Christine Green introduces the new Rugby Free Secondary School

Christine Green, head of the new free secondary school in Rugby, introduces her school and how it has thrived so far during the first term.

My name is Christine Green, and I am head of the Free Secondary School in Rugby. Rugby Free Secondary School (RFSS) is a brand new, 11-19 school which opened in September 2016. I wanted to build a new school because I wanted to start from scratch, to make something brilliant from the ground up rather than inheriting it. I wanted to make a school where every child could get the help they needed when they needed it and in an environment that fostered this.

Our first few months have been amazing. We have great staff and teachers, and hard-working students. Following the success of our sister school, Rugby Free Primary School, which opened in September 2015, we are expecting great things.The school will grow organically with an intake of 180 Year 7 students each year until reaching full capacity of 1,370 students, helping to address the current and accelerating need for high-quality secondary school places in Rugby. RFSS is co-educational, non-selective, non-denominational and free to attend.

At RFSS, we provide a high-quality, challenging, broad and balanced education for all our children. All staff share a  passion for teaching and are committed to delivering the highest standards. It is our aim at RFSS to capture the natural anticipation and excitement that each child feels and provide rewarding, appropriate challenges that allow pupils to feel successful and confident.

The school has a strong focus on the STEMM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Music) because we believe that all children benefit from a well-thought-out and coordinated approach to these challenging areas of the curriculum. There are fantastic higher education and employment opportunities for young people who excel in these areas and we will be focused on ensuring a place at a top university, or employment with excellent career prospects from the day that the children join us in Year 7.

We have already won our first football match, held 2 open evenings, set baseline tests, held a parents’ evening and ran a number of charity events. The pupils have all worked hard in their lessons and are thriving. The start of this new opportunity to build the best school in Rugby has begun with a drive, commitment and an energy I have never witnessed before. I am so proud of what we have achieved so far! Watch this space. RFSS is on the map and we are going to set the world on fire with our positivity, intelligence and determination.