Dene Magna School

School history

The school was established in 1930 as Abenhall County Secondary School. It became a secondary modern school following the Education Act 1944, and was then known as Abenhall Secondary Modern School. It later became Abenhall Comprehensive School, and was renamed Dene Magna Comprehensive School in 1985.

The school became a Technology College in 1999.

In 2011 the school adopted academy status, allowing governors and school management to take control of financial oversight of the school.

The school's sixth form was established in 2019 and is based at Gloucestershire College. Another school, John Kyrle High School in Herefordshire, had requested judicial review of the decision which the Regional School Commissioner had made about the new sixth form, but lost the case and was ordered to pay £55,000 to Dene Magna School.

School performance

The school has a history of working to improve teaching. In 1993 it set up the Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education Partnership with Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education. In 2002 the school was reported as "held in extremely high regard" and as a "leading edge school". In 2005 the school was noted to have observation rooms where teachers could be observed. In 2006 it had a "reflective practitioner programme" which contributed to a "powerful learning environment".

In 2008 and again in 2012 the school was judged Outstanding by Ofsted; as of 2022 the 2012 inspection is the most recent. This is despite a catchment area described as "not ... an advantaged area".

Health and environmental campaigns

In 2000, the school was awarded a certificate by the United Nations for its contribution to environmental education, when a seven-month campaign to reduce the school's waste resulted in a 59% reduction in the volume of rubbish produced. The staff intended to change the menus for the food offered by the school to make the students' diets healthier, responding to the area's status as being the area with the highest incidence of heart disease in the country. The school was quoted as a case study in the White paper on public health.

School links

The school has links with other schools in Kenya, Spain, Qatar and Japan. It achieved the International School Award in 1999.

Notable former pupils

• Natasha Hunt, rugby union player

References

References

1. "Dene Magna School". Gov.UK.
2. "Government News Network OFSTED launches 'Honours List' of England's most successful schools and colleges.".
3. (2012). "Dene Magna School". Ofsted.
4. (1996). "A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5, Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, the Forest of Dean". Victoria County Histories.
5. "ABENHALL COUNTY SECONDARY SCHOOL later DENE MAGNA COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL".
6. (2002). "Tweak to Transform: Improving teaching: a practical handbook for school leaders". A & C Black.
7. (2012). "Academy conversion and predecessor schools". Ofsted.
8. (7 May 2021). "Exciting futures ahead for sixth formers at Dene Magna". Gloucestershire Live.
9. (19 November 2020). "Herefordshire school's £187,000 bill for battle with rival". Hereford Times.
10. (1993). "Parliamentary Debates: Standing committees". Houses of Parliament.
11. (2005). "Helping Teachers Develop". SAGE.
12. (2006). "Spirals of change: educational change as a driving force for school improvement". Lannoo Uitgeverij.
13. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/getfresh/2003/11/green_schools_dene.shtml 'How Dene Magna turned greener'. BBC news online, 30 December 2003]
14. "'Goodbye Mr Chip'. TeacherNet case study".
15. (2005). "The Government's Public Health White Paper (Cm 6374): Written Evidence". House of Commons Health Committee.
16. (1996). "INSPECTION REPORT: DENE MAGNA SCHOOL". Ofsted.
17. "Funding for Links with Japan (UK)".
18. "IAIN BAIRD". Global Learning Association.
19. (20 December 2018). "Gloucester-born Natasha Hunt is one of three players to be awarded England Women XV contracts". Gloucestershire Live.