Welcome to the Whitby Community College website.

We are a ‘local’ College, serving an area which is geographically large but socially close-knit. We strive to provide the widest possible range of opportunities for our learners, both young and more mature. We take students in at 14, at the start of GCSE courses, and the majority stay into the Sixth Form. At any given time, we have 800 full time students on roll.

Our curriculum offer includes Design Technology, Engineering, ICT, Electronics, Psychology, French, German, and Humanities' subjects alongside the more traditional Science and Maths subjects.

We can boast excellent provision in the visual and performing arts and a host of other subjects, including our vocational and work related learning areas.

I hope you find our website an interesting and enjoyable introduction to the College, and that you will contact us with any further enquiries.

Mr K Prytherch

I’m sure you will be pleased to read that we have had a very settled term with little staff or student illness, much hard work has been seen and students across the year-groups have committed themselves to some serious study. It has been really good to see many of you in the College at Parent Evenings, concerts or just coming in to meet staff. With this in mind I would like to tell you about some recent research into parental involvement on student outcomes. This work has been published by Professor Charles Desforges from Exeter University and many schools are passing it on to parents. He makes the following strong points

1. Parental involvement has a large and positive effect on the outcomes of schooling. Research consistently shows that what parents do with their children at home is far more important to their achievement than their social class or level of education.
2. What parents do with their children at home through the age range, is much more significant than any other factor open to educational influence. What seems to be lacking is an effort to put these two bodies of knowledge together in a way that delivers achievement through enhanced parenting.

At Whitby Community College, we are very keen to help parents with any aspect of education and would be very pleased to arrange for groups of parents to meet us to discuss topics of their choice. If you would like to get involved in a parent group to discuss education, or social issues that affect education, please do contact me.

EARRINGS, PIERCINGS AND HAIR COLOUR
Obviously, these are subject to fashion and young people are keen to keep up with the trend. However, to avoid difficult conversations can I please remind students and parents that the College policy on this matter is that one pair of studs is allowed in the ears, these must not be bigger than a 5p piece and piercings of any other nature are not permitted. Hair styles must not be extreme and should contain only naturally occurring hair colour. We would be very grateful of your support with this.

@TWITTER
Are you keeping up to date with instant messaging? Many staff at the College are now using Twitter to pass on valuable information and promote certain events. It should also play an important role during the winter months if snap decisions have to be made because of poor weather. For example, a train not running or a College closure early one morning. You can follow these staff on Twitter.

Headteacher @keithprytherch
Whitby Junior Sport @WhitbySport
WCC Mentors @WhitbyCCMentors
Chemistry @Tungsten2Carbon
ICT @WalkerICT
Student Leadership @whitbyccSLT
Humanities @Humanities_WCC
Art @VictoriaRahn
Music @BeattieMiss
PE @dalecorky

I would like to finish by wishing you and your family a very happy and healthy 2012.

Keith Prytherch