Tapton School
Encyclopedia
Tapton Secondary School, is a Comprehensive school located in Crosspool
, in Sheffield
, South Yorkshire
, England
. It is a state school, sited next to another secondary, King Edward VII School
, and near to Lydgate Junior School, Lydgate Infant School and Notre Dame High School
. Tapton School has over 1,600 pupils, aged between 11 and 18 years old. Tapton officially opened in 1960, however in 2000, the school was rebuilt under the Private Finance Initiative
http://sccplugins.sheffield.gov.uk/press/news/aRelease.asp?akey=2389&Mon=01/11/2004. Students and faculties officially moved to the new building in September 2001.
The pupils came from 3 local schools who lost their senior school to provide the pupils. These 3 schools, Springfield County, Nethergreen, and Crookes Endowed became Junior schools.
The Headmaster was Mr Sam North and the Deputy head was Mr Cyril May and there were three other specialist teachers and eighteen form teachers.
. Results at A level and GCSE are consistently above the National average. In the academic year 2009/2010, GCSE results placed Tapton 1st in the whole city and A level results were equally good. The Times best schools list 2007 puts the school around 200th in the country, second in Sheffield, though results at GCSE and A level in 2007 would put Tapton first. In recent years, various pupils have excelled in sports with badminton teams and the 6th form basketball team winning national competitions and one pupil running in the Sheffield Marathon.
The school obtained "Specialist Science College" status in the 2003/4 academic year. This enabled the school to form links with several Junior Schools and with a Specialist School. Tapton pupils are very successful at science A levels, and at GCSE, most pupils take "triple", that is, separate, sciences, the remainder taking "dual" science as in all secondary schools.
Teams of pupils have won or placed high in several national science quizzes.
In December 2007, the school obtained a status in Arts, enhancing the school's reputation and facilities in three departments - Art, Drama and Music. Members of successful bands such as Def Leppard attended the school.
The school was inspected by OFSTED
on 29 January 2007 and rated as "outstanding". http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_reports/download/%28id%29/75360/%28as%29/107131_287722.pdf
As a result of this funding change, Tapton governors have sought "Academy" status, which has been approved, the changeover date is expected to be August 2011. The different methods of calculating funding for Academy status schools should ensure that Tapton's budget is not cut so severely. See Academy (English school) for more details of academies.
PLC. The new buildings include 13 science laboratories, a technology block with 10 classrooms, a music block with dedicated practice rooms, a dividable drama studio and a gym and sports hall.
Outside, there is also a fully floodlit astroturf
and tennis court
, used extensively by local organisations and other schools for a range of sports.
, the novelist and critic Philip Hensher
, 3 of the founding members of Def Leppard
(Rick Savage
, Pete Willis
and Tony Kenning), Labour MP John Woodcock
, Richard McCourt
, better known as Dick from Dick and Dom
, footballer Aymen Tahar
who plays for Sheffield United, sports TV presenter Charlie Webster
., and Matthew Fitzpatrick, an up-and-coming golf player.
Crosspool
Crosspool is a suburb of the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, located west of the city centre. It is a Middle class residential area in an elevated position above the Porter and Rivelin valleys and stands at around 200 metres above sea level...
, in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is a state school, sited next to another secondary, King Edward VII School
King Edward VII School (Sheffield)
King Edward VII School is a secondary school and language college located in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. KES, named after the reigning monarch, was formed in 1905 when Wesley College was merged with Sheffield Royal Grammar School on the site of the former on Glossop Road...
, and near to Lydgate Junior School, Lydgate Infant School and Notre Dame High School
Notre Dame High School (Sheffield)
Notre Dame High School in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, was established in the 1850s by the Sisters of Notre Dame, a religious order.-Admissions:The school has a Catholic ethos and caters for children from all over the city and further afield...
. Tapton School has over 1,600 pupils, aged between 11 and 18 years old. Tapton officially opened in 1960, however in 2000, the school was rebuilt under the Private Finance Initiative
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
http://sccplugins.sheffield.gov.uk/press/news/aRelease.asp?akey=2389&Mon=01/11/2004. Students and faculties officially moved to the new building in September 2001.
Formation
Tapton Secondary School opened in 1960 with 660 pupils.The pupils came from 3 local schools who lost their senior school to provide the pupils. These 3 schools, Springfield County, Nethergreen, and Crookes Endowed became Junior schools.
The Headmaster was Mr Sam North and the Deputy head was Mr Cyril May and there were three other specialist teachers and eighteen form teachers.
Success
Academically, Tapton is one of the most successful state schools in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. Results at A level and GCSE are consistently above the National average. In the academic year 2009/2010, GCSE results placed Tapton 1st in the whole city and A level results were equally good. The Times best schools list 2007 puts the school around 200th in the country, second in Sheffield, though results at GCSE and A level in 2007 would put Tapton first. In recent years, various pupils have excelled in sports with badminton teams and the 6th form basketball team winning national competitions and one pupil running in the Sheffield Marathon.
The school obtained "Specialist Science College" status in the 2003/4 academic year. This enabled the school to form links with several Junior Schools and with a Specialist School. Tapton pupils are very successful at science A levels, and at GCSE, most pupils take "triple", that is, separate, sciences, the remainder taking "dual" science as in all secondary schools.
Teams of pupils have won or placed high in several national science quizzes.
In December 2007, the school obtained a status in Arts, enhancing the school's reputation and facilities in three departments - Art, Drama and Music. Members of successful bands such as Def Leppard attended the school.
The school was inspected by OFSTED
Office for Standards in Education
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 ....
on 29 January 2007 and rated as "outstanding". http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_reports/download/%28id%29/75360/%28as%29/107131_287722.pdf
Academy
From April 2011, the school has been unfavourably affected by changes in the funding of 6th formers and the removal of specialist school status from all schools. The 6th form funding change was apparently intended to align tertiary college and school funding for similar pupils on similar courses, unfortunately this was done by putting schools' funding down, rather than college funding up. The funding changes resulted in the school budget being reduced by (very) approximately £500,000. Exact figures are hard to come by at the moment of writing and would, in any case, contain significant unreliability as predicted estimates only.As a result of this funding change, Tapton governors have sought "Academy" status, which has been approved, the changeover date is expected to be August 2011. The different methods of calculating funding for Academy status schools should ensure that Tapton's budget is not cut so severely. See Academy (English school) for more details of academies.
Reconstruction
The original 1950s school was knocked down and replaced by new premises under the private Finance Initiative in 2001 and is rented from its landlords, InterserveInterserve
Interserve plc is an international support services and construction company based in the UK, with revenue of £1.9 billion and a workforce of 50,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Reading, Berkshire and is listed on the London Stock Exchange...
PLC. The new buildings include 13 science laboratories, a technology block with 10 classrooms, a music block with dedicated practice rooms, a dividable drama studio and a gym and sports hall.
Outside, there is also a fully floodlit astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
and tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
, used extensively by local organisations and other schools for a range of sports.
Prime Minister's Global Fellowship
The school has a record of students attaining places on the prestigious Prime Minister's Global Fellowship programme. The school achieved its first student in the inaugural year of the programme, 2008, and in 2009 had another successful applicant.Notable alumni
Tapton's alumni include the athletes Seb Coe and Becky LyneBecky Lyne
Rebecca "Becky" Lyne , is an English middle-distance runner, specialising in 800 and 1,500 metre races.Lyne attended Tapton School in Sheffield ....
, the novelist and critic Philip Hensher
Philip Hensher
Philip Michael Hensher FRSL is an English novelist, critic and journalist.Hensher was born in South London, although he spent the majority of his childhood and adolescence in Sheffield, attending Tapton School. He did his undergraduate degree at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford before attending...
, 3 of the founding members of Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
(Rick Savage
Rick Savage
Richard "Rick" Savage is the bassist and one of the founding members of the English rock band, Def Leppard. He is called "Sav" to avoid confusion between him and the other Rick in the band, drummer Rick Allen. He and lead vocalist, Joe Elliot, are the only remaining original members of the band...
, Pete Willis
Pete Willis
Pete Willis was one of the original guitarists for the British rock band Def Leppard, until he was replaced by Phil Collen in 1982...
and Tony Kenning), Labour MP John Woodcock
John Woodcock
John Woodcock may refer to:*John A. Woodcock Jr. , United States federal judge*John Woodcock , American football player*John Woodcock , British cricket writer and journalist...
, Richard McCourt
Richard McCourt
Richard "Dick" McCourt is an English actor and presenter of radio and television, best known as one half of the comic duo Dick and Dom, with the other being Dominic Wood...
, better known as Dick from Dick and Dom
Dick and Dom
Dick and Dom are a children's comic double act consisting of the presenters Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood. They are primarily known for presenting children's television, such as Dick and Dom in da Bungalow for 5 series between 2002 - 2006...
, footballer Aymen Tahar
Aymen Tahar
Aymen Tahar is an Algerian football player who played for Sheffield United, and spent a brief time on trial with Hungarian outfit Ferencvárosi TC.-Playing career:...
who plays for Sheffield United, sports TV presenter Charlie Webster
Charlie Webster
Charlotte "Charlie" Webster is an English television presenter.-Early life:Webster attended Tapton School in Sheffield where she participated in elite junior athletics and went on to study Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University...
., and Matthew Fitzpatrick, an up-and-coming golf player.