New School in Winslow

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Friscol
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:43 pm

New School in Winslow

Post by Friscol »

Just a link for any interested parties. A new school is being put forward (by parents) for opening in 2013. The suggested location is the Winslow Centre in Winslow - which used to be a secondary school. The school will be a 'free school/academy' and classes sizes will be 20. The school will be non selective and it needs parents to sign up to it (even if they will send their children to grammar if they pass 11+).
The school is a response to the housing expansion North of County and thus difficulty in getting into Waddesdon. It is not a criticism of any other school just a further option for parents.
The focus will be on arts/ drama and sport but with the Ibacc subjects as expected, as well as excellence in all exams. High expectation is very much a given.
There is a website:
http://www.sirthomasfremantle.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There are already enough children signed up to make this idea possible but a few more in the year 5 age group could seal the deal.
Thanks
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: New School in Winslow

Post by Guest55 »

Errm - this site is down a narrow road and the traffic around there is dreadful when anything is on there. Unless they can improve the access it's not viable imho.

Why would people expect to get Waddesdon allocated if they live in Winslow?

It's well outside catchment ...
Friscol
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:43 pm

Re: New School in Winslow

Post by Friscol »

The site is not yet decided this is a suggestion at present. It was a school before. The current secondary school available is Buckingham which has a great improving reputation but with all the additional housing will struggle to take all the pupils. Some parents wish their children to be in a smaller school.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: New School in Winslow

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi Friscol, and welcome!

I assume that you have access to a lot of management information, so this is mainly to provide context for other forum members.

These were the pupil numbers on roll at Upper Schools in the Aylesbury Vale area (which includes Winslow) as of January 2011:

Code: Select all

							                                           +/- PAN				
	                       PAN	Y7	 Y8	 Y9	 Y10	Y11	 Y7	 Y8    Y9	Y10	Y11
Aylesbury Vale Academy 	180	181	146	132	134	139	  1	-34	-48	-46	-41
Buckingham School         210	177	173	149	152	147	-33	-37	-61	-58	-63
Cottesloe School	       200	205	199	198	197	180	  5	 -1	 -2	 -3	-20
Grange School 	         240	237	240	238	226	196	 -3	  0	 -2	-14	-44
John Colet School         180	183	180	175	170	173	  3	  0	 -5	-10	 -7
The Mandeville School     180	184	182	177	177	189	  4	  2	 -3	 -3	  9
Waddesdon CE School 	   140	143	145	151	146	148	  3	  5	 11	  6	  8
											
TOTAL:	                1330  1310  1265  1220  1202  1172	-20	-65  -110  -128  -158
There is a looming shortage of secondary school places in the AV area because of housing growth (or so BCC have said), and the allocation distance for Waddesdon is painfully small each year.

The Buckingham School was in special measures for a year or two, and I suspect that rumours die hard, even though the school was rated "Good" for its capacity for sustained improvement in July 2011. Meanwhile Waddesdon has been consistently rated as "Outstanding" for the last decade.

I can see why the initiative has come about, and I wish the parents concerned good luck with it - even if the lane is narrow! A walking crocodile from the nearest accessible parking area would seem to be the way forward in that situation.

Sally-Anne
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: New School in Winslow

Post by Guest55 »

Waddesdon is on the list of schools rated 'outstanding' that might lose that status because teaching was only 'good' ...

There is nowhere nearby to park and form a crocodile as the main A413 goes through a very congested High Street ... any lorry or bus going through causes delay.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: New School in Winslow

Post by Sally-Anne »

Guest55 wrote:There is nowhere nearby to park and form a crocodile as the main A413 goes through a very congested High Street ... any lorry or bus going through causes delay.
Perhaps they should go for a very thin crocodile then! :lol:
Friscol
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:43 pm

Re: New School in Winslow

Post by Friscol »

Other options for access are in negotiation - there are other access points to the site.
The main consideration at this point is the concept of another school in North Bucks - a smaller secondary school.
The library would be kept open as would the adult learning .
Exciting.
MrsChubbs
Posts: 363
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:36 pm
Location: High Wycombe

Re: New School in Winslow

Post by MrsChubbs »

[quote="Guest55"]Waddesdon is on the list of schools rated 'outstanding' that might lose that status because teaching was only 'good' ...

I like you a lot Guest 55. :lol: :lol: :lol:
No disrespect intended to Waddesdon, just the ever shifting OFSTED criteria.............etc................
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: New School in Winslow

Post by Guest55 »

Mrs Chubbs - if you are bored over half-term then trawl through the Ofsted reports and name the other schools also threatened with losing their 'outstanding' label.

Sorry - OP - off topic I know :oops:
MrsChubbs
Posts: 363
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:36 pm
Location: High Wycombe

Re: New School in Winslow

Post by MrsChubbs »

Hmm......have a spare half hour tomorrow...... :wink:
Promise to start a new thread with it.
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