Kesteven and Sleaford High School
Encyclopedia
Kesteven and Sleaford High School (KSHS) is a grammar school
for girls aged between eleven and eighteen, located on Jermyn Street in the small market town of Sleaford
, Lincolnshire
, England, close to Sleaford train station
.
in the visual arts
, awarded in 2003. KSHS has also been awarded several quality marks in recent years: Career Mark (2006), Charter Mark (2002, 2006), Artsmark Gold (2002, 2007), and Investors in People
status (annually since 1997). KSHS was also the only school in Lincolnshire
to be awarded the ICT
mark (2006), and has also received a DfES Achievement Award. The school is a founding member of Sleaford Education and Business Partnership. In May 2007 the school was identified by the DfES as a High Performing Specialist School (HPSS).
In 2007 KSHS was the only United Kingdom
school selected by the University of Canberra
to take part in a research programme into the value of educational technologies in schools, along with one school from the US and one from Australia.
KSHS occupies a fairly congested but attractive site between Sleaford's high street (known as Southgate) to the east and the site of the long-demolished 12th-century Sleaford Castle
to the west. The school is housed in a number of buildings, some old and some relatively modern. One of the old buildings is no. 62 Southgate, built about 1850 in the Jacobean
style by a local architect called Charles Kirk who was responsible for a number of Sleaford's most prominent 19th-century buildings. New buildings for the 21st century include a technology block, sports hall and drama studio, together with the Catermole Block housing the new purpose-built library. The school is in the process of installing an operational Foucault pendulum
in a specially designed and decorated room in the Catermole Block.
The school has its own playing fields on-site.
in Nottinghamshire
. KSHS offers an extremely supportive environment, with special provision for the talented and gifted as well as those with special needs, and as a result unauthorised absences are extremely low (0.1%). A number of the pupils and staff have connections to the Royal Air Force
since the school lies only a few miles from the RAF College at Cranwell
.
The annual intake to Year 7 for Key Stage 3
is around 120 though in 2006 the number rose as a one-off to 150. In 2006-7 there were 844 girls on the roll.
The sixth form was previously joint with Sleaford
's other schools: Carre's Grammar School
, and St George's Academy
, a mixed non-selective school. It was announced from September 2010 that Kesteven and Sleaford High School would no longer be part of the Sleaford Joint Sixth Form, but instead, have a sixth form of its own.
A number of the pupils are members of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth
(NAGTY), and represent the highest school membership for Lincolnshire.
Abi Titmuss
, who since 2003 has achieved fame as a TV
personality and a model, attended the school from 1987 until 1994.
KSHS offers foreign trips for pupils studying Geography, History and Art. History pupils in Year 11 have had in the past the opportunity to study the Third Reich and the Cold War
on the annual journey to Berlin
, however in October 2010 the trip was to Krakow
in Poland
where the students visited Auschwitz. Year 9 students can also take part in the joint Geography and History trip to Paris
and Normandy
. Some Geography students participated in a trip to Iceland
in 2007.
History pupils are offered a variety of other trips within the UK. For example, Year 7 pupils visit Lincoln Castle
, Year 8 pupils make a full-day visit to Parliament
in London
, and Year 9 pupils visit the Holocaust Centre at Laxton, near Newark.
Geography pupils participate in field trips within the UK as well.
Art students are offered a visit to New York
or Paris
. Those studying languages can take part in foreign exchange visits.
The school supports pupils participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme at Bronze, Silver and Gold.
100% of KSHS pupils gain five or more GCSEs at A*-C, and over 80% achieve A*-B. The average UCAS
point score (2006) at A level is 343 with the average point score per examination entry being 79.3. More than 90% of the AS/A2 level students go on to higher education.
Amongst KSHS's SAT
results for 2007 were 67% of pupils achieving level 7 in Science, the highest level possible.
The Ofsted
report for 2007 declared that KSHS 'is an outstanding school which has made many improvements since the last inspection when it was judged to be good. The headteacher and her senior leadership team have developed exemplary systems to monitor the work of the school ... Parents are overwhelmingly positive ... Achievement is outstanding ... There is an outstanding curriculum ... The school provides an excellent level of care and guidance which results in outstanding personal development ... The school is exceptionally well led by the headteacher and her senior team.'
The headteacher is Mrs Alison Ross (appointed 1996), leading a staff of approximately 45 teachers of whom around three-quarters are female.
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
for girls aged between eleven and eighteen, located on Jermyn Street in the small market town of Sleaford
Sleaford
Sleaford is a town in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is located thirteen miles northeast of Grantham, seventeen miles west of Boston, and nineteen miles south of Lincoln, and had a total resident population of around 14,500 in 6,167 households at the time...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England, close to Sleaford train station
Sleaford railway station
Sleaford railway station is one of two stations serving the town of Sleaford in Lincolnshire, England; the other station being Rauceby railway station...
.
Awards
KSHS is a specialist Arts CollegeArts College
Arts Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, the performing, visual and/or media arts...
in the visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
, awarded in 2003. KSHS has also been awarded several quality marks in recent years: Career Mark (2006), Charter Mark (2002, 2006), Artsmark Gold (2002, 2007), and Investors in People
Investors in People
Launched in 1991 Investors in People is a business improvement tool administered by UK Commission for Employment and Skills and supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ....
status (annually since 1997). KSHS was also the only school in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
to be awarded the ICT
Information and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
mark (2006), and has also received a DfES Achievement Award. The school is a founding member of Sleaford Education and Business Partnership. In May 2007 the school was identified by the DfES as a High Performing Specialist School (HPSS).
In 2007 KSHS was the only United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
school selected by the University of Canberra
University of Canberra
Over the years the Stone Day program has gradually become larger and larger, taking up a whole week and now Stonefest is one of Australia's most popular music festivals. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded...
to take part in a research programme into the value of educational technologies in schools, along with one school from the US and one from Australia.
Campus
Sleaford Castle
Sleaford Castle is a medieval castle in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England. Built by the Bishop of Lincoln in the early 1120s it was inhabitable as late as 1555 but fell into disrepair during the latter half of the 16th-century...
to the west. The school is housed in a number of buildings, some old and some relatively modern. One of the old buildings is no. 62 Southgate, built about 1850 in the Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
style by a local architect called Charles Kirk who was responsible for a number of Sleaford's most prominent 19th-century buildings. New buildings for the 21st century include a technology block, sports hall and drama studio, together with the Catermole Block housing the new purpose-built library. The school is in the process of installing an operational Foucault pendulum
Foucault pendulum
The Foucault pendulum , or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the...
in a specially designed and decorated room in the Catermole Block.
The school has its own playing fields on-site.
Students
Highly popular, and with demand for places outstripping supply, the school has pupils drawn from 200 square rural miles covering a large area of South Lincolnshire and as far as NewarkNewark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. KSHS offers an extremely supportive environment, with special provision for the talented and gifted as well as those with special needs, and as a result unauthorised absences are extremely low (0.1%). A number of the pupils and staff have connections to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
since the school lies only a few miles from the RAF College at Cranwell
Cranwell
Cranwell is a village situated in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire. It is part of the Civil Parish of Cranwell and Byard's Leap and is located 3.95 miles north-north-west of Sleaford and 16.3 miles south-east of the county town of Lincoln...
.
The annual intake to Year 7 for Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3 is the legal term for the three years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, when pupils are aged between 11 and 14...
is around 120 though in 2006 the number rose as a one-off to 150. In 2006-7 there were 844 girls on the roll.
The sixth form was previously joint with Sleaford
Sleaford
Sleaford is a town in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is located thirteen miles northeast of Grantham, seventeen miles west of Boston, and nineteen miles south of Lincoln, and had a total resident population of around 14,500 in 6,167 households at the time...
's other schools: Carre's Grammar School
Carre's Grammar School
Carre's Grammar School is a selective school and specialist Sports and Science College located in the market town of Sleaford, in Lincolnshire, England. It was founded in 1604 by Sir Robert Carre...
, and St George's Academy
St George's Academy
St. George's Academy is an English secondary school in North Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and has now moved sites to the land it is currently on. In 1994 the School gained specialist schools status as a Technology College. The school's facilities include a childcare...
, a mixed non-selective school. It was announced from September 2010 that Kesteven and Sleaford High School would no longer be part of the Sleaford Joint Sixth Form, but instead, have a sixth form of its own.
A number of the pupils are members of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth
National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth
The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth was based at the University of Warwick in Britain and was founded in 2002 by a government initiative for high-achieving secondary students in England. It closed in August 2007, after Warwick University decided not to apply for the new contract...
(NAGTY), and represent the highest school membership for Lincolnshire.
Abi Titmuss
Abi Titmuss
Abi Titmuss, , is a former English nurse turned glamour model, television personality and actress.-Early life:...
, who since 2003 has achieved fame as a TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
personality and a model, attended the school from 1987 until 1994.
Fieldwork and other activities
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
on the annual journey to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, however in October 2010 the trip was to Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
where the students visited Auschwitz. Year 9 students can also take part in the joint Geography and History trip to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. Some Geography students participated in a trip to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
in 2007.
History pupils are offered a variety of other trips within the UK. For example, Year 7 pupils visit Lincoln Castle
Lincoln Castle
Lincoln Castle is a major castle constructed in Lincoln, England during the late 11th century by William the Conqueror on the site of a pre-existing Roman fortress. The castle is unusual in that it has two mottes. It is only one of two such castles in the country, the other being at Lewes in Sussex...
, Year 8 pupils make a full-day visit to Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Year 9 pupils visit the Holocaust Centre at Laxton, near Newark.
Geography pupils participate in field trips within the UK as well.
Art students are offered a visit to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
or Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Those studying languages can take part in foreign exchange visits.
The school supports pupils participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme at Bronze, Silver and Gold.
Performance
UCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is the British admission service for students applying to university and college. UCAS is primarily funded by students who pay a fee when they apply and a capitation fee from universities for each student they accept..-Location:UCAS is based near...
point score (2006) at A level is 343 with the average point score per examination entry being 79.3. More than 90% of the AS/A2 level students go on to higher education.
Amongst KSHS's SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
results for 2007 were 67% of pupils achieving level 7 in Science, the highest level possible.
The Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
report for 2007 declared that KSHS 'is an outstanding school which has made many improvements since the last inspection when it was judged to be good. The headteacher and her senior leadership team have developed exemplary systems to monitor the work of the school ... Parents are overwhelmingly positive ... Achievement is outstanding ... There is an outstanding curriculum ... The school provides an excellent level of care and guidance which results in outstanding personal development ... The school is exceptionally well led by the headteacher and her senior team.'
The headteacher is Mrs Alison Ross (appointed 1996), leading a staff of approximately 45 teachers of whom around three-quarters are female.
Notable former pupils
- Abi TitmussAbi TitmussAbi Titmuss, , is a former English nurse turned glamour model, television personality and actress.-Early life:...
, model and TV personality
Notable teachers
- Guy de la BedoyereGuy de la BédoyèreGuy Martyn Thorold Huchet de la Bédoyère is a British historian, who has published widely on Roman Britain and other subjects, and has appeared regularly on the Channel 4 archaeological television series, Time Team. In 1999 he presented a three-part series called The Romans in Britain for BBC2,...
, TV personality and author. Currently teaches history, classical civilisation and information technology.