and later in houses named after local rivers: the Chess, Colne and Gade. Now each of the seven forms in each year group belongs to a different house. Houses are named after famous performers and artists in line with the school's performing arts status. The houses are Hockney, Ashton, McCartney, Elgar, Blake, Turner and Olivier.
[edit] Location
The School stands in twenty-six acres of woodland situated in a green belt residential area well served by road and rail. The M25 motorway is five minutes distant by car, and Croxley and Rickmansworth Metropolitan line stations are ten and fifteen minute walks respectively. Watford Junction station (National Rail to London Euston) is ten minutes by car.
[edit] Notable Alumni
- Elspeth Rae, actress
[edit] Flora Advertising Campaign
On 22nd May 2007, the school's 7th, 8th and 9th years participated in a forthcoming Flora advertising campaign whereby a photo of the three year groups was taken to be displayed on approximately 600 billboards around the UK, with text beneath likely saying "Two thirds of them will end up with raised cholesterol."
[edit] Mitchell and Webb
The school also appeared in an episode of the highly rated BBC comedy That Mitchell and Webb Look in the sketch "The Surprising Adventures of Sir Digby Chicken-Caesar", in which the heroic duo break into the house of an elderly woman, tie her up and pretend that they are visiting "Dear Auntie Marigold". They steal her television and are pursued. Ginger is beaten up. They break into Rickmansworth School and steal scientific equipment in order to make crystal meth.
[edit] References
- ^ Psalm 127. “Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eam. trans. (KJV): Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it”
- ^ Rickmansworth School Prospectus
- ^ Rickmansworth School Sixth Form
