Midhurst Rother College opens its doors for first day of term
7 January 2009
Midhurst Rother College welcomed students and staff today for the first day of term.
The new year has brought with it a new school to the Rother Valley. Midhurst Rother College has united Midhurst Grammar School, Midhurst Intermediate School and Herbert Shiner School.
Bringing together three schools, the academy caters for 1,200 students aged 11-16 and 300 Sixth Formers from all over the Rother Valley. It is co-educational, free of charge and has a specialism in mathematics and science with the major themes of business and enterprise and ICT running throughout the curriculum.
Marking the change and signifying the new, students were wearing the Midhurst Rother College uniform, which is the first in the country to have a blazer made entirely of recycled materials.
The academy is currently housed on two sites with Years 6-8 on Wheelbarrow Castle – the former Midhurst Intermediate School site, and Years 9-11 and the Sixth Form in Capron House, North Street – the former Midhurst Grammar School site. Planned state-of-the-art buildings, which will bring the entire academy together in one location, will benefit students, staff and the local community alike. For now the two sites are linked by an ICT network giving students and staff access to the same information and educational resources.
Dr Joe Vitagliano, Principal of the academy, who has been meeting with staff and parents, including at the admissions events in October, said: “I am very excited to be leading Midhurst Rother College. We are all looking forward to the new opportunities which the academy presents to our community. Although on two sites, the academy will operate as one school where staff and students throughout the academy know each other.
“My vision for the academy is for it to foster a deep sense of belonging and responsibility in all its students. It will also be a place where high-level achievement goes hand-in-hand with countless opportunities in all areas of school life.”
