Fairlands Middle School
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox school
| name = Fairlands Middle School
| image = Fairlands Middle School logo.jpeg
| image_size =
| caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|51.2751|-2.7712|type:edu_region:GB_dim:100|format=dec|display=inline,title}}
| motto = Caring and Inspirational
| closed =
| type = Academy
Middle-deemed-secondary
| trust = Wessex Learning Trust
| religious_affiliation =
| president =
| head_label = Headteacher
| head = Rebecca Bennet
| r_head_label =
| r_head =
| chair_label =
| chair =
| founder =
| address = Masons Way
| city = Cheddar
| county = Somerset
| country = England
| postcode = BS27 3PG
| local_authority = Somerset County Council
| urn = 147825
| ofsted = yes
| staff =
| gender = Coeducational
| lower_age = 9
| upper_age = 13
| houses =
| colours =
| publication =
| free_label_1 =
| free_1 =
| free_label_2 =
| free_2 =
| free_label_3 =
| free_3 =
| website = http://www.fairlands.somerset.sch.uk
}}
Fairlands Middle School is a coeducational middle school with roughly 522 pupils aged between 9 and 13 in 2012,{{cite web|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=123888 |work=EduBase |publisher=Department for Education |title=Fairlands Middle School |access-date=9 February 2013 }}{{cite web|title=2012 inspection report|url=http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/files/1918045/urn/123888.pdf|publisher=Ofsted|access-date=24 November 2015}}
located in Cheddar, Somerset, England.
The school, which was established in 1976,{{cite web|url=https://slp2.somerset.gov.uk/schools/fms/ProspectusDocuments/Prospectus.pdf |publisher=Fairlands Middle School |title=Fairlands Middle School Prospectus |access-date=23 January 2011 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306191834/https://slp2.somerset.gov.uk/schools/fms/ProspectusDocuments/Prospectus.pdf |archive-date=6 March 2012 }} is a middle-deemed-secondary school, meaning that it takes pupils of secondary school age while providing both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 education. Fairlands is part of the Cheddar Valley Community Learning Partnership,{{cite web|url=https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/123888 |title=Fairlands Middle School |work=Inspection Reports |publisher=Ofsted |date=19 March 2009 |access-date=23 January 2011 }}
a three-tier education system which comprises nine first schools, two middle schools and one secondary school. Pupils enter Fairlands from first schools in Cheddar and the nearby villages of Draycott, Shipham and Axbridge. In year 9 pupils move to The Kings of Wessex Academy, also in Cheddar.
History
The 1976 Education Act abolished the tripartite education system of grammar and secondary modern schools in England and Wales. Up to this point, the area was served by The Kings of Wessex School secondary modern and Sexey's Grammar School in Blackford near Wedmore.{{cite web | url= http://oldsexonians.com/page2.htm | work= Old Sexonians | title= History of the School (Sexey's Grammar School) | access-date= 23 January 2011}}
In 1976, the three-tier Cheddar Valley Community Learning Partnership was established, creating a system of first, middle and comprehensive upper schools in the area. The Kings of Wessex School became a comprehensive, Sexey's Grammar School became Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School serving half of the Cheddar Valley,{{cite web | url= http://oldsexonians.com/page18.htm | work= Old Sexonians | title= Hugh Sexey's Middle School | access-date= 23 January 2011}}
and Fairlands Middle School was established to serve the other half.
In September 2010, Fairlands was one of the first two middle schools in England to be awarded specialist Technology College status.{{cite news | title=Somerset schools are the first to gain specialist status | newspaper=Cheddar Valley Gazette | url=http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Schools-gain-specialist-status/article-2646753-detail/article.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913110434/http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Schools-gain-specialist-status/article-2646753-detail/article.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=13 September 2012 | date=16 September 2010 | access-date=24 June 2011 }}
In 2011, Fairlands was twinned with School 108 in the central Russian city of Yekaterinburg,{{cite web | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/world_olympic_dreams/8937494.stm | title= Ivan's Ukhov's school – No 108, Russia | date= 10 September 2010 | access-date= 23 January 2011 | publisher = BBC Sport}} as part of the BBC Olympic Dreams project.{{cite news | url= http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Pupils-linked-Russian-high-jumper-s-school/article-3031469-detail/article.html | archive-url= https://archive.today/20130505075041/http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Pupils-linked-Russian-high-jumper-s-school/article-3031469-detail/article.html | url-status= dead | archive-date= 5 May 2013 | newspaper= Cheddar Valley Gazette | title= Pupils linked with Russian high jumper's former school | date= 23 December 2010 | access-date= 23 January 2011 }} Both schools will use the partnership for cultural exchange, and followed the progress of high jumper and former School 108 pupil Ivan Ukhov in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Previously a community school administered by Somerset County Council, in April 2020 Fairlands Middle School converted to academy status. The school is now sponsored by the Wessex Learning Trust.
Academic performance
In 2010, 68% of pupils achieved Level 4 in mathematics and English in the National Curriculum assessment for Key Stage 2.{{cite web | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/education/school_tables/primary/10/html/l4_933.stm?compare= | work= 2010 Education League Tables | publisher= BBC News | title= Primary schools in Somerset | date= 14 December 2010 | access-date= 23 January 2010}}
This was below the national average of 73% and the Somerset County Council average of 75%,
and a drop on the school's achievement for the previous four years.{{cite web | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/09/school_tables/primary_schools/html/933_4410.stm | work= 2009 Education League Tables | publisher= BBC News | title= Fairlands Middle School | date= 1 December 2009 | access-date= 23 January 2010}}
In 2009, an inspection by Ofsted rated the school as good on a four-point scale of outstanding, good, satisfactory, and poor.
The report praised the school's standard of education, leadership, teaching and expectations by both staff and pupils, all of which had improved since the previous inspection in 2006.
Notable pupils
Notable pupils at the school include comedian Richard Herring,{{cite web|url=http://www.richardherring.com/press/press.php?id=134 |title=Interview with Venue magazine |work=Journalism archive |publisher=Richard Herring |access-date=23 January 2011 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127013252/http://richardherring.com/press/press.php?id=134 |archive-date=27 November 2010 }}
whose father was headteacher at The Kings of Wessex School.
See also
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.fairlands.somerset.sch.uk}}
{{Schools in Somerset}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Middle schools in Somerset
Category:Educational institutions established in 1976
Category:1976 establishments in England