Tapton School

History

Tapton Secondary School opened in 1960 with 660 pupils. The pupils came from three local schools who lost their senior school to provide the pupils. These three schools, Springfield County, Nethergreen, and Crookes Endowed, became Junior schools.

The original 1950s school was knocked down and replaced by new premises under the private Finance Initiative in 2001 and is rented from its landlords, Interserve PLC.

After April 2011 the school was affected by changes in the funding of 6th formers and the discontinuation of the specialist schools programme. As a result of this funding change, Tapton governors sought academy status, which was approved, the changeover date being August 2011.

School site

New buildings include 15 science laboratories, a technology block with 10 classrooms, a music block with dedicated practice rooms, a drama studio, and a gym and sports hall. Outside, there is also a floodlit astroturf and tennis court, used by local organisations and other schools for a range of sports. In October 2015, a new building opened, with 4 new geography classrooms and a dance studio which is often used as an assembly hall.

Recognition

The school was inspected by Ofsted on 26 November 2024 and received ratings as follows:

School students have attained places on the Prime Minister's Global Fellowship programme. The school achieved its first student in the inaugural year of the programme, 2008, and in 2009 had another successful applicant.

Tapton Youth Brass Band

Tapton Youth Brass Band' is a brass band formed in 1994 as the Tapton School band.

Notable former pupils

• Kate Bottley, Anglican priest, TV personality, and journalist
• Sebastian Coe, British politician, former athlete, former head of the British Olympic Association
• Rachel Cooke, journalist
• Matt Fitzpatrick, golfer, winner of the 2022 U.S. Open
• Philip Hensher, novelist and critic
• Adam Johnson, cricketer
• Becky Lyne, athlete
• Richard McCourt, better known as Dick from Dick and Dom
• David James Richards, Silicon Valley entrepreneur and technology executive
• Rick Savage, Pete Willis and Tony Kenning, three of the founding members of Def Leppard
• Charlie Webster, sports TV presenter
• James Woods, freeskier

Notable former staff

• Miriam Cates, Member of Parliament, formerly taught Chemistry and Biology at Tapton.

References

References

1. "Tapton School – Contact Us".
2. (8 October 2020). "Ofsted – Tapton School".
3. "Sheffield City Council – Private Finance Initiative (PFI)".
4. link. (12 September 2011 . Retrieved 10 November 2009.)
5. "Meet our new FE columnist Kate Bottley: ‘Being Christian doesn’t make me a nutter’ {{!}} Tes Magazine".
6. (2009-11-12). "Seb Coe comes to Sheffield".
7. Cooke, Rachel. (2 December 2001). "Honestly, you haven't changed a bit". The Observer.
8. (2022-06-20). "Matt Fitzpatrick: Everything we know about the new US Open golf champion, from Sheffield".
9. "Philip Hensher's Sheffield". BBC.
10. "The Home of CricketArchive".
11. "My School Sport: Becky Lyne".
12. Sheffield Star, Bully for you as Dick beats school thugs http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Bully-for-you-as-Dick.996163.jp
13. Sheffield Star, WANdisco's right moves to success http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/wandisco-s-right-moves-to-success-1-3324889
14. (2019-04-15). "Alumni back fundraising campaign to run music GCSE at Sheffield school".
15. Sheffield Star, Charlie Webster article http://www.thestar.co.uk/features/Talented-Charlie-Webster39s-got-her.5310306.jp
16. Slater, James. "James Woods' rise to Success".
17. Cates, Miriam. "About". Miriam Cates.