The School's Development 

The School is housed in a splendid Georgian building to which additions have been made as the School has grown. A second large building was erected in 1931 but the major expansion has taken place since 1957. The money for this has been provided by the Wheelwright Trust and from the School's Development Appeal Fund.

The Old Courtyard

In 1957 a new classroom block was built and the 1960s brought a whole series of developments including the Chan Music School, Bentley Swimming Pool, a Home Economics Unit and new boarding accommodation. The pace was maintained in the 1970s with the provision of new classrooms, squash courts, a games hall and, crucially, the Wade Science Block which provided new facilities for all the major sciences.

Growth continued in the 1980s. More study-bedrooms for girls and boys were provided and in 1983 a major building programme was undertaken following a School Development Appeal. A magnificent new building was opened. It contains ten new classrooms and a multi-purpose Assembly Hall which can seat the whole school.

Slitheroe House

A new Library was established in the atmospheric old Assembly Hall.  With over 8000 books, this was refurbished in 2005.  In 1984 a further classroom block was opened and this is now linked to a specialist suite for Design and Technology

Heathfield Infant Block

A new Sports Hall and a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Centre (1999) followed.

Among more recent developments are

• The opening in 2006 of a new community Sports Club, including a completely renovated and updated swimming-pool with viewing gallery, squash courts, reception area and changing-rooms. The fully air-conditioned gym has a large range of equipment and a state-of-the-art audio-visual system.  The idea of the Club is a charitable one: we make available excellent sports facilities to the local community, at extremely reduced rates.  At the Opening Weekend in 2006, all 500 memberships were sold out by the Sunday.  As membership usage was analysed, more memberships became available.  By January 2007, we were able to expand membership to 750.  Reviewing the use of the facilities all the time, we shall continue to ensure that as many people as we feel we can accept as members have the benefit of access to the Club.

• Continuing, major upgrades of ICT equipment and the whole-school network: this includes the installation of interactive whiteboards and projectors in teaching areas, internet access from all areas of the school and from each boarder’s study-bedroom and a proliferation of additional ICT suites (an extra one for whole-school use, and numerous smaller ones for specific applications), totalling a dozen or so ICT areas. 

• The complete refurbishment of all existing boarding areas and the creation of three new boarding annexes.

• The stripping and total refitting of the Science Department Laboratories and Prep Rooms with the best of modern fixtures and equipment (Summer 2003) and of the Art Department (2005).

• The creation in 2005 of a new Reception Area and offices in the administration building

• The total refurbishment of the Sixth Form Centre to provide stunning but practical rooms for work and leisure (2007)

The Sixth Form Centre

 

 

Just as the main school has expanded, so has our Junior School, Heathfield.  It occupies a handsome stone-built house standing in its own extensive grounds close to the Swimming Pool and its own Sports Hall.

Extensive alterations have been made to the original buildings in order to provide specialist rooms for Art, Music and Design Technology.

Year 1 and Year 2 children are now accommodated within the main building in their own Key Stage 1 area and the ICT Room has recently undergone a complete refurbishment, with the installation of 22 new computers and an interactive whiteboard.  All classrooms have a computer and are networked.

The Out-of-School Care facility has spacious accommodation for indoor and outdoor activities catering for our pupils from Nursery to Year 6.

From September 2007, a self-contained Foundation Stage Unit housed the very youngest pupils where the activities are based inside and out within their own secure environment.

Time does not stand still at Rishworth. It is a thriving, expanding school which responds to needs.