Colne Valley High School

Welcome to Colne Valley High School, a school that is proud of its history and principles.  Founded in 1956, our school was one of the first schools in England and Wales to be built as a true comprehensive school.  The aims of the school and the principles of a comprehensive education are as strong today as they were over 50 years ago.

Located in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the heart of the Pennines, the Academy has almost 1300 student on roll in Years 7 to 11. The school is within easy commuting distance from Leeds and Manchester and is situated within a 10-15 minute drive of the M62 corridor.

We pride ourselves on the way we nurture the talents of individuals, whether this is academically or through sport, music or the arts.  The breadth of our extra-curricular programme provides outstanding opportunities for every student to achieve success.

Our ethos is one of high aspiration.  Everyone, every student and every member of staff, can be exceptional, every day.

There is much to be celebrated at Colne Valley High School, part of Great Heights Academy Trust. We are dedicated to preparing the next generation of leaders: Leaders of industry; innovators in science and technology; leaders in the arts and music and our sports personalities of the future.

Colne Valley High School is taking all that is good from its past and has now taken its first steps towards the recognition it deserves. We care for our students and we care about their futures. By creating an exceptional place for learning, we are creating futures.  

Outstanding schools have outstanding teaching and the quality of teaching is the single most important factor in a school’s success. All students, irrespective of ability, are driven to “be the best they can be”.  Our ethos is driven by our mission – “To enable our students and staff to achieve their best” and our vision is that everyone, every student and every member of staff, can be exceptional, every day.

At Colne Valley High School we have agreed to live our school life by our values:

• Respect – we recognise, accept and celebrate differences

• Integrity – we are truthful and honest in all that we do

• Team work – we aim to be the best for our team

• Aspiration – we strive to be the best we can be.

Our staff lead by example and work hard to ensure that our young people feel happy, valued and safe, but equally they endeavour to enthuse them with a sense of aspiration, optimism and ambition. Work ethic is important and so is attitude. We encourage a “can do” attitude in relation to both work and play, and our expectations are extremely high.

We aim to:

• Sustain a culture of high expectations in which every individual is valued equally;

• equip all our students for lifelong learning enabling them to achieve their potential;

• provide an environment in which all staff experience a sense of professional well-   being and are to give of their best;

• provide an engaging, creative and enjoyable experience of teaching and learning;

• engender a sense of personal worth and physical and emotional well-being which enables students to become confident, self-reliant, self-disciplined, healthy and responsible;

• promote excellent standards of behaviour through highly effective personal relationships;

• equip students with the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary for them to make a positive contribution to society and prepare them for the world of work;

• foster effective partnerships between students, staff, parents, governors and the wider community.

We work hard to maintain a happy and well-run School, where students feel confident to thrive and develop. We strive to make our School a place of sound, stimulating and appropriate learning, where every student can achieve their true potential. We create a caring community where great emphasis is placed upon good relationships and partnerships to encourage respect, understanding and co-operation.