Woodlands School, Essex

Woodlands School is a specialist school in performing arts. The current head teacher is Mr. Andy White. It is a secondary school, based in Basildon, Essex. The school contains over 1500 pupils between the ages of 11 and 16, starting from year 7 and ending in year 11. This figure also includes approximately 120 staff. The school consists of an East Block (Food, Art, D&T, ICT, Fitness, Science and Maths) Middle Block (More science, Sports hall, Reception, Student Services and Library) and a West Block (English, Languages, Geography, History, Music and Performing Arts).

Woodlands offers English, Maths, Science, Languages (German and French), Geography, History, Personal and Social Education, ICT, Performing Arts (Music, Drama etc), Media Studies, Design Technology, Art and Physical Education.

Each year group has an assembly twice a week and finish every day at 3:45pm. Woodlands also start school at 8:50am and have 5 lessons a day. Woodlands also has 6 'Drop a Days' per school year. These consist of two long sessions in a day, instead of the usual 5. (Morning session - 9:00am-10:40am and 11:00am - 12:00pm with a 20 minute break. Lunch is 12:00pm-13:00pm. Afternoon Session - 13:00pm-15:00pm. Tutorial is only 15 mins after last session, instead of the normal 30 mins.)

Since 2005, the school has been working to expand its specialist performing arts status into the local community. Community youth organisations are now working in partnership to use funding from Essex County Council's Youth Opportunities Fund and Youth Capital Fund to complete the construction of the Theatre.

Summer 2006 saw Woodlands School working with Creative Partnerships, The Basildon Arts Trust, Support Through Art, Loco Motion (Youth Group) and many other organisations to host an arts festival flagshipped by the surreal performance spectacular 'Einsteins Dreams.' The producers - Greg Klerkx and Sam Holdsworth - formed a new company called Nimble Fish after the success of Einsteins Dreams.

At the latest Ofsted inspection (2011), Woodlands achieved an 'outstanding' report. It has achieved an 'outstanding' report consistently since 2000.

Traditionally a month after Year 11's begin study leave and a month before their exam results are revealed, a prom is held for the year 11's, which only the students organise.

Every year, prefects are chosen from letters written by applicants in year 11 for the positions. Normally only 80 people are given the positions but in 2009 after a record amount of applicants, 90 prefects were chosen which was over a quarter of the year group. Each prefect is given a department or year to work for and must perform duties whether it be to deliver sheets or help out with extra curricular clubs. From these prefects, 10 head prefects are chosen, also known as Team Leaders. Team Leaders are given a group of prefects who they are in charge of. If the team leaders feel that the prefects they are in charge of are not performing their duties up to standard, they can report to a member of the Senior Leadership Team and have them removed.

Notable alumni

• Phil Gardner, playwright and journalist
• Michael Catchpole, professional tennis player - currently britain's no. 6