The school was founded and endowed by John Wheelwright in 1724 and established in a building which is now the school chapel. When the Wheelwright Building was built in 1826 the old building was converted into a chapel for the people of Rishworth, until St John's Church, Rishworth opened at the end of the 19th century. Other school buildings near the Wheelwright building were built in 1930, 1933 and 1950. Today the school extends over with a range of buildings developed to accommodate pupils. More recently, in 1963, a new Music and Drama building was opened, and by 1984, a new teaching block was opened, consisting of four science laboratories, a large assembly hall, and numerous other classrooms hosting Mathematics, English and Modern Languages. An extension to the teaching block was completed in 1988 which saw the addition of a two-storey Design and Technology department, along with workshops. The school is a founder member of the Society of Headmasters & Headmistresses of Independent Schools, established in 1961 through the then Headmasters' Conference. The sports hall was opened by Joe Royle during his time as manager of Oldham Athletic. The sports club was opened by The Princess Royal in June 2007. The new sports pavilion was opened in May 2011 by rugby playerMark Cueto.
Inspection
Rishworth School was most recently inspected by the Independent Schools' Inspectorate in November 2017. The school received the highest grading of excellent in all categories and more specifically with reference to pupils' academic and personal development. The report can be found on the Independent Schools' Inspectorate website at https://www.isi.net/reports/ as well as the Schools' website. The report notes the enthusiasm that pupils of all ages have towards their learning cultivated within a creative and supportive educational framework that includes a vibrant Intellectual Curiosity scheme that has expanded to include Space launches, and a Formula One in Schools engineering programme alongside the flagship Manchester and London Research Projects.
Boarding
There are five boarding houses, Wheelwright, Slitheroe, Goat House Barn, Redmires, Ryburn, and Wolden, with total housing for 150. Each house has study bedrooms, TVs and computers, and provides disabled facilities. Routine in the houses is structured, with fixed times for meals, homework and free time. Bedrooms typically hold two to four boarders, but senior students, especially sixth formers, have their own rooms. There are medical and health arrangements, and a nearby sanatorium staffed by matrons. Boarders are able to take out-of-class and extra-curricular activities and, like day pupils, have the use of school facilities.
The sixth form
The School advises parents on the choice of sixth-form courses. Most pupils seeking entry to higher education take four subjects at AS Level in the Lower Sixth and then specialise in three of these to full A Level in the Upper Sixth. The Sixth Form provides for advice on careers and life skills, and discussion of practical, topical, social and moral issues. Sixth Form A Level students are allocated a personal tutor to monitor their progress academically and pastorally and advise on careers, further education and the completion of U.C.A.S. applications.
