Abbeyfield School, Chippenham
 | |
| Motto | Aspiration, Attitude, Achievement |
|---|---|
| Established | 2001 |
| Type | Comprehensive |
| Headteacher | Ian Tucker |
| Deputy Headteacher | Mike Randall |
| Chair of Governors | Michele Blain |
| Location |
Stanley Lane Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 3XB England Coordinates: 51°27′07″N 2°05′34″W / 51.45197°N 2.09266°W |
| Local authority | Wiltshire |
| DfE number | 865/4000 |
| DfE URN | 131969 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Staff | 100 (approx) |
| Students | 880 as of January 2012 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Alfred (Blue), Brunel (Green), Neeld (Red), Talbot (Yellow) |
| Colours | Black and Gold |
| Website | School homepage |
Abbeyfield School is a mixed comprehensive school and sixth form in Chippenham, Wiltshire, for students aged 11 to 18.
History
The school was built to serve the needs of the expanding population of Chippenham and the large estates of Pewsham and Cepen Park. In 1998, while the land was being cleared, two unexploded bombs were found on the site and the British Army carried out a controlled explosion.[1] However, other delays occurred due to the nature of the Private Finance Initiative and building did not start until 2000.
The new school was officially opened in December 2001 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.[2] Abbeyfield achieved Business and Enterprise Specialist School status in September 2005. In 2008, a new building was built to accommodate the growing sixth form.
Many changes were implemented after James Fox became headteacher in 2010, including a new uniform which featured blazers. Four houses were introduced, all named after local and historical dignitaries; Alfred, Neeld, Brunel and Talbot.
Location
The school is located on the east side of Chippenham in Stanley Lane, near the Pewsham estate, off London Road and surrounded by fields. It is set in over 27 acres of landscaped grounds, playing fields, tennis courts and playgrounds.[3]
Admissions
Every year the school admits around 120 children (six tutor groups of 20 students) from local primary schools. These children come from the Chippenham area which is also served by Hardenhuish and Sheldon schools as well as from surrounding towns such as Melksham's Melksham Oak and Corsham's The Corsham School, as well as an increasing number of admissions from nearby Calne.[4]
List of Headteachers
2001 - Patricia Shubrook[5]
2010 - James Fox[6]
2011 - David Nicholson
2014 - Ian Tucker[7]
Ofsted
Since its first inspection in 2002 the school has been inspected several times by Ofsted. The first of these, in 2002, described the school as "a very effective school, it has the capacity to improve even further". The 2006 inspection described the school as "An effective school which provides a good quality of education for its students who enjoy their learning and achieve well".[8] In 2009 the Ofsted report was not as positive being only "satisfactory". The most recent Ofsted inspection occurred on the 27 and 28 September 2012, giving the school a "good" rating.
Link with the Gambia
Since 2006, Abbeyfield School has been twinned with Maahad School in The Gambia. It is traditional every year for Year 12 and 13 students to travel to the Gambia to visit the school, help with lessons and spend time with local people. jole rider, an education organisation and registered charity, worked with Abbeyfield to supply refurbished, donated second-hand bicycles and classroom equipment to the school, to help young Gambians gain an education as many live far from the school and need transport in order to get there.[9]
UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge
Since 2010, Abbeyfield School had taken part in the UKAYRoC competition. In the first year only one team was entered. The team passed qualification flights and proceeded to the finals, finally coming 9th overall. The following year, two teams were entered, Quantum and Enigma. Both teams made it to the final, but Enigma suffered from an engine misfire, and only came 15th. Quantum, had a successful launch, and came 5th overall.[10] In 2012, three teams were entered Enigma, Quantum and Omega. Both Omega and Enigma qualified for the UK finals with both teams managing successful launches that placed them in 3rd and 4th positions respectively.[11] All three teams made it to the 2013 finals.[12][13] In 2015 a team from the school came second, and in 2016 one team came second and one won first overall.[14]
References
- ↑ "Wiltshire Community History". Wiltshire Council.
- ↑ "Duke of Edinburgh officially opens Abbeyfield School". Wayback Machine. 10 December 2001. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
- ↑ "Abbeyfield School, Chippenham". Wiltshire Council.
- ↑ "Admissions Policy 2014-15" (PDF). Hardenhuish School.
- ↑ Bond, Katie (29 July 2010). "Proud head of Chippenham school says farewell". Gazette and Herald.
- ↑ Winter, Alex (28 June 2012). "Angry school governor resigns as Abbeyfield School head's departure finalised". Gazette and Herald.
- ↑ Armstrong, Julie (29 April 2014). "New headteacher of Chippenham's Abbeyfield School announced". This Is Wiltshire.
- ↑ "2006 Inspection Report" (PDF). Ofsted.
- ↑ "bikes 4 Africa". jole rider. 29 June 2009.
- ↑ "The 2011 final positions". UKAYRoC. 27 June 2011.
- ↑ "The 2012 final positions". UKAYRoC.
- ↑ "Team Entries 2013". UKAYRoC.
- ↑ "The 2013 final positions". UKAYRoC. 9 May 2013.
- ↑ "Previous Winners". UK Youth Rocketry Challenge. Retrieved 8 November 2016.