Information for Parents


Index


Description of the School
Ethos
Expectations at Waddesdon
Aims and Objectives
The Waddesdon Learning Culture
The Year 9 Curriculum Booklet
School Governance

Description of The School

Waddesdon Church of England School is a Voluntary Aided Secondary School, and as such is unique in Buckinghamshire. In July 2003, Waddesdon was awarded specialist school status and is now a Visual Arts College. It is also a Leading Edge school.

During its history, the school has been successively a special agreement school, grant maintained and voluntary aided. These manifestations have had an impact. Probably the most formative period was when the school was grant maintained. During that time the school’s organisation became geared to proper accountability, including high academic achievement, good facilities and financial probity.

As a rural school, strong links with the community, through feeder primary schools, the churches and village groups are valued. The Waddesdon Estate, separate from Waddesdon Manor (National Trust) and the Rothschild family are all very supportive of the school.

The school is situated on a beautiful, open site on the edge of the Waddesdon Estate. It was opened in September 1962 with approximately 200 pupils! At that time its role in the community was clear – to serve a large rural catchment area. The school now caters for approximately 950 boys and girls aged between 11 and 18. Over the past five years the Sixth Form has grown and there are now around 250 students in KS5, with many pupils seeking to join the school from a wide range of neighbouring schools.

School facilities have continually been extended and refurbished, ensuring that Waddesdon is well equipped to meet the educational demands of the 21st century. The most recent major building project came into use in September 2004 and includes a new teaching block with five general classrooms, an arts suite, a new sports hall with a fitness studio and associated changing rooms. Waddesdon has expanded provision for ICT and is committed to Technology and the Performance Arts. There are no temporary classrooms.

The school recognizes that happy and secure students are most likely to gain maximum benefit from their time at Waddesdon. The school has a highly developed system of pastoral care with the pastoral management of the students being organised in mixed ability tutor groups, within a year system. Form tutors, who move through the school with their form, play a crucial role in the pastoral organisation of the school and their work is coordinated by the Heads of Year. Parents receive regular progress reports and there is at least one teacher/parent consultation meeting each year. In addition, the school publishes a range of information booklets designed to support students and parents by outlining the demands of secondary education.

There is healthy support for a wide range of after-school activities. Music, drama and art contribute significantly to the extramural life of the school and Waddesdon seeks to enrich and supplement its formal curriculum with a range of extra curricular activities. The provision of these is dependent upon the good will and dedication of all staff. The school offers and encourages competitive sport, both internally (with inter form matches) and externally (against local schools). Students are encouraged to pursue their sporting interests to the highest level, both within and outside school.


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Ethos

The school is proud of its status as the only Church of England voluntary aided secondary school in Buckinghamshire and the staff work hard to maintain its standing in the locality.

The importance of high personal achievement in all aspects of school life is recognised, as is the need for an awareness of Christian attitudes and values. An inclusive approach is taken, encouraging each student to achieve their full potential. The atmosphere in the school is friendly, relaxed, orderly and disciplined. Most importantly, there is a high level of mutual respect between staff and students.

The school places great emphasis on the appearance of its students and uniform is an integral part of the custom and character of the school. Students are expected to exercise responsibility in dressing smartly and sensibly and the dress code is monitored during the course of the year.

The following sums up what Governors understand the ethos to mean in practice:

" Waddesdon offers a safe, caring environment where students and adults develop mutual respect for each other and their wider community."

" Waddesdon’s environment, which fosters good behaviour as the norm, allows and encourages every student to realise their full potential, both academic and cultural, with particular focus on the creative and sporting aspects of the curriculum."

" Waddesdon’s strong emphasis on inclusion across the whole curriculum encourages good social as well as academic skills and attitudes and values every individual’s potential."

" Waddesdon is underpinned by its faith, which through daily assemblies leads to a mutual respect and dignity which fostering good behaviour, smart and happy students, a safe and clean environment, a pride in the school and concern for the local community."

"Waddesdon’s Sixth Form is particularly important in disseminating good behaviour, mutual respect, and strong moral and cultural attitudes through the whole school."


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Expectations at Waddesdon

Expectations of conduct are embedded in the school ethos. Pupils and adults often refer to “The Waddesdon Way”. This notion is introduced to year six pupils, before they come to Waddesdon, as part of the school’s transition programme within the well-established links with primary schools. The School’s code of conduct is founded on the expectation that all people and property should be treated with dignity and respect.

There is a strong link between the pastoral and academic aspects of school life. The School’s corporate expectations are reaffirmed in the whole school assemblies which take place every morning. Assemblies are led by the Headteacher, members of staff, pupils, clergy of various denominations or other speakers who may be invited from time to time. All students normally attend.

Further information regarding the details of our expectations are emphasised in the Home-School Agreement.


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Aims and Objectives

Waddesdon Church of England School aims to nurture and educate students in a Christian environment in order that they may achieve their potential and become valuable members of society.

The school values, emphasises and promotes:


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The Waddesdon Learning Culture

The school’s ‘learning culture’ aims to provide a focus to both the academic and pastoral aspects of life at Waddesdon and places responsibility for delivery on subject leaders and heads of year.

This scheme promotes the principle that Heads of Year are Heads of Learning. Heads of Year are in a unique position: they are responsible for the welfare and development of pupils within a particular year group. They work together with Form Tutors and subject teachers to ensure that pupils in their charge can fulfil their potential.

The Learning Culture aims to focus pupils on one learning target for a particular year. Year group identity is also believed to be important. A Year Group title, colour and motto have been chosen to heighten pupil awareness of their educational stage. Each pupil is issued with a learning culture sheet for their diary and posters are displayed throughout the school. In addition various year group activities are organised by Heads of Year aimed at developing a cross curricular approach to learning.

Download a copy of the Learning Culture Poster.


The Waddesdon Way

Year 7
The Waddesdon Way
Green
Organisation
"Treat others with dignity and respect."

Year 8
Aim Higher
Sky Blue
The acquisition of knowledge and Life skills
"The sky’s the limit"

Year 9
Within the Community
Red
Sharing knowledge
"Take an active part."


Year 10
Responsibility and Reality
Purple
Time Management
"I can and I care."

Year 11
Run the race : the final lap
Gold
Self-assessment
‘"Go for PB (Personal Best)"


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The Year 9 Curriculum Booklet

This booklet is designed to show the educational opportunities available during Years Nine, Ten and Eleven.

Key Stage Four is an important time in any child's education; it lays foundations for Key Stage Five, university, lifelong learning and the world of work.

Download a copy of The Year 9 Curriculum Booklet


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School Governance

Voluntary Aided Status

Waddesdon is a Voluntary Aided Church of England School. Whilst leading and managing an aided school will not differ substantially from other schools, there are subtle differences: the Governing Body is the legal employer of all staff and the admission authority (setting its own criteria, determining which children will be allocated places and making arrangements for appeal arrangements).

The school buildings and the land on which they stand are owned by the Trustees who enjoy a good relationship with the Governing Body

The school has a good working relationship with the Diocesan Board of Education. The Board is not an obtrusive organisation, but it keeps a proprietorial eye on its schools. The Diocese will advise the school regarding building maintenance and supports bids for capital work. It approves the religious education syllabus for its schools and offers a range of advice and support. The Diocese also affords the governors direct access to legal advice from the Diocesan solicitors. Whilst such advice is a cost to the school it has proved a very good source of independent advice for Governors.


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The Governing Body

Governors are very well informed and operate in tune with the school’s ethos and character. They are eager to see the school develop and improve in the future. The majority of Governors are parents of present or former students and are drawn from the local communities and churches.

The Governing Body has had three chairmen over a period of 21 years.

Governors are void of political or religious cliques and work in close partnership with the Headteacher. They employ their own independent, part-time clerk whose role is to ensure there is no confusion between the operation of the school and the administration of its Governors.

Traditionally, Governors challenge existing custom and practice, or proposed change, in equal measure. They do this in a cordial and businesslike fashion, and avoid personal confrontation. An unspoken ethic of the Governors has always been ‘no surprises’. If controversial matters are likely to be aired at a Governors’ meeting, the Headteacher is always forewarned, through either the Clerk or Chairman. This gives the Headteacher time to consider any issue beforehand and prepare.

By the same token, Governors expect to be treated in the same way by the Headteacher. Potentially difficult situations are shared with Governors early. Governors expect to understand the issues before they become crises.


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The constitution of the Governing Body

There are 20 governors and one associate member. These are:

One of the Foundation appointments is held ex officio; one is an appointee of Waddesdon Parochial Church Council and one of Quainton Parochial Church Council. At least three of the Foundation Governors must be parents of current students at the time of their appointment.


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Frequency of meetings

The Governing Body meets at least once a term and additionally as required.

The Governing Body has a Committee structure with main committees meeting at least once a term.


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Committee structure

There are a number of Standing Committees. The Governing Body has the following regular committees:

A Staff and Governors Consultative Group meets termly to maintain a dialogue about key issues which have implications for staff. This recognises the role of the Governing Body as the legal employer of staff at the school.


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The Trustees

The Board of Trustees for Waddesdon School comprises a vicar and two lay representatives from each of the founding parishes. Some Trustees are also Governors. Although the Trustees own the school buildings and the land on which they stand, they do not own the playing fields.

A small amount of money is held by the Trustees which can be spent on the school and they made a considerable contribution towards the cost of the Thorp building, the most recent addition to the school. The Trustees meet once a term and welcome information about events and developments at the school


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