| Motto | Ad lucem (Towards the light) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1466 |
| Type | Comprehensive foundation school |
| Headmistress | Christina Haddrell |
| Founder | Henry Wormestall |
| Specialism | Business and Enterprise College |
| Location | Andover Road Newbury Berkshire RG14 6JP England |
| Local authority | West Berkshire |
| DfE URN | 110098 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students |
1,650 total (inc. 400 Sixth Form) |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Curnock Davis Evers Patterson |
| Colours |
Purple (school colour) |
| Former pupils | Old Newburians Association |
| GCSE results | 466.9 points/student[1] |
| Website | www.stbarts.co.uk |
St Bartholomew's School (colloquially St Bart's) is a co-educational comprehensive school founded in 1466 in Newbury, Berkshire in the United Kingdom. It accepts students aged 11–18 and currently has approximately 1,600 students on roll including a sixth form of around 400. The school is regarded as the 42nd oldest school in the UK, still in existence.
It is one of only a few comprehensive schools to participate in the Combined Cadet Force (a programme sponsored by the Ministry of Defence), with around 200 cadets between the ages of 14 and 18 taking part in weekly training sessions and annual residential trips.
It is also one of the few state schools to play the sport of women's lacrosse. The school has produced many talented players who have represented Berkshire at U15 and U19 level. Some have also gone on to represent England and Wales.
The school recently made history by becoming the first ever state school to triumph in the prestigious Schools and Universities Polo Association Cup.[2]
Contents |
The school operates a house system, whereby students are divided up into four houses, each of which is named after a former pupil who was killed in the First World War:
| Colour(s) | House | House Head | Deputy House Head | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Davis | Mrs. Duly | Mrs. Hodgkin | ||
| Robert Patterson | Mr. Brennan | Mrs. Pritchard | ||
| George Ashwin Curnock | Mrs. Mounsey | Mrs. Kempster | ||
| Bertram SaxelbyeEvers | Mr. Metcalfe | Ms. Evans | ||
Patterson house uses the colour gold, whilst purple is used occasionally in conjunction with the main colour. The fourth house in the boys' school formerly always used purple, but switched to the gold of the girls' school's fourth house when the schools merged in 1975.
Each house enters into annual competitions in sports, music and drama versus the other houses, where pupils represent their house. Examples of these are the house netball, house football, house rugby, house lacrosse, house hockey, house tennis, house rounders, house dance, house choir, house instrumental, and many others. There are also house plays which are written by year 12 students (age 16 and 17) and performed by year 10 students (age 14 and 15). There is a great sense of competition between houses, with students forming loyalties to their respective house. The winning house in each competition is awarded a certain number of points, which are accrued during the academic year. The house with the most points at the end of the year will win the House Championship. Junior/Senior House Colour Awards, in the form of ties for boys and sashes for girls, are awarded at the end of Years 10 and/or 12 to students who excel in a certain field, either academic or extracurricular. The ties are distinct from the normal school tie, in that they are solely the colour of the owner's house. The sash is white, with the house's colour striped through, and is worn by females on the waist.
Each house holds a house evening once a year, where students entertain parents and staff through music, dance, drama and comedic sketches.
Each house also has a house charity, students try to raise as much money as possible for the charity through sponsored events.
The school was founded in 1466 from the legacy of Henry Wormestall who set aside £12 2s 4d annually for "teching gramar scole of the whiche that toune hath grete nede".[4]
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1466 | Male-only St Bartholomew's Boys' Grammar School founded in a building near the junction of Pound St and Bartholomew St Moved to Wormestall around 1880. |
| 1904 | Female-only Newbury County Girls Grammar School founded at the Luker site. |
| 1966 | The school celebrates quincentenary. School Pageant attended by Agatha Christie |
| 26 May 1972 | Visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She opens Luker Hall. |
| 1975 | Newbury County Girls' Grammar School and St Bartholomew's Boys' Grammar School merge to form the present-day comprehensive school |
| September 2002 | School designated as a Business and Enterprise College - a specialist school status |
| October 2010 | Projected completion of the Ad Lucem Project |
| 22 November 2010 | Opening of the new St Bartholomew's School building for academic purposes |
| 30 March 2011 | Official opening of the new St Bartholomew's School building[5] |
The alumni of St Bartholomew's are referred to as Old Newburians.[6]
St Bartholomew's sixth form students were previously based on the Wormestall site. In November 2010, students moved into the new building, situated on the site previously called "Luker". The new building brought the sixth form and lower school students together. These improvements were thought to be efficient as reduced the changeover time between lessons; students and teachers now no longer have to make the 5 minute walk between sites.
The Lifelong Learning Centre, built in the summer of 2002, is a purpose-built library, conference and training facility that includes two large information technology suites.
The two information technology classrooms are situated on the ground level, on opposite sides of the building. There are around 30 computers in each room, as well as an interactive whiteboard in each. Situated in the centre of the ground floor is a conference room that can be split in to two rooms that displays artwork. The Lifelong Learning Centre (including the computer rooms) are available to hire for conferences, training and seminars to members of the public and is used for school meetings at other times.
On the first floor is a library, with a range of books as well as 16 computer terminals, some reserved for sixth form. On the south-eastern end of the libraries is a sixth form study area, as well as a small careers room.
On 23 November 2006, St Bartholomew's was awarded a government grant to be used to rebuild its premises. The school was chosen ahead of three other schools in Berkshire: Kennet School, Theale Green Community School and John O'Gaunt Community Technology College. The rebuild project was intended to be completed by September 2009 but is now expected to be completed by the end of 2010.[9] Work began in the early spring 2009, under the name The Ad Lucem Project. Contractors Mace Plus Ltd. have been appointed to run the project.[10] Whilst several proposals were considered, the final application involved completely rebuilding the school, with access provided through Fifth Road. This application was approved by a West Berkshire Council Planning Committee on 20 February 2008.[11] Wilmott Dixon, who have been appointed in place of Mace Plus,[12] started preparation works on the site on 30 March.[13] After completion the school was officially opened on 30 March 2011 by The Countess of Wessex[14]
The school was last inspected by Ofsted in December 2009 and was rated 'good'.[15]