Information for Parents
Information for Parents
This page is designed to provide all parents, whether current or prospective, with all the information they may need about our independent day and boarding school.
Please use the tabs below to access the information you want.
350 Celebrations
Celebrations for the 350th anniversary of the school are well underway, and a full list of proposed events are listed below.
It is hoped that parents and friends will be able to join us for as many of the events as possible and we look forward to seeing you.
Summer Term 2017
Wednesday 21 June – 350 Moloney Trust Music Competition
Friday 23 June – 350 Music and Drama Evening with special guests
Monday 26 June – 350 Exhibition opens – archive material and pupils work
Wednesday 28 June – 350 Sports Day
Thursday 29 June – 350 Staff Garden Party in Commemoration Peace Garden
Friday 30 June – 350 School vs ODAs Cricket Match and Reunion
Saturday 1 July – 350 Commemoration Day
Church – Bishop of Selby – The Rt. Rev. John Thomson
350 Commemoration Day Lunch
Prizes – Lord Lt. of North Yorkshire – Mr Barry Dodd CBE
350 PFA Commemoration Day 1667 Ball
Every year on the first Saturday in July, Read School holds Commemoration Day, which is the annual celebration of the founding of the school by Charles Reade in 1667. A tradition associated with most independent schools, the day also encompasses the celebration of the end of another successful year, when prizes are presented to the pupils for their hard work and achievements over the year.
The day is a fairly formal affair and begins with a Commemoration service in the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Drax village, during which thanks are given for the completion of another successful school year. Hymns are sung and prayers are said for those about to leave the school and move on to pastures new, and a guest preacher is invited to deliver the address. Guest preacher for 2015 was the Revd. Jonas Mdumulla, vicar of Drax and Carlton. Revd jonas has presided over many Commemoration Day services, however this was his last as priest-in-charge before retirement.
After the service, everyone walks back to school for drinks and lunch. The pupils take lunch in the school dining room as usual, whilst parents and visitors are able to pre-book lunch in the Sports Hall, which is transformed into a marquee for the day.
Following the lunch, everyone repairs to Moloney Hall for the annual Prize Giving ceremony. The school and guests are then addressed by the Chairman of Governors and the Head, who each give their report on the previous school year.
The Prize Giving then takes place, when those children who have excelled in the fields of Achievement, Effort, Sports, Practical and Performance are rewarded for their hard work. A number of special prizes are also awarded, in which the all round contributions of students to the success of the school, are recognised.
A guest speaker hands out the prizes, and then addresses the school. This is usually followed by a vote of thanks from the outgoing Head of School. In 2015, our guest speaker was Wing Commander Brian Watt, RAF, Retd, a former pupil of the school and now a successful businessman.
The day culminates with the Summer Ball organised by the Parents and Friends Association and held in the marquee.
This is Read School’s ‘Grand Day’ and, as such, is an event not to be missed!
To download a list of current fees payable and associated charges please click on the link below.
Please note that all fees are payable each term, and are due payable before the first day of term.
| Subject | A* | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | U |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Additional Science | 1 | – | 8 | 7 | 6 | 2 | – | – | – |
| Art | – | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Business Studies | – | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – |
| Computer Science | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Design Technology (Resistant Materials) | – | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Design Technology (Food) | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Drama | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| English | – | 1 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 3 | – | – | – |
| English Lit. | – | – | 1 | 6 | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| French | 1 | – | 1 | – | 4 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Further Additional Science | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | – |
| Geography | – | – | 4 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
| History | – | – | – | 6 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Latin | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mathematics | 1 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| Music | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| PE | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Religious Studies | – | – | 1 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Science | – | 2 | 5 | 11 | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| Spanish | – | – | 4 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 5 | 14 | 42 | 70 | 42 | 15 | – | 2 | – |
| Cumulative % | 2.6% | 10% | 31.1% | 68.9% | 91.1% | 98.9% | 98.9% | 100% | – |
| 2015 % | 8.7% | 25.6% | 53% | 87.7% | 98.6% | 99.1% | 99.1% | 100% | – |
| 2014 % | 3.3% | 23.9% | 57.4% | 87.1% | 97.8% | 99.2% | 99.7% | 100% | – |
| 2013 % | 5.4% | 23.5% | 48.8% | 72.6% | 90% | 96.7% | 99% | 100% | – |
% Pass: 68.4 [87.7%, 87.1%, 72.6%]
% obtaining 5+ grade A*-C (inc. Maths, Eng) = 32% [76%, 65.9%]
% obtaining 5+ grade A*-C = 60% [92%, 81.8%]
[2015, 2014, 2013 statistics in brackets]
| Subject | A* | A | B | C | D | E | U |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art & Design | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Biology | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Business Studies | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – |
| Chemistry | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| Computing | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| English Literature | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – |
| French | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Geography | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – |
| German | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| History | – | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | – |
| Mathematics | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | 2 |
| Physics | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | 2 |
| Portuguese | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| Psychology | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 1 |
| Russian | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sport & PE | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| Cumulative % | 2.2% | 11.1% | 24.4% | 62.2% | 77.8% | 82.2% | – |
| 2015 % | 4.2% | 22.9% | 52.1% | 68.8% | 85.4% | 97.9% | – |
| 2014 % | 21.2% | 33.2% | 57.6% | 84.8% | 97% | 100% | – |
| 2013 % | 2.3% | 13.6% | 59.1% | 81.8% | 88.6% | 95.5% | – |
Information and Guidance for Parents and Pupils
Please click on the relevant link below to see a copy of the above guidance booklet or to download a copy of this year’s Summer Examinations Timetable
READ SCHOOL STAFF (from JANUARY 2016)
HEADMASTER
J A SWEETMAN, BSc, PhD (Wales), PGCE (London), FRSB Biology
Deputy Designated Senior Person (DDSP) for Child Protection
DEPUTY HEADMASTER
M A VOISEY, BA (Trent), PGCE (deMontfort) Head of English
ASSISTANT HEAD (Curriculum)
Ms C M PALMER, BSc, PGCE (Belfast), MSc (Open) Mathematics
BURSAR
Mrs R M HARRISON, BEd (Hull)
TEACHING STAFF – PRE-SCHOOL AND PRE-PREP SCHOOL
Mrs S L CAMPBELL, BA, (LMU), PGCE (Leeds)
Mrs K LIMBERT, Pre-School Manager, Designated Lead Practitioner (DLP) for Child Protection
Mrs A WATSON, BA (York St John), GTTP (Bradford) Head of Pre-Prep School
Mrs C M WYNNE, BEd (York St John)
TEACHING STAFF – PREP SCHOOL
Mrs L FAIRHURST, BA (York), PGCE (Hull)
Mr G HILL, BA (Lancaster)
Mrs R M WAKE, BA (Loughborough), PGCE (Leeds) Head of Prep School
TEACHING STAFF – SENIOR SCHOOL
N J BORTHWICK, BSc (Bolton), PGCE (Huddersfield), Psychology
P J BUDD, BSc, PGCE (Leeds) Physics
Ms J K BULLOCK, BSc (Ports.), PGCE (Man.), MSc (Hudd.) Head of Science, EAL
Mrs S CHAMBONNET, BA (Toulouse), PGCE (Portsmouth)Languages Co-ordinator
Mrs J M CLARK, Head of Music
Miss C CROSS, BA (Warwick), PGCE (Sheffield Hallam) Head of Sixth Form, English
M DELL, BSc, PGCE (Nottingham) Head of Mathematics
B GARRARD, BSc, PGCE (LMU) Director of Sport
D I GISBOURNE, BSc (Durham), PGCE (Hull) Director of ICT, Mathematics
Ms H L HEWSON, BA (Manchester), PGCE (Coventry) English
Mrs K IVES, BA (Sunderland) French, Spanish
Mrs E C JACKSON, BSc (Sheffield), PGCE (Newcastle) Mathematics, Science
Mrs P KAVANAGH, BA (Leeds) Business Studies
B J MAUNSELL, BA (Huddersfield), PGCE (Leeds) Drama
Mrs S MORRELL, BEd (Dublin) History, RS, PSHCE Co-ordinator
Miss F M NEWMAN, BA, PGCE (Hull) Art, Dance
Mrs K E PATRICK, BA, PGDip, MA (Leeds), APC & TPC, Patoss, Director of Inclusion, Designated Senior Person (DSP) for Child Protection
C S PATRICK, BSc (Wales), PGCE (Huddersfield) SpecialistTutor
Mrs S G PROSSER, BA (Northumbria), PGCE (LMU) Girls’ Sport & PE
Mrs S ROTHWELL-WOOD, BEd (Trent) Creative Arts Co-ordinator
Mrs S A SCHOLEFIELD, BSc (Lancaster) Head of Humanities
J STAVES, BSc, PhD (Leeds) Chemistry
Miss A J WILLIAMSON, BA, PGCE, MA (Hertfordshire) Art & Design
SUPPORT STAFF
Mrs N BRAY Office Assistant (Finance)
M CROSSLEY Site Maintenance
Dr P DUGGAN Laboratory Technician
Miss K A CONNELL Finance Assistant
S COSTELLO Site Manager, CCF
Mrs K ELLIOTT, CPCAB Dip Counsellor
Mrs J FALKINGHAM Headmaster’s PA, Marketing Manager, Website & Admissions
R FOX Groundsman
R GIBBINS, BA (York St John) Resident House Assistant
L HARRISON ICT Technician, Resident Tutor
Miss C L HEPWORTH Pre-School Assistant Apprentice
Mrs M HILL Art/DT Technician
C KNOWLES Resident House Assistant
Mrs S MACPHERSON, BEd (Hull) Pupil Support Assistant
Mrs L MARROW Pupil Support Assistant
Mrs E POCKLINGTON Pre-School Assistant
Mrs C SANDERSON Pupil Support Assistant
Miss C SAWICKI Pre-School Assistant
Mrs D SHEAVYN Head of Boarding
Mrs D SLACK, FdEd (Hull) Pupil Support Assistant
Mrs J SMITH Medical Centre Supervisor
Mrs E SOWERSBY Admin Assistant, Exams Officer & ODA Administrator
S STOCK Site Maintenance
C TERRY CO, CCF
Miss J WALKER School Secretary & Receptionist
PERIPATETIC MUSIC TEACHING STAFF
Mrs A FARMERY, BA, PGCE (Reading), ALCM, LTCL Woodwind
A McGUINN, BA (Hull) Guitar, Ukulele
R MOULSON, BA (Open) Singing, Senior Choir
R K SHARP Percussion
P SIBSON, BA (Bretton Hall) Guitar, Strings
Read’s commitment to offering scholarships to pupils with real talent and potential for excellence is a proud and long standing one.
Scholarships are awarded openly on merit and the amount awarded will vary depending on the funds available at the time.
Parents may ask for their child to be considered for a scholarship or they may be invited by the school to apply for a scholarship. All applicants must be registered with Read, or attending the school, in order to be considered.
Read Scholarships are also available for boarding and international pupils. The scholarships may be awarded for outstanding talent in any category, or for a combination of talents that enable the candidate to make a significant all-round contribution to Read as a boarding school.
The school also offers bursaries, which are offered privately in cases of financial need and are designed to enable pupils to attend the school who could not otherwise afford to do so. Bursary applications may be made to augment the value of a scholarship or exhibition. Application forms can be requested from the Finance Manager or Headmaster’s PA.
Officers 2015/16
Chair: Mrs Karen Ratcliffe
Vice-Chair: Mrs Barbara Marsh
Secretary: TBA
Treasurer: Ms Rebecca Robinson
The aim of the Read School Parents and Friends Association is to organise social/fun events throughout the year whilst at the same time raising money which enables the association to provide extra equipment for the school, which helps to give the children a more interesting and varied school life.
The kind of events that have been held in the past include Bonfire/Fireworks Displays, Ceilidhs, Beetle Drives, Quiz Nights, Race Nights, Tennis Days, Promise Auctions, Discos, Pamper Days, Talent Shows, Christmas and Spring Fayres. The calendar ends each year in July with a Summer Ball.
A second-hand clothes shop is run by the PFA and is well supported by parents, both for purchases and sales.
In the past the PFA have helped with the purchase of such things as lighting equipment and stage curtaining for the Moloney Hall, play equipment for the Pre-Prep School, hockey strips and games equipment. In 2006/07 the PFA organised an appeal to raise funds for an Astroturf pitch for the school: despite a disappointing response, the PFA was still able to pledge more than £30,000 to the project and, with help from the school governors, a MUGA (Multi Use Games Area) was provided and is in full use by the school. Further purchases include equipment for the MUGA, further play equipment for the Pre-Prep School, camping equipment for the Senior School Activities programme, and the provision of ICT equipment. The PFA has funded the refurbishment of the E V Watkins cricket pavilion and the Strickland Performing Arts Studio in the last few of years, and its most recent projects were to overhaul the play area for the Pre-School class, bringing it into line with current expectations and regulatory guidelines, and to refurbish the Sixth Form Centre.
One or two planning meetings are held each term. These are listed in the school calendar, and all parents are welcome to attend.
Minutes of previous meetings can be found in the Parents Area of the website.
Details of next meeting
The next meeting will be the AGM followed by an open meeting, to be held on Thursday 19 January 2017 at 7.00 pm in the Library.
To download the Autumn Term Calendar 2017, please click on the link below.
To view term dates 2017 – 2019, please click on the link below.
The official school uniform is available from two outfitters, one in Goole and one in Selby.
Classroom Clothing
22 Finkle Street
Selby
Tel; 01757 700577
http://www.classroomclothing.co.uk
Clothes For Little People
26-28 Pasture Road
Goole
Tel; 01405 720073
http://www.theschooluniformshop.co.uk
To download a current uniform list, please click on the links below.
Read School provides transport into school for day children covering five different routes:
Askern – travelling up the A19 calling at Whitley, Eggborough, Gowdall and Snaith
Doncaster – passing through Dunsville, Hatfield, and Thorne
Howden and Goole – the service begins at Cliffe, then travels to Howden and on to Goole, calling at Asselby and Hook
Cawood – this bus travels from Biggin, through Ryther and on to Cawood and Wistow, after which it travels through Selby and down the A19 to Brayton, before crossing to the A1041
Sherburn in Elmet – beginning in Sherburn this bus then goes to Monk Fryston and along the A63 through Hambleton and Thorpe Willoughby and on down the A1041 to Drax
The Askern, Doncaster and Howden routes are operated by the school using our own small fleet of minibuses and the other two routes are contracted out to local minibus operators.
These routes are amended from time to time as demand changes. Costs are charged at a daily rate and this is payable termly in advance. Details of timings and current charges can be obtained from the school.
Open Mornings are held twice a year, when prospective pupils and their families are welcome to visit the school, have a tour of the buildings and facilities and meet the staff.
Our next Open Morning will be held on
Saturday 14 October 2017, 9.30 – 12.00 noon
For further information, please contact Nicola Shann in the school office – 01757 618248