THE ASHVILLE WAY

School may be out for children, but for education leaders, summer is an important time to reflect on the past and future

By RHIANNON WILKINSON

Ashville College has made a huge amount of progress in the last couple of years. We are delighted with how we have enhanced the educational experience of our pupils, promoted a culture of high expectations and, in a post-Covid landscape, created a strong sense of community. In 2022, we celebrated outstanding A-level examination results that were the school's best ever (52% of our grades were at A* or A) and led to us being featured in the Sunday Times’ top 10 list of independent secondary schools in the north for the first time in our history.

However, as I often remark to my colleagues, “standing still is not an option”. The educational landscape is changing very rapidly, and all schools need to keep their provision under review. We have spent the last academic year upholding our rigorous academic standards and supporting pupils ahead of their exams in the hope that we can continue the momentum we have built up over the last year.

One of our key commitments before the end of the summer term was to inform current parents about further improvements being introduced in the new year. Our parent ‘roadshows’ outlined a range of initiatives including unlocking the potential of digital learning through the introduction of iPads for pupils in Year 5 to Year 11; a new Health and Wellbeing Centre to improve advice and support for pupils; new social and learning hubs to help pupils to spend their time positively at break and lunchtime; an interactive awareness programme for pupils and parents covering themes pertinent for children growing up in the 21st century; and plans to build on and harness our flagship Future Ready and Outdoor Education programmes, which o er greater awareness of the personal and professional skills needed for high quality employment and success in the 2030 workplace.

We look forward to what is promising to be an action-packed new academic year in September. It will bring with it some exciting new sta appointments, including Mr Philip Soutar, our new Head of Prep School, who joins us from Rosemead Prep School in Dulwich and is currently Chair of the Independent Schools Association, and Mr Paul Stansfield, our new Director of Sport, who was most recently Academy Manager at Harrogate Town AFC. They and other new colleagues bring a wealth of experience to our school as we begin our next chapter.

Together, we are Ashville. If you are considering us for your child, do get in touch. Standing still is not an option.

Rhiannon Wilkinson

Rhiannon Wilkinson is Head of Ashville College, a leading independent school in Harrogate for boys and girls aged 2 to 18.

To find out more, visit ashville.co.uk