School rewards its prize pupils

11:41am Monday 14th July 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

YORK High School has held its first annual prize-giving ceremony at York Racecourse.

The academic achievements of almost 100 pupils from the school were acknowledged in front of nearly 300 guests and members of staff. The audience was treated to a pictorial record of the first year in the life of the new school which opened in September, after the amalgamation of Oaklands and Lowfield School in Acomb.

The keynote speech was given by Pete Dwyer, director of children’s services at City of York Council.

Year 10 pupils Rosa Mansell and Jacob Busfield also gave their account of their first year at York High and presented an optimistic view of the future for the school.

David Ellis, head teacher, said: “We are proud to be marking the first year of our new school with this wonderful event to celebrate what we want to be about – achievement. “Pupils and staff have worked extremely hard, in at times difficult circumstances, to make this a successful year and to lay the foundations for what I believe will be soon recognised as an outstanding school. “Events of this kind give the pupils a public pat on the back for what they have done throughout the year. I am already excited about next year’s event, which will be held in our new building.”

The new £10 million York High School building is being built on the old Oaklands School site in Cornlands Road, Acomb.

There are now more than 1,000 pupils at York High School all working at the Dijon Avenue site, formerly Lowfield School. The school will return to Cornlands Road in January and the Dijon Avenue land will be sold for development.

The Government is contributing £8 million towards the cost of modernising and extending the buildings on the Oaklands site, while City of York Council is putting forward the remaining £2 million.

At Cornlands Road, the demolition work will allow the creation of a new teaching block for the communication and inclusion faculty, as well as a new science laboratory and new dining and social facilities.

Other work in the project will include a refurbishment of the remainder of the site, including a new performing arts area.

This is in addition to the creation of a new six-lane swimming pool at the existing Oaklands Sports Centre.