Heywood Community High School Explained

Heywood Community High School should not be confused with Haywood High School.

Heywood Community High School
Coordinates:	53.5879°N -2.2523°W
Established:	1966 (as Sutherland High School)
Closed:	31 August 2010
Type:	High School Community School
Head Label:	Headteacher
Head:	Mr David Yates
Chair:	Mrs V Purslow
Address:	Sutherland Road
City:	Darnhill, Heywood
County:	Greater Manchester
Country:	United Kingdom
Postcode:	OL10 3PL
Local Authority:	Rochdale
Urn:	105835
Enrolment:	216 (at the time of closure)
Gender:	Mixed-sex
Lower Age:	11
Upper Age:	16
Free Label 1:	Former name
Free 1:	Sutherland High School
Website:	www.hchs.co.uk

Heywood Community High School was a secondary school in the Heywood district of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. The school closed 30 June 2010 to students^[1] but officially closed on 31 August 2010.^[2]

History

The school opened in 1966 as Sutherland High School.^{[3] [4]} The school was renamed to Heywood Community High School 31 August 1990.

In 2006 when the position of Headteacher was appointed to David Yates the school's performance improved dramatically, from 10% A*-C GCSE grade to 71% in 2010, the year of the school's closure.^[5] This made the school one of the best in the Rochdale borough and in the top 20 most improved schools in the country.^{[6] [7]}

The school officially closed on 31 August 2010, as a result of the British Government's Building Schools for the Future strategy.^[8] The school stopped accepting new students in 2008 in order to phase out the majority of students in preparation for the closure in 2010. When the school closed the majority of remaining students were transferred to neighbouring Siddal Moor Sports College^[9] and the remainder to Holy Family College. In the school's last Ofsted report it was found to be outstanding in many areas.^[10] The former school building was demolished in late 2010.

In the media

• 27 September 2003 the school had a large fire in the technology department. The school was open as usual after the fire.^[11]
• 10 August 2010 Arsonists deliberately set fire to the former school building. Two days later another fire was started in the building. Heywood councillor Jacqui Beswick reported the site has been left unsecured.^{[12] [13] [14]}
• 26 August 2010 the school announced record GCSE exam results for the last year of the school. 71% of students achieved A*-C grades. This was above the national average of 69.1% that year.^[15]

Notable alumni

• Elliott Tittensor, an actor best known for his role of Carl Gallagher in the Channel 4 show Shameless, is a former student of Heywood Community High School. He left the school in 2006.^[16]
• Luke Tittensor is an actor best known for playing Daz Eden in the ITV soap Emmerdale. He is the twin brother of Elliott Tittensor.^[17]

Sutherland High School

• Mike Hill, Labour MP since 2017 for Hartlepool

Notes and References

1. News: GCSE pupils' 'heartbreak' at Rochdale school demolition. BBC News. 24 August 2010.
2. http://www.edubase.gov.uk/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=105835 EduBase - HCHS
3. http://www.link4life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=c.showPage&pageID=1271 Link4Life Darnhill
4. http://www.edubase.gov.uk/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=127453 Sutherland High School
5. News: RIP Heywood Community School. Manchester Evening News. 26 August 2010. Gray. Lisa. M.E.N. Media. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121112182545/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/education/s/1315066_rip_heywood_community_school. November 12, 2012.
6. http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/35314/results-boost-for-heywood-school Results boost for HCHS
7. News: Reward scheme pays off at school. Heywood Advertiser. 22 January 2009. M.E.N. Media.
8. http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/consultations/past_consultations/consultation_-_building_school.aspx Rochdale BSF Consultation
9. News: School's name will live on. Heywood Advertiser. 8 October 2009. Harvey. Paul. M.E.N. Media. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121112182605/http://menmedia.co.uk/heywoodadvertiser/news/s/1160722_schools_name_will_live_on. November 12, 2012.
10. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/layout/set/print/oxedu_reports/download/(id)/108202/(as)/105835_324281.pdf 2009 HM Ofsted Report
11. News: Pupils off after school fire. BBC News. 28 September 2003.
12. http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/45634/deliberate-fire-at-heywood-community-high-school Deliberate fire at HCHS
13. http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/45728/second-school-fire-in-two-days Second school fire in 2 days
14. News: School under firebug attack. Heywood Advertiser. 19 August 2010. M.E.N. Media.
15. News: GCSE results: Record results see pass rates rise for 23rd year in a row. guardian.co.uk. 24 August 2010. Vasagar. Jeevan. London. Guardian News and Media.
16. News: No shame in playing tough role on screen. Heywood Advertiser. 28 February 2007. Parker. Gareth. M.E.N. Media.
17. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1541685/ Luke Tittensor