Oldfield School

Oldfield School was founded in 1892 to serve the city of Bath; in 1959 the school moved from the city centre to agricultural land on the western outskirts of the city,{{cite report |url=http://idox.bathnes.gov.uk/WAM/doc/BackGround%20Papers-726596.pdf?extension=.pdf&id=726596&location=VOLUME3&contentType=application/pdf&pageCount=1&appid=1001 |title=Oldfield School – Archaeological Deskstudy |author=Duncan Overy |publisher=ARUP |id=Job number 215218 |date=26 July 2013 |access-date=29 March 2014}} overlooking the River Avon valley, and now attracts pupils from a wider area including the eastern outskirts of Bristol.{{cite web |url=http://www.oldfield.bathnes.sch.uk/ |title= Oldfield School Internet Site |publisher=Oldfield School |access-date=16 November 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061116034510/http://www.oldfield.bathnes.sch.uk/ |archive-date = 16 November 2006}}

Recent buildings include a drama studio, dance studio, sports hall, and a new teaching block for Mathematics and Humanities.{{cite news |url=http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Olympic-rower-Helen-Glover-returns-Oldfield/story-17426402-detail/story.html |title=Olympic rower Helen Glover returns to Oldfield School to open sports centre |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=26 November 2012 |access-date=2 December 2012}} Some expansion classroom blocks date from the 1970s and 1980s. The school has on-site playing fields.{{Cite web|url=http://consultations.bathnes.gov.uk/consult.ti/bath_review/consultationHome |title=A Review of Secondary Schools in Bath |publisher=Bath and North East Somerset Council |date=14 April 2010 |access-date=15 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721101625/http://consultations.bathnes.gov.uk/consult.ti/bath_review/consultationHome |archive-date=21 July 2010 }}

In the 1990s and early 2000s the school took an early opportunity to gain more independence from local authority control by becoming a grant-maintained school and then a foundation school.{{cite news |url=http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6044575 |title=Schools eye up Tory offer of greater independence |author=David Marley |newspaper=TES Newspaper |date=30 May 2010 |access-date=11 March 2014}}

In 2010 the school applied for academy status using the Academies Act in order to remove itself from local authority control and avoid becoming co-educational,{{cite news |url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/11th-hour-U-turn-sees-Oldfield-School-agree-ed/story-11322388-detail/story.html |title=11th hour U-turn sees Oldfield School agree to go co-ed |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=17 September 2010 |access-date=11 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311201229/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/11th-hour-U-turn-sees-Oldfield-School-agree-ed/story-11322388-detail/story.html |archive-date=11 March 2014 |url-status=dead }} becoming an academy in February 2011.{{cite web |date=January 2013 |title=EduBase2 – Establishment: Oldfield School |url=http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/census-data.xhtml?urn=136483 |access-date=26 February 2014 |publisher=Department for Education}} Ultimately, under pressure from Bath and North East Somerset Council which offered to provide £1.85 million for conversion works, the school decided to become co-educational from 2012.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11334143 |title=Council tells Bath school to 'admit boys or close' |publisher=BBC |date=16 September 2010 |access-date=12 November 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11349781 |title=All-girls school in Bath to admit boys |publisher=BBC |date=17 September 2010 |access-date=19 November 2010}}

File:Oldfield School, Bath, sports hall.JPG in 2012]]

Recent PE teacher Helen Glover won the gold medal for the women's coxless pairs at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She took up rowing in 2008 whilst teaching at the school and trained at the Minerva Bath Rowing Club nearby. In November 2012 she returned to the school to open the £1.85 million sports centre.

File:Oldfield School, Bath, Penn House from west.jpg

Penn House, or Penn Hill House, dates from the mid-1800s. It has two storeys faced with limestone ashlar, and Welsh slate roofs; a small belvedere tower with a pyramidal roof rises above the house. Originally an Italianate villa, the building was extended to the left and rear in Baroque style in 1904 and 1924, to designs of Reginald Blomfield. Both phases of extension were under the ownership of Sir Ernest Pitman, son of Isaac Pitman (who developed Pitman shorthand) and father of Isaac James Pitman (inventor of the Initial Teaching Alphabet). The house was designated as Grade II listed in 1994.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1394341|desc=Penn Hill House|access-date=18 January 2019}}

Oldfield School was built on land to the west of the house in 1959. In the 1960s, Penn House was a separate special school, but it was later absorbed into Oldfield School. Today the house is largely used as sixth form accommodation and by the English and Social Sciences departments.

The school is a National College for School Leadership National Support School and a former Headteacher is a National Leader of Education.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/download?id=17921&filename=list-of-national-leaders-of-education.pdf|title=Current list of National Leaders of Education and National Support Schools|publisher=National College of School Leadership|page=10|access-date=12 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008235330/http://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/download?id=17921&filename=list-of-national-leaders-of-education.pdf|archive-date=8 October 2011|url-status=dead}}

The school uniform consists of a navy blue jacket with a white logo of a swan. A tie should be worn and the grey jumper is optional. A white shirt must be worn under the jumper. Students in years 7, 8, 9,10 and 11 must wear navy blue trousers or skirt. Shoes must be black and leather with no clear logo.{{cite web | url=http://www.oldfieldschool.com/pdf_files/publications/essential_information_parents_september_2010.pdf | title=Essential Information | pages=12–14 | publisher=Oldfield School | access-date=6 December 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315195622/http://www.oldfieldschool.com/pdf_files/publications/essential_information_parents_september_2010.pdf | archive-date=15 March 2012 | url-status=dead }}

In December 2013, Ofsted made a surprise inspection to investigate concerns over child safeguarding, following some complaints. Ofsted concluded that safeguarding procedures met requirements, but the school governors had an inadequate understanding of their statutory responsibilities, were overly reliant on information provided by the headteacher, and an external review of governance should be undertaken.{{cite news |url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Ofsted-calls-governors-Oldfield-School-stronger/story-20620198-detail/story.html |title=Ofsted calls for governors at Oldfield School to take stronger line on dealing with complaints |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=15 February 2014 |access-date=19 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228230652/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Ofsted-calls-governors-Oldfield-School-stronger/story-20620198-detail/story.html |archive-date=28 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Oldfield-School-headteacher-Kim-Sparling-accused/story-20668495-detail/story.html |title=Oldfield School headteacher Kim Sparling accused staff of being 'treacherous' and suggested they look for new jobs |newspaper=Western Daily Press |date=20 February 2014 |access-date=26 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302072213/http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Oldfield-School-headteacher-Kim-Sparling-accused/story-20668495-detail/story.html |archive-date=2 March 2014 |url-status=dead }} A fuller Ofsted report has not been published, despite a petition of over 1,000 signatures.{{cite news |url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Pressure-Ofsted-release-Oldfield-School-report/story-20657852-detail/story.html |title=Petition to get full Oldfield Ofsted report published tops 1,000 signatures |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=25 February 2014 |access-date=26 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301105643/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Pressure-Ofsted-release-Oldfield-School-report/story-20657852-detail/story.html |archive-date=1 March 2014 |url-status=dead }} The Bath Chronicle, which had seen a copy of the fuller report, reported that it "would have regraded the school rated as outstanding in 2012, and which contains more serious criticisms", but was limited in what it could report for legal reasons.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/feb/25/institute-education-free-school-plans-turned-down |title=Parents say rejection of Institute of Education free school plan is 'political' – Petition calls for Ofsted to publish report |author=Warwick Mansell |newspaper=The Guardian|date=25 February 2014 |access-date=26 February 2014}}

In March 2014, in the week a Department for Education review team visited the school, Stuart Weatherall was appointed chair of governors, with the previous chair becoming vice-chair of governors.{{cite news |url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Oldfield-School-chair-governors-Julie-Cope-forced/story-20810084-detail/story.html |title=Oldfield School chair of governors Julie Cope 'forced to resign' |author=Paul Wiltshire |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=14 March 2014 |access-date=15 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315155954/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Oldfield-School-chair-governors-Julie-Cope-forced/story-20810084-detail/story.html |archive-date=15 March 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Chair-governors-replaced-troubled-Oldfield-School/story-20813118-detail/story.html |title=Chair of governors replaced at troubled Oldfield School |newspaper=Bristol Post |date=14 March 2014 |access-date=15 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315172041/http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Chair-governors-replaced-troubled-Oldfield-School/story-20813118-detail/story.html |archive-date=15 March 2014 |url-status=dead }} The NASUWT teachers' union called for the resignation of the headteacher following the leaking of the unpublished 2013 Ofsted report which accused the headteacher of "managing staff through a culture of fear, intimidation and bullying".{{cite news |url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Union-calls-head-s-resignation/story-20831218-detail/story.html |title=Union calls for resignation of Oldfield head teacher Kim Sparling |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=21 March 2014 |access-date=1 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323102140/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Union-calls-head-s-resignation/story-20831218-detail/story.html |archive-date=23 March 2014 |url-status=dead }}

On 30 April 2014 the headteacher resigned.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-27242363 |title=Oldfield School head teacher Kim Sparling resigns |publisher=BBC |date=1 May 2014 |access-date=3 May 2014}} On the same day it was announced that a pre-warning notice letter had been issued by the Secretary of State for Education to the governors, requiring major improvements after a serious breakdown in the way the academy had been managed and governed.{{cite news |url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Kim-Sparling-steps-headteacher-Oldfield-School/story-21042967-detail/story.html |title=Exclusive: Kim Sparling steps down as headteacher at Oldfield School |author=Paul Wiltshire |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=1 May 2014 |access-date=3 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502091040/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Kim-Sparling-steps-headteacher-Oldfield-School/story-21042967-detail/story.html |archive-date=2 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Government-report-outlines-improvements-needed/story-21047333-detail/story.html |title=Government report outlines improvements needed at Bath's Oldfield School |author=Siobhan Prideaux |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=2 May 2014 |access-date=3 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504000539/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Government-report-outlines-improvements-needed/story-21047333-detail/story.html |archive-date=4 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/308013/Oldfield_Final_Report_-_letter.pdf |title=Pre-Warning Notice Letter to the Governors of Oldfield School |author=Lord Nash |publisher=Department for Education |date=7 April 2014 |access-date=3 May 2014}} The remedial actions recommended by the Education Funding Agency included the establishment of an Interim Academy Board, to take over the powers and functions of the governors for a period of time.{{cite report |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/308015/Oldfield_Final_Report_-_reworked_6_.pdf |title=Review of Oldfield Academy Trust |publisher=Education Funding Agency |date=April 2014 |access-date=3 May 2014}} In July 2015 the Interim Academy Board was dissolved, and a normal governance regime resumed.{{cite news |url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/responsibility-returned-Oldfield-School-s/story-27472212-detail/story.html |title=Full responsibility returned to Bath's Oldfield School after changes are made |author=Anne Moore |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=23 July 2015 |access-date=24 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724222341/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/responsibility-returned-Oldfield-School-s/story-27472212-detail/story.html |archive-date=24 July 2015 |url-status=dead }}

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Category:Schools in Bath, Somerset