Backwell School

Last updated

Backwell School
BackwellSchool Logo.png
Backwell School.JPG
The main gates
Address
Backwell School
Station Road, Backwell

Somerset
,
BS48 3BX

England
Coordinates 51°24′58″N2°44′21″W / 51.4161°N 2.7392°W / 51.4161; -2.7392 Coordinates: 51°24′58″N2°44′21″W / 51.4161°N 2.7392°W / 51.4161; -2.7392
Information
Type Academy
Established1954;69 years ago (1954)
Founder Somerset County Council
Local authority North Somerset Council
TrustBackwell School Academy Trust
SpecialistPerforming and visual arts college
Department for Education URN 136722 Tables
Ofsted Reports
Chair of GovernorsMaurice Moloney
HeadteacherJon Nunes
Gender Mixed
Age11to 18
Enrollment1,750 (Data from May 2019) [1]
Capacity1,728
Houses  Cotswold
  Mendip
  Quantock
  Sedgemoor
Colour(s)Navy blue and gold   
PublicationBackchat, Backwell School Radio and The Toad
Teaching schoolYes, since 2012
Website www.backwellschool.net

Backwell School is a secondary academy school in Backwell, Bristol, Somerset, England. It was considered to be one of the best-performing state schools in England, leading results at both GCSE and A level in the area and consistently being rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted. It has now been rated "Good" by Ofsted.

Contents

The school is a National Teaching School, through which it leads the North Somerset Teaching Alliance, with Healthy School Plus and International School status. Since March 2011 the school has been a self-governing academy convert. It holds the Artsmark Gold award and includes a sixth form.

It has 1,738 pupils, of which 387 were in the school's sixth form in 2016, from the age of 11 (year 7) to the age of 18 (year 13). [2] Backwell has previously been a Beacon School, specialist performing and visual arts college and National Training School.

History

The original secondary modern school at Backwell was founded by Somerset County Council in 1954 and later became a comprehensive school in 1976 when the tripartite education system was abolished in the area. The school's original building dates from 1954, [3] when Britain was in the midst of a post-war school-building boom. [4]

The first Headmaster of The School, Mr W. C. M. Cox was in the 1946 New Year Honours (Mentioned in Dispatches) he was Flight Lieutenant W. C. M. Cox (133777), RAFVR.

In 2009, 71% of GCSE pupils achieved at least five GCSE passes above grade C including English and Maths. [5] This is 21% above the national average that year. It is the highest performing state secondary school in North Somerset. [6]

In November 2008, Backwell School was rated as outstanding by Ofsted. [7] It was inspected again in May 2013 (no. 413323) due to the school having converted to an academy two years previous. It was judged to be outstanding in all categories.

On 11 September 2015 a small fire broke out in the Cotswold house building, causing minor damage to the block. All staff and pupils were safely evacuated. [8]

Catchment area

The school's catchment area includes the villages of Backwell, Yatton, Claverham, Cleeve and Kingston Seymour, although several hundred of the school's pupils come from locations outside of its official catchment area from locations such as Nailsea and Bristol. Admissions are managed by the local education authority  – North Somerset Council.

School site

The original Lower School buildings. The building in the centre of this image is the main theatre. Backwell School Lower School.jpg
The original Lower School buildings. The building in the centre of this image is the main theatre.

The site at Backwell is relatively large, featuring multiple large sports grounds to the North. Buildings vary extremely in design and age with the oldest part of the original school, known as 'Lower School' and the 'Science Corridor', which includes the main theatre, dating back to 1954 – being the same design as at Kingsmead School while the Sixth Form Centre was completed in just 2011.

Backwell Leisure Centre is no longer part of the school grounds, but is situated directly next to the rear entrance of the school, and is used for swimming in PE lessons.

Extracurricular activities

Backwell is known for its strong association with the performing arts, having previously been a specialist performing arts college. Its bi-yearly whole school productions, featuring popular musicals such as "Chicago", "Singin' in the Rain" and "Les Misérables"; regular music concerts; as well as yearly sell-out sixth form productions, such as "Footloose, "Hairspray" and "High School Musical". All sixth form productions are fully organised by students and raise money for local charities.

In 2015 a student radio station was launched. [9] Run by a team of students, the station broadcasts live at lunchtimes with an automated system taking over at other times. [10]

Notable alumni

Head Teachers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backwell</span> Village in Somerset, England

Backwell is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset and in 2011 had a population of 4,589. The village lies about 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Bristol, south of the A370 to Weston-super-Mare. The parish includes the hamlets of Backwell Common, Backwell Green and Backwell Farleigh, and the districts of Backwell West Town and Downside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiffin School</span> Boys grammar school in London

Tiffin School is a boys' grammar school in Kingston upon Thames, England. It has specialist status in both the performing arts and languages. The school moved from voluntary aided status to become an Academy School on 1 July 2011. Founded in 1880, Tiffin School educates 1,058 pupils as of February 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon School</span> Academy in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England

Sheldon School is a large mixed secondary school and sixth form in Chippenham, Wiltshire for students aged 11 to 18 and is the largest school in Wiltshire. Since April 2011, it has been an Academy. It is one of three in Chippenham, the others being Abbeyfield and Hardenhuish. Since 1 September 2012, the school has been headed by Neil Spurdell who had previously been headteacher at John O'Gaunt School in Hungerford, West Berkshire. The school is situated off the Hardenhuish Lane in the southern region of Hardenhuish Park, which is all that separates it from Hardenhuish School to the north.

The Kings of Wessex Academy, formerly known as The Kings of Wessex School, is a coeducational secondary school located in Cheddar, Somerset, England. As of 2015, it had 1,176 students aged 13 to 18, of all genders and all ability levels including 333 in the sixth form. In November 2016, the academy became part of the Wessex Learning Trust which incorporated eight academies from the surrounding area. Kings is a Church of England school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nailsea School</span> Academy in England

Nailsea School, located in Nailsea, North Somerset, England, is a mixed secondary school and sixth form. It has Technology and Media Arts College specialist school status, and became an academy on 1 September 2012. Academy status means Nailsea School now receives funding directly from the government, where before it was funded by the local authority, however the daily running of the school stays much the same.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silverdale School</span> Academy in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

Silverdale School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is the founding school of Chorus Education Trust. It opened in 1957 as a secondary modern school, and became a comprehensive school in 1969. It serves approximately 1,200 pupils from the local area, from ages 11 to 18. In 2004 Silverdale was placed 4th in Sheffield school performance exam league tables. In 2017 Silverdale students achieved the top A-level results of all state schools in the city. Recent Ofsted reports have placed the school in the good category, but placed the 6th form in outstanding, as October 2022. This is a downgrade from the outstanding the school scored in 2014. In 2018 it was named the Sunday Times North State Secondary School of the Year. In 2020 it was named Top State School of the North for the Decade by the Sunday Times. The school converted to academy status in January 2013.

Lincolnshire is one of the few counties within the UK that still uses the eleven-plus to decide who may attend grammar school, in common with Buckinghamshire and Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverley High School</span> Community school in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Beverley High School is a girls' comprehensive school in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingsdale Foundation School</span> Academy in Southwark, London, England

Kingsdale Foundation School (KFS) is a British mixed secondary school with academy status in West Dulwich, London, with an age range of 11–19 (Year 7 to sixth form). Admissions to the school are coordinated by the Southwark London Borough Council as part of the Pan London Admissions Arrangements. However, many students live in surrounding boroughs, such as Lambeth, Lewisham and Croydon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Somerset College</span> Academy in Alcombe, Minehead, Somerset, England

West Somerset College is a fairly large secondary school in Minehead, Somerset, England. It provides education for pupils aged 13 to 16 in the main school and 16 to 18 in the sixth form. WSC has had Technology College status for several years, meaning the college receives additional funding. In June 2011, the school became an Academy. The school has a partnership with a secondary school (Gymnasium) in Bünde, Germany.

Archbishop Temple Church of England High School is a voluntary aided Church of England secondary school, situated in the city of Preston in Lancashire, England. The Headteacher is Ivan Catlow. It has 782 pupils and 48 teachers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appleton School</span> Academy in Benfleet, Essex, England

The Appleton School is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status located in Croft Road, Benfleet, Essex, England. It currently accommodates 1,600 students from school years 7 to 13, and roughly 100 teachers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chew Valley School</span> Academy in Chew Stoke, Somerset, England

Chew Valley School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form situated within the Chew Valley in Somerset in South West England. It is 8 miles (13 km) south of Bristol in the village of Chew Stoke, on a 30-acre (12 ha) site in open countryside overlooking the Chew Valley Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorpe St Andrew School</span> Secondary school on the outskirts of Norwich, England

Thorpe St. Andrew School is an 11 to 18 mixed secondary school in Thorpe St. Andrew on the outskirts of the city of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bath Community Academy</span> Secondary academy in Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, England

Bath Community Academy (2012–2018), formerly Culverhay School (1956–2012), was a secondary school in the Odd Down area of Bath, England. Built as a boys' school, it became mixed-sex in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norton Hill School</span> Academy in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England

Norton Hill School is a state school with academy status in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England. It is part of the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership academy group. It was formerly the Midsomer Norton Grammar School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadoak Academy</span> Academy in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England

Broadoak Academy is a coeducational secondary school located in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fakenham Academy</span> Academy in Fakenham, Norfolk, England

The Fakenham Academy is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located at Field Lane Fakenham, Norfolk, England. The school offers GCSEs and BTECs as programmes of study. Pupils in the sixth form can choose to study from a range of A Levels and BTECs.

Whitburn Church of England Academy is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Whitburn, South Tyneside. Its motto is "Excellence for all". The academy was known as Whitburn Comprehensive School before moving and receiving major upgrades funded by the Church of England. It has specialist status in maths and computing and is a national teaching school.

Harris Invictus Academy Croydon is an 11–18 mixed, free secondary school and sixth form in Croydon, Greater London, England. It was established in September 2014 and is part of the Harris Federation.

References

  1. ↑ "Backwell School – Get information about schools". Department for Education. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  2. ↑ "Backwell School". Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Planning committee meeting minutes". North Somerset Council. 11 November 2001. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2007.
  4. ↑ "Designing Britain — Schools" . Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "Backwell School". Education League Tables. BBC News Education. 13 January 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  6. ↑ "Secondary schools in North Somerset". BBC News. 13 January 2010. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  7. ↑ "Inspection Report". Ofsted. 20 November 2008. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  8. ↑ Cardwell, Mark (14 September 2015). "Backwell School evacuated as three fire crews tackle blaze". North Somerset Mercury Website. North Somerset Mercury. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  9. ↑ Sparling, Helen (30 January 2015). "Radio Station Launched!" (News Update). Backwell School Website. Backwell School. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Angear, Vicky (28 January 2015). "Pupils take over the airwaves" (News Article). North Somerset Times Website. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  11. ↑ Interview in Venue magazine, 2008
  12. ↑ "Click here to view the tribute page for Barbara SELLARS".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.