Happy New Year!

We look forward to fresh opportunities and challenges in the current year and the new decade. We welcome a new Chairman of Governors to lead us too: Alan Wintersgill. Alan has had a son and daughter at the Grove and before his appointment as a Governor in 1999 was a leading member of the Rugby and Cricket Clubs. Senior Partner at the largest Accountancy practice in Bradford, Alan brings valuable financial experience to the Board as well as a huge personal interest in the development of the school. At the end of October 2009 members of the school community past and present paid special tribute to the outstanding service of Brian Greenwood to the school: 50 years on the Board with 40 as Chairman. Woodhouse Grove is indebted to his excellent service and we have honoured Brian with the title of Honorary President.

In just two years (2012) we celebrate our 200th anniversary. We have a number of plans in place already: a substantial new school history that all pupils in the school in bicentenary year will receive free of charge; a special service on 8th January 2012, exactly 200 years to the day since the school was first opened; a family day in May and much else besides. Our long history provides a superb foundation for the future so we have plans for this too: a new building programme at Bronte House to include enhanced facilities for music and for sport and at the Grove a new swimming pool and second sports hall to be built in the space between the current sports hall and theatre releasing space for the development and expansion of our teaching facilities for design technology on the site of the current pool and its surrounding area.

As 2010 dawns there are immediate improvements to our teaching and social facilities: the art department will be moving across to the former music building following a substantial renovation project of this building; and the upper sixth will be moving across to a new social area following the departure of the Bradford Bulls from the rear section of the sports centre. The departure of the Bulls has provided the opportunity to buy new fitness equipment specifically with the training and PE requirements of our students. Later this year we will be redeveloping the current art rooms to provide expanded teaching facilities for Business Studies and Economics to accompany the expansion of this department to include a new GCSE course (Business with Communication) and a new vocational A level in advanced business. This move releases space for a further improvement to the social and locker areas for Years 9 and 10.

I am occasionally asked what we do to stretch our most academically able students given the long established reputation of the school to provide so well for a wide ability range. In addition to substantial extra-curricular and co-curricular programmes our top Maths set in Year 11 has taken two GCSEs in Maths in recent years (this year the extra Maths qualification these students have achieved is in fact of A level standard) and the top two sets in science can still take three separate science GCSEs. That said, even the new Dual Award qualification has much to commend it, especially for “non-scientists”. One important addition to our Sixth Form curriculum this year is the new Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). This is a valuable qualification that has received a warm welcome from universities. It provides all students with an opportunity to develop independent learning and research skills and allows space for creative thinking and ideas that stretch well beyond the limits of subject-based specifications.

The current academic year is one in which we review and update our 5 year development plan. Parents, pupils, former pupils and staff are all encouraged to contribute their evaluation of the school today and suggest priorities for the future. I look forward to hearing from you.

DC Humphreys
Headmaster