The Corsham School

The Corsham School (formerly The Corsham School, A Visual Arts College), is a large secondary school, with a sixth form, in Corsham, Wiltshire, England. The school has academy status, and in January 2015 had 1,307 pupils.[1]

The Corsham School
Address
The Tynings

Corsham
,
Wiltshire
,
SN13 9DF

England
Coordinates51°25′49″N 2°11′29″W
Information
TypeAcademy
MottoI Can Inspire
Department for Education URN136611 Tables
OfstedReports
Chair of GovernorsMike Large
HeadteacherRod Bell
Staff120
GenderCoeducational
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1,257
HousesBurlington, Freestone, Hazelbury, Stockwell
Colour(s)Navy and white         
Websitewww.corsham.wilts.sch.uk

Catchment

Students attend from the market town of Corsham and nearby villages such as Colerne, Neston, Box, Lacock, Shaw and Batheaston; and from more distant places such as the towns of Chippenham and Melksham and the city of Bath.

Layout

The school is split into five blocks. It has three playgrounds and one big field.

  • S block or the Science Block – a three-floored building in which Science and Computing are taught. Also contains the main hall, the school canteen, one of the schools' two gyms, changing rooms and several offices.
  • T Block or the Technology Block – where Art, Food Technology, some Design Technology and Photography are taught.
  • R Block or the Richards Block – named after Clive Richards, who taught at the school for a significant number of years. It is the newest building in the school, built in 2003, and is used for English, Maths and Geography.
  • L Block or the Library Block – contains the main library, the staff and reprographics rooms as well as Main Reception and the offices of the senior staff.
  • H Block or the Humanities Block – the largest building in the school in which History, Religious Studies / People and Community Studies, Modern Foreign Languages, Drama and Music are taught, among others. H Block contains the second, more commonly used gym, changing rooms and a dance studio, usually used for the dance aspect of PE. It also contains two drama studios and two fully equipped Music Rooms.

A new building, which will house a new sixth form centre and SEND (special educational needs and disability) centre, began construction in February 2019, and was completed in September 2019.

Academic standards

The Corsham School was described as "exceptional" in increasing the number of pupils attaining top level GCSE grades by Bob Wolfson, Wiltshire's education director, in January 2004. More than two-thirds of Corsham's pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades at GCSE in 2003, a big improvement from just over half the students in 2002.[2]School Standards Minister, David Miliband, announced that he was keen to see the strategy spread to most schools in the country.[3]

In 2009, the school received an 'outstanding' Ofsted report. In December 2012, the school achieved a rating of 'good'. In 2017 it got downgraded again to "Requires Improvement" Ofsted report. In September 2019, as one of the very first schools to be inspected under the revised inspection regime, it was once more rated as 'Good'.

History

The Corsham School opened as a comprehensive school in 1972,[4] replacing Corsham Secondary Modern School which had opened in 1955.[5]

The school specialised as a Visual Arts College until the closure of the Specialist schools programme in 2011.[6]

Student Leaders

The Corsham School is noted for its alternative approach to student leadership. After removing the traditional student council system in 2014, a new system was introduced whereby there are Student Leaders appointed from the sixth form.[7] There are different Student Leader departments (currently: Events, Broadcasting, Publishing, Innovation, Charity & Fundraising) in addition to an Internal and an External Director. In the academic year 2015/6, under the premierships of Oscar Wilson and Ben Hayday, there were over 200 Student Leaders aged 12 to 18. The current Directors of the Student Leaders are Martha Benedict and Elena Bateman.[8]

Some of The Corsham School's Student Leaders' work has included:

  • Organising a trip to the Palace of Westminster and a Q&A session with Michelle Donelan MP.[9][10]
  • Supporting Corsham Churches Food Bank with food collections, design competitions and volunteering events.[11]
  • Championing students' issues with headteachers, governors, councillors, and Members of Parliament.

Notable past pupils
gollark: Well, I came up with a quick hacky fix so we'll be ready to launch soon.
gollark: Oh right, the VFS thing.
gollark: What *is* heavlisp? Should I be worried?
gollark: Why does potatOS have a half-finished heavlisp integration?
gollark: Oh, there we go, remembered it.

References
  1. "Edubase record for The Corsham School". Department for Education. January 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  2. "The unsung schools set a high standard", Western Daily Press, 15 January 2004
  3. "Education is about getting the right mix", Western Daily Press, 23 January 2004
  4. "The Corsham School". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  5. "Corsham Secondary Modern School". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  6. "Edubase record for The Corsham School – A Visual Arts College". Department for Education. January 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  7. "6th Form Leaders". The Corsham School. The Corsham School. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  8. "Meet the new Student Leaders". Our Community Matters. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  9. "Michelle Donelan MP's visit to The Corsham School". The Corsham School. The Corsham School. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  10. Donelan, Michelle. "Enjoyed my recent visit to Corsham School". Michelle Donelan. Michelle Donelan. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  11. Mills, Richard (24 May 2016). "Corsham School donates hundreds of food parcels to local foodbank". Gazette & Herald. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
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