Vandyke Upper School

Vandyke Upper School and Community College is an academy school and sixth form in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England. As of 2015, there are 700 students attending compulsory education with a further 240 students making up the sixth form.[1]

Vandyke Upper School
Address
Vandyke Road

Leighton Buzzard
,
Bedfordshire
,
LU7 3DY

England
Coordinates51°56′14″N 0°38′42″W
Information
TypeAcademy
MottoEveryone matters
Established1976
Department for Education URN137169 Tables
OfstedReports
Head teacherTim Carroll
Staff80 approx.
GenderCoeducational
Age13 to 18
Enrolment940
Colour(s)Burgundy
Websitehttp://www.vandyke.beds.sch.uk/

History

The school was opened in 1976 as a comprehensive school for 13- to 18-year-olds.[2]

During the Ofsted inspection that took place in December 2006, Vandyke Upper School achieved a Grade 2 (Good) rating.[3] The school was inspected again by Ofsted in 2013, the overall result being Grade 3 (Requires improvement). This was primarily attributed to unsatisfactory exam results and mixed quality of teaching.

Achievements

For several years Vandyke has been a participant of the Rock Challenge, a dance and drama event promoting healthy lifestyles amongst pupils.[4] In 2005 Vandyke achieved Sports College status[5] and was granted £114,000 from the Government's Big Lottery Fund in 2006, providing out of hours sporting activities.[6] In 2007 the school was awarded the Government Charter Mark for excellence in customer service. Vandyke met 63 exacting standards of customer service to qualify for the award.[7] The Government's Key performance indicator, a program that logs school's GCSE and Key Stage Two exam performances, has placed Vandyke's results in the top 25% of schools across the country. According to the log, 61 percent of Vandyke students attained A* to C grades in their GCSE's in 2007.[8]

Charity

Vandyke Upper School donated forty-eight computers to Kabalega Secondary School, in Uganda. Twelve more computers went to an NGO, the Link Development Community, also of Uganda, who work to improve education within the country.[9] Annually, since 2005, Vandyke has held fund raising events for the charity, Smile Malawi. Smile Malawi is a charity aimed at improving educatory standards for children in Malawi.[10] In 2008 Vandyke Upper School raised over £2000 for Smile Malawi and £3200 in 2017.[11]

Vandyke Education Trust

The Governing Body of Vandyke Upper School is proposing a change of school category from a community school to a foundation school which will acquire a charitable trust to be called the Vandyke Education Trust.[12] This is a new type of school that, while still being part of the local authority, has the opportunity to be supported by a Charitable Trust. To provide continuity and stability for the Trust, the Governors of Vandyke Upper School proposed to formalise, through a Trust, their partnerships with:

  • The University of Bedfordshire
  • Central Bedfordshire College of FE
  • MK Dons Sport and Education Trust
  • BEAerospace
  • VT Education
  • Central Bedfordshire Council

References
  1. "School Inspection Report: Vandyke Upper School and Community College" (PDF). Ofsted. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  2. Vandyke School at Office of Standards in Education (OfSted) Archived 10 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 15 June 2007
  3. http://www.vandyke.beds.sch.uk/Ofsted%20Inspection%20Report.pdf%5B%5D
  4. , retrieved 15 June 2007
  5. , retrieved 15 June 2007
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), retrieved 15 June 2007
  7. Leighton Buzzard Today (Online), retrieved 5 July 2007
  8. Online News Article retrieved 30 September 2007
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) retrieved 15 June 2007
  10. Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 15 June 2007
  11. "http://www.vandyke.beds.sch.uk/news/2018/01/smile-malawi-founder-visits-vandyke.aspx". www.vandyke.beds.sch.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2018. External link in |title= (help)
  12. Vandyke home page, retrieved 30 June 2010
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