Wootton Upper School

Wootton Upper School and Performing Arts College is located on Hall End Road, in Wootton. It teaches years 9-11 in compulsory education and years 12-13 in post-16 education. Approximately 75% of students previously in compulsory education stay on to the sixth form. Wootton Upper School is the fifth best comprehensive school in Bedfordshire. The school specialises in Performing Arts, such as Music, Drama and Dance.

History

Wootton Upper School started in 1975. As the school buildings were not quite ready, it shared a site with Stewartby Middle School. The first intake was 213 students and they moved onto the Wootton site in the November, with 16 teaching staff. The first Headmaster was Mr Stanley Clews, with Deputy Head, Mr John Bonerton. The school was complete by 1978. Mr Clews retired in 1987 and then Mrs Catherine Mackenzie took over until 1999. The present head is Mr Anthony Withell. The Upper School catchment area covers far more villages than just Wootton and having achieved Beacon Status in 2001, it is regarded as one of the top Upper Schools in the County.

The main feeder schools are Holywell and Marston Vale middle schools.

Magazines

There are currently two school magazines for Wootton upper school.

Wootton Insight

The first is the official school magazine that runs by the name of Wootton Insight. This is an A4 booklet which is distributed to students, teachers, parents, supports and sponsors of Wootton Upper School. In 2007 a team of students were given creative control of Insight. The purpose of this was to give the reader a students perspective of how they experience life at Wootton Upper School and the activities they participate in. Previously to 2007 Wootton Insight was written by teachers and occasionally students were invited to write specific articles. Wootton Insight has been passed on to new students as they mature through the years becoming a generational magazine. Wootton Insight's format and overall appearance changes and is unique to each issue. Since the 2007 change over Wootton Insight has kept to a standard appearance and layout with regular features: Staff Interview, PopVox and front page article normally a drama or musical performance.

Wootton Outsight

The second magazine is an unofficial publication called Wootton Outsight. There has been one issue of Outsight since its start-up in 2009. Wootton Outsight's format is usually a single black and white A4 sheet.

Upload

 

Upload is a school produced video about the students and activities at Wootton Upper School. Upload is produced by a team of student and teachers every half term. Each video features school clubs, trips, charity events and achievements by students and teachers.

Facilities

• Sports Hall
• Dance Studio
• Activities Studio
• Drama Studio
• Theatre Hall
• 7 Music Practice Rooms
• A Recording Booth, and Editing Room
• 11 Science Labs
• 6 ICT Suites
• Post 16 Study Area
• Student Support Centre (SEN)
• Art Rooms and Kiln Room
• Year 11 and Sixth Form Café

Secondary school

 

Bedford Borough Council had decided to implement a two-tier education system in the borough, meaning that Wootton would have been converted from an upper school to a secondary school, and take pupils from the age of 11. However the Borough was forced to cancel its plans for a 2 tier system with the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future program by the new government, meaning there were no funds for the change to take place

Academy

 

It was announced in April 2011 that Wootton will become an Academy school.

St Thomas More Catholic Upper School

St Thomas More Catholic Upper School is a Roman Catholic school located in Bedford, England.

The school is located on Tyne Crescent in the Brickhill area of north Bedford. 'Tommy More' (as the school is affectionately known by staff and pupils) is the only Catholic upper school in Bedford. The school has no specific catchment area, but attracts students from all over Bedford and the surrounding villages.

History

Following the 1967 Plowden Report, Bedfordshire LEA decided to implement the three-tier education system of lower, middle and upper schools in the county. This created a need for a new catholic upper school in Bedford.

St Thomas More Catholic Upper School was formally opened in 1979 by Baroness Shirley Williams (then Secretary of State for Education and Science). The dedication Mass was conducted by Bishop Charles Alexander Grant (then Bishop of Northampton).

When St Bedes Middle school closed in 2006, academic years 7 and 8 were transferred to St Thomas More School, along with some of the teaching staff. In July 2008 the school was awarded specialist status in the area of Humanities, and became a Humanities College.

The name of the school is derived from St Thomas More, an elder statesman from the sixteenth century. He is mainly remembered for his principled refusal to accept King Henry VIII's claim to be the supreme head of the Church of England, which decision ended his political career and led to his execution as a traitor. He was canonized by the Catholic Church under Pope Pius XI in 1935, and was later declared the patron saint of lawyers and statesmen.

The school today

 

St Thomas More Upper School currently serves children aged 13-19 from all over Bedford Borough. The school is part of a federation of catholic schools in Bedford, under the guidance of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton. The other schools within this federation are St Gregory's RC Middle School, St Joseph's Lower School, and St John Rigby Lower School.

The school currently achieves the highest levels of improvement by pupils between the ages of 11 and 16 of any state school in Bedfordshire.

As a Humanities College, St Thomas More School has a reputation for innovative practice and excellence. English is the lead department where results in 2007 placed the school in the top two per cent nationally. The schools humanities provision offers a range of courses, including specialist literature, media and drama options. Students' work is regularly displayed locally and has won national awards, with articles being published in The Times newspaper.

In July 2011, the school become one of the first in the country to be granted teaching school status – a new designation entitling it to lead the training and professional development of staff.

Sharnbrook Upper School and Community College

Sharnbrook Upper School and Community College, commonly referred to as SUS or simply Sharnbrook, is a large, rural comprehensive upper school located in Sharnbrook, a village near Bedford in the English county of Bedfordshire. Built in 1975, the school now has over 1800 students and around 150 staff, and includes a large sixth form of around 650 students.

The school is very popular and is currently oversubscribed, with some parents resorting to moving house into Sharnbrook's catchment area to guarantee their children a place at the school. Quite a sizeable proportion of sixth form students join the school in Year 12, having completed their compulsory education at other schools.

  

Age range of students

Most students join the school in Year 9, aged 13-14, taking National Curriculum assessments (SATs) at the end of the academic year. They take GCSE exams at the end of Year 11 (ages 15-16), after which some students will leave to pursue their careers. Most, however, stay and join the sixth form (Years 12 and 13, ages 16-18+), where they are joined by a large number of students who have completed their GCSEs at other schools and have moved to Sharnbrook for their final two years at school. 

Facilities

• Art rooms and gallery, including a photographic darkroom and a specialist digital suite.
• AstroTurf sports pitch
• Climbing wall
• Dance studio
• Interactive whiteboards
• Main Hall and Sports Hall
• Music centre, incorporating two recording studios and a spacious music tech room
• Paula Radcliffe Community Sports Centre
• Playing fields
• Sixth form centre, built in 1999
• Tennis courts
• Television studio, edit suites and a Radio Studio

In late 2009 plans were confirmed for the construction of a new science centre, with construction due to begin early 2010. The centre was completed in November 2010.

  

School day

The school day begins at 8.30 am and ends at 3.15 pm, except on Mondays and Thursdays, when there are some lessons in the sixth form that finish at 4:25 pm.

Catchment area

 

The catchment area for Sharnbrook Upper School includes the parishes of Bletsoe, Bolnhurst and Keysoe, Carlton and Chellington, Clapham, Dean and Shelton, Felmersham and Radwell, Harrold, Knotting and Souldrop, Little Staughton, Melchbourne and Yielden, Sharnbrook, Stevington, Milton Ernest, Oakley, Odell, Pavenham, Pertenhall, Podington, Hinwick and Farndish, Thurleigh, Turvey, Riseley, Swineshead and Wymington.

North Bedfordshire Schools Trust

 

Sharnbrook Upper School, along with its feeder middle and lower schools, form part of the North Bedfordshire Schools Trust (which itself was created out of the former Learning Community 7). 7 of the schools were awarded school trust statuses in April 2007, with further schools in the Sharnbrook catchment were also awarded trust status later in 2008. The schools in bold are middle schools, whose pupils move to Sharnbrook after Year 8. Underneath each feeder middle school are the lower schools that feed them. This pyramid of schools constitutes NBST of Bedford LEA.

• Margaret Beaufort Middle School, Riseley
  • Eileen Wade Lower School, Upper Dean
  • John Gibbard Lower School, Sharnbrook
  • Kymbrook Lower School, Keysoe
  • Riseley Lower School, Riseley
  • Thurleigh Lower School, Thurleigh

• Harrold Priory Middle School, Harrold
  • Carlton Lower School, Carlton
  • Christopher Reeves VA Lower School, Podington
  • Harrold Lower School, Harrold
  • St Lawrence Lower School, Wymington
  • Turvey Lower School, Turvey

• Lincroft Middle School, Oakley
  • Bromham Lower School, Bromham
  • Milton Ernest Lower School, Milton Ernest
  • Pinchmill Lower School, Felmersham
  • Oakley Lower School, Oakley
  • Ursula Taylor Lower School, Clapham

Secondary school

 

Bedford Borough Council has decided to implement a two-tier education system in the borough, meaning that Sharnbrook will be converted from an upper school to a secondary school, and take pupils from the age of 11. The changes are due to take effect from September 2014, and will include the school expanding to use the current site of Lincroft Middle School to accommodate increased pupil numbers. The status of this change is uncertain due to the loss of the Building Schools for the Future funding needed.

However in 2010 the school took academy status which allowed it to remain part of a three tier education system.

Notable alumni

• Paula Radcliffe, marathon runner and world record holder
• Cal Henderson, Flickr chief software architect and web developer
• Henry Luxemburg, actor best known for playing the role of Toby Mills in the soap opera Hollyoaks
• Oliver Gavin, racing driver
• Matt Jackson, professional footballer (Luton, Everton, Charlton (loan), Norwich, QPR (loan), Birmingham (loan) Wigan)
• Nick Tandy, Formula 3 racing driver
• Sean Longden, historian and author of To The Victor The Spoils, Hitler's British Slaves and Dunkirk, The Men They Left Behind.

Mark Rutherford Upper School

Mark Rutherford Upper School is a coeducational upper school located in the Putnoe area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The school is named in honour of the writer William Hale White who used 'Mark Rutherford' as a pseudonym.

Mark Rutherford school educates pupils from age 13 through to 16. In addition, the school offers a sixth form provision for pupils age 16 to 19 wishing to study courses such as A levels. The school has been awarded specialist status as an Arts College, and offers a range of courses related to the performing arts.

  

Catchment

The school's catchment area covers Putnoe and Goldington, as well as some parts of Brickhill and Newnham. Middle schools which fall in to Mark Rutherford Schools catchment area include Woodside Middle School, Goldington Academy and Newnham Middle School.

Secondary school

In September 2010, pupils in academic years 7 and 8 of Woodside Middle School will have transferred to Mark Rutherford Upper School, with all new year 7 pupils from Woodside transferring to Mark Rutherford in future years. This will effectively mean that Mark Rutherford will become a secondary school, educating pupils aged 11 to 18.

Notable alumni

• John Oliver, Academy Award winning, comedian and writer
• Dave Hodgson, mayor of Bedford
• Rene Howe, Morecambe FC football player
• Andy Johnson, Fulham and England football player
• David Mahmoudieh, screenwriter, film director and film critic
• John Turner, football player for Corby Town

Hastingsbury Business & Enterprise College

Hastingsbury Business & Enterprise College (formerly Hastingsbury Upper School and Community College) is a coeducational upper school for 13-18 year olds, located on Hill Rise in Kempston, Bedfordshire, England. The school forms part of an educational campus, which also includes a Child Development Centre and Ridgeway School.

The school is the only upper school to be located in the town of Kempston, and has been awarded specialist status as a Business & Enterprise College. Because of this the school now has facilities including a state of the art science department.

Bedford Borough Council has decided to implement a two-tier education system in the borough, meaning that Hastingsbury will be converted from an upper school to a secondary school, and take pupils from the age of 11. The changes are due to take effect from September 2015.

Biddenham Upper School

Biddenham Upper School is a 13-19 coeducational state comprehensive school serving the Brickhill, Harpur and Queens Park areas of Bedford plus the village of Biddenham, England. The school holds Specialist Sports College status. It was formed in 1988 from the merger of John Howard and Pilgrim schools using the site of the former.

Its first head teacher was Garry Fitzhugh; the head teacher, as of 2007, is David Bailey and the Principal is Mike Berrill

Layout

Biddenham is divided into six main blocks rather than one whole building like most schools. The blocks were named in 2003 by competition winner Ian Whitmore, a student at Biddenham. These are:

• Hurst (H) block (named after Geoff Hurst, the former English footballer)
• Radcliffe (R) block (named after Paula Radcliffe, the English runner)
• Akabusi (A) block (named after Kriss Akabusi, the English athlete)
• Tendulkar (T) block (named after Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar)
• Davies (D) block (named after English swimmer Sharron Davies)
• Sports block (named after Tanni Grey-Thompson, the English paralympic athlete)

H, A, T, and R blocks all face a central quadrangle, where many students spend break and lunchtimes. The quad has recently (2007) been widened and refurbished with picnic benches.

From 1980 - 1989 The six blocks were named according to the core subjects taught in them:

• H block ... Humanities taught subjects R.E. , Sociology, Humanities, Languages, Maths. Downstairs 3rd year common room, Upstairs 4th year common room
• R Block ... Resources ... Included the Library and the Canteen .. taught subjects English, History, Geography, 5th year & 6th Form common rooms
• A Block ... Administration.. Teachers offices, staff room, School assembly hall/theatre. Also music rooms and small sports room
• T Block ... Technology. Taught subjects Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Design & Craft, Woodwork, Metalwork
• S Block ... Sports Block ... included Sports hall and Changing rooms
• D Block ... Design ... Taught subject Arts ... also kitchens for Home Economics

Timetable

Biddenham has a somewhat unusual school day, consisting of only four 75-minute lessons and breaks between each lesson. Other unusual features include the absence of any morning registration (students are registered in each lesson), the fact that bells are not used, and the earlier start and finish times. A typical school day is as follows:

8.00 - Lesson 1

9.15 - tutor time

9.35 - Break 2

10.50 - Lesson 2

11.05 - break 3

11.15 - lesson 3

12.30 - lunch time

1.15 - Lesson 4

2.30 - End of school day

After-school clubs take place from 2.45 until 4.00, and sixth formers may have a 5th lesson during this period on some days.

International school

In October 2008 Biddenham Upper School was awarded International School status by the British Council. The award was made in recognition of Biddenham's international ethos and its links with schools abroad. Following this, the school planned to offer the International Baccalaureate to its sixth form students as an alternative to A level courses from September 2010, however a lack of interest amongst students has led to the baccalaureate being withdrawn at the school for this academic year.

Catchment

Most of the schools students come from Newnham Middle School, Westfield Middle School, Goldington Academy and Beauchamp Middle School in Brickhill, with a few also coming from Lincroft Middle School and Robert Bruce Middle School.

Bedford Academy

Bedford Academy (formerly John Bunyan Upper School) is an academy located in the Kingsbrook area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.

The school mainly attracts pupils from the Kingsbrook, Cauldwell and Newnham areas of Bedford, as well as the village of Elstow, and the Wixams new town development.

The school is situated next to the Bunyan Centre which is a sports centre for the local community. Both the school and the sports centre share certain sports facilities.

History

John Bunyan Upper School was created in the early 1970s after Bedfordshire County Council decided to implement the three-tier education system of lower, middle and upper schools across the county (as recommended in the 1967 Plowden Report). In the early 2000s, John Bunyan Upper School became a specialist Maths and Computing College.

In June 2008 Bedfordshire County Council announced that it would explore the possibilities of John Bunyan Upper School becoming an Academy, sponsored by the Harpur Trust and Bedford College. In July the Department for Children, Schools and Families confirmed that it had awarded feasibility funding to develop plans for the school to transform into an Academy by September 2010. In addition Bedford Borough Council and the University of Bedfordshire backed the plan.

In March 2009, Bedfordshire County Council confirmed that John Bunyan Upper School will close on 31 August 2010. The school will reopen the next day as Bedford Academy. In April 2009, Bedfordshire County Council was abolished, and the new education authority (Bedford Borough Council) confirmed its support for the planned academy in June 2009.

However, in October 2009, The Harpur Trust and Bedford College issued a statement indicating that plans for the new academy would have to be re-examined if it is not to educate pupils from the age of 11. The sponsors have stated that the academy will work best as part of a two-tier education system in the local area, which would end the need for middle schools. Bedford Borough Council have subsequently backed a move to two-tier education in the district, meaning the new academy should educate children from the age of 11 in the future.

In January 2010, the Department for Children, Schools and Families formally approved plans for the new academy. A principal and vice-principal were appointed to manage the new school, and initial building works have begun.

  

The academy today

Bedford Academy formally opened in September 2010, and specialises in Science and Technology. The school is in the process of being completely rebuilt, ready for occupation by September 2012. In June 2009 it was confirmed that more than £27 million in funding has been secured to rebuild the school.