Established 1993 Religion Christian DfE URN 118225 Tables Motto semper fidelis | Type Independent Principal Mr E Matyjaszek Phone +44 1983 861222 Founded 1993 Staff 42 | |
Location Beatrice Avenue
Whippingham
Isle of Wight
PO32 6LP
England Address Beatrice Ave, Whippingham PO32 6LP, UK Similar Ryde School with Upper Ch, Christ the King College, Medina College, Queensg Foundation Primary, Ryde Academy Profiles | ||
Priory School is a co-educational independent school in Whippingham, Isle of Wight.
Contents
History
The school was founded by Elizabeth Joan Goldthorpe in 1993 out of the closure of Upper Chine School with 14 primary aged pupils based in Shanklin. During her ownership, the position of headteacher was taken over by her daughter, Katherine, and the school expanded up to GCSE level. In 2009, the school was sold to parent Edmund Matyjaszek, who introduced improvements as noted by Ofsted in 2010 and expanded the school to A Levels in 2010.
The school received a Good Schools Guide Award for boys at an English Independent School taking Biology GCSE in 2010.
In April 2012, a teacher was suspended and investigated in reference to alterations to exam scripts without pupil knowledge. Further to a ban on dealing with exams and invigilating, the teacher returned in a teaching position in September.
The 2012 pass rates for the school were 100% 5+ A*-C for Year 11 with 81% A*-B and 100% A*-C for 11 subjects, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Religious Studies, ICT and Art. For A Level, the school had 94% pass rate with 69% A* to C and 50% A* to A.
The school was rated as good in an Ofsted inspection in December 2012, with the quality of education praised. The Principal praised the positive report from Ofsted and commented he believed that Queen Victoria would be pleased with the school being at Whippingham, where she herself had founded a school in 1864. HRH Princess Beatrice of York visited the school on 16 June 2014 to unveil a plaque to commemorate 150 years of contunuous education on the Whippingham site.
Location
Originally located in the Broadway, Sandown, the school moved to temporary accommodation at Landguard Manor, Shanklin before relocating to Alverstone Manor, also in Shanklin, in 2005. After an initial rejection to this new location, temporary planning permission for 2 years was given to the school in 2005, with the time limit subsequently removed in 2007.
Having sought a new building since coming under new ownership, the school purchased and moved into the former Whippingham Primary School in February 2012.