The Bradley Stoke Journal

Dave Baker, headteacher at Bradley Stoke Community School, is to take on the leadership of a second school in the North Bristol area.

Following an announcement on Monday 3rd October that Abbeywood Community School’s headteacher Ann Duff had resigned from her post with immediate effect “for personal reasons”, Mr Baker has now been appointed Executive Headteacher of both schools for the remainder of the current academic year.

A joint statement put out by South Gloucestershire Council and the governing bodies of the two schools today (Friday 7th October) reads:

“In partnership with South Gloucestershire Council, the governors of Abbeywood Community School and Bradley Stoke Community School are pleased to announce that Dave Baker has agreed to become the executive head of both schools for the remainder of this academic year.”

“A strong partnership already exists between the two schools and this arrangement will strengthen the opportunities for staff to share best practice and professional development opportunities. Governors are confident that this new way of working will be beneficial for all students as part of a continuing drive for school improvement.”

More: Opportunities for staff to share best practice says dual head »

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Webbs Wood Road, Bradley Stoke, has submitted a planning application for an additional classroom and a group room.

The school, rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, says the proposed extension will provide a larger IT teaching suite (accommodating 30 pupils rather than the current 15) plus a room for teaching in small groups away from the main classrooms.

In recent times, the school has added a Reception class extension and an extension to the staffroom and administrative accommodation.

The consultation period runs until Monday 1st August.

Related link: Schools in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)

Strike action by two teaching unions, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), has led to the partial closure of a number of schools in Bradley Stoke today.

Bradley Stoke Community School is open for year 7 students but closed to all students in years 8, 9 and 12. For students in year 10, only those who are going on the trip to London should attend, according to a notice on the school website.

At Baileys Court Primary School, ten classes are closed due to the industrial action, leaving just four classes open as normal.

Nine classes are closed at Meadowbrook Primary School, with five operating normally.

More information:

• School Opening Status (South Gloucestershire Council)
• Bradey Stoke Schools (The Journal)
• Q&A: Public sector strikes (BBC)

Students at Bradley Stoke Community School were today warned not to walk home alone after a “suspicious looking man” was reported to have approached two female students yesterday.

The following ‘safety notice‘ was given to students today:

“We have been made aware that there has been a suspicious looking male (late teens/early 20s) loitering around the area who approached two female students yesterday.”

“Until we have been informed by the police that this man has been spoken to, we would ask that students do not walk home alone.”

Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) is staging a meeting for parents/carers this evening to communicate the latest results of research into the possibility of the school converting to academy status.

The school first registered its interest in becoming an academy in June 2010, following an invitation from Education Secretary Michael Gove issued shortly after the General Election.

The school Governors agreed to take the next step towards to conversion in December 2010 and tonight’s meeting is a precursor to the launching of a formal consultation process.

Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) gets a mention in an article in today’s Guardian that claims school uniforms do not improve learning results.

The article quotes American academic David Brunsma, who has concluded, after eight years of research, that “uniforms do not make our schools better”.

BSCS headteacher Dave Baker is mentioned in connection with the school’s clampdown on ‘Miss Sexy’ trousers that hit the national headlines in October last year.

Read more: School uniform does not improve results – discuss (The Guardian)