Rushey Mead School

Rushey Mead Secondary School
Motto Be concerned
Type Comprehensive
Executive Headteacher Carolyn Robson CBE
Headteacher Rita Hindocha
Chair of Governors Anthony Glover
Location Melton Road
Leicester
Leicestershire
LE4 7AN
England Coordinates: 52°39′45″N 1°06′43″W / 52.6626°N 1.1119°W
Local authority Leicester
DfE number 856/4244
DfE URN 120282 Tables
Ofsted Reports
Students 1395
Gender Mixed
Ages 11–16
Houses Belvoir, Bosworth, Charnwood, Harborough and Melton
Colours Black, Royal Blue and Red
              
Website School homepage

Rushey Mead School is a mixed comprehensive in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for students aged 11 to 16. Its logo is a lion with three 'Rushes' on it. The name Rushey taken from the grass rushes which used to grow on nearby Rushey Fields. In 2011, the school was designated as a National Teaching School, among the first 100 in schools across the country.[1] Its motto, Make a positive difference, motivates students to always work hard and care for others. The current Headteacher is Rita Hindocha.

History

Rushey Mead was originally a boys' school until the 1970s. The first headmaster was Charles Anson Smith. Under his leadership the school was often in the news, most notably for the "Spirit of Leicester", an ex city double-decker bus which initially took pupils to parts of Europe, unheard of at the time, and later around parts of the UK. Mr Burrows and Mrs B.J Eastwood succeeded him.In 1985, they were succeeded by Steve White, who remained with the school until 2002.

Pastoral coordinators

Each year group has its own Pastoral Coordinator (PASCO) and head of year.
Mr Furniss - Year 7, Ms Pohe - Year 8, Ms Bharakhada - Year 9, Mr Padgett - Year 10 and Mr Keegan - Year 11.

Staffing and facilities

Rushey Mead has a diversity of staff and children in its community. The school also boasts a good example of an environmentally friendly building in their 'green' academy building (colloquially known as 'G' Block, which is now 'B' Block). Amongst the many features of this building are photovoltaic modules on the roof to power the lights.

In 2012, the school underwent major renovations. Under the Building Schools for the Future programme (BSF), it benefited from an £18 million upgrade to its buildings and site, that includes, a new 6 court Sports Hall and an Assembly Hall with retractable cinema seats. The Sports Hall is one of Leicester's best equipped sports facilities, now with professional Continental Basketball hoops that retract from the ceiling, Indoor cricket training facilities, and 6 Tennis or Badminton courts, at a cost of almost £6 million.

Divisions and charities

The school has five Divisions: Belvoir, Bosworth, Charnwood, Harborough and Melton, which play an important part in school life, having two major aims; to increase student awareness of local, national and international charitable causes through charity work, and to promote healthy competition. Staff and students work together through the Divisions to raise awareness and money for a number of good causes. Beneficiaries over the years have included the British Red Cross, Oxfam, Teenage Cancer Trust, Comic Relief, Sport Relief, Matt Hampson Trust, Rushey Mead Foundation, Rainbows and the Leicester charity LOROS (the Leicestershire and Rutland Hospice).[2]

The UKIERI Study India Programme

From 2008, Rushey Mead has been part of the UKIERI Study India Programme, culminating in a visit to India.[3]

On 22 December 2009, four teachers and eight students got the opportunity to visit Kerala, in the south-west region of India. The students stayed for a week, visiting the JNV Chettachal in Trivandrum. They learned the differences in lifestyle, culture, communication and education, learning a lot, while at the same time enjoying the experience.[4][5]

Academic achievement

The school was designated a specialist college in Sports and Science with Maths and awarded High Performing Specialist School Status as a Leadership Partner school. In its November 2007 Ofsted report, the school was rated "outstanding" for overall effectiveness.[6] In 2009, Ofsted highlighted it as one of 12 outstanding schools serving disadvantaged communities.[7]

Notable former pupils

References

  1. ↑ "School Awarded Teaching School Status". School website.
  2. ↑ "Divisions & Charities". School website.
  3. ↑ "UKIERI Rushey Mead". UKIERI Rushey Mead Blog.
  4. ↑ Unnithan, Sangeetha (22 December 2009). "Experience of a lifetime". The Hindu.
  5. ↑ "Visit of UK Delegates to JNV, Trivandrum" (PDF). JNV Trivandrum. 10–16 December 2009.
  6. ↑ "2007 Inspection report" (PDF). Ofsted.
  7. ↑ "Twelve outstanding secondary schools - Excelling against the odds". Ofsted. 24 February 2009.
  8. ↑ "The Leicestershire CCC Cricketer Archive". Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
  9. ↑ "Player Archive". The Professional Cricketers' Association.
  10. ↑ "Our Leicestershire Sporting Greats countdown - 40 to 25". Leicester Mercury. 10 February 2011.

External links

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