Secondary education in the Borough of Halton is provided by eight secondary schools and one further education college, Riverside College. Four of the secondary schools are in Widnes and four are in Runcorn. The college works from three campuses, two in Widnes and one in Runcorn.
The Bankfield School became Halton Borough's first OfSTED awarded 'Outstanding' secondary school in 2009-10.
As a Specialist Science and Applied Learning College and a Gifted & Talented Lead School, as well as a Silver awarded Investors in People, The Bankfield School has been recognised nationally as a High Performing School.
Head teacher, Carole Owen was invited to 10 Downing Street in 2009 to celebrate the school's successes, meeting former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
As a Specialist Science College, the school shares its outstanding facilities and teaching with primary and secondary schools in the borough of Halton.
As an Applied Learning College, the school offers a wide range of courses or students to study. This includes the introduction of the 14-19 Diplomas in 2009 in IT and Creative and Media which have attracted students from other schools to attend lessons at The Bankfield School to study the qualification which is the equivalent of 7 GCSEs.
As a Gifted & Talented Lead School, Bankfield has been recognised as a centre of excellence in supporting students who are academically gifted and/or talented in creative arts, performaing arts and sport. The Bankfield School recosnises that its students need to be presented with work that challenges, stretches and excites them on a daily basis, in an environment that celebrates excellence and is supportive of those who may, in years to come, break the boundaries of what we know and understand today. Many students are fast tracked through qualifications with some achieving GCSE grades at least one year before nationally expected.
In 2010, OfSTED recognised The Bankfield School's care and guidance for students through the school's policy of 'No child unknown' which outlines how every child in the school is supported and recognised throughout their school life, which it was noted would not always be the case within larger schools in the borough. At The Bankfield School, there is no fear of a child just being a number.
The Bankfield School's motto is 'Bringing out the Best' which focuses on ensuring that everyone excels together in their learning and academic achievement.
The Bankfield School is a mixed non-denominational secondary school in Widnes taking pupils within the ages 11–16 with a pupil roll of 828.[1] It opened in September 1958 as a small secondary modern school. The school grew and in the early 1970s was suffering from serious overcrowding. It became a comprehensive school in 1974. The numbers on the roll fell and in the 1980s it was threatened with closure. Following a campaign by the local community it became a grant-maintained school in January 1990. In 1997 it opted to join the other schools managed by Halton Borough Council.[2] Since September 2004 it has been a specialist science college. Its partner is the Catalyst Museum and Science Discovery Centre and 16 industrial companies act as sponsors.[3]''''
Fairfield High School was a mixed non-denominational secondary school in Widnes taking pupils within the ages 11–16 with a pupil roll of 701.[4] Since September 2004 it has been a specialist arts college located to the north of the town centre of Widnes, Cheshire, England. A school has been on the site since the 16th century. In the 1960s two separate-sex secondary schools amalgamated and the school had its present title from 1974 up until it closed in 2010. An extensive programme of rebuilding was completed in September 1994. Since September 2005 the school's facilities include a theatre, two music rooms, a media suite, a performing arts studio and several practice rooms in addition to a school hall and two gymnasiums which are also used for workshops and performances.[5] It closed in August 2010 and its pupils were transferred to Wade Deacon High School, though still operating from the same site, this will continue until at least 2013 when further development of the former Fairfield site is expected to take place.[6]
The Grange Comprehensive School is a mixed non-denominational secondary school in Runcorn, Cheshire, taking pupils within the ages 11–16 with a pupil roll of 1006.[7] In June 2007, plans were announced for the school to close and to merge with the Heath School in 2012.[8] However the Education & Skills Select Committee raised objections to the proposal[9] and it was decided that the school would join the adjacent nursery, infant and junior schools to be an all-through school to be called G4.[10] Following improved examination results in 2008, the plan to merge with the Heath School was cancelled.[11]
Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy (as of September 2010; previously Halton High School) is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school in Runcorn taking pupils within the ages 11–16 with a pupil roll of 526.[12] It was created following the closure of Norton Priory and Brookvale high schools. An application has been made for the school to work in conjunction with The Innovation Unit.[13]
St Chad's Catholic and CE Joint Faith High School is a mixed voluntary aided mixed faith secondary school in Runcorn.[14] It takes pupils within the ages 11–18 with a pupil roll of 1304.[15] It is a specialist language college.[16] Phase II of a new building programme costing £7.1 million will start in the summer of 2008. It will consist of a new science block, a new sports hall, the conversion of the current sports hall into an assembly hall, a learning resource centre and a performing arts, drama and music suite.[17] Some areas of the school are available to hire for community sports facilities.[18]
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Sports Sports College is a mixed voluntary aided Roman Catholic secondary school in Widnes with a sixth form taking pupils within the ages 11–18 with a pupil roll of 1585. It is a specialist sports college.[19] The school opened in 1952 as Saints Joseph's Roman Catholic High School. It was initially a mixed sex secondary modern school but from 1959 education was provided separately for boys and girls. It returned to being a mixed sex school in 1972. It later merged with the neighbouring Sts John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School to form Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic High School.[20] Its current title is Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Sports College.[21]
Wade Deacon High School is a mixed non-denominational secondary school in Widnes taking pupils within the ages 11–16 with a pupil roll of 1121.[22] It is a specialist technology, mathematics and computing college.[23] The school was founded in 1507 as Farnworth Grammar School by Bishop William Smyth. The present main school building was opened in 1931 as Wade Deacon Grammar School. This was named after Sir Henry Wade Deacon, a prominent local industrialist and chairman of the Local Education Committee. The school became fully comprehensive in 1974.[24]
Riverside College, Halton is a non-denominational further education college taking pupils aged 16 and over.[25] It works from three campuses; Kingsway and Cronton Campuses are in Widnes and the Runcorn Campus is in Runcorn, on the outskirts of the Old Town.[26] The college was created from the merger of Halton College and Widnes & Runcorn Sixth Form College in August 2006. It has not yet had a full inspection by OfSted.[27]
This table shows the percentage of pupils gaining five GCSE A*–C level grades, including English and Maths, in the years 2005–2008 compared with the local and national averages.[28][29]
| School | Number on roll 2008/9 |
2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bankfield School | 171 | 25 | 29 | 33 | 50 | 38 |
| Fairfield High School | 171 | 27 | 33 | 37 | 50 | 41 |
| The Grange Comprehensive School | 202 | 27 | 24 | 27 | 35 | 37 |
| Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy | 90 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 18 | 21 |
| The Heath School | 57 | 44 | 42 | 50 | 63 | 53 |
| St Chad's Catholic and Church of England High School | 163 | 40 | 49 | 53 | 67 | 79 |
| Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Sports College | 275 | 32 | 31 | 48 | 48 | 40 |
| Wade Deacon High School | 219 | 55 | 53 | 67 | 78 | 72 |
| Halton average | 32.8 | 33.3 | 41.0 | 49.2 | 45.6 | |
| National average | 44.3 | 45.3 | 46.0 | 47.3 | 49.8 |
The key for the inspection grades in the table are: Grade 1 Outstanding: Grade 2 Good: Grade 3 Satisfactory: Grade 4 Inadequate
| School | Date | Number on Roll |
Overall effectiveness |
Achievement & Standards |
Personal development |
Teaching & Learning |
Curriculum | Care | Leadership & Management |
Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bankfield School | 24–25 January 2007 | 867 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | [1] |
| Fairfield High School | 2–3 March 2006 | 868 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | [2] |
| Grange Comprehensive School | 5–6 July 2007 | 1080 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | [3] |
| Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy | 5–6 December 2005 | 556 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | [4] |
| The Heath School | 21 November 2007 | 1048 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | [5] |
| St Chad's Catholic High School | 21 September 2010 | 920 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | [6] |
| Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Sports College | 20–21 January 2010 | 1605 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | [7] |
| Wade Deacon High School | 14 March 2007 | 1128 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | [8] |