Witchford Village College

About the college

Witchford Village College is situated on the edge of the village of Witchford, close to the city of Ely.

The College is set in extensive grounds. The site provides facilities for a wide range of activity and as the school has a specialism in sport, many of them are sporting.Incorrect teaching rooms, a large Library/Resource Centre, an Assembly Hall with Dining annex, six Science Laboratories, a Sports Halls and Gymnasium and specialist rooms for Drama, Music, Home Economics and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In quite recent years over £3 million has been spent on building extensions at the College because of growth in student numbers. New areas include a Design and Technology area, Art and Design rooms, a Ceramics studio, a display exhibition gallery and new ICT suites.

Continued growth in demand for student places at the College has meant that an additional English teaching block containing six classrooms, new Special Needs Accommodation, an additional Laboratory and a new Art and Design room were opened as we approached the millennium.

In September 2004 a fitness studio was opened. A major development in September 2006 was the complete upgrading of four ICT suites and the installation of Interactive Whiteboards in over 25 classrooms.

In 2011, the school became an academy.

Plans for Summer 2014 include the refurbishment of the Food Technology classrooms and brand new tennis courts.

Catchment area

Witchford College serves students living predominantly in East Cambridgeshire. The catchment area of the school includes:

Ofsted

In February 2015 Ofsted rated the college as 'Requires Improvement' in all categories; achievement of pupils, quality of teaching, behaviour and safety of pupils, leadership and management. This was a reduction in the college's performance from the previous assessment of 2012 which had rated the college as 'Good' in all categories. Current Ofsted report available at http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/files/2458185/urn/137457.pdf. The college's results for the proportion of students achieving five GCSEs grade A* to C including English and mathematics (a key government target had also fallen to 37% in 2014, significantly below the national average. This placed the school in the bottom 20% of a comparison with similar schools (see Ofsted School Data Dashboard available at http://dashboard.ofsted.gov.uk/dash.php?urn=137547).

Student Executive

At Witchford we promote the role of the 'student voice' in issues of College management. The Student Executive consists of young adults, drawn form the Year 11 Prefect Body. they apply to join the Executive by letter, offering two referees. Formal Panel interviews take place and appointment are made. Student Executive members have their own office, budget and wear professional dress to the College. They are influential n the management of the College, representing students' concerns. The current head boy is Keelan Broadbridge, the schools first openly gay head boy. Within his first week of being head boy he made drastic changes to the school including a reward system called 'meme rewards'. Similar to merits students can take 'meme rewards' and buy stationary and other useful things for in the school.

Sports specialism

before becoming an academy Witchford was a specialist Sports College, and continues to have sports as a specialism today. The focus of the sports specialism is to raise standards and achievement both in PE and across the whole college. Leadership is a key area of this work, and all students have the opportunity to complete a leadership qualification in KS4. Every year approximately 90 students complete the Sports Leader Level 1 qualification, with aroudn 50 completing a second leadership qualification, either the netball or football young organisers course. These students developo their skills through organising the running a variety of festivals at the college for the primary feeder schools. These festivals not only support the development of leadership skills but provide the opportunity for primary pupils to become familiar with the college, experience a range of physical activities in both co-operative and competitive situations and meet students from other local schools.

Extra curricular activities

Extra curricular activities are very important to the school with sport as a focus. Not only do they provide students with the opportunity to further developo their skills and knowledge but also allow them to access different activities which are outside of the Ccllege curriculum. Extra curricular activities happen across the whole college and this work is supported by the sports specialism which helps fund the late buses which transport students home. Some of the extra curricular activities are targeted at specific students and this work relates to targets set in the sports specialism plan focused on improving student achievement in PE at the end of KS3.

Student support services (S3)

S3 provides a relaxed quite atmosphere where students can talk through any problems they are facing, careers guidance and the school nurse can also be accessed in this facility.

Personal Social Health Education (PSHE)

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is a planned programme of learning opportunities and experiences that help children and young people grow and develop as individuals and as members of families. PSHE education promotes academic development, as well as health and wellbeing. It provides the knowledge, skills and attributes students need to lead healthy, safe, responsible and fulfilled lives. Students learn about he business world and other careers, how to manage money and budget.

Community education

Community Education at Witchford Village College offer courses from Book-Keeping and Florsitry, to Jewellery Making and Digital Photography.

Partner schools

Witchford Village College has two partner schools, with which student exchange trips can take place. The schools are as follows: