About Us

Sidney Stringer School is a well-established city centre school, which has long enjoyed popularity for its commitment to meeting the needs of a very diverse population of all students. Our aim is to raise the expectations and achievements of every student whatever their needs, talents, strengths or weaknesses, by providing high quality inclusive education in every curriculum area. The school has grown rapidly in recent years and is now oversubscribed in two year groups and near capacity in others: the roll currently stands at 1218 with 170 in the sixth form. Diversity is a real strength of the school, with respect at the heart of our values: to be expected of and owed to everyone in our community.

The school’s specialist subjects

The school has been a Specialist School for Mathematics and Computing since 2004.Contextual value added scores show the school as having one of the highest value added scores at Key Stage 3 and 4 of any secondary maintained school in Coventry and Warwickshire. In Mathematics, the school has been in the top 0% or 1% over the last three years. Investment in ICT has been high over recent years. Over 300 new computers have been installed in the new buildings.  There are now ten ICT suites which are shared between ICT and Business with a substantial number of computers, as well as six laptop trolleys in key curriculum areas.  All ICT classrooms and other subject faculties have interactive whiteboards. Do check our website for the latest developments.

Achievement

Student achievement at Sidney Stringer is high, particularly in reference to their starting points. Value added at each key stage is well over the national norm. Results at Key Stages 3 and 4 in 2008 were the best the school has ever had and every student in the sixth form who applied was successful in gaining their place at university.

Ofsted

The 2006 Ofsted inspection gave the school an overall grade of good, and noted a high capacity for further improvement. Standards in the sixth form, progress in mathematics and racial harmony were described as outstanding. (Link to Ofsted report here). An Ofsted visit in October 2008 looked at Creative Learning, in which the school was judged to be outstanding (link to the letter following the visit here).

A small setback!

A serious fire in September 2007 destroyed 40% of specialist facilities. But by February 2008 the school offered a full timetable for all year groups in the existing school and in high quality new accommodation. The response from the local community has been remarkable: support for the school was overwhelming and the school continued to admit new students throughout the period of disruption. Admissions for September 2008 stand at their highest for ten years. In December 2007 Coventry City Council Awarded a special prize to the school for outstanding commitment.

Sidney Stringer Academy

Coventry Local Authority has decided that Sidney Stringer should become an Academy, opening in existing buildings in September 2010 and in new buildings the following year. The City Council is itself a major sponsor, together with the City (FE) College. The other two sponsors are Coventry University and Jaguar Cars. This unusual arrangement pays tribute to the school’s excellent record in providing for the education of local children, and is part of city plans for the regeneration of the city area of Hillfields – the Swanswell Regeneration Initiative. The formal consultation exercise undertaken in February 2008 revealed remarkable support for the school from the local community, with over 80% of respondents demanding that the name of the school remain the same: the sponsors agreed! The specialisms of the new school will be Mathematics, Design and Technology.