| Motto | Achievement for All[1] |
|---|---|
| Established | 1970[2] |
| Type | Foundation school |
| Principal | Mrs. Christine Forsyth[3] |
| Specialism | Technology |
| Location | Washington Crescent Woodham, Newton Aycliffe County Durham DL5 4AX England |
| Local authority | County Durham |
| DfE URN | 114304 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 897 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–16 |
| Colours | black and green[4] |
| Trust | Aycliffe and Shildon Schools Education Trust |
| Website | Woodham CTC |
Woodham Community Technology College (usually abbreviated Woodham CTC) previously known as "Woodham Comprehensive School"[2] is a comprehensive school and former sixth form college[5] in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, England.
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The school gained technology college status in 1999.[6] It is one of two secondary schools within Newton Aycliffe, the other being Greenfield School Community and Arts College.[7]
Woodham CTC has 897 students as of January 2011.
It is situated just south of Woodham Burn, not far (west) from the northern junction of the A167 and the B6443 Central Avenue. Aycliffe School is nearby to the east. Access over Woodham Burn is via the Great Aycliffe Bridge.
Notable facilities and equipment include several science laboratories, a swimming pool, a music suite, technology workshops and over 370 networked computers.[8]
There was a third secondary school in Newton Aycliffe called "The Avenue Comprehensive" - which was demolished in 1992, itself merged from two former secondary schools - "Marlowe Hall Secondary Modern School" and "Milton Hall".[9] It was amalgamated with Woodham.
Woodham Comprehensive School was built under the CLASP programme (Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme). It was officially opened on 29 June 1970 by Alice Bacon, Baroness Bacon, a former Labour MP.
On 4 July 1990 the school was set alight by arsonists. Around a third of the school's teaching area was destroyed and an estimated £1 million of damage was caused. The damaged section of the school was rebuilt and reopened on 12 December 1992.[2]
When the sixth form closed there were 22 pursuing A-level courses.[10]
| Years | Head teacherb[2] |
| 1970–1980 | John Pearson (OBE) |
| 1980–1990 | Katherine Carr |
| 1990–1994 | Andrew Bennett |
| 1994–2010 | Steven Harness |
| 2010–Present | Christine Forsyth[11] |
It gets GCSE results slightly below the England average, which is above the results of the Greenfield school, and average for North East England. Neither school has a sixth form. Darlington has the much-revered Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College. A recent Ofsted report[1] states the school "is a good school that is improving strongly". It also goes on to say that the school's behavioural standards are improving, which is having a large effect on the school's achievement. The school also thrives on a highly positive view from students: one student when asked in an Ofsted interview replied with ‘The people here make this school what it is – friendly relationships, but teachers are strict when necessary.’ Each inspection reviews the school as rapidly improving. See the difference in reports by viewing them here [2]