The Bewdley School
The Bewdley School is a foundation secondary school and sixth form in Bewdley, serving north-west Worcestershire, England. Its campus is very close to the River Severn and lies on the border of the Wyre Forest national nature reserve. The school is an educational research partner of the University of Worcester and University of Birmingham and is recognised for its focus on international and cultural education, and hosted the 2019 Global Happiness Conference in partnership with the British Council. [3].
| The Bewdley School | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Address | ||
Stourport Road , , DY12 1BL | ||
| Coordinates | 52.3717°N 2.3056°W | |
| Information | ||
| Type | Foundation comprehensive | |
| Motto | Learning for life, achievement for all | |
| Established | 1956, 2007 | |
| Local authority | Worcestershire County Council | |
| Specialist | Arts | |
| Department for Education URN | 135035 Tables | |
| Ofsted | Reports | |
| Chair of governors | Derek Haskins[1] | |
| Head teacher | Mr David Hadley-Pryce[2] | |
| Gender | Mixed | |
| Age | 11 to 19 | |
| Enrolment | 990 | |
| Colour(s) | Black, white and blue | |
| Website | http://www.bewdley.worcs.sch.uk/ | |
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History
The school has its origins in The Bewdley Grammar School on Lax Lane, which closed in the 1800s. The former grammar school is now home to a yoga studio and the Bewdley brewery.[4] After the closure of Bewdley Grammar School, Bewdley County Secondary School was built on the opposite side of the river in 1956 with new buildings. In 1972, the area adopted a three-tier system, and the school became Bewdley High School.[5] When the area returned to a two-tier system in 2007, the High School was amalgamated with the two local middle schools to form The Bewdley School as a new secondary school, following extensive building work and landscaping, with new facilities for the arts, science, humanities and outdoor learning.[6]
Present day
Bewdley Sixth Form
Bewdley Sixth Form is also part of The Bewdley School, offering GCSE, BTEC and A-Level courses.[8] The sixth form is growing yearly, and in 2018 was the largest Sixth Form in the Wyre Forest District.[9] Bewdley Sixth Form is consistently high performing at A-Level, with students often gaining places at top Russell Group UK universities.[10]
Partnerships
The school is partnered with the University of Worcester for teacher training and further educational research. The University of Birmingham's School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences works closely with The Bewdley School through their ongoing Encompass project.[11][12] In September 2009, The Bewdley School gained Specialist Art college status via accreditation from Arts Council England. This specialism was later awarded the Arts Mark Gold Award for excellent practice amongst the department.[13]
Results
In 2019, the school achieved 72% of students achieving 5+ GCSE's including English at Maths at grade 4 or above. [14] At Bewdley Sixth Form, 20 of the 21 subjects achieved 100% pass rates at A-Level with 96% of university applicants being successful.[15][16]
The school was inspected by Ofsted in September 2019 under their new framework, and found the school to be consistently Good.[17] The school has held a 'Good' rating from Ofsted since 2012.[18]
House System
The school has three distinct student houses, each made up of two tutor groups each. The houses were named after historical connections to the town of Bewdley.
Baldwin - Named after Stanley Baldwin, three times Prime Minister. Stanley Baldwin, as Member of Parliament for Bewdley, is the only British premier to have served under three monarchs (George V, Edward VIII, and George VI).
Ribbesford - Named after Ribbesford House. The estate dates from the 11th century (Anglo-Saxon Charter). In 1074 the estate was presented to Ralph de Mortimer in recognition of his services to William of Normandy. It remained in the Mortimer family for many centuries.
Severn - Named after the River Severn. The river is about 220 miles long and is considered to be the longest in the United Kingdom. It rises from the Welsh mountains to the Atlantic Ocean at Bristol and it has historically been a route for trade and central to the growth of Bewdley as a market town over the last 500 years.[19]
Awards
In May 2019, The school was nominated for Secondary School of the Year in the county of Worcesterhire, and was announced as a finalist alongside Bishop Perowne Church of England College, St Augustine's High School, Redditch and Bowbrook House School.[20]
In June 2019, The school won Secondary School of the Year at the Worcestershire Education Awards.[21]
Notable alumni
- Primrose Archer, English model
- Becky Hill, English Singer
References
- "Governors". The Bewdley School. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- "Newsletters & Archive". The Bewdley School. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- "Making friends with students from other cultures". BBC News.
- "Bewdley Brewery".
- "Alumni".
- "Wyre Forest Schools Review". Worcestershire County Council. Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
- "The Bewdley School Old Website". Bewdley High School.
- "All schools and colleges in Worcestershire - GOV.UK". Find and compare schools in England.
- "Destinations".
- "'ENCOMPASS' project launched as part of sector-changing public engagement programme funded by NERC". www.birmingham.ac.uk.
- "Partnerships".
- "Bewdley school earns arts education award". 22 June 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- "GCSE results 2019". Kidderminster Shuttle.
- School, The Bewdley (22 August 2019). "The Bewdley School students celebrate exceptional GCSE results!".
- School, The Bewdley (15 August 2019). "Another great year for A level results at Bewdley Sixth Form!".
- enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk, Ofsted Communications Team (16 October 2019). "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". reports.ofsted.gov.uk.
- "House System".
- "Bewdley school named secondary school of the year". Kidderminster Shuttle.
- "Glamorous black-tie event celebrates winners of Worcestershire Education Awards". Worcester News.