Hartford High School
Coordinates: 53°14′56″N 2°32′12″W / 53.2490°N 2.5367°W
 | |
| Motto | Fit for the World |
|---|---|
| Established | 1978 |
| Type | Voluntary aided school |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Headteacher | Michael Holland BSc MA |
| Chair Governor | Gill Chitty |
| Founder | Merged |
| Location |
Chester Road Hartford |
| Local authority | Cheshire West and Chester |
| DfE number | 896/4001 |
| DfE URN | 138148 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 827 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–16 |
| Houses | Red, Green, Blue, Yellow |
| Colours |
Navy Blue Royal Blue |
| Publication | Newsletter |
| Website | Hartford High School |
Hartford Church of England High School is a voluntary aided Church of England secondary school on Chester Road in Hartford, Cheshire, for students aged between eleven and sixteen. The school is unique in having dual specialist college status in both languages and sports. The school performs to an above average standard, particularly with ‘outstanding’ achievement in physical education, and above average attainment at GCSE.
About the school
Situated in the village of Hartford, Cheshire, Hartford High School attracts students from the local villages of Barnton, Greenbank, Castle, Winnington, Weaverham, Cuddington and the local town, Northwich. The school has the capacity to cater for over one thousand students from the age of eleven through sixteen. In an ordered atmosphere of disciplined study, high expectation and strong pastoral support, students seek to achieve academic success regardless of personal disadvantage, physical disability, or prior achievement.
The school is a split-site school, with the two main buildings being the 'West Building' and the 'East Building'. Located approximately 200 metres apart, the two buildings are linked by a secure path for students, separate to public realm areas. In addition to the two main sites, there is a Science & Administration Building located in the East site, and Music and Art Blocks located in the West site.
Facilities
Facilities include a running track, several football pitches, hockey and rugby pitches, tennis courts, a learning resource centre, halls, gymnasiums, eight laboratories, and a drama studio. There are also six networked computer suites and a specialist media suite, fitted with Apple Macs and the school offers to build computers to parents' or students' specifications for private use.
House system
The school is organised according to a house system. Two tutor groups from every year belong to each of the four houses. For tutorial purposes and lunch arrangements, two houses are based in the West Building and two in the East Building. A head of house maintains an overview of all pastoral and academic matters pertaining to their house. Form tutors monitor students’ progress and support on a day-to-day basis. Pastoral managers, teaching assistants, the school nurse and a variety of outside agencies provide a wide range of services and support as necessary. A number of staff are trained in first aid. When required, they will make an initial assessment, and then follow up accordingly. The houses are yellow house, green house, red house and blue house
There are many inter-house activities, which take place at the school. Sporting activities are included in physical education lessons on a half-term basis and students can accrue points for their house by taking part. The school sporting calendar culminates in a school sports day where houses compete against each other for sporting success in a variety of activities. However, such inter-house competitions are not just based on sporting activities. Many other subject areas such as drama and music also hold challenges.
Assemblies
Students attend assemblies in their houses, usually twice a week. One of the assemblies is a ‘business’ assembly, led by the head of house that delivers key messages and information to the students. The other assembly is usually led by either a member of the senior leadership team or a visiting guest speaker and based upon a topical theme. Themes can be religious, but many support the citizenship curriculum and thereby promote global awareness. Houses also support their choice of charitable organisations. Assemblies may be linked to associate fundraising activities for the chosen charity.
Taught subjects
The range of subjects taught at Hartford High School is extensive. The following subjects are taught at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4: Art, Business Studies, Design and Technology, Drama, English, Geography, History, Humanities, Information Communication Technology, Modern Languages, Mathematics, Media Studies, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education and Science.
Student support
The school focuses on ensuring that its students are well taught, well mannered and well prepared for the challenges both inside and outside of school, truly ‘Fit for the World’.
Close monitoring of students’ personal and academic development results in high achievement – for the third time in four years the school have achieved their best results. The wide-ranging extra curricular programme provides further opportunities for students to develop new skills and talents, and to meet and learn with different sets of people.
Specialisms
Languages
Specialist staff deliver a broad range of languages experience to years seven through eleven. In their first year at Hartford High School, all students study a main language. In their second and third years there is usually the opportunity to study a second language. The school is unique as they can offer a range of language courses for fourteen- through sixteen-year-old students. Guidance is offered in the options process so that all students are given the most effective route to achieve their full potential.
New courses and enhanced ICT provision are enabling the school to deliver the curriculum in increasingly inventive and engaging ways. This is against a backdrop of shrinking provision nationally. Business and industry are desperately seeking speakers of foreign languages; Hartford students are, therefore, destined to become highly employable, successful citizens who are genuinely fit for the world.
Sports
The school aims to educate students in and through the use and knowledge of the body and its movement. The school provides a programme, which will involve students in the continuous process of planning, performing and evaluating; to allow each student the opportunity to experience breadth, balance and depth within the physical education curriculum framework; to acquire and develop skills; to develop positive attitudes to participation in physical activity; to develop positive attitudes towards safety; to develop the ability to appreciate effective performance and how to apply these principles to their own and the work of others; to develop an awareness of socially acceptable behaviours in various aspects of physical activity; to allow each student the opportunity to realise his or her own potential and to improve the attainment of each individual student; to develop purposeful leisure interests; to provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities for all students; to engender maximum enjoyment; and to link physical education with other areas of the curriculum.