Science Award

Awarded to the educational establishment that has excelled in the provision of a  first class environment for teaching science subjects including biology, chemistry and physics.

2009 Winner: Rose Bridge High School Specialist Science College, Wigan

Although located in an area of high deprivation, Value Added measures now place Rose Bridge High School in the top ten percent of schools nationally. With science as its specialism, the school boasts a dedicated Horticulture and Land based studies zone supported by Myerscough College, and was the first secondary school in Greater Manchester to receive certification as a sustainable learning school.

Rose Bridge acts as a centre of science learning for the region, working with four other secondary schools and 10 primary schools to provide master classes for gifted and talented students. Among the borough's leading performers, the school is no stranger to winning awards, and was recently named ‘most improved specialist science college in the country in 2009’ by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. This year, Rose Bridge was also rated by Ofsted as outstanding, making vast improvements since its last inspection in 2006. The hard work and dedication of its teaching staff, led by headteacher Jack Pendlebury, is reaping rewards for the school and will benefit the local community in years to come.

Ian McCartney, MP for Makerfield, said at a recent visit: “The outstanding success of Rose Bridge High School is first and foremost a tribute to the hard work of students and staff. As a specialist science school, they have developed innovative courses and new approaches to learning, which young people find highly motivating and relevant to their future lives.”

In March this year, recognising Rose Bridge as an outstanding school, Ofsted inspector Sue Harrisson HMI commented: “The school has developed its curriculum very skillfully. The vision to create a personalised curriculum that provides motivation, and that students find interesting and relevant, has put the school at the cutting edge of curriculum development. In Key Stage 4 there is an interesting range of pathways.”

Commended:

High Tunstall College of Science, Hartlepool
Alexandra Park School, London
Macmillan Academy, Middlesbrough