Next week (November 24), Wokingham Borough Council is set to consider up to £6million investment into The Bulmershe School in Woodley.
Under proposals being considered by the council’s decision-making executive next week, the school sets out its commitment to further improving the education results of its students in its business plan. In the summer, The Bulmershe School saw the largest increase of all the borough’s schools, with the percentage of Year 11 students achieving five or more A* to C GCSE grades going up by 17%. Results including English and Maths also went up 5%.
To assist in accelerating further improvements in teaching and learning at the school and to bring about a step change in parental perceptions of the school, the executive will consider an investment of up to £6million, targeted at improving the school environment and quality of learning spaces. The school has seen little investment since it was constructed and, although the buildings are structurally sound, they are no longer fit for purpose as their layout hampers the way in which students are taught.
If approved by the executive on November 24, it is proposed to prioritise investment in classrooms and external faces of the buildings to create an attractive learning environment. This would include temporary classrooms being replaced with a new teaching block, the development of a post-16 learning centre, a remodelled library and information centre as well as a dining facility. A detailed project plan would be produced very early in 2012 to take forward the proposals, with a view to starting work on site as soon as is possible.
Cllr Rob Stanton, executive member for education services, said: "The Bulmershe School should be congratulated for achieving the most improved GCSE results of any school in the borough. This improvement has been down to a concerted effort by the school and the council to raise academic achievement which they have done by improving the quality of teaching and positively tracking students’ progress. We’re working very closely with them to offer them support and advice.
"The executive will consider their business plan next week and we will continue to work closely with the school in the future. The school accommodation does not lend itself to a good learning environment and the buildings look tired. By supporting the school’s leadership and its drive to improve further teaching and learning, an investment in the fabric of the building and the capital infrastructure would improve students’ opportunities, and the popularity of the school will grow. We are keen to make The Bulmershe School the school of choice locally and I will be recommending executive approval for this investment."
Peter Lewis, head teacher at The Bulmershe School, said: "We are delighted to have been given this opportunity by our local authority to submit a plan for an Investment in Learning at The Bulmershe School. We have been pleased to work in partnership with officers and Cllr Rob Stanton to bring forward these ambitious and exciting plans. A financial boost of £6million would show a real and positive commitment by the council to our young people and to the improvements we are making across the whole school. We look forward to more and more families coming to see us and choosing The Bulmershe School because we are providing a high quality education. We are confident we can do even better with this investment in the school."
