Catmose College is a secondary academy school on Huntsmans Drive in Oakham, Rutland. The catchment area covers the county town of Oakham and surrounding villages, although students are drawn from a wider area through parental choice. From 1972 until 2009 the school name was Vale of Catmose College.
In 2009, the college in partnership with Rutland County Council started construction of a £23m new campus which opened in 2011. The new building, designed by Jonathan Ellis Miller, combines a 900 pupil academy, Sure Start centre, sports building, outdoor pitches, and a learning disability resource centre.
In 2010, Catmose College federated with Southfield Community Primary School which became Catmose Primary. The addition of Catmose Nursery in 2012 and the sixth form Harington school in 2015 means that Catmose Federation provides care for children from 3 months to 19 years.
Catmose College specialises in Visual Arts. The Catmose Gallery, opened in May 2003 by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, was the first public art gallery located in a community college. The gallery provided students and the public with a programme of high calibre national, local and student exhibitions before in July 2011 the college governors decided on the closure of the gallery to the public.
With 90% of students achieving five GCSE grades A*-C the college is one of highest attaining in Rutland and Leicestershire. The Ofsted report in February 2012 rated the College 'Outstanding' in all 4 categories and overall.
History
1920 – Oakham Central School
1937 – Secondary Modern School
1946 – Oakham County Secondary School
1962 – Vale of Catmose Village College
1968 – New classroom block erected
1972 – Vale of Catmose College
1974 – New language department with language laboratory
1976 – New library and new science block
1981 – New Swimming Pool
2003 – Art Gallery
2006 – Announcement of rebuild as part of Government's Building Schools for the Future programme 2007 – Swimming pool refurbished 2009 – Catmose College 2010 – Southfield Community Primary School entered a federation with Catmose College and changed its name to Catmose Primary 2011 – Moved to new campus 2011 – Became an academy 2011 – Closure of Catmose Gallery 2012 – Graded 'Outstanding' by Ofsted in all 4 categories and overall
Facilities
The Catmose Sports Centre includes a gym, 2 dance studios, 8 court sports hall, floodlit synthetic pitch, netball & tennis courts and coffee house plus the existing 25-metre swimming pool which was refurbished in 2007. There is also the Catmose Gallery and the Catmose Theatre.
Catmose College is a technology-led facility and offers a range of devices for student use. PCs are located throughout the college building and each student is given a unique login to give them access to the machines at any time during the day. Available from the library, students are able to borrow a range of fiction and non-fiction books, iPads, laptops, digital cameras, broadcast quality video cameras, audio recorders and microphones.
Within the music department there is a Pro Tools equipped multitrack recording studio complete with a live and control room. There are 5 practice rooms for student use including Yamaha pianos, guitar amps and a set of Roland V Drums.
The college theatre is equipped with professional grade sound, light and AV equipment. It is used for presentations, assemblies and College productions. Recent productions have included Hairspray the musical and Alice in Wonderland.
Sports
Sport at Catmose is integrated within the college's core curriculum, as an examination subject, and as a key component of the extracurricular opportunities available.
Each student participates in two physical education lessons per week, and has the opportunity to study GCSE PE or BTEC Sport in years 10 and 11.
The college offers over twenty five sports throughout the academic year through core physical education, extracurricular sport, the electives programme and examination PE.
Music
Student participation in the extra-curricular programme is around a hundred students and the range of activities on offer is extensive and includes a Chamber Choir for higher-ability students, a Samba Band for the percussionists to practice ensemble skills, a classical guitar group and a recorder club.