A SUCCESSFUL schools federation has a new man in the chair to ensure students receive the very best start to life.
The Northallerton and Catterick Federation has appointed Rob Barker to replace as chairman of governors John Dennis who retired this year.
A retired chartered civil engineer, Mr Barker is an existing governor and for the past three years a member of the all-important improvement committee.
The federation comprises The Allertonshire School, Northallerton College and Risedale Sports and Community College and has seen remarkable results for students.
The Allertonshire acts as the feeder school helping primary school children make the crucial transition to secondary education. In Northallerton they then move on to college to take their GCSEs and A Levels, with many achieving top grades and securing places at Russell Group universities including Oxford and Cambridge.
Risedale Sports and Community College became one of the fastest improving schools in the country thanks to the partnership and now staff are able to share their considerable experience and expertise with the other schools.
Based at Hipswell, Catterick Garrison, the college deals with unique challenges raised by a school population dominated by the children of Army families.
More than 40 per cent of students arrive and leave the college some time during their school years as parents are stationed elsewhere in the world.
“They are very different catchment areas,” said Mr Barker. “But the common denominator is that we strive to ensure that students achieve their full potential through good teaching.”
The three schools share a governing body and a common culture that seeks to achieve the highest standards through careful joint curriculum development. Student performance and achievement are monitored closely as is the quality of teaching.
“I am very pleased with the way the federation has come together and each school benefits from the cross-fertilisation of some very good practitioners and a very experienced and highly skilled governing body,” Mr Barker said.
“We have seen the results to prove that a federation is very much the right way forward for these three schools and parents, staff and the local authority have been incredibly supportive; we have had some great feedback.”
