Choosing the right secondary school for your child is one of the most important decisions that you will make with your child. At The Joseph Whitaker School we believe that we have a culture and ethos which enables every child to thrive and develop into a confident young adult whilst achieving excellent qualifications in readiness for their future.
This truly is a wonderful school where we cater for all students’ needs and ambitions, whatever their starting point. Examination outcomes are strong and we offer a broad and balanced curriculum throughout all key stages. In addition to the taught curriculum, we offer a multitude of additional opportunities and I hope that your child takes full advantage of the activities that we have to offer.
The welfare of our students is of the greatest importance to us and we pride ourselves on the high standard of pastoral care that we provide through the House and tutoring system.
We encourage our students to take personal responsibility; their levels of effort and commitment will be reflected in their final examination outcomes. We maintain an ordered and calm environment with high standards of uniform and behaviour. All of our students are expected to be polite and courteous at all times.
Parental engagement is actively encouraged in order to create a culture of mutual support through which, along with regular, effective communication, we will continue to provide the very best education for each one of our students. Everything that we do is intended to enable all students to fulfil their potential. In order to achieve our ambitions we expect that all parents and carers will provide unwavering support in ensuring that our high expectations and standards are upheld – we are unapologetic in our drive for excellence.
I hope that you find this prospectus useful and informative, giving you a flavour of The Joseph Whitaker School. We very much look forward to meeting you.
Warmest regards,
Carey Ayres
Headteacher
The Past
The school takes its name from Joseph Whitaker (1850-1932), a famous naturalist and sportsman who lived at nearby Rainworth Lodge.
Founded in 1963, the school expanded considerably in 1971, when it became an 11-18 years mixed comprehensive. In 2004, the school was awarded specialist sports college status and we became a foundation school in 2006. The school gained academy status in 2011 and extended its specialism to include the performing arts in 2013.
The Whitaker family coat of arms, with its motto ‘SPES ET FIDES’, accurately reflects the expectations of our founder, and the philosophy by which we work today – HOPE for our pupils’ future and FAITH in their ability to rise to whatever challenges they meet.
The Present
The Joseph Whitaker School has over 1200 pupils on roll with a strong sixth form housed within new state of the art facilities. Situated on Warsop Lane, the campus is an attractive site of some 24 acres overlooking a pleasant wooded area surrounding Ell Lake, a local beauty spot.
The Governing Body are investing heavily in our accommodation and grounds. We are part-way through an extensive refurbishment programme which includes the development of a new performing arts centre, which opened in September 2014. Our classrooms are organised around distinct Faculty areas and we have an excellent range of specialist accommodation, including a state of the art resource centre; an impressive sports hall, dance studio and gym; excellent outdoor facilities including a full size all weather 3G pitch; a media room, a good range of computer rooms and a large, well resourced, student support centre.
The Future
The academy is constantly evolving and we always strive to provide the highest possible quality of education. We want to become outstanding in everything that we do and our record results are testimony to this drive. We will continue to support our pupils to improve their attainment, develop their skills and adopt a healthy lifestyle. We will always remember and value our roots within our local community whilst recognising that our pupils are part of a global economy, and we will further develop their understanding of the world through our extensive international links.
Proud to be me. Proud to be Us.
Be Ready Be Kind Be Safe