Saffron Walden County High School is a coeducational comprehensive school for ages 11–18 in Saffron Walden, Essex, England. The headmaster is John Hartley.
| Motto | A local school of exceptional quality |
|---|---|
| Established | 1951 |
| Type | State comprehensive school |
| Headteacher | John Hartley |
| Specialism | Technology College |
| Location | Audley End Road Saffron Walden Essex CB11 4UH England |
| Local authority | Essex |
| DfE URN | 115324 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Staff | c. 350 |
| Students | c. 2300 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Colours | |
| Publication | High Note |
| Website | www.saffronwalden.essex.sch.uk |
Saffron Walden County High School is a specialist Technology College and is accredited by the Department for Children, Schools and Families as a training school. It is much bigger than most secondary schools, with 1950 students on roll, 1552 of whom are in Years 7 to 11 (as of 2003).
In most year groups there are more boys than girls, although the balance varies from year to year. There are very few students from ethnic minority groups. A low proportion of students speak English as an additional language. Recent intakes at Year 7 have been of 'above average ability', and GCSE examinations in recent years have won the school a reputation of success with similar levels of success in A level results in the school's excellent sixth form.
It consistently performs above average in secondary school league table scores and is one of the top performing comprehensive schools. The school is located in a semi-rural area of north-west Essex and has a farm unit on site. Students come from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds but overall these are well above average, which is indicative of the wealth of the local area.
In 2006, it opened a brand new cinema known as Saffron Screen, which shared its premises with a brand new block of classrooms named the David Boatman Centre. This was named after the previous headmaster, who left in 2003.
It recently won an award from the Daily Mail and was praised by the Conservative Party after a visit by the Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.
This school has now recently followed an alternative GCSE course system, whereby the options are taken in year 8 and start in year 9. The most able students will take an express course meaning they will take their GCSE subject in Year 10, the others sitting their exam after 3 years; in Year 11. For those having taken subjects in Year 10, enrichment options and sometimes AS levels are available. The new system allows students to expand their GCSE repertoire and study subjects that may have not been originally offered. One pupil, partaking in the new GCSE system, took 16 GCSE's from 2007–09, ,many have, by end of year 11, 11 GCSEs and one AS.
Recently the school has announced that they will be changing from a technology school to a science and maths school.
During the most recent years a "Green Group" has been formed (made of "eco-reps" voted for by forms) with the motto "Think green. Feel green. Go green." Some students from the group led an assembly outlining the importance of recycling and explaining their plans to make Saffron Walden County High School an ecological school, and hoping that other schools in the area will follow, unfortunately most would agree by ever measurement they have failed to make any impact.
The school has developed a growing sporting pedigree, particularly in Rugby Union. Numerous forrays into the latter stages of the Daily Mail National Cup competition culminated in the under 15's achieving victory at Twickenham in the plate competition of 2011.[1]