Misbourne School
Encyclopedia
The Misbourne School is a co-educational secondary school in Great Missenden
, Buckinghamshire
. It is a community school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 1,225 pupils.
in the country. The first pupils started at the school on 19 December 1955, although it did not officially open until 20 January 1956. Originally there were only twenty-five students.
The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005/6. The celebrations culminated in a Jubilee
summer fête
in June 2006 which was attended by Cherie Blair
.
In 2006 it was reported that the Misbourne School was heavily in debt. The school bursar said she hoped the debt would be cleared within a year.
The Misbourne School was the friendliest school in Britain in 2005, according to a report from Friends Reunited
.
Following the allegations, both the head and deputy head left the school. John Robinson was appointed the new headteacher.
. The dogs show off their skills in assembly and again informally on the playground. As part of the programme the dogs randomly screen a small number of students.
suite.
Despite the September 2010 Ofsted report labelling the school inadequate, the sixth from was found to reflect "a more positive picture and its effectiveness is satisfactory overall."
rooms with computers for student use. In addition, there is a printing room where photographs can be processed and produced. Students also have access to computer aided design software (CAD).
The school canteen functions as a cafe
, operated by a third party company. The school also has tennis courts and large playing fields.
The school's Performing Arts block was opened in 2004, in memory of former headmaster David Selman. It provies small practise rooms for private music lessons and student use. The classrooms are all equipped with Casio
keyboards. There is a dance studio and a recording studio equipped with music editing software.
statuses in both Arts
and Technology
.
In its first follow-up report of March 2011, Ofsted reported that progress at the school was inadequate. Three months later, John Robinson resigned as headteacher for personal reasons. He was succeeded by Robert Preston.
In its second follow-up report of July 2011, Ofsted reported that the school was making satisfactory progress towards coming out of special measures. Weeks later, it was confirmed that the year's GCSE and A level results were the best in the school's history.
Great Missenden
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden and Prestwood. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. It is a community school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 1,225 pupils.
History
The Misbourne was the first purpose-built secondary modern schoolSecondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
in the country. The first pupils started at the school on 19 December 1955, although it did not officially open until 20 January 1956. Originally there were only twenty-five students.
The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005/6. The celebrations culminated in a Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
summer fête
Fête
Fête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.-Description:It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
in June 2006 which was attended by Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...
.
In 2006 it was reported that the Misbourne School was heavily in debt. The school bursar said she hoped the debt would be cleared within a year.
The Misbourne School was the friendliest school in Britain in 2005, according to a report from Friends Reunited
Friends Reunited
Friends Reunited is a portfolio of social networking websites based upon the themes of reunion with research , and job-hunting...
.
Senior leadership scandal
In July 2009 it was reported that 17 members of staff had compiled an anonymous dossier with serious allegations surrounding the head Jon Howard-Drake's relationship with the deputy head Bea Bates. The allegations included claims that both individuals had an authoritarian management style, sometimes berating staff in front of students and using foul language. In addition, it was claimed that staff were refused permission to attend medical appointments and funerals; both individuals had used the school training budget for trips abroad and had taken time off work to make holiday plans; the head had refused to close the school when there was a rat infestation and staff were told not to speak to Ofsted inspectors. The controversy attracted national press attention.Following the allegations, both the head and deputy head left the school. John Robinson was appointed the new headteacher.
Sniffer dogs
As part of an ongoing drugs awareness and education programme, the Misbourne is visited by sniffer dogs from Thames Valley PoliceThames Valley Police
Thames Valley Police, formerly known as Thames Valley Constabulary, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the Thames Valley area covered by the ceremonial counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire....
. The dogs show off their skills in assembly and again informally on the playground. As part of the programme the dogs randomly screen a small number of students.
Sixth Form
The Misbourne has a large sixth form of around 200 students. The Misbourne offers A-Levels as well as BTECs. Sixth formers have access to their own private study area and ICTInformation and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
suite.
Despite the September 2010 Ofsted report labelling the school inadequate, the sixth from was found to reflect "a more positive picture and its effectiveness is satisfactory overall."
Facilities
Partly as a result of the school's specialist statuses in Arts and Technology, the school has several ICTInformation and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
rooms with computers for student use. In addition, there is a printing room where photographs can be processed and produced. Students also have access to computer aided design software (CAD).
The school canteen functions as a cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, operated by a third party company. The school also has tennis courts and large playing fields.
The school's Performing Arts block was opened in 2004, in memory of former headmaster David Selman. It provies small practise rooms for private music lessons and student use. The classrooms are all equipped with Casio
Casio
is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its electronic products, such as calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
keyboards. There is a dance studio and a recording studio equipped with music editing software.
Specialist Status
In September 2006 the Misbourne was awarded specialist schoolSpecialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
statuses in both Arts
Arts College
Arts Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, the performing, visual and/or media arts...
and Technology
Technology College
Technology College is a term used in the United Kingdom for a secondary specialist school that focuses on design and technology, mathematics and science. These were the first type of specialist schools, beginning in 1994. In 2008 there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also...
.
Academic Performance
The Misbourne has a strong local reputation for academic achievement. In 2010, the school's records were broken, with 71% of pupils achieved 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE. In 2011, records were again broken as 72% of pupils achieved 5 A*-C grades at GCSE, placing the school in the top four upper schools in Buckinghamshire. In the sixth form, 98% of A level exams were passed, with just under half falling in the A*-B range.Special Measures
Despite 2010's record-breaking exam results, the Misbourne was placed in special measures by Ofsted after an inspection in September 2010 found that the school was "failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education". The report criticised the leadership of the school, saying it was "not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement". The school was rated inadequate in several areas, including for its overall effectiveness, capacity for sustained improvement and the use of assessment to support learning. Following the report, the school replaced the Board of Governors with an Interim Executive Board.In its first follow-up report of March 2011, Ofsted reported that progress at the school was inadequate. Three months later, John Robinson resigned as headteacher for personal reasons. He was succeeded by Robert Preston.
In its second follow-up report of July 2011, Ofsted reported that the school was making satisfactory progress towards coming out of special measures. Weeks later, it was confirmed that the year's GCSE and A level results were the best in the school's history.
Notable alumni
- James CordenJames CordenJames Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....
, actor - Jennifer HighamJennifer HighamJennifer Higham is a British actress who has played numerous roles in theatre, television and film.Higham attended Misbourne School in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire...
, actor - Alex KewAlex KewAlex Kew is an actor, musician and singer-songwriter from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.-TV & Film:He is best known for playing Josh Barker in the children's sitcom My Parents Are Aliens. He has also played a variety of other parts, most notably Declan in the final series of 2point4 children...
, actor - Alice ConnorAlice ConnorAlice Rose Connor is a British actress, born in Buckinghamshire, England. She is best known for her roles in the television adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's novel The Illustrated Mum, in the children's television series The New Worst Witch , and in the film The Thief Lord as Hornet...
, actor