Barnwell School
| Type | community comprehensive |
|---|---|
| Headteacher | Mr. Tony Fitzpatrick |
| Specialism | Business and Enterprise |
| Location |
Barnwell Stevenage Hertfordshire SG2 9SW England  Coordinates: 51°53′23″N 0°10′23″W / 51.88983°N 0.17295°W |
| Local authority | Hertfordshire |
| DfE URN | 117518 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 1821 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Website | www.barnwellschool.co.uk |
Barnwell School is a secondary school that was established in 1959 and is situated in the south of Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
Between 2002 and 2005 it was the most improved school in Hertfordshire and one of the most improved schools in England. The overall pass rate this year is 48 per cent for grades A to C — a one per cent increase on year before, but still below the national average.
The former headteacher, Richard Westergreen-Thorne, has said: "We have had very big improvements over the last four years and it's down to very hard work. There's no magic potion because, if there was, everyone would be taking it. I think you have to have a willingness to do things differently. We have a mantra: 'If we do things the way we have always done we will get what we have always got. We are extremely pleased with the results."
In September 2006 the school expanded by taking in the students from another nearby school that closed (Collenswood). As a consequence, the school now has two campuses: Barnwell West (the original Barnwell site) and, less than a mile away, Barnwell East (formerly the site of Collenswood School).
Business and enterprise
The school has been a designated a Business and Enterprise College from September 2004 due to having a special emphasis on the chosen subject areas of maths, business and IT.
Barnwell podcast
Barnwell School decided that it needed a way to get information across to students while they are enjoying the information and introduced a podcast, that was available to students online. This was launched in October 2007.
Extended schools
Barnwell School has been designated the hub school for South Stevenage Consortium of Extended Schools. The consortium consists of 8 schools plus a federation:
- Barnwell School
- Heathcote School
- Peartree Spring Junior School
- Peartree Spring Infant School
- Peartree Way Nursery School
- Featherstone Wood Primary School
- Roebuck Primary School
- St Margaret's Primary School
- Shephalbury Meadow Federation (Longmeadow Primary School & Shephalbury Primary School