Wellsway School
Encyclopedia
Wellsway School is a mixed comprehensive school
for students aged 11 to 18, maintained by Bath and North East Somerset
Local Education Authority
situated on the eastern side of Keynsham
, Somerset
, England. In January 2011, there were 1327 students attending the school, including 260 in the sixth form.
In October 2011, the school became an academy.
Key structural changes through the years have been:
Minor Structural Changes
or the nearby villages.
, approximately 1350 students attend the school, ranging in age from 11 to 18. In 2006, 64% achieved 5 or more A-C grades at GCSE. Around 280 of those students attend Wellsway Sixth Form Centre. There are also around 85 members of teaching staff, supported by approximately 25 support staff.
to create a single school in Keynsham, though a decision was made not to proceed with this proposal.
In 2008, the structure was as follows:
status was accepted in September 2007. Meaning that Wellsway School now specialises as a Sports
and Science College
. This means the school has joined the national network of specialist schools, resulting in every school in Bath and North East Somerset now having a specialism. A joint bid is unusual as there are only six schools in the country with a combined Sports and Science specialism. This bid will provide additional funding of £129 per student per year to spend on teaching and learning.
scheme run by the Department for Children, Schools and Families
. Wellsway School takes part in the initiative that takes place at the Bath Rec. This support centre is a ‘classroom within a club’ which offers after school study support to pupils in Year 8-9.
status. Fair Trade coffee, tea and sugar are used in the staff room and other products sold in the school canteen, in Shades, the Sixth Form cafe, and in a weekly tuck shop run by students. Fair Trade issues are integrated in the curriculum and taught in subjects such as Business Studies, Citizenship, Geography, Philosophy and Belief
.
. Over 60% of Year 11 stay on for the 6th Form. In 2006, the Sixth Form had 280 students aged between 16 and 19, having the choice to study from a range of 25 subjects at AS
/A2 level. In 2006, 45% of students gained A-B grades, and 67.9% of students gained A-C grades. The students also get the chance to take part in a range of extracurricular opportunities, such as Teacher Support sessions, Team building exercises, Tutorials and Theatre trips for example. A brand new sixth for learning centre which hosts a computer suite, private study and office area was opened in October 2008.
, Football
, Rugby union
, Athletics
, Netball
and especially Hockey
. A new artificial turf pitch was constructed in 2005.
Since the opening of the Artificial pitch, Wellsway has played XI Mixed Hockey against local schools and in the 2006-2007 season, won the U18 Mixed District Tournament. Players from the school have gone on to play at club level in the area and around the country.
In netball, the U14 team reached the National Championships in Bournemouth
and teams for other age groups have been district and regional champions.
Wellsway also supports students who want to pursue a career in Sport, including the RFU Referee's foundation course.
. A fundraising concert for the Royal United Hospital
brought together the musicians and Radio Wellsway with a live broadcast and video link involving the whole school. Every student has the opportunity to study music and nearly 200 opt to learn an instrument in school.
‘A’ level dance is now offered in the sixth form and has become part of Wellsway’s extracurricular activities. Wellsway pupils presented their own Evening of Dance which included junior, senior and sixth form students. This event involved year 6 pupils from Chandag Junior School, giving them a chance to take part in a dance workshop.
A Level Theatre Studies students regularly take part in evening performances which are either an extension of ideas explored in class or formal practical exams. In November 2005 Year 13 students performed their devised pieces as part of the Endgames Festival at the Egg Theatre, which is a part of the Theatre Royal, Bath
whose education department are working with the school.
The Green Team is the name of the school's environmental group. The group meets regularly for sessions looking after the environment both in and outside school. There are also talks held on some Friday night's at St Dunstan's Hall which are open to the public.
Radio Wellsway started in February 2006 and is a student-run station broadcasting om Monday to Friday during lunchtimes and break-times.
Wellsway debating society runs junior and senior debates weekly, and participates in local area inter-school debates.
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...
for students aged 11 to 18, maintained 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...
Local Education Authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
situated on the eastern side of Keynsham
Keynsham
Keynsham is a town and civil parish between Bristol and Bath in Somerset, south-west England. It has a population of 15,533.It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. In January 2011, there were 1327 students attending the school, including 260 in the sixth form.
In October 2011, the school became an academy.
History
Wellsway School was established in 1971, by amalgamating Keynsham Grammar School and Wellsway County Secondary School both of which opened on a shared site in the mid 1950s.Headteachers
| Year | |
|---|---|
| 1971–1974, | Stanley Jarvis |
| 1974–1989 | John Narey |
| 1989–1990 | Helen Dance (acting) |
| 1990–1994 | Martin Whittle |
| 1994–1995 | John Smith and Patricia Baker (joint acting) |
| 1995–2005 | Paul Kent |
| Since 2005 | Andrea Arlidge |
House system
The house system has been maintained since the opening of both the Keynsham Grammar School and Wellsway County Secondary School in 1956. The house system was first implemented in 1956. The pupils of Wellsway were divided into three Houses, each with their own House Master, Staff and Captains. The three houses were Bridges House, Chandos House and Rodney House. The house system as it is today, was created when Wellsway School opened in 1971. The four houses are named after local villages; Burnett, Compton, Newton and Stanton.Structural changes
The school has gone through many changes since its opening in 1956, however, many of these are new builds, or extensions, with the original buildings still standing and fully functional.Key structural changes through the years have been:
| Date | |
|---|---|
| 1956 | The Keynsham Grammar school was built, and officially opened on October 4, 1957. (Later to be Lansdown Building). |
| 1957 | The start of the south east extension began (later to be Mendip Building) |
| 1959 | Wellsway County Secondary School was opened |
| 1971 | Both buildings now under one name 'Wellsway School'. |
| 1990s | New Art block was built, situated at the front of the building, next to the Drama Studio (used to be an Art Room), and built up to the perimeter fence, next to the secondary entrance (also the Chandag School entrance). Removal of the Swimming pool, which was situated on the edge of Lansdown Courts, next to the Kitchens. Construction of the Sixth Form Extension Block - an extension further out towards the Mendip Playing Courts] extending off the original building. |
| 2000 | The Lansdown Hall stage, was ripped out, and turned into Room 30, a full time Music Room. |
| 2001 | New Science Lab - now Room 2a. This build looks out onto the playing fields, adjoining to Room 2, replacing the old greenhouse, which was built on the side of it. |
| 2003 | The hut, previously used as Room 30, was demolished to make way for a Car park behind the new building. |
| 2003-2004 | A Modern Languages Building was built where the Swimming Pool once stood. 2004 also saw the Technology Extension, extending the Technology building outwards. |
| 2004 | Demolition of Temporary Huts - Rooms 55 & 56. The quad is now known as the Laura Allen Garden, in memory of Laura Allen who died in January 2004. Further demolition of temporary huts, with Room 4a, originally a Science Lab, then a Special Needs Classroom knocked down. |
| 2005 | Construction of the Artificial turf pitch, built on top of the Cricket Square, situated on the upper tier of the playing fields. |
| 2007 | Construction of new Youth and Community Centre - built on the south end of the school. |
| 2008 | During the summer of 2008, the new Sixth Form Learning Centre was created. |
Minor Structural Changes
| Date | |
|---|---|
| 2007 | The replacement of Mendip building's roof. A new cricket square was added after receiving a grant of £8,500 from the MCC Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of... for the square. The Resources Centre]was relocated to make way for the new Student Support Centre. The Resources Centre was relocated to where the Careers Centre (and previously a Staffroom) had been located. The Careers Centre was also relocated — to one end of the Library which was renamed the Learning Resource Centre. Structural changes saw windows knocked through the existing wall. |
About Wellsway School
Wellsway School is a mixed comprehensive school in the town of Keynsham, Bristol. Most students that attend the school live in Keynsham and SaltfordSaltford
Saltford is a large village and civil parish in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority, Somerset, England. It lies between the cities of Bristol and Bath....
or the nearby villages.
, approximately 1350 students attend the school, ranging in age from 11 to 18. In 2006, 64% achieved 5 or more A-C grades at GCSE. Around 280 of those students attend Wellsway Sixth Form Centre. There are also around 85 members of teaching staff, supported by approximately 25 support staff.
Campus
Wellsway School is situated on the eastern side of Keynsham in a spacious campus with open and green fields. The campus contains 3 main areas; Lansdown Building, Mendip Building & The Playing Fields. A review of schools within Bath and North East Somerset during 2010 identified some buildings which were in poor condition and proposed expanding Wellsway and closing Broadlands SchoolBroadlands School
Broadlands School is a secondary school in Keynsham, Somerset, England. The school, which has specialist Science College and Engineering College status, educates 990 students between the ages of 11 and 16 years.It was opened in 1935....
to create a single school in Keynsham, though a decision was made not to proceed with this proposal.
Uniform
Wellsway requires students to wear uniform consisting of green blazers, worn by all pupils.Curriculum teams and subjects
In 2005/2006, the staff structure was reviewed at Wellsway, consequently resulting in the departmental structure being revised. From September 2006, the previous structure was replaced by curriculum teams, which in some cases, comprises more than one subject team.In 2008, the structure was as follows:
| Curriculum Teams | Subject Teams |
|---|---|
| Maths | Maths, Further Maths |
| English | English (Language and Literature) |
| Science | Biology, Chemistry, Physics |
| ICT and Enterprise | Business Studies, ICT |
| Physical Education | PE, Dance |
| Design | Art, Core Technology & Food Technology |
| Humanities | History and Geography |
| Languages | French, German, Italian, Spanish |
| Performing Arts | Drama and Music |
| Social Studies | Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology |
Sports & Science Centre of Excellence
Wellsway's bid for specialist schoolSpecialist 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...
status was accepted in September 2007. Meaning that Wellsway School now specialises as a Sports
Sports College
Sports Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, PE, sports and dance. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Sports...
and Science College
Science College
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics...
. This means the school has joined the national network of specialist schools, resulting in every school in Bath and North East Somerset now having a specialism. A joint bid is unusual as there are only six schools in the country with a combined Sports and Science specialism. This bid will provide additional funding of £129 per student per year to spend on teaching and learning.
Playing for Success
Wellsway School is part of the Playing for SuccessPlaying for Success
Playing for Success is an initiative in England set up by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, aims to focus on raising literacy, numeracy and ICT standards amongst demotivated KS2 and KS3 pupils ....
scheme run by the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
. Wellsway School takes part in the initiative that takes place at the Bath Rec. This support centre is a ‘classroom within a club’ which offers after school study support to pupils in Year 8-9.
Fairtrade status
On March 29, 2007, the school was the first school in the district to be awarded Fair TradeFair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
status. Fair Trade coffee, tea and sugar are used in the staff room and other products sold in the school canteen, in Shades, the Sixth Form cafe, and in a weekly tuck shop run by students. Fair Trade issues are integrated in the curriculum and taught in subjects such as Business Studies, Citizenship, Geography, Philosophy and Belief
Philosophy and Belief
Philosophy and Belief is a school subject taught at schools across the South Americas. It is similar to a subject taught across the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth Countries Religious Education...
.
Wellsway Sixth Form College
Wellsway Sixth Form has grown significantly during the past few years, with many students going on to universityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
. Over 60% of Year 11 stay on for the 6th Form. In 2006, the Sixth Form had 280 students aged between 16 and 19, having the choice to study from a range of 25 subjects at AS
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
/A2 level. In 2006, 45% of students gained A-B grades, and 67.9% of students gained A-C grades. The students also get the chance to take part in a range of extracurricular opportunities, such as Teacher Support sessions, Team building exercises, Tutorials and Theatre trips for example. A brand new sixth for learning centre which hosts a computer suite, private study and office area was opened in October 2008.
Sport
Students represent the district, county or region in various sports. Wellsway has received good reports from Sports Mark Gold 3 times. Sporting success has been achieved in many sports including CricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, Football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, Rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, Athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
and especially Hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
. A new artificial turf pitch was constructed in 2005.
Since the opening of the Artificial pitch, Wellsway has played XI Mixed Hockey against local schools and in the 2006-2007 season, won the U18 Mixed District Tournament. Players from the school have gone on to play at club level in the area and around the country.
In netball, the U14 team reached the National Championships in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
and teams for other age groups have been district and regional champions.
Wellsway also supports students who want to pursue a career in Sport, including the RFU Referee's foundation course.
Other extracurricular activities
In May 2006, students composed music for a concert at Wellsway involving over 60 local musicians. In September 2006 over 200 students sang together for World Peace Day. Wellsway hosted the regional heat for a national schools rock idol competition and musicians from the school performed live on BBC Radio BristolBBC Radio Bristol
BBC Radio Bristol is the BBC Local Radio service for the English city of Bristol and the surrounding former Avon area. Launched in September 1970, it broadcasts from Broadcasting House in Bristol on FM frequencies 94.9 MHz , 104.6 MHz , 103.6 MHz , on AM 1548 kHz and on DAB.The...
. A fundraising concert for the Royal United Hospital
Royal United Hospital
The Royal United Hospital is a major acute hospital, located in the Weston suburb of Bath, England, which lies approximately miles west of the Bath city centre. The hospital currently has 565 beds and occupies a site...
brought together the musicians and Radio Wellsway with a live broadcast and video link involving the whole school. Every student has the opportunity to study music and nearly 200 opt to learn an instrument in school.
‘A’ level dance is now offered in the sixth form and has become part of Wellsway’s extracurricular activities. Wellsway pupils presented their own Evening of Dance which included junior, senior and sixth form students. This event involved year 6 pupils from Chandag Junior School, giving them a chance to take part in a dance workshop.
A Level Theatre Studies students regularly take part in evening performances which are either an extension of ideas explored in class or formal practical exams. In November 2005 Year 13 students performed their devised pieces as part of the Endgames Festival at the Egg Theatre, which is a part of the Theatre Royal, Bath
Theatre Royal, Bath
The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, is over 200 years old. It is one of the more important theatres in the United Kingdom outside London, with capacity for an audience of around 900....
whose education department are working with the school.
The Green Team is the name of the school's environmental group. The group meets regularly for sessions looking after the environment both in and outside school. There are also talks held on some Friday night's at St Dunstan's Hall which are open to the public.
Radio Wellsway started in February 2006 and is a student-run station broadcasting om Monday to Friday during lunchtimes and break-times.
Wellsway debating society runs junior and senior debates weekly, and participates in local area inter-school debates.