Priory School, Isle of Wight

Priory School is a co-educational Independent School in Whippingham, Isle of Wight.

Priory School of Our Lady of Walsingham
Address
Beatrice Avenue

Whippingham
,
Isle of Wight
,
PO32 6LP

England
Coordinates50.7387°N 1.2699°W / 50.7387; -1.2699
Information
TypeIndependent
Mottosemper fidelis
Religious affiliation(s)Christian
Established1993
Local authorityIsle of Wight Council
Department for Education URN118225 Tables
OfstedReports
PrincipalMr E Matyjaszek
Staff38
GenderMixed
Age4 to 18
Enrolment73 boys and 82 girls (February 2019)
Websiteprioryschool.org.uk

History

The school was founded by Elizabeth Joan Goldthorpe in 1993 out of the closure of Upper Chine School with 14 primary aged pupils based in Shanklin. During her ownership, the position of headteacher was taken over by her daughter, Katherine, and the school expanded up to GCSE level. In 2009, the school was sold to parent Edmund Matyjaszek,[1] who introduced improvements as noted by Ofsted in 2010[2] and expanded the school to A Levels in 2010.[3]

The school received a Good Schools Guide Award for boys at an English Independent School taking Biology GCSE in 2010.[4] In 2015 it received a further Good Schools Guide Award for teaching Additional Science at GCSE to boys.

In April 2012, a teacher was suspended and investigated in reference to alterations to exam scripts without pupil knowledge. Further to a ban on dealing with exams and invigilating, the teacher returned in a teaching position in September.[5][6]

It achieved 100% pass rates at GCSE & A Level in 2016 & 2017. In the Department of Education League Tables, published in February 2018, Priory School was ranked best on the Isle of Wight for A Levels, best on the Isle of Wight for GCSE English & Maths, and ranked 21st out of 4417 Secondary Schools in England for A Levels. The 2012 pass rates for the school were 100% 5+ A*-C for Year 11 with 81% A*-B and 100% A*-C for 11 subjects, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Religious Studies, ICT and Art.[7] For A Level, the school had 94% pass rate with 69% A* to C and 50% A* to A.[8]

The school was rated as good with outstanding features in its latest Ofsted inspection in May 2018.[9] The Principal praised the positive report from Ofsted and commented he believed that Queen Victoria would be pleased with the school being at Whippingham, where she herself had founded a school in 1864. HRH Princess Beatrice of York visited the school on 16 June 2014 to unveil a plaque to commemorate 150 years of continuous education on the Whippingham site.[10]

In September 2017, to reflect the Christian ethos, the school name was extended to Priory School of Our Lady of Walsingham with approval of the Bishop of Portsmouth, Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and Custodian of the Basilica at Walsingham.[11]

Location

Originally located in the Broadway, Sandown, the school moved to temporary accommodation at Landguard Manor, Shanklin before relocating to Alverstone Manor, also in Shanklin, in 2005. After an initial rejection to this new location, temporary planning permission for 2 years was given to the school in 2005, with the time limit subsequently removed in 2007.[12]

Having sought a new building since coming under new ownership,[13][3] the school purchased and moved into the former Whippingham Primary School, built by Queen Victoria in 1864 to the design of Prince Albert, in February 2012.[14]

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References
  1. Pearce, Emily (12 March 2009), New owner for rescued school, Isle of Wight County Press, retrieved 19 May 2012
  2. Messaoudi, Michèle (May 2010), Independent school progress report (PDF), Ofsted, archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2012, retrieved 19 May 2012
  3. Pearce, Emily (20 February 2010), Private school set to move, Isle of Wight County Press, retrieved 19 May 2012
  4. Priory School The Good Schools Guide, The Good Schools Guide, retrieved 19 May 2012
  5. Pearce, Emily. "Teacher banned from exam work". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  6. "Priory School Newsletter" (PDF). 7 September 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  7. GCSE Results 2012 (PDF), 23 August 2012, retrieved 5 September 2012
  8. "Isle of Wight A-level results released". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  9. Child, Sue (May 2018), Independent school progress report (PDF), Ofsted
  10. Wright, Richard (4 January 2013). "School meeting its aims say inspectors". Isle of Wight County Press.
  11. "Isle of Wight Catholic History Society". iow-chs.org. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  12. Neville, Martin (24 April 2007), School eviction threat lifted, Isle of Wight County Press, retrieved 19 May 2012
  13. White, Jamie (14 July 2011), Village school set for new life as private school, Isle of Wight County Press, retrieved 19 May 2012
  14. White, Jamie (2 March 2012), Big move across the Island is a ringing success, Isle of Wight County Press, retrieved 19 May 2012
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