Education

Thornton College in Buckinghamshire has been awarded Foundation level of the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom. The International School Award celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education. Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life and work in today’s world. On hearing the news that Thornton College had achieved Foundation level of the award, Dr Louise Shaw, Head Teacher said: “We are absolutely thrilled with this recognition as we truly are an international school with a family of schools in twenty-nine countries around the world educating over 100,000 young people. "Our students here at Thornton get the opportunities to make meaningful long-term links with students across the world..

At The Webber every day is an Open Day as the school invites you to experience their hive of activity. As agreed by parents the perfect way to understand a school’s culture is to set foot inside and get a taste for their academic approach, focus on life and employability skills, and understand how they develop your child’s growth mind-set. Situated in Milton Keynes The Webber Independent School delivers educational excellence to help children aged six months to 16 years unlock their full potential, creating the future makers of tomorrow. Headmistress, Mrs Hilary Marsden, extends a warm Webber welcome to all perspective parents across Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas to attend a personalised tour and learn more about their bespoke individualised learning and pastoral care. “We are pleased to say our parents recommend us because they are delighted with our personalised, stage not age approach. The small class sizes allow our..

As part of their initiative to inspire young people about the natural world, The Parks Trust are hosting an exclusive event for MK’s Primary School Teachers to discover learning opportunities available to schools in the city. Packed with information and taster activities designed to inspire the enhancement of primary student’s school experience, the free event for teachers will be held at Campbell Park Pavilion. As an open session, teachers can attend for a duration to suit their availability, between 4pm and 6pm on Friday 8th March. A guided tour of Campbell Park, and refreshments, will be provided and all attendees will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a special prize. Spaces are limited, so Primary School Teachers in MK should head online for more information or email outdoorlearning@theparkstrust.com to secure their space. Find out more here. The Parks Trust, the charity caring for over 6,000 acres..

Newton Blossomville Church of England School has been awarded Outstanding by Ofsted. The First School, near Olney and Turvey, was awarded outstanding in all areas of the inspection, with the report highlighting that; ‘Pupils at the school receive a remarkable start to their education’. Newton Blossomville School was praised for its ‘highly developed curriculum’, ‘exceptional’ pupil personal development and described as being ‘at the heart of the community’. The school is part of The Village Schools Federation, a group of six rural schools. With high teacher/pupil ratios the schools work together sharing a curriculum, quality teaching expertise, all while securing the schools’ long-term financial future. Having last been inspected in 2009, Newton Blossomville has bucked the national trend and managed to maintain its Outstanding rating. Emma Wallace, Executive Headteacher of the VSF commented: “Newton Blossomville is an incredibly special school, giving pupils a fantastic start to their education. Our pupils are..

Nestled in the 55 acres of Buckinghamshire countryside near Milton Keynes, Swanbourne House, an independent day and boarding prep school for children from 3 years old, looks back on a new chapter in its rich history with the recent launch of its Pre-Reception class in September 2023. Nick Holloway, Head at Swanbourne House, said “Looking back at our first term of our Pre-Reception class, we have seen our youngest Swanbournians achieve so much. They have started Music lessons, began PE lessons with our specialist Games staff and taken part in Forest School. Academically they have begun their reading journey and we’re seeing pupils increase their confidence across the curriculum. "When we launched our Pre-Reception, we wanted to give families more than just a traditional nursery setting for their little one. Recognising the importance of laying a strong foundation, we go beyond conventional nursery offerings. Our young learners have access to..

Inspiring Futures through Learning (IFtL), a successful multi-academy trust (MAT) which supports 13 schools in Milton Keynes and three in Corby, is hosting a recruitment fair in Milton Keynes on Tuesday 16th January (6.00-8.00pm). The fair, for those looking to work in schools in primary teaching and secondary subject roles, as well as various non-teaching professional, administration and support jobs on a full-time and part-time basis, either now or in the future, will be held at Glebe Farm School (Burney Drive, Glebe Farm, Milton Keynes, MK17 8XY). IFtL and a number of its schools are currently in a period of growth and, as such, the trust is recruiting to add to its 1,000-strong team responsible for inspiring the futures of children from nursery to secondary age. For those interested in training to be teachers, Two Mile Ash Initial Teacher Training Partnership (TMA ITTP) will also be at the fair with..

Leicester’s award-winning independent children’s publisher, Sweet Cherry Publishing, is delighted by the success of a recent school visit with debut author Red, the creative mind behind Ho Ho Ho! A Pirate’s Christmas for Me. All images courtesy of Steph Loake Photography This engaging event took place at Hanslope Primary School, Milton Keynes, and captivated students in years 1 to 4 with an author talk, a reading and even an interactive activity! The visit was particularly special for Red, who remembers running through those very halls when she herself was a Hanslope pupil. Now a published author, she was honoured to have brought the joy of reading (and the spirit of the season) to the school. When asked about the event, Red said: “It was wonderful to return to Hanslope – it really felt like going home. Lots of things were still the same, but it was also fabulous to see..

Local Independent School The Webber, has been a hive of activity this year as they settle in resident bees and launch an Eco Bee Club to help inspire active learning and improve the local economy. The Webber Independent School neighbours the green Linford Woods, a local woodland area of Milton Keynes just outside the heart of the City. The school ranges from 6 months to 16 years offering a real world curriculum and outstanding individualised learning experience that drives personal development and growth. Working alongside local business Home Farm MK, Headmistress Hilary Marsden and Mr Adrian Dumbleton introduced a bee hive on the school grounds alongside the Eco Garden where nursey to Year 11 students grow and tend to their own fruit and vegetables for the school kitchen and use the space for learning in Science, Art, Geography and Wellbeing lessons. “By incorporating beehives for natural pollination and wildflower areas..

Milton Keynes College proudly unveils its new A Level programs for students aged 16-18, with classes beginning in September 2024. Interested candidates can submit their applications starting today, 6th September 2023. The College presents four tailored A Level pathways to address Milton Keynes' unique skill demands: Green Pathway: Focusing on Environmental Science and Law. Digital Pathway: Concentrated on Computer Science and Business. Creative Pathway: Encompassing Media Studies and English Language & Literature. Social Sciences Pathway: Featuring Psychology and Sociology. Moreover, students will have the option to enhance these pathways with an additional A Level from choices like Maths, Business, Psychology, or English Language and Literature. There are 100 places for A Level students for the 2024/25 academic session, with a 25-student intake per pathway. Classes will be delivered at the College’s Chaffron Way campus. Sally Alexander, the CEO and Group Principal of Milton Keynes College Group, expressed, “We're thrilled about..

Thornton students shine bright with stellar GCSE results amidst the widely discussed grading changes this year. Students at Thornton have once again showcased their brilliance with impressive GCSE results, with more than a third obtaining grades between 9 and 7 (equivalent to the old A** to A grades). On top of these GCSE achievements, students have also done splendidly in their Higher Project Qualifications, with all students attaining between A* and C and over half securing A* to A. Breaking down the results: 76% achieved grades 9-5 55% secured grades 9-6 33% celebrated grades 9-7 19% accomplished grades 9-8 For the Higher Project Qualification: 60% achieved A*/A, and 100% attained A* to C. The Head Teacher of Thornton, Louise Shaw, expressed her pride: “These commendable results are a testament to the dedication of our students, the unwavering support from their families, and the commitment of our faculty. Celebrating these results..

Students from Oakgrove School have set a new record, receiving the most impressive GCSE results in the school's illustrious history. Achieving this remarkable feat, especially after the reintroduction of the pre-Covid examination system, has further amplified the accomplishment. Throughout this challenging academic year, the resilience and tenacity of the students shone brightly, as they navigated the pressures of these significant exams. Their efforts have clearly borne fruit, resulting in an unprecedented success rate that the school community takes immense pride in. Mr. Ian Tett, Oakgrove's headteacher, expressed his admiration for this outstanding year group and commented on the monumental achievement. “These fantastic GCSE results are a testament to the unwavering commitment and perseverance of both our dedicated staff and diligent students," Tett stated. He further added, "Such accolades not only provide a strong foundation for our students' future academic endeavours but also pave the way for them to delve into..

Andy Burton, who returns to Ousedale School as head this month, looks forward to his new role. “It is about visibility,” he says “to be as much as possible part of the community of students, staff and parents.” Adaptability is the key quality required for headteachers in schools today. The pandemic has left an unprecedented legacy in terms of lost education, missed exams and mental health of students, staff and parents. But Andy Burton, who takes over as Head of Ousedale School in Newport Pagnell and Olney when the new academic year begins in September, is relishing the challenge of taking an already well performing school and making it even better. Andy knows the school well, having been Senior Deputy Head for nine years before he left in 2015 to run the Kingswood Secondary Academy in Corby. Now it’s back to the future for Mr Burton, who is clear on..

ISP Awards Rosette Shortlisted Swanbourne House School, the Buckinghamshire based independent day and boarding prep school near Milton Keynes, is celebrating a prestigious shortlisting in the Independent School of the Year Awards for their response to the Covid-19 crisis. The school impressed judges with its innovative and impactful efforts in supporting pupils during their remote learning in lockdown. WITHIN the first week of lockdown, over 115 hours of online lessons were being taught on a live teaching online platform, where work could be uploaded for review and classroom discussions and debates could take place. Additional departmental challenges were sent out to pupils every week – these included STEM projects in making marble runs and self-propelled model cars, to researching Guinness World Records to building spaghetti bridges to French verb challenges. Wellbeing was supported with initiatives such as regular 1-to-1 online appointments with personal tutors and the weekly Head’s Challenges - the..

Ousedale School have recently opened The Carbert Gallery and Wellbeing Centre which is an extremely valuable addition to the support they are able to offer their students. In May 2020, Sue Carbert, (former Headteacher) outlined her idea at a Governors meeting for an Art Gallery and Wellbeing Centre. Her idea led to discussions with architects and it was David Coles Architects who took her idea and turned it into what can be seen today.  Over the last few years, the number of students who attend Ousedale School with more complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has increased, it is in this area that Sue developed the final piece of the project; a sensory garden.  She said; “I thought the courtyard itself could become a calm, quiet place for reflection, but also support those students with particular SEND needs.” Dave..

Oakgrove’s students have achieved fantastic A Level and BTEC results, despite much change and uncertainty over the last two years. Their impressive grades have secured university places to study Medicine at King’s College, Accountancy at Nottingham, Business at York and Law with Politics at Manchester. Apprenticeships at companies, such as DHL have also been offered.  Congratulating Oakgrove’s students on their determination to succeed and overcome the many challenges they have experienced, Headteacher Ian Tett said:  “The drive, tenacity and commitment of our students has been outstanding. They adapted well to online learning and used the transferrable competences of independent studying, that are encouraged in Oakgrove’s sixth form, to complete a combination of coursework, mock exams and essays.  “Teaching staff provided continual support and demonstrated fairness in deciding grades on students’ knowledge, understanding and skills across each subject. The school also ensured that consistent assessments were made and that exam board..