Wadham Community School

Infobox UK school
name = Wadham Community School


motto = 'Making opportunities to learn and achieve'
established = 1971
type = Community school
Business and Enterprise College
religion = Church of England
head = David Derbyshire
street = Mount Pleasant
city = Crewkerne
county = Somerset
country = England
latitude=
longitude=
dms= yes
ofsted=
enrollment = 651
lower_age = 13
upper_age = 18
publication = [http://www.wadham.somerset.sch.uk/news/newsletter/ Wadham Words]
website = http://www.wadham.somerset.sch.uk/

Wadham Community School is a school for children aged 13–18 situated on a 20 acre site on the outskirts of Crewkerne in Somerset, England.

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Wadham School opened in purpose built accommodation in 1971, as a Church of England, Voluntary Controlled, Upper Comprehensive, replacing local Grammar schools in the United Kingdom

The buildings are attractively weasel-inline designed in reconstructed hamstone. They include the following:-

- A central block containing Administrative Offices, Staff Room, Sixth Form Centre, Assembly area and Lecture Theatre, Drama Studio, Music Room, Art Studios, Home Economics Suite, Library Resource Centre.
- Year Blocks and associated specialist departmental areas
- A well equipped Science Block containing 7 laboratories and prep-rooms
- A Design Technology Block recently refurbished
- Sports Hall (also used for examinations), smaller multi-purpose Hall, Playing Fields, Red Gra pitch. A second community sports centre has been built on the school site and provides facilities for the whole school
- Learning Support Centre
- Community Room with associated offices and kitchen
- Two newly refurbished and equipped rooms for Information and Communication Technology.

Links with middle schools

Wadham School receives students from two Middle Schools (9-13), Maiden Beech in Crewkerne and Swanmead in Ilminster. Close links are maintained with these schools, members of the senior management teams of the three schools meeting regularly and departments maintaining constant liaison through INSET, by visits to each other’s schools and by formal meetings. From time to time the three schools hold joint INSET days. (There is also very close collaboration with other schools in the area particularly in the field of professional development courses etc for staff.)

In addition to this, the Deputy Heads and pastoral staff from the upper school visit the middle school students during the summer before transfer, as does the Headteacher. The students themselves and their parents are invited to Wadham School to see round the buildings and to meet staff. All these arrangements have been very successful in ensuring that students transferring schools have a trouble-free transition.

There are nine First Schools (5-9) from where students eventually come on to Wadham School, six servicing Maiden Beech and three Swanmead. There are many informal contacts (eg Sixth Formers helping teachers in First School classrooms, Year 10 Work Experience students spending a week in such schools, visits by the Drama Department to give performances etc.)

Business and Enterprise

In September 2003, after much hard workweasel-inline from the former head teacher Gillian Gee, Wadham successfully gained Business and Enterprise status. This benefited the school in a number of ways. Extra funding allowed:

- The conversion of the John DeCombe Hall into Computer suites and staff offices
- Interactive whiteboards in nearly every classroom
- Personal laptops for every teacher
- Refurbishment of many classrooms

Ofsted Special Measures

In December 2005 Wadham was placed into Special measures after failing an Ofsted inspection. This resulted in the headmistress Gillian Gee stepping down from her post citing health concerns alongside chair of governors Andrew Hutchings. The LA head of raising achievement Judith Richardson, stepped in for a week. Following this, the headteacher and deputy headteacher from Kings of Wessex School in Cheddar were implemented as Executive and Acting headteachers of Wadham. In May 2006, headmistress Maggie Mooney led the school until the Summer of 2006. The current headteacher who has been in post since September 2006 is Mr. David Derbyshire.

In June 2007 Wadham successfully left Special Measures, after a full Ofsted inspection showed the school had sufficiently progressed. Much progress is still to be made.

Notable students

* David and Richard Darling founders of Codemasters
* Gary Mortimer, hot air balloon pilot

References

External links

* [http://www.wadham.somerset.sch.uk/ School website]
* [http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/school_06.pl?Mode=Z&No=9334508&Type=LA&Num=933&Phase=2&Year=06&Base=/ DCSF Page About Us]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/06/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/933_4508.stm/ BBc Info Page On Our School]