Royal Wootton Bassett Academy
Address
Lime Kiln

Royal Wootton Bassett
,
Wiltshire
,
SN4 7HG

England
Coordinates51°32′53″N 1°54′09″W / 51.5481°N 1.9024°W / 51.5481; -1.9024
Information
TypeAcademy
MottoA Global School in a Local Community
Opened1958
Department for Education URN136911 Tables
OfstedReports
Head teacherAnita Ellis
GenderMixed
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1748 (July 2023)
Houses  Winterbourne
  Compton
  Berwick
  Wootton
  Bassett
Colour(s)Black, Burgundy, Gold
     
Websitewww.rwba.org.uk

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy (RWBA) (formerly Wootton Bassett School) is a mixed secondary school and sixth form in the town of Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, England, for students aged 11 to 18. With over 1,700 pupils, it is one of the largest in Wiltshire.[1]

History

The first school on the Lime Kiln site was opened in January 1958 as Wootton Bassett County Secondary School, for pupils aged 11 and over.[2] Until then, children attended either all-age schools (two in the town and six in surrounding villages) or the grammar schools in other towns. At first there were 279 pupils but numbers increased in the following years.[3]

The school became a comprehensive in 1972 and was renamed Wootton Bassett School.[4] Pupil numbers continued to increase and a new building, financed as a PFI partnership[5] and built on the earlier school's playing fields, was completed in February 2002; Princess Anne performed an official opening in September of that year.[2]

Under the Specialist Schools programme, the school gained Technology College status in 2004.[2]

The school converted to academy status in 2011[2] and is run by Ascend Learning Trust,[1] which also runs one of the town's primary schools, Noremarsh Junior School.[6]

Ofsted inspections

The school was assessed by Ofsted as 'outstanding' in all areas in November 2013. As of 2023 there have been no further inspections.[7]

Facilities

The facilities include an AstroTurf sports pitch and numerous sports facilities catering for tennis, cricket, football, rugby and hockey. The sixth form centre has classrooms and a lecture theatre with retractable chairs, also used as a drama studio.

Administrative structure

The school has a Lower School, Upper School and Sixth Form.

The school operates a system of tutor groups, each tutor having approximately 30 students. Tutors rarely teach students from their own group. The main role of groups is to create a stable peer system, with each aiming to tutor the same group throughout their five years. These tutor groups change if students leave to sixth form.

House system

There are five houses, each led by a head of house, named Winterbourne, Compton, Wootton, Berwick and Bassett. They compete in a year-long series of competitions and events, often raising money for charities.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Royal Wootton Bassett Academy". Ascend Learning Trust. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "History". Royal Wootton Bassett Academy. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  3. ↑ "The Modern School, Wootton Bassett". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Wootton Bassett School, Wootton Bassett". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "PFI school schemes do work". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 17 January 2003. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Noremarsh Junior School". Ascend Learning Trust. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "Reports: Royal Wootton Bassett Academy". Ofsted. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "House System". Royal Wootton Bassett Academy. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.