Writhlington School

Background

Around 70% of year 11 pupils apply to attend sixth form. The school is notable for its orchid project, which has won numerous awards including a gold medal at the 2009 Chelsea Flower Show. The school has also won awards in business with their enterprise companies. It is one of the few state schools to have its own non-compulsory Combined Cadet Force (CCF) with over 150 pupils involved from years 9 to 13.

In March 2017, the school received a "requires improvement" critical status rating from Ofsted. This is currently still in place.

A turf-cutting ceremony was held at the start of a major rebuilding programme funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme. It is designed to increase the capacity of the school to 1,300+ pupils and was due for completion in January 2010. The school moved into the new building in April 2010. The British Council for School Environments, an education charity which pioneers and supports the creation of effective and efficient learning environments, declared the Writhlington School project as Winner of the Excellence in Design for Teaching and Learning: Secondary New Build and Winner of the Badge in Excellence in Design for Virtual Learning.

Notable alumni

• Ashley Barnes, footballer
• Francis Bourgeois, trainspotter and social media personality
• David Hempleman-Adams, explorer{{cite web | access-date = 11 April 2010 }}

Notable teacher

• Andy Robinson, ex Bath and England rugby union flanker, ex England and Scotland head coach, and current director of rugby for Bristol.

References

References

1. "Writhlington School Ofsted Report: 28 February 2007". Writhlington School.
2. "WSBEorchids". WSBEorchids.
3. "Chelsea Flower Show 2009: Continuous Learning Awards".
4. (24 July 2008). "Turf cutting marks start of exciting new era for Writhlington School". Bath and North East Somerset Council.
5. "Writhlington School – Major Milestone for Writhlington School". Bath and North East Somerset Council.
6. (3 July 2012). "Building award wins for Writhlington School". Bath and North East Somerset Council.
7. "From Paulton Rovers to the Premiership – that's the aim for Ashley Ba…".
8. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/andy_robinson_urges_scots_to_take_control_of_their_own_destiny_1_767795 {{Dead link. (February 2022)