Specialist Status
Maths and Computing
We have some great news to share with the community: Waddesdon CE School has been designated by the government as a Specialist Mathematics and Computing School. This means that we will be given additional resources to improve still further the opportunities that we provide to support our students’ learning, especially in Mathematics and ICT. All subjects will benefit as we will be able to provide new technology to support learning across the curriculum. We will be working with a range of community partners to help them to inspire further success with their own students. Our designation is due to start in April 2008.
All this is in addition to the work we are already doing as a Specialist Visual Arts College and as the Lead School in the Aylesbury Vale Leading Edge Partnership. So the future looks bright and exciting.
Visual Arts College
Visit the Arts College Gallery
As an Arts College, Waddesdon School aims to be a centre of excellence, promoting understanding and appreciation of the visual arts through a diverse programme of educational opportunities and events.
Through assisted funding and sponsorship, pupils and community partners have access to specialist facilities covering many artistic disciplines. Our digital art facilities provide exciting opportunities for pupils and adults to experience working with leading digital equipment and software. Newly built studios which are light, airy and fully equipped to deliver all the main traditional art forms.
An extensive range of GCSE, AS / A level and vocational courses at KS4 and KS5 are provided, expanding the educational choices for pupils from 14-19. All students start their GCSE courses in Year 9 and follow an accelerated curriculum enabling diversity and personalized learning.
We work with our partner schools by offering training, support and resources as well as the opportunity to network and exhibit works. We work with our community partners to maximise the opportunities for the wider community to access, participate and celebrate in the visual arts.
Opportunities for pupils of all age groups to work with a range of local artists both in the environment of the Art College and out in the community are funded. Exhibitions of art work are organised on a permanent and a temporary basis. Celebration of pupil achievements is given a high priority; staff are convinced that self-esteem and feelings of self-worth are boosted through such activities. Staff believe that there is an urgent need to involve all age groups in self-expression, which can lead to a sense of pride and satisfaction.
We believe that commitment to the arts is essential if all communities in the 21st Century are to meet the considerable challenges within our society. Career opportunities in design, technology, art and graphics offer productive, satisfying futures for our young adults. We are delighted that the specialist school status enables us to offer educational provision of such quality which can transform the lives of students.
Visit the Arts College Gallery or Contact the Arts College
Leading Edge Partnership
Leading Edge Partnerships provide capacity for practitioners to work together in order to tackle some of the more intractable challenges facing the education system in the drive to raise standards. The programme offers funding distributed via a lead school for use across their partnership to work on locally determined learning challenges.
Partnerships are committed to working collaboratively to inspire, design, test and adapt professional practice to raise standards of teaching and learning where improvement is most urgently needed.
There is a particular focus on partnering with schools struggling to raise standards and partnering in order to raise pupil achievement by addressing issues of under-achievement among pupils from poorer socio-economic backgrounds and from particular minority ethnic groups.
The schools in the Aylesbury Vale Leading Edge Partnership are Waddesdon Church of England School, The Grange School and Quarrendon Upper School.
