Wyedean Comprehensive
Encyclopedia
Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre is a school in Sedbury
, Gloucestershire
, England
, just across the border from Chepstow
, Wales
. The school is close to the A48 road
and less than a mile from the Welsh border.
Wyedean School is a mixed comprehensive school
, with over 1100 pupils, including 250 in the Sixth Form
. It was first set up in 1973 and was then moved in 1976 to its present location.
The School is located in Gloucestershire, and falls within the English, not Welsh, education system. Although most of its pupils live in the Forest of Dean
area of England, some travel from within Wales.
It was also the school of J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter
Series.
The Sixth Form block has been built to accommodate increased numbers of A-Level students.
Admittance to Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre is non-denominational and Wyedean accepts both male and female students between the ages of 11 and 18. Wyedean currently has 1143 students.
represents the student body's views. From each Tutor Group two representatives are elected annually to attend meetings of their respective Year Council, from which three are elected to attend the meetings of the School Council (Student Council). Within meetings of the Student Council, matters of student politics are discussed ranging from the interviewing of candidates applying for a post at the school, to discussing new bills and policies regarding the schools management.
The council is divided into Committees that are reviewed annually, each with their own coordinator responsible for their activities; with different committees naturally focusing on different issues. The management and organisation of the council as a whole is overseen by the Council Chairman. The committees as of 2009/2010 are:
- Sports and Activities
- Charities
- Media and Publicity
- Community relations
The leaders of these committees, along with the Council Chairman, make up the Cabinet. A small group of students responsible for major policy decisions.
The current Chairman of the Student Council is Year 12 student Harry Ives, who took control in March 2010 following the departure of his predecessor Steven Drinkwater.
Every year a new set of team leaders is elected to represent the students, by the students. The Team Leaders also head a network of teams within the sixth form. These teams include Press and Promotions, International Team and the Community and Eco Team.
Notable Events in the Sixth Form include the Annual 'Homeless Sleepout' and Film Friday.
The team leaders of 2011/12 are William Ayliffe, Jessica Johnson, Osian Griffiths and Tamsin McKelvey
, author of the Harry Potter
books, was Head Girl in 1982. Her mother, Anne Rowling, had worked there as a technician in the Science Department from 1978. During July 2006, the school library was dedicated to J. K. Rowling. However, she has made it clear that she did not enjoy her time at Wyedean, citing teachers and loneliness as some of the reasons for this. She has stated that the character of Professor Snape
was partly based on a chemistry master who taught at the school, understood to be John Nettleship
. When she returned to the area in 2001 to film part of a biographical TV programme, she visited the nearby Tutshill
Primary School but did not pay a visit to Wyedean.
Sedbury
Sedbury is a village in the Forest of Dean district of west Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye, facing the Welsh town of Chepstow...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, just across the border from Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The school is close to the A48 road
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
and less than a mile from the Welsh border.
Wyedean School is a mixed 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...
, with over 1100 pupils, including 250 in the Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
. It was first set up in 1973 and was then moved in 1976 to its present location.
The School is located in Gloucestershire, and falls within the English, not Welsh, education system. Although most of its pupils live in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
area of England, some travel from within Wales.
It was also the school of J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
Series.
Facilities
The school boasts a large sports hall which can be rented in the evenings; a library, with IT facilities; a canteen, where hot and cold food can be purchased; a music suite, equipped with computers linked to recording equipment; and a Design Technology Block.The Sixth Form block has been built to accommodate increased numbers of A-Level students.
Admittance to Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre is non-denominational and Wyedean accepts both male and female students between the ages of 11 and 18. Wyedean currently has 1143 students.
Staff
The headmaster of Wyedean is Clive Pemberton, who took over the role in January 2006 from his predecessor John Claydon.Student Voice
The Student CouncilStudent council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
represents the student body's views. From each Tutor Group two representatives are elected annually to attend meetings of their respective Year Council, from which three are elected to attend the meetings of the School Council (Student Council). Within meetings of the Student Council, matters of student politics are discussed ranging from the interviewing of candidates applying for a post at the school, to discussing new bills and policies regarding the schools management.
The council is divided into Committees that are reviewed annually, each with their own coordinator responsible for their activities; with different committees naturally focusing on different issues. The management and organisation of the council as a whole is overseen by the Council Chairman. The committees as of 2009/2010 are:
- Sports and Activities
- Charities
- Media and Publicity
- Community relations
The leaders of these committees, along with the Council Chairman, make up the Cabinet. A small group of students responsible for major policy decisions.
The current Chairman of the Student Council is Year 12 student Harry Ives, who took control in March 2010 following the departure of his predecessor Steven Drinkwater.
Sixth Form
The Sixth Form has two Head Boys and two Head Girls, known as 'The Team Leaders'.Every year a new set of team leaders is elected to represent the students, by the students. The Team Leaders also head a network of teams within the sixth form. These teams include Press and Promotions, International Team and the Community and Eco Team.
Notable Events in the Sixth Form include the Annual 'Homeless Sleepout' and Film Friday.
The team leaders of 2011/12 are William Ayliffe, Jessica Johnson, Osian Griffiths and Tamsin McKelvey
Notable alumni
J. K. (Joanne) RowlingJ. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
, author of the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
books, was Head Girl in 1982. Her mother, Anne Rowling, had worked there as a technician in the Science Department from 1978. During July 2006, the school library was dedicated to J. K. Rowling. However, she has made it clear that she did not enjoy her time at Wyedean, citing teachers and loneliness as some of the reasons for this. She has stated that the character of Professor Snape
Severus Snape
Severus Snape is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J.K. Rowling. In the first novel of the series, he is hostile toward Harry and is built up to be the primary antagonist until the final chapters. As the series progresses, Snape's character becomes more layered and...
was partly based on a chemistry master who taught at the school, understood to be John Nettleship
John Nettleship
John Lawrence Nettleship was a British schoolteacher who taught chemistry at Wyedean School, Gloucestershire. His pupils there included Joanne Rowling, whose mother worked for some time as an assistant in his department...
. When she returned to the area in 2001 to film part of a biographical TV programme, she visited the nearby Tutshill
Tutshill
Tutshill is a small village within the parish of Tidenham in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye, which forms the boundary with Wales at this point and which separates the village from the town of Chepstow...
Primary School but did not pay a visit to Wyedean.