Woodham Community Technology College
Encyclopedia
Woodham Community Technology College (usually abbreviated Woodham CTC) previously known as "Woodham Comprehensive School" is a comprehensive school
and former sixth form college
in Newton Aycliffe
, County Durham
, England.
status in 1999. It is one of two secondary schools within Newton Aycliffe, the other being Greenfield School Community and Arts College
.
Woodham CTC has 897 students as of January 2011.
It is situated just south of Woodham Burn, not far (west) from the northern junction of the A167
and the B6443 Central Avenue. Aycliffe School is nearby to the east. Access over Woodham Burn is via the Great Aycliffe Bridge.
Woodham Comprehensive School was built under the CLASP programme (Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme
). It was officially opened on 29 June 1970 by Alice Bacon, Baroness Bacon
, a former Labour MP.
. Neither school has a sixth form. Darlington has the much-revered Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College
.
A recent Ofsted
reporthttp://www.woodham.org.uk/Documents/Ofsted/V8_Woodham_Published_Report_October_2011_378838.pdf states the school
"is a good school that is improving strongly". It also goes on to say that the school's behavioural standards are improving, which is having a large effect on the school's achievement. The school also thrives on a highly positive view from students: one student when asked in an Ofsted interview replied with ‘The people here make this school what it is – friendly relationships,
but teachers are strict when necessary.’
Each inspection reviews the school as rapidly improving. See the difference in reports by viewing them here http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/114304
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
and former sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
in Newton Aycliffe
Newton Aycliffe
Newton Aycliffe is a town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946, it is the oldest new town in the north of England.-Geography:...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England.
Admissions
The school gained technology collegeTechnology 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...
status in 1999. It is one of two secondary schools within Newton Aycliffe, the other being Greenfield School Community and Arts College
Greenfield School Community and Arts College
For schools of a similar name, see Greenfield School.Greenfield School Community and Arts College is a mixed public school on the suburbs of Newton Aycliffe. It was opened in 1974 and it has been visited by Tony Blair a reasonable amount of times. It has been awarded specialist status as an Arts...
.
Woodham CTC has 897 students as of January 2011.
It is situated just south of Woodham Burn, not far (west) from the northern junction of the A167
A167 road
The A167 is a road in North East England. Most of its route was formerly the A1 as most of it is the original route of the Great North Road until the A1 was re-routed with the opening of the A1 in the 1960s....
and the B6443 Central Avenue. Aycliffe School is nearby to the east. Access over Woodham Burn is via the Great Aycliffe Bridge.
Facilities
Notable facilities and equipment include several science laboratories, a swimming pool, a music suite, technology workshops and over 370 networked computers.History
There was a third secondary school in Newton Aycliffe called "The Avenue Comprehensive" - which was demolished in 1992, itself merged from two former secondary schools - "Marlowe Hall Secondary Modern School" and "Milton Hall". It was amalgamated with Woodham.Woodham Comprehensive School was built under the CLASP programme (Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme
Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme
The Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme , was formed in England in 1957 to combine the resources of Local Authorities with the purpose of developing a prefabricated school building programme...
). It was officially opened on 29 June 1970 by Alice Bacon, Baroness Bacon
Alice Bacon, Baroness Bacon
Alice Martha Bacon, Baroness Bacon, CBE was a British Labour Party politician. At the 1945 general election, she was elected as Member of Parliament for Leeds North East...
, a former Labour MP.
Arson
On 4 July 1990 the school was set alight by arsonists. Around a third of the school's teaching area was destroyed and an estimated £1 million of damage was caused. The damaged section of the school was rebuilt and reopened on 12 December 1992.Loss of sixth form
When the sixth form closed there were 22 pursuing A-level courses.Head teachers
| Years | Head teacher |
| 1970–1980 | John Pearson (OBE Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions... ) |
| 1980–1990 | Katherine Carr |
| 1990–1994 | Andrew Bennett |
| 1994–2010 | Steven Harness |
| 2010–Present | Christine Forsyth |
Academic performance
It gets GCSE results slightly below the England average, which is above the results of the Greenfield school, and average for North East EnglandNorth East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. Neither school has a sixth form. Darlington has the much-revered Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College
Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College
Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, or QE, is a sixth form college on Vane Terrace in Darlington, County Durham, England.-History:It was established in 1970 on the site of the old Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, designed by George Gordon Hoskins...
.
A recent Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
reporthttp://www.woodham.org.uk/Documents/Ofsted/V8_Woodham_Published_Report_October_2011_378838.pdf states the school
"is a good school that is improving strongly". It also goes on to say that the school's behavioural standards are improving, which is having a large effect on the school's achievement. The school also thrives on a highly positive view from students: one student when asked in an Ofsted interview replied with ‘The people here make this school what it is – friendly relationships,
but teachers are strict when necessary.’
Each inspection reviews the school as rapidly improving. See the difference in reports by viewing them here http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/114304
Notable alumni
- Mark GatissMark GatissMark Gatiss is an English actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock....
(actor, screenwriter and novelist) - Paul MagrsPaul MagrsPaul Magrs is a writer and lecturer. He was born in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, England, and now lives in Manchester with his partner, author and lecturer Jeremy Hoad.-Early life:...
(writer and lecturer) - Jason Steele (footballer)
- Ross TurnbullRoss TurnbullRoss Turnbull is an English footballer who is currently playing his club football for Chelsea as a goalkeeper in the Barclays Premier League.-Early life:...
(footballer)