Chiswick Community School is a large multicultural comprehensive school in West London, which became a Trust and Foundation School last November under our newly created Chiswick Education Trust. (Our longer term plan is that our local feeder primaries will also become trust partners; we already have an informal partnership with them.) Our Trust Partners are St Mary’s University, Chiswick Park, Hounslow LA and Brentford Football Club.
By 2013/14 the school is scheduled to have completed a rebuild/refurbish as one of the first two ‘sample’ schools under Hounslow’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) project. Our Strategy for Change visioning document (available to download) has been approved by the DCSF’s Partnership for Schools (as has the Borough’s) and we are now working towards getting the Outline Business Case approved.
There are currently 1,200 pupils on roll including 184 in the Sixth form. We have recently been redesignated as a Specialist Technology College and Our Investors In People status was renewed in 2008. There is a Community Education Centre onsite and a Community Sports Hall managed by the school. The school has an offsite centre run by our own staff to support re-engaging students.
Chiswick is a true comprehensive school and we are very proud of the diversity of our intake and the success of the school as a dynamic learning community. The range of social backgrounds, ability, culture and ethnicity is very wide indeed; this presents the school with specific challenges but is also, we passionately believe, a major strength of the school. Although oversubscribed, the school is actively promoting itself to attract more pupils from the local community. The school is located in Chiswick and borders four London local authorities. It draws its pupils from feeder schools in Chiswick itself (with whom the school has excellent relationships), as well as from Acton, Hammersmith, Fulham, White City, Shepherd’s Bush, Brentford, Richmond and beyond.
As you will see from the most recent Ofsted Inspection Report (November 2008), we were graded Satisfactory but rapidly improving. Since the report, attainment has continued to improve substantially: in 2009, 52% A*-C including English and Maths (up 15% points from 2008) and the tracking shows there will be further improvement this summer. One of our ongoing aims is to increase the rate of progress for all our students in order to improve the CVA.
Learning and teaching has really improved over the past few years. There are many good and some outstanding areas. Humanities, Modern Languages, the Arts, Maths and English are strong. The Sixth Form is a particular strength; most recent ALPS data graded us in the top 15% nationally for the last 3-year average of value added. Staff members are very committed to teaching at Chiswick Community School and dedicated to their students. The IiP report and recent staff surveys show morale to be good. This is firmly evidenced in the number and range of extra-curricular activities, events, and trips they offer their students.
Students have many opportunities to air their views and participate in the school. Pupil Parliament members report to GB meetings. They participate in the selection process for senior posts – including the headteacher. Behaviour in the school has improved significantly over the past few years and not only has the number of exclusions been reduced but also the number of students being removed from lessons; we have established a team of Classroom Support Officers which has had a very positive impact on learning and teaching and OFSTED rated behaviour as ‘good’. Nevertheless, a few pupils do present the school with some challenging behaviour from time to time which is effectively managed by excellent support and mentoring.
The budget is sound. We do not anticipate a deficit at the end of the year and you can be reassured that you would not uncover any hidden deficits if appointed! In the past the school has invested significantly in interactive whiteboards, which are installed in nearly every classroom and through Technology Status we have enabled many subjects to have discrete ICT provision.
The Governing Body has no vacancies and has a range of skills at its disposal. Its members are very committed to the school and work effectively with the Head and Leadership Group. They concentrate on strategic issues, offer support as a “critical friend," fulfil their legal obligations and most importantly, do not interfere with the day-to-day management of the school.
Many of the parents, particularly from the immediate area, are very supportive of the school through the PTA, which organises a range of activities to support the school. In particular it raises around £60,000 for the school annually, mainly through its monthly car boot sales. These parents have very high expectations of the school and it is helpful for the headteacher to maintain a high and positive profile. We work hard to involve all parents, especially from families which up until now have not participated so actively in the life of the school.
You will find our last Ofsted inspection report (December 2008) and the recent Monitoring report (December 2009) at www.ofsted.gov.uk. The Governors’ Annual Review for parents and copies of Parent News (fortnightly) are available on the school website: www.chiswick.hounslow.sch.uk.
As part of our work towards BSF, we have over recent months developed the Strategy for Change, which also gives a comprehensive view of the school and an opportunity to understand where the school currently is and aspires to be.
To access the GCSE/A level results and the Budget Summary, please click on the links below:
