Culverhay School
Encyclopedia
Culverhay School is a boys secondary school
situated at Rush Hill, Odd Down in Bath, England. There are around 348 students, boys in years 7 to 11 and a co-educational sixth form. The school was scheduled to close, with new admissions ceasing in September 2012. However; this decision was revoked and the school is to become a co-educational establishment in 2013.
In 1966, sufficient funding was raised by the efforts of staff, pupils and the local community to enable an indoor swimming pool facility to be built within the school grounds. The pool measures 22 by 7.5 m (72.2 by 24.6 ft) and is from 1 to 3 m (3.3 to 9.8 ft) deep. It has been equipped with facilities for disabled users, and is open evenings and weekends, manned by Aquaterra.
In 1973, Culverhay School was formed when the City of Bath reorganised secondary education by merging grammar school
s and secondary modern school
s to form comprehensive school
s. Westhill Boys Secondary Modern School and City of Bath Technical School
were merged.
In 2004, Culverhay was awarded specialist status
in Mathematics and Computing
.
In 2006, the school received one of four prizes in the national Sport Relief
programme's competition for schools. The prize was awarded for a plan devised by the pupils to raise money for the program by travelling 1355 miles (2,180.7 km) by running, swimming, cycling and kayaking. Swimmer Sharron Davies
visited the school to award the prize.
Culverhay has been awarded the International School Award
in recognition of its links with schools abroad, providing opportunity for students to visit different countries and learn about their cultures. It achieved the Healthy Schools Award for its work in pupil health education. Extra curricular activities encourage children to extend their academic interests into the local community. It was awarded the Gold Sportsmark
in 2008 for its commitment to sport training.
The school has its own radio station, called Lazer FM. In 2008, it applied for £14,000 lottery funding to extend the service into the local community.
Two pupils from the station were named as best male presenter at the Sony Radio Awards for Schools in 2009. Culverhay runs community courses and workshops in the evenings. Holiday play clubs are also run at Culverhay for children aged 5 to 13 supervised by Footsteps (South West).
In 2006, Ofsted
judged the school to be satisfactory on a four point scale of outstanding, good, satisfactory, and poor.
Some aspects of the school were rated as good, but the sixth form was given an overall rating of poor.
In 2009, Ofsted inspected the school again and upgraded its rating to good.
The sixth form also received the same good rating.
The report, which praised the school's improvement since the previous inspection, did note that Culverhay has a higher than average number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, and that the number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs
was almost double that of other schools.
In 2009, Culverhay was the worst performing school in Bath and North East Somerset
, with 38% of pupils achieving five or more GCSE
passes at grade C including mathematics and English.
In 2010, the pass rate dropped to 31%, again the lowest in the area.
In 2010, the school was identified for closure by Bath and North East Somerset
council due to the large reduction in pupil intake.
At the time of the school's Ofsted inspection in May 2006, the school had 476 pupils.
When the school was again inspected by Ofsted in May 2009, the roll had fallen to 401.
there are 348 pupils at the school.
A consultation period on the school's closure took place in September and October.
Despite 74% of respondents in the consultation saying they were against Culverhay School closing,
the council backed the closure, so no new pupils will be admitted from September 2012.
In December 2010, the council's scrutiny committee
backed the closure decision.
In September 2011 the decision to close the school was revoked after an independent assessment was made that the school was sustainable as a co-educational establishment. £700,000 in funding will be provided by the local council for the necessary alterations. The school will remain financially viable in future as it is proposed to make a reduction in pupil intake levels as well.
In October 2011 government approval was received for Culverhay to become a Sponsored Academy run by Cabot Learning Federation.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
situated at Rush Hill, Odd Down in Bath, England. There are around 348 students, boys in years 7 to 11 and a co-educational sixth form. The school was scheduled to close, with new admissions ceasing in September 2012. However; this decision was revoked and the school is to become a co-educational establishment in 2013.
History
In 1956, the original buildings were completed when West Twerton School at The Hollow moved to Rush Hill as a 'Secondary Modern', and changed name to Westhill Boys School, administered by Bath Education Authority.In 1966, sufficient funding was raised by the efforts of staff, pupils and the local community to enable an indoor swimming pool facility to be built within the school grounds. The pool measures 22 by 7.5 m (72.2 by 24.6 ft) and is from 1 to 3 m (3.3 to 9.8 ft) deep. It has been equipped with facilities for disabled users, and is open evenings and weekends, manned by Aquaterra.
In 1973, Culverhay School was formed when the City of Bath reorganised secondary education by merging grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
s and secondary modern school
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
s to form comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
s. Westhill Boys Secondary Modern School and City of Bath Technical School
City of Bath Technical School
The City of Bath Technical School. Its origin can be traced back to an educational establishment founded in the early 19th century. It obtained its official name when Technical schools were formally introduced in Bath between the years 1892-96...
were merged.
In 2004, Culverhay was awarded specialist status
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
in Mathematics and Computing
Mathematics and Computing College
Mathematics and Computing Colleges were introduced in England in 2002 as part of the Government's Specialist Schools Programme which was designed to raise standards in secondary education. Specialist schools focus specifically on their chosen specialism but must also meet the requirements of the...
.
In 2006, the school received one of four prizes in the national Sport Relief
Sport Relief
Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries...
programme's competition for schools. The prize was awarded for a plan devised by the pupils to raise money for the program by travelling 1355 miles (2,180.7 km) by running, swimming, cycling and kayaking. Swimmer Sharron Davies
Sharron Davies
Sharron Elizabeth Davies MBE is a retired swimmer from the United Kingdom. She won a silver medal in the 400 metre individual medley at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and two gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton...
visited the school to award the prize.
Culverhay has been awarded the International School Award
International School Award
The International School Award is a British Council accreditation scheme rewarding schools with a notable global element in their curriculum.The scheme began in 1999 and since then, over 1000 International School Awards have been granted....
in recognition of its links with schools abroad, providing opportunity for students to visit different countries and learn about their cultures. It achieved the Healthy Schools Award for its work in pupil health education. Extra curricular activities encourage children to extend their academic interests into the local community. It was awarded the Gold Sportsmark
Sportsmark
Sportsmark is Sport England's accreditation scheme for secondary schools. The scheme recognises a school's out of hours sports provision.Sportsmark awards are given to secondary schools for provision for sport and physical education. They are currently being reviewed along with Activemark awards...
in 2008 for its commitment to sport training.
Present day
Subjects taught at the school include Art, Air Training Corp, Design Technology, English, Film Club, Geography, History, ICT, Maths, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education and Science.The school has its own radio station, called Lazer FM. In 2008, it applied for £14,000 lottery funding to extend the service into the local community.
Two pupils from the station were named as best male presenter at the Sony Radio Awards for Schools in 2009. Culverhay runs community courses and workshops in the evenings. Holiday play clubs are also run at Culverhay for children aged 5 to 13 supervised by Footsteps (South West).
In 2006, Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
judged the school to be satisfactory on a four point scale of outstanding, good, satisfactory, and poor.
Some aspects of the school were rated as good, but the sixth form was given an overall rating of poor.
In 2009, Ofsted inspected the school again and upgraded its rating to good.
The sixth form also received the same good rating.
The report, which praised the school's improvement since the previous inspection, did note that Culverhay has a higher than average number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, and that the number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs
Special education in England
Special education in England is the responsibility of the Government of the United Kingdom and the term "special educational needs" is used to describe the needs of children who need additional provision in order to make progress...
was almost double that of other schools.
In 2009, Culverhay was the worst performing school in Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset is a unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 following the abolition of the County of Avon. It is part of the Ceremonial county of Somerset...
, with 38% of pupils achieving five or more GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
passes at grade C including mathematics and English.
In 2010, the pass rate dropped to 31%, again the lowest in the area.
In 2010, the school was identified for closure by Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset is a unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 following the abolition of the County of Avon. It is part of the Ceremonial county of Somerset...
council due to the large reduction in pupil intake.
At the time of the school's Ofsted inspection in May 2006, the school had 476 pupils.
When the school was again inspected by Ofsted in May 2009, the roll had fallen to 401.
there are 348 pupils at the school.
A consultation period on the school's closure took place in September and October.
Despite 74% of respondents in the consultation saying they were against Culverhay School closing,
the council backed the closure, so no new pupils will be admitted from September 2012.
In December 2010, the council's scrutiny committee
Overview and Scrutiny
Overview and Scrutiny is a function of local authorities in England and Wales. It was introduced by the Local Government Act 2000 which created separate Executive and Overview and Scrutiny functions within councils....
backed the closure decision.
In September 2011 the decision to close the school was revoked after an independent assessment was made that the school was sustainable as a co-educational establishment. £700,000 in funding will be provided by the local council for the necessary alterations. The school will remain financially viable in future as it is proposed to make a reduction in pupil intake levels as well.
In October 2011 government approval was received for Culverhay to become a Sponsored Academy run by Cabot Learning Federation.