Thatcham
Berkshire
RG19 4LL
EnglandKennet Chronicle (2002-2004)
101st at A-level
| Kennet Comprehensive School | |
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| Motto | Excellence through endeavour |
| Established | 1957 |
| Type | Comprehensive community school |
| Headmaster | Paul Gerard Dick OBE JP |
| Specialisms | Technology College, Language College and Arts College |
| Location | Stoney Lane Thatcham Berkshire RG19 4LL England |
| LEA | West Berkshire |
| Ofsted number | 110055 |
| Staff | 121 |
| Students | 2,000 total |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Ages | 11 to 18 |
| Houses | 4 |
| School colours | Navy blue and gold |
| Publication | Kennet News (1975-1990) Kennet Chronicle (2002-2004) |
| GCSE test score | 388.4 points/student[1] |
| National ranking | 303rd at GCSE 101st at A-level |
| Website | Official website |
| Coordinates: | |
Kennet Comprehensive School is a secondary school in Thatcham, Berkshire, England. It is a comprehensive community school[2] run by the West Berkshire Education Authority and in 2006 was the highest achieving comprehensive school in West Berkshire using contextual value-added results.[3] In the same year it was also rated as one of the highest achieving schools in England, ranking as the 101st best comprehensive in the Guardian's league table, based on A-level results[4] and 303rd based on GCSE results.[5]
Kennet is also one of very few schools in England to have three specialisms, Technology College,[6] Arts College,[7] and most recently Language College.[8][9][10]
The school opened on 11 September 1957 as a secondary modern, which then converted into a comprehensive in 1971.[11] The school has 1,720 pupils on roll in years 7 to 11, 280 pupils attending sixth form (years 12 and 13) with 121 teachers and 78 non-teaching staff. The headmaster is Paul Gerard Dick OBE[12] JP[13] and the school has a student council.
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In the 1950s secondary education in Thatcham was provided by the Council School. However, with the raising of the school leaving age to 15 in 1947 and an increasing demand for secondary education the existing accommodation was proving inadequate, with 545 children in a school built for just 350 pupils. Accordingly the then Berkshire County Council approved the construction of a new secondary school in the village, and construction started in July 1956.[14] The new Kennet School was built at a cost of GB£148,000.[15] There was criticism at the time that the school was equipped 'far too extravagantly' and that it would have been better to spread the money more evenly across the district.[15] Nevertheless the new school opened its doors on 11 September 1957 with a staff of 30 teachers and accommodation for 430 pupils.[15][11] Over 600 pupils turned up on the first day, with children travelling from over 20 villages in West Berkshire.[15][11] By the end of the second year there were 720 pupils on the roll, and there were more than 800 children at the school in the third year.[15] Temporary accommodation was found while new classrooms were being built. The old Council School was subsequently converted to a primary school and was renamed as Francis Baily School in 1964.[14]
Kennet was planned as a secondary modern school, and catered for children from 11 to 15 years of age. The children were streamed, with the lower streams being offered a more practical curriculum. Courses were offered in subjects such as nursing, domestic science, furniture-making, canoe-building, metalwork, arts and crafts, and secretarial skills.[15]
The school swimming pool opened in July 1959. Members of the school's Parent-Teacher Association helped with the funding and provided volunteer labour to keep within the budget of £500.[15]
In 1971 the school became fully comprehensive[15][11] and in December 1972, Kennet welcomed Prince Philip who arrived by helicopter to visit the school and to inspect the work of children involved in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme.[15][11] In November 1974, after support from the Parent-Teacher Association and Thatcham Town Council, the school was granted permission to open a sixth form.
As part of an expansion of the school to cater for more students, a Science block was constructed that opened in 1974. Also in 1974, the humanities/English block was opened..
In 1981 the Physically Disabled Resource opened at a cost of £100,000, it catered for 20 pupils and was the first specialised unit in the county. In May 1981 the school hosted the first Kennet Games, a sports day for physically handicapped children. The event continues annually.
In November 1983 the sports hall was named the Hurford Hall in honour of George Hurford, an ex-headmaster of the school. In 1988 the Kennet Leisure Centre opened to the public[16]
In April 1994 a Berkshire County Council report into the school reported that some school buildings were in poor condition. Plans for the Risman Library complex were submitted to Thatcham Town Council in March 1995 and in November the school buried a time capsule behind the leisure centre. During 1996 an expanded Kennet Leisure Centre, complete with an indoor heated swimming pool, opened to replace the ageing open air pool. In September 1997, the new Risman Library/history block opened to students.
In September 2000 the school was given Technology College status. In February 2002 a new technology block was built on the north of the site to replace dispersed classrooms. In March 2005 the school received Arts College status[9] and in September 2005 the science block was extended to allow for a larger preparation room. In January 2006 the school received Language College status and between June and September 2006 the Resources department was extended and the main entrance refurbished to include automatic doors, better disabled access and a lobby area. A drama and sixth form study block opened in 2007.
Kennet was awarded the Artsmark Gold by the Arts Council England in 2001[17], 2004[18] and 2007.[19] It was also awarded the Sportsmark by Sport England in 2001.[20] The school was also awarded the Challenge Award by National Association for Able Children in Education on 22 November 2006 as recognition for its efforts to support Able, Gifted and Talented students.[21] Kennet was only the 16th school in the country to receive the award at the time.[11]
The headmaster, Paul Gerard Dick, was awarded an OBE for Services to Education in the 2000 New Year's Honours List.[22] Paul Dick was also the Category Winner in 2001 in The Leadership Trust Award for School Leadership in a Secondary School in South of England.[23][24]
Members of staff receiving teaching awards:
In 2006, student Joseph Briggs finished in the top 40 in the country for the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust's Intermediate Mathematical Challenge out of 200,000 other entrants.[29]
In 2007, three students, Georgia Marriott, Emily Herbert and Emma Skeavington received an award from Chief Superintendent Richard Bennett for their work on Operation Fizzy. This involved them trying to buy alcoholic beverages from a number of retailers including pubs and supermarkets. The operation led to a number of successful prosecutions against retailers for selling to under-age drinkers.[30]
There is a sixth form at Kennet for students who wish to continue their education after the age of 16. The students have their own block that was constructed for the start of the 2007 academic year, which consists of a common area, where the sixth formers can socialise, a computer suite and the sixth form offices. There is also a section of the library provided for sixth form use only. There is no set uniform; instead a dress code is set. Boys must wear a shirt and tie, and girls must dress in smart office wear.[31] The European Computer Driving Licence qualification can be studied with any sixth form course. Some sixth formers are appointed house captains after an application and selection process by the heads of houses. The captains organise teams for inter-house sports, music, drama and art competitions.
When students join the school they become a member of a house. The house system provides a structure for pastoral care, with the Head of each house responsible for the students in that house. The house system is an integral part of extracurricular activities in the school. The houses compete against each other in sports, athletics, music, drama and outstanding academic excellence.
There are four houses at the school: Saint Patrick, Saint Michael, Saint Francis, and Saint David. Now defunct houses are Saint George and Saint Andrew, which were dissolved in the early 1980s. Each house is associated with a colour: St. Patrick with green, St. Michael with red, St. Francis with purple and St. David with yellow.
| House | Head of House | Deputy head of House |
|---|---|---|
| St. Michael | Tania Langley | Paul Cameron |
| St. David | Robin Ireland | Cherie McDonnell |
| St. Patrick | Richard Staton | Peter Amblin |
| St. Francis | John Martin | Jon Gemmell |
Each year the school organises exchanges to France and Germany. The pupils can go to France in year 9 and Germany in year 10. The foreign pupil staying with their exchange partner's family for 7-12 days, then vice-versa later on.
The Kennet News school newspaper was first issued in May 1975 at the price of two new pence and ran until the late eighties. Its original slogan was News as it happens - and sometimes before it happens!. It reported the departure of George Hurford[32] and the arrival of Terrence Enright[33] in 1978 and later the arrival[34] and departure[35] of Dr. Nicholas Wheeler-Robinson. The main editor was Mr. Wilkinson aided by students. Introductions were occasionally written by the headmasters and Keith Iles wrote a column 'Round the Iles'.
Each house chooses its own charity to support, and throughout the year each tutor group fundraises towards their house's target amount of money. For example one of Saint Michael chosen charity was the Rwanda appeal. The senior staff sometimes plan one-off events, such as the Kennet (World) Cup to raise money for charity.
The Kennet (World) Cup was a football event that occurred on 19 June 2006 in aid of the Bobby Moore Cancer Appeal. The event was designed to coincide with the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
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In 2005 the school was criticised in the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) report for lacking 'a daily act of collective worship'[36] and not reporting pupils' ICT progress in years 10 and 11,[36] both of which are statutory requirements. The collective worship must be wholly or mainly of Christian religion, although parents may request for their children to be withdrawn from the collective worship.[37] The report also found that not all subject department heads have good enough monitoring systems to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
The Risman Library was opened on 23 September 1997 by Councillor Ann Risman, the Chairman of Berkshire County Council, who was accompanied by Chris Woodhead, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools. The library is designed to be a low energy environment by incorporating high levels of natural light and ventilation.[38] It has shelving space for 25,000 books, and stocks around 23,000.[39] It has seating for 80 pupils and has a separate sixth form study section. The library has 12 workstations and 30 laptop computers which are connected to the network.
 'Ben' Howe |
 George Hurford |
 Terrence Enright |
 Nicholas Wheeler-Robinson |
 Paul Dick |
Kennet's headmasters, starting from establishment in 1957, are.
| Years | Name |
|---|---|
| Kennet Modern School | |
| September 1957 to December 1960 |
T.S.B. Howe |
| January 1961 to July 1971 |
George Hurford |
| Kennet Comprehensive School | |
| September 1971 to July 1978 |
George Hurford |
| September 1978 to July 1982 |
Terrence Enright |
| September 1982 to December 1982 |
Keith Iles (acting) |
| January 1983 to July 1987 |
Nicholas Wheeler-Robinson |
| September 1987 to December 1988 |
Keith Iles (acting) |
| January 1989 to present |
Paul Gerard Dick |
Kennet is the highest achieving comprehensive school for both GCSE and A-level results in West Berkshire.[44]
| Year | Students achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE | Average point score per student at A-level |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 72.0%[45] | 843.5[46] |
| 2006 | 71.0%[47] | 813.8[48] |
| 2005 | 71.4%[49] | 317.0[50] |
| 2004 | 70.0%[51] | 284.6[52] |
| 2003 | 59.0%[53] | 273.9[54] |
| 2002 | 66.0%[55] | 257.5 (New system)[56] |
| 2001 | 63.7%[57] | 19.3[58] |
| 2000 | 61.4%[59] | 21.1[60] |
| 1999 | 59.0%[61] | 16.4[62] |
| 1998 | 61.0%[63] | 16.3[64] |
| 1997 | 60.0%[65] | 14.9[66] |
| 1996 | 59.0%[67] | 15.2[68] |
| 1995 | 58.0%[69] | 12.7[70] |
| 1994 | 54.0%[71] | 10.9[72] |
| 1993 | 52.8% | No data |
| 1992 | 47.5% | No data |
| 1991 | 37.7% | No data |
| 1990 | 35.0% | No data |
| 1989 | 28.0% | No data |
Note:The irregularity in A-level scores is due to changes in the way the points are made.
 The central access road |
 Students |