Welcome to The Weald School

“This very good school is improving and has considerable strengths”

A Specialist Technology and Sports College

We are an 11-18 mixed comprehensive school with around 1,530 students. This includes a thriving Sixth Form of just over 300 students. It is our students who are at the heart of all that we do. The Weald is a warm friendly and vibrant school at the centre of the community with a wonderful family feel where each student is known and cared for. In the last 10 years, over 40 staff have sent their own children to the school. Pupils are extremely well behaved and have a very positive attitude and enjoy coming to school. There are excellent relationships between staff and students. We believe that all our students have the potential for excellence. We work towards this by having high expectations of students and staff, by continually raising aspirations and by promoting our students’ self belief alongside strong moral values. We are looking for colleagues who want to share in this vision.

The school has done well in recent years and has achieved record results. In July 2009 83% of our students gained 5 or more A*-C at GCSE, with 64% achieving 5 or more A*-C including English and Maths. Our CVA KS2-4 was 1016. In our March 2009 inspection the school was described as a “a very good school”. We aim to become an outstanding school by the time of our next inspection. Central to our belief is the support of students of all abilities. We are keen that every student makes the progress they are capable of, irrespective of ability. The school is a high performing specialist school. Its first specialism is Technology with Sports as the second. We use these as vehicles to develop creativity, innovation, leadership and teamwork with students.

Our curriculum is broad and balanced and offers many exciting opportunities for all students both in school and out. We have just embarked on a three year Key Stage 4 curriculum which presents real opportunities for creativity and varied approaches to learning. There is a real vocational element in our curriculum offer and we offer BTECs in a number of subjects alongside traditional GCSEs. There are tremendous extra curricular opportunities at The Weald through sport, performing arts, Radio Weald, ongoing links with our link schools in Africa, Duke of Edinburgh as well as a number of other trips. In short, we believe there is something for everyone at the school.

We believe achievement is not just about qualifications. Personal development is key to what we do. Ofsted recognised the contribution made by the school to pupils’ development as outstanding and noted that students enter into all aspects of school life extremely enthusiastically. We provide a large range of opportunities to promote social and moral development. We have a very active school council and strong student voice within the school. We also have a close and effective partnership with our parents and carers. We listen to their views and use them to inform the work of the school. Attendance at school events is high and an effective Governing Body has a full representation of parents.

I genuinely feel it is an honour and privilege for me to be able to lead and develop further the education of the children at The Weald. It is a fantastic place to work. The school is entering an exciting period of development. We welcome applications from colleagues at all stages in their career. We place a high priority on staff development and have a strong and very successful INSET and induction programme.

We invite you to visit us so that you can see the school at work and see for yourself the opportunities open to you at The Weald. I look forward to hearing from you.

Peter Woodman, Headteacher