Midhurst Rother College is a mixed Academy for students aged 11 to 18, in Midhurst

Midhurst

Midhurst is a market town and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England, with a population of 4,889 in 2001. The town is situated on the River Rother and is home to the ruin of the Tudor Cowdray House and the stately Victorian Cowdray Park...

, West Sussex

West Sussex

West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...

. It was officially formed on 1 January 2009 following the closure of three predecessor schools in the area. It serves a wide rural area in the Rother Valley

River Rother (Western)

The River Rother is a river which flows for thirty miles from Empshott in Hampshire to Stopham in West Sussex, where it joins the River Arun. It should not be confused with the River Rother, in East Sussex....

 of West Sussex. It is sponsored by the United Learning Trust

United Learning Trust

The United Learning Trust is an education charity and the largest single sponsor of academies in the UK with 20 academies and one City Technology College currently open. ULT's objective is to bring out "the best in everyone", driving educational improvement across its family of academies and...

 in partnership with the University of Chichester

University of Chichester

The University of Chichester is a university based in West Sussex, England. Campuses are based in the city of Chichester and the nearby coastal resort of Bognor Regis...

 and Winchester College

Winchester College

Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...

.

Formation

The academy was formed in January 2009. This followed the closure of three predecessor schools operating as part of a three-tier

Three-tier education

Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types. A similar experiment was also trialled in Scotland....

 structure: Midhurst Grammar School

Midhurst Grammar School

Midhurst Grammar School was a comprehensive upper school in Midhurst, West Sussex. It served pupils aged 13 to 18 who usually joined the school from one of the local intermediate schools. It was replaced in 2009 by the new Midhurst Rother Academy.-History:...

, Midhurst Intermediate School

Midhurst Intermediate School

Midhurst Intermediate School was a maintained comprehensive middle-deemed-secondary school for pupils aged 10 to 13. It was one of only 11 schools of its type, and the only school in the United Kingdom to be labelled as 'intermediate'...

 and Herbert Shiner School. The Grammar school - with a history dating back to 1672 - had accommodated students aged 13 to 18, while both intermediate schools

Middle school

Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...

 had students aged 10 to 13.

The new school was introduced as part of the local authority's

Local Education Authority

A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...

 move towards two-tier provision. The school opened with students from Year Six

Year Six

Year Six is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is usually the sixth year of compulsory education and incorporates students aged between ten and twelve.-Australia:...

 to Year 13

Sixth form

In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...

, but began to operate as a standard secondary from September 2009, with the youngest students being in Year Seven

Year Seven

Year Seven is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is usually the seventh year of compulsory education and incorporates students aged between eleven and thirteen.-Australia:...

, aged 11. Provision for younger students will be made in local primary schools.

Campus

The college operates on two campuses in the neighbouring settlements of Midhurst and Easebourne

Easebourne

Easebourne is a village and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. It is located half a mile north of Midhurst, across the River Rother on the A272 and A286 roads. The parish also includes the hamlet of Henley to the north...

. Students in 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...

 (aged 11 to 14) are accommodated on the site of the former Midhurst Intermediate School in Easebourne. Older students are taught in the buildings of the former Grammar School in Midhurst.

In 2012, a new campus will be built on the existing River Campus. The new buildings will house modern classrooms and the exterior will be sympathetic to the existing buildings. The projected cost is approximately £31 million, which will include a new school bus terminus.

Curriculum

The school operates joint specialisms in Science

Science College

Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 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, science and mathematics...

 and Mathematics

Mathematics and Computing College

Mathematics and Computing Colleges were introduced in England in 2002 as part of the Government's Specialist Schools Programme which was designed to raise standards in secondary education. Specialist schools focus specifically on their chosen specialism but must also meet the requirements of the...

. In addition, the school identifies aspects of Business and Enterprise, and ICT throughout the curriculum.

Principal

The first principal of the college is Dr Joe Vitagliano, former headteacher of Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School is a mixed grammar school located in Hurst Road , Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley, England...

. Vitagliano was formerly a pupil at the Midhurst Grammar School.