Roundhay School is a mixed, all-through and sixth form community school in Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. In 2020, the school received a World Class Schools Quality Mark, which requires an 'Outstanding' Ofsted assessment as well as further assessments.
It has 2,600 pupils, with 500 in the sixth form. Opposite Soldiers Field in Roundhay Park, the school grounds are .
History
Private school beginnings: 1903–1916
Roundhay School came into being in 1903. It was founded by two former governesses: a Dutch woman, Johanna Gerardina Blok (1866–1940) and Georgina Bent Shute (1862–1946). They established their fee-paying private school, Lidgett Park School for Girls in a building on North Park Avenue. The school remained a private institution until "Leeds City Council took over" in 1919.
In 1903, four girls were enrolled at the North Park Avenue site. Numbers grew steadily and by September 1916, 64 pupils were on the roll. It was at this point that a former teacher at the school, Marion Christina Vyvyan (1882–1939) was asked to return, by Blok and Shute, to become the new headmistress. One of Vyvyan's first acts was to rename the school Lidgett Park High School, though the school colours and the school motto (Vouloir c’est pouvoir) were kept.
1916–1925
The school continued to grow under Vyvyan's leadership and in spring 1917 they took ownership of the tennis courts on Shaftesbury Avenue. Further to this, and unable to sidestep a challenge, the school absorbed a school located at 29 Shaftesbury Avenue (next to the tennis courts) from Miss Crabtree and also took on St George's Boys' School due to the illness of its headmaster, Mr Davies. This meant that by September 1917 the school had 99 girls on roll (the nucleus of what is to become Roundhay High School for Girls) and a new boys department (based at 29 Shaftesbury Avenue) with 20 boys (the nucleus of what is to become Roundhay School). The school continued to progress over the next few years and by the end of 1918 (with 128 girls on roll) it was clear that a next decisive step was needed. To this point, the school had been dependent entirely on private enterprise but now Vyvyan wanted the school to come under local authority control. James Graham, the director of education for Leeds, eventually agreed and in September 1919, Lidgett Park High School became Roundhay High School for Girls and a maintained school.
In 1920, the school absorbed St Ronan's school and consequently, the school numbers were such that new accommodation was needed. Through consultation with Graham, the Gledhow Hill Estate was purchased and in September 1921 the school moved into its new building, a building that still exists at Roundhay School, known by all as 'the Mansion'. The Mansion was separated into two sections, one for the girls and one for the boys, though the Lidgett Park site was maintained for younger children in the form of a preparatory department. Gerald Hinchliffe (1900–1993) and John Nind (1896–1926) were appointed to teach the boys whilst Vyvyan and her staff continued to educate the girls. By this point the school had a total of about 260 pupils; 155 in the girls' school, 70 in the boys' department and 35 in the preparatory department. By September 1922, this number had risen to 300 and the number of boys was also increasing. It was therefore decided that a boys' school needed to be created. With this in mind Benjamin A. Farrow (1886–1951) was appointed as headmaster, beginning in January 1923. Although taking charge of Roundhay School for Boys, Farrow immediately changed the name to Roundhay School. Against much parental protest the school was temporarily moved to the early 19th century Potternewton Mansion. On the same day that the boys entered Potternewton Mansion, the first steps were taken in the building of the new school on the Gledhow Hill estate which stood for the next 80 years on the site of the current Roundhay School building.