St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate

St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, is an 11–18 Catholic comprehensive school. It has developed steadily during the past 50 years and has around 1,450 pupils.

St. John Fisher Catholic High School
Address
Hookstone Drive

Harrogate
,
North Yorkshire
,
HG2 8PT

England
Coordinates53.983886°N 1.518040°W / 53.983886; -1.518040
Information
TypeVoluntary aided school
MottoEducating for Life
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1958
Local authorityNorth Yorkshire
Department for Education URN121717 Tables
OfstedReports
HeadteacherMr S Mort
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1,450
Websitehttp://www.sjfchs.org.uk/

The school is set in 22 acres (8.9 ha) on the south side of Harrogate and skirted by Hookstone Wood.

History

The school buildings were first built in 1903 to hold a Catholic convent school under the Society of the Holy Child Jesus which moved from a building on Clarence Drive near Valley Gardens. The school was founded in 1958 on the site that is now the Area Education Office within the Harrogate High School campus. The school outgrew its facilities and moved to its current site on Hookstone Drive - using the buildings of the convent school although many nuns remained for some time to teach. The sisters of the Order of the Holy Child no longer teach at the school, but do maintain a convent over the road. Leo Gannon (Headmaster 1967-1988) oversaw the move of the school to Hoostone Drive and in 1973, along with fellow headmaster Ken Stott, created the St Aidan's and St John Fisher Associated Sixth Form [1]

Buildings and grounds
1978 buildings

Part of the site is made up of the original stone buildings of the convent. The science and technology building (along with the current school hall) was built in 1978 and is of a concrete construction. A sports hall of breeze block construction has since been opened to the rear of the buildings. Because much of the site was not purpose built as a school, many of the main buildings are unsuitable for modern educational use. This has led to a number of portable buildings and prefabricated cabins being built on the grounds. The school has large playing fields to the rear of the site which back onto Hookstone Woods. The school was ranked 20th in the country for public school GCSE results in 2014.

In 2001 the school gained Specialist Arts Status, the first school of its type to gain this status in North Yorkshire. The school then opened the 'Keelan Centre' (named after the former headteacher, Terry Keelan,) a new building linking the existing school and the school sports hall. This facility included a new dance and drama studio along with a new music block.

In September 2016, construction began on a new astro-turf pitch after the school received funding from the FA. This was completed in October 2017.[2]

Sixth form
Main article: St. Aidan's & St. John Fisher Associated Sixth Form

The school forms part of an associated sixth form with St. Aidan's Church of England High School.

See also

Other schools dedicated to John Fisher in Britain are located in Dewsbury, Peterborough, Purley and Wigan.

References
  1. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/obituaries/leo-gannon-1-2432271
  2. "Fever pitch over new facility". Harrogate Advertiser. 14 October 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
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