The Cooper School

General information

Welcome to The Cooper School official Facebook Page.

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Our video channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/teacherinmypocket

‘Where Learning Matters’

‘This is an outstanding school which continuously strives to improve further. The headteacher, ably assisted by his senior team, has been the driving force in leading improvement and raising aspirations. As one parent put it, `The school has moved from strength to strength and our children love their school. They feel happy, exceptionally safe and secure, the curriculum is extremely well tailored to meet their needs and teachers inspire them. The headteacher and staff have drive and rigour in all that they do.’

(OFSTED, May 2011)

The above comments, taken from the Ofsted Report on the school when last inspected in May 2011, encapsulates where the school currently is – an ‘outstanding school’. It is also a changing school, seen most obviously in our changing status in September 2011 to become an 11-19 provider. The £4.4 million grant awarded to the school by the Local Authority has given us the opportunity to build a centre of excellence for Post 16 education. Our vision is to use this opportunity to ensure that we prepare all of our students for the ever-increasing challenges of the 21 st century. Our vision is to equip our students throughout the school with the skills, knowledge and attributes that they will need to meet these demands as resilient, fulfilled and responsible young adults and future citizens. It is our belief that education should be exciting and challenging so that it instils a love of learning. We continually strive to be a dynamic centre of learning where all of our students are supported and encouraged to reach their potential.

A key factor in the sustained upward trajectory in student attainment has been through the evolution of an outstanding and innovative curriculum. Our status as a Specialist Science School (since 2005) has had a positive impact on provision across the school. We actively embrace new technologies as a means of engaging with, and maximising, student learning. As a result of this we have changed the way that we teach at The Cooper School. We researched carefully; we listened to students; we observed how they learn in their own homes and, as a result, we changed what we do in the classrooms. It is a changing world and we have changed the environment of the classroom; we’ve invested in new, exciting technologies; we’ve changed the dynamic of teaching. Have a look at our website to see how we utilise new technologies. The vodcasts created by many of our teachers and students have been nominated as models of good practice nationwide. Have a look at the teacher blogs – you will get a flavour of a school that is changing because the world is, a school where we are not afraid to try something new and exciting.

The improvements noted by Ofsted over the last 3-4 years (with the consequent growth of reputation in the local community) means that the school is growing in popularity so that we are currently oversubscribed in Years 7 through to 10 and also at Post 16.

Since joining the school as headteacher in September 2005, I have been committed to raising the reputation of The Cooper School at local, regional and national levels. My personal philosophy of education is simple: the passionate belief that each and every student has the right to learn and achieve to his/her maximum potential. High quality education provides for students of all abilities to achieve and become ethically informed citizens, where approaches to learning are flexible so that students are capable of learning constantly and where the focus is maintained on teaching and learning and best practice.

We are clear in our aim to provide a centre of excellence in scientific, technological, enterprising and vocational education. What has been the impact of this on standards? Our GCSE results have significantly improved (41% 5 + A* - C in 2005 to 86% in 2011, a year on year exponential increase putting the school in the top 25% of maintained secondary schools for value added). Ofsted Inspectors noted that ‘The school has consolidated the many recent successes and leaders have galvanised the enthusiasm and commitment of staff, and much has been achieved. Recent significant improvements, combined with strong support from the governing body, demonstrate that the school’s capacity to further improve is outstanding.’

Ben Baxter (Headteacher)