Hatfield Visual Arts College

Infobox UK school
name = Hatfield Visual Arts College


motto =
phone =
fax =
established =
approx =
type = Co-educational secondary comprehensive with specialist Arts status
head = Mr CD Coady
city = Hatfield
county = South Yorkshire
country = England
ofsted = 106784
enrollment = 1166
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
publication =
free_label_1 =
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website = http://www.hatfield.doncaster.sch.uk

Hatfield Visual Arts College is an Arts College on "Ash Hill Road" between Hatfield and Dunscroft in South Yorkshire England.

Based in Ash Hill, Hatfield, South Yorkshire, to the east of Doncaster near the A18 and M18, it educates 11-18 year olds from the areas of Hatfield, Stainforth, Dunsville, Dunscroft, Hatfield Woodhouse and teens from other regions of Doncaster. The site is shared with Coppice School, a school for pupils with learning difficulties from ages 3-18.

History

The school was previously known as Hatfield High School. In 1997, a fire destroyed the science block. Another fire in November 2001 caused £750,000 of damage to the front building, [ [http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/db/enews/article.asp?Archive=Y&CatID=28&Art=416 doncaster.gov.uk] ] destroying the main hall and eighteen classrooms, including computer equipment the school had recently obtained in the Foundation IT building. Seven fire engines attended. [ [http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/786/SCHOOL-BLAZE-PROBED.377557.jp Peterborough Today, School Blaze Probed] ] It became an Arts College in 2003. A new Arts and Maths building was opened on January 26 2007 by Alan Johnson, called the Da Vinci Learning Centre.Fact|date|date=September 2008

The school is situated in a former coal mining area, with local pits closing in recent years, and consequently above average unemployment, although Stainforth Colliery opened again in January 2008.

To take books out of the library, a fingerprint system is used. Its former high level of truancy has been curbed by keeping children in at lunchtime, more police patrols, and electronic registration before every lesson.

Setting

Hatfield VAC is set out in four blocks:
* A Block, "Marco Polo" representing Green Family (one of the 4 families in school)
* B Block was burnt down - but replaced in 2006 with a new building named DaVinci Center, making it AD block. Representing the Red Family.
* C Block, "Shakespeare" is the main block, consisting of the Dining hall, Library, etc. This building represents Blue Family.
* P.E Block, "Marie Curie" representing Yellow Family - Also joined with them are the science classes, although attached to the C block.

Academic performance

Students can study for GCSE, BTEC or A level qualifications. Although the school is improved from what it was, it still gets low GCSE results, barely above the national minimum, but about average for Doncaster LEA. The results at A Level are even lower. The Hungerhill School down the road (A18) in nearby Edenthorpe gets respectable GCSE results just over the national average, but has no sixth form. Only five of Doncaster's seventeen secondary schools get GCSE results over the national average, and the LEA wants six schools to become academies. Barnsley LEA also has low results.

External links

* [http://www.hatfield.doncaster.sch.uk Website]
* [http://sites.google.com/a/network2learn.com/hatfield-visual-arts-college/Home Network2Learn]
* [http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=4214911159 Bebo]
* [http://www.edubase.gov.uk/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=106784 EduBase]

News items

* [http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/free/School-rises-from-the-ashes.3879519.jp School rises from the ashes]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/6301059.stm New suite opens in January 2007]
* [http://www.carolineflint.co.uk/news/oct2006/schooltransformation.htm Local MP visits in 2006]
* [http://www.thestar.co.uk/55/Police-hunt-young-witness-to.191102.jp Investigation into fire in 2002]
* [http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/786/SCHOOL-BLAZE-PROBED.377557.jp Fire in 2001]