The Robert Napier School, is a
secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
and
sixth form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...
with
academy status, located in
Gillingham, Kent
Gillingham ( ) is a large town in the unitary authority area of Medway in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. It is also the largest town in the ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The school is a specialist Humanities School,
and is non-selective, and does not have grammar school status. It has approximately 1100 students (according to
Department for Education
The Department for Education (DfE) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further and higher education), apprenticeships and wider skills in England.
A Department ...
figures).
The school is a member of
Fort Pitt Thomas Aveling Academies.
History
The school sits on the former site of Gillingham Grammar School. The school moved to its new site on Third Avenue on 20 April 1977. The headmistress, Mrs Louisa Stanley, had been appointed in 1974. When the school opened in September 1977 there were only 680 students and 39 members of staff.
The origins of the Robert Napier School extend back to 1905 when the 'Napier Road School' opened at Napier Road, Gillingham. In 1923 Gillingham County Council (Grammar) School was opened by
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is a county council that governs most of the county of Kent in England. It is the upper tier of elected local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council h ...
on what is now the site of the present school on Third Avenue. Shortly after its opening, the area experienced a sudden influx in population meaning many local schools rapidly reached their maximum capacity. It was not until the 1970s however, when the Gillingham County Council School moved sites and became
The Howard School, Kent
The Howard School is a boys' secondary school in Rainham, Kent, England, with approximately 1,500 pupils. It offers a partially selective system and is one of only five bi-lateral schools in the United Kingdom. The partially selective system p ...
that the Robert Napier School was formed.
Academics
The school is noted for the formal way that pupils must address teachers- calling them 'Sir' and 'mam'. The school aims to:
* Create a culture of high expectations
* Develop a clear sense of purpose for students who are given the drive and ambition to succeed
* A firm emphasis on good behaviour to provide a calm and orderly environment for students and staff
* High expectations for uniform, attendance, punctuality and excellent manners
* To develop every teacher skills using reflection to improve performance
The school chooses to teach a two year
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3 (commonly abbreviated as KS3) is the legal term for the three years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, when pupils are aged between 11 and 14. In Northern Ireland the ...
pupils are exposed to a broad and balanced curriculum of subjects. These provide a common foundation for the more specialised
Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4 (KS4) is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other examinations, in maintained schools in England normally known as Year 10 and Year 11, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16 by August 31. ...
. The only language studied is Spanish. The school works on a two-week timetable.
In the three year Key Stage 4, students study a core of seven subjects, and three options one of which must be History or Geography GCSE. There are nineteen
GCSE
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...
and
BTEC options on offer. A pass in Maths and English is seen as essential for further study.
At
Key Stage 5
Key Stage 5 is a label used to describe the two years of education for students aged 16–18, or at sixth form, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, aligning with previous Key Stages as labelled for the National Curriculum.
Key Stage 5 is also ...
eighteen
A level
The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...
s and
BTEC Level 3s are offered. There is no provision for a modern language.
Ofsted has described how the school has improved; in 2019 this was rated a good school.
Extra curriculum
There are several sporting clubs including-an early morning basketball academy which is very popular with pupils, especially those whose behaviour and attendance have been weaker in the past. Trips to local places of interest, such as Dover castle and central London, visits to Europe and America have been organised. Ofsted noted that through such activities, pupils develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.
Houses
There are four houses named after birds of prey such as
Eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
(red),
Harrier (yellow),
Osprey
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
(Green) and
Kestrel
The term kestrel (from french: crécerelle, derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour ...
(blue).
Former pupils
*
Ryan Bertrand
Ryan Dominic Bertrand (born 5 August 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Leicester City.
Bertrand began his youth career at Gillingham, before signing for Chelsea in July 2005. He gradu ...
- footballer
References
External links
Robert Napier School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robert Napier School
Secondary schools in Medway
Gillingham, Kent
Academies in Medway