Culverhay School

Culverhay School

Established	1956
Type	Boys comprehensive, co-educational sixth form
Headteacher	Richard Thomson
Specialism	Mathematics and Computing
Location	Bath England
Local authority	Bath and North East Somerset
DfE URN	109293
Ofsted	Reports
Students	348
Ages	11–18
Website	culverhayschool.com

Coordinates: 51°21′51″N 2°23′30″W / 51.3641°N 2.3918°W / 51.3641; -2.3918

Culverhay School is a boys secondary school situated at Rush Hill, Odd Down in Bath, England. There are around 348 students,^[1] 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 The school was scheduled to close, with new admissions ceasing in September 2012.^[2] However; this decision was revoked and the school is to become a co-educational establishment in 2013.^[3]

History

In 1956, the original buildings were completed when West Twerton School at The Hollow^[4] moved to Rush Hill as a 'Secondary Modern', and changed name to Westhill Boys School, administered by Bath Education Authority.^[5]

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 × 7.5 m (72 × 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,^[6] 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 schools and secondary modern schools to form comprehensive schools. 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 1,355 miles (2,181 km) by running, swimming, cycling and kayaking. Swimmer Sharron Davies visited the school to award the prize.^[7]

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.^[8][9]

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.^[10] The school has its own radio station, called Lazer FM.^[11] In 2008, it applied for £14,000 lottery funding to extend the service into the local community.^[12] Two pupils from the station were named as best male presenter at the Sony Radio Awards for Schools in 2009.^[13] Culverhay runs community courses and workshops in the evenings.^[14] Holiday play clubs are also run at Culverhay for children aged 5 to 13 supervised by Footsteps (South West).^[15]

In 2006, Ofsted judged the school to be satisfactory on a four point scale of outstanding, good, satisfactory, and poor.^[16] Some aspects of the school were rated as good, but the sixth form was given an overall rating of poor.^[16] In 2009, Ofsted inspected the school again and upgraded its rating to good.^[9] The sixth form also received the same good rating.^[9] 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.^[9] 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.^[17] In 2010, the pass rate dropped to 31%, again the lowest in the area.^[18]

In 2010, the school was identified for closure by Bath and North East Somerset council due to the large reduction in pupil intake.^[19] At the time of the school's Ofsted inspection in May 2006, the school had 476 pupils.^[16] When the school was again inspected by Ofsted in May 2009, the roll had fallen to 401.^[9] As of January 2011^[update] there are 348 pupils at the school.^[1] A consultation period on the school's closure took place in September and October.^[20] Despite 74% of respondents in the consultation saying they were against Culverhay School closing,^[21] the council backed the closure, so no new pupils will be admitted from September 2012.^[2] In December 2010, the council's scrutiny committee backed the closure decision.^[22]

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.^[23]

In October 2011 government approval was received for Culverhay to become a Sponsored Academy run by Cabot Learning Federation.^[24]

See also

• Education in Bath, Somerset
• List of schools in Bath and North East Somerset

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Culverhay School". Ofsted. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_providers/full/(urn)/109293. Retrieved 8 November 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Closure of Culverhay School in Bath to go ahead". BBC News. 26 November 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11845022. Retrieved 26 November 2010. 
3. ^ "Council reverse decision to close Culverhay School in Bath". BBC News. 15 July 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-14165664. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
4. ^ "West Twerton Council Schools". Bath Central Library. http://www.bathintime.co.uk/image.php?id=205214&idx=4&fromsearch=true. Retrieved 2010-11-18. 
5. ^ "Westhill Boys School". Bath Central Library. http://www.bathintime.co.uk/image.php?id=205233&idx=18&fromsearch=true. Retrieved 2010-11-18. 
6. ^ "Culverhay Sports Centre". Aquaterra Leisure. http://www.aquaterra.org/culverhay-sports-centre/swimming. Retrieved 2010-11-18. 
7. ^ "School receives Sport Relief prize from Sharron Davies". BBC Sport. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/content/articles/2006/07/14/sharron_davies_sport_relief_feature.shtml. Retrieved 2009-04-02. 
8. ^ "Message from the Headmaster". Culverhay School. http://culverhay.bathnes.sch.uk/information/. Retrieved 2010-11-15. 
9. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Inspection Report". Ofsted. 14 May 2009. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_reports/display/(id)/108945. Retrieved 18 January 2011. 
10. ^ "Digital Showcase". Pupils Work. Culverhay School. http://culverhay.bathnes.sch.uk/departments/. Retrieved 2010-11-15. 
11. ^ "Culverhay Radio". Culverhay Radio. http://www.culverhayradio.co.uk/. Retrieved 2009-04-02. 
12. ^ "School radio station's expansion bid". This is Bath. http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/School-radio-station-s-expansion-bidarticle-536686-details/article.html. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
13. ^ "14/03/2009 Junior DJs rewarded by Sony". Schools Radio.com. http://www.schoolsradio.com/news_article.php?id=36. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
14. ^ "World of opportunity for Returning Learners Directory.". Bath & North East Somerset Learning Partnership. http://www.worldirectory.org.uk/bath/bath.html. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
15. ^ "Footsteps (South West) Ltd". Ofsted. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxcare_providers/full/%28urn%29/EY296229. Retrieved 2010-11-18. 
16. ^ ^{a b c} "Inspection Report". Ofsted. 18 May 2006. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_reports/display/(id)/62777. Retrieved 18 January 2011. 
17. ^ "Secondary schools in Bath and NE Somerset (2009)". BBC. 13 January 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/09/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/800_gcse_lea.stm. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 
18. ^ "Secondary schools in Bath and NE Somerset (2010)". BBC. 12 January 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/education/school_tables/secondary/10/html/gcse_800.stm?compare=. Retrieved 17 January 2011. 
19. ^ "Revised Bath schools proposals recommended". BBC News. 12 July 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10604647. Retrieved 8 November 2010. 
20. ^ "Bath school closure decision is upheld". BBC News. 18 August 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11018821. Retrieved 8 November 2010. 
21. ^ "Closure of Culverhay School in Bath recommended". BBC news Bristol. 17 November 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11779573. Retrieved 2010-11-18. 
22. ^ "Bath Culverhay School closure backed by committee". BBC News. 15 December 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11998121. Retrieved 15 December 2010. 
23. ^ "Connect Magazine Autumn 2011 Page 5". Bath & N.E. Somerset Council. September 2011. http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Council%20and%20Democracy/Council%20News/Connect%20Autumn%202011.pdf. Retrieved 22 September 2011. 
24. ^ "Sponsored Academy agreed for Culverhay". Bath and North East Somerset. http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/news/latestnews/2011/october/Pages/SponsoredAcademyagreedforCulverhay.aspx?inform. Retrieved 20 October 2011. 

External links

• Official website