Students Thrive as Kidderminster Free School Enters Year Four

As a new school year begins, Holy Trinity School and Sixth Form Centre in Kidderminster, which became a free school four years ago, is continuing to see student numbers grow across all sections of this popular through-school. Each phase of the school has doubled in size from Reception Class to Year 4, Year 5 to Year 8 and Year 9 to Year 13 in Sixth Form. Headteacher Mrs Leek-Wright commented: “Four years on from becoming a free school, although a busier school, the positive atmosphere and traditional attitudes of our learners is as it has always been, and something that we work exceptionally hard to maintain. The very nature of the fact that the school is an all-through school where children can undertake 14 years of education on one site, creates a difference that, in part, accounts for the positive atmosphere within the school. “Having all ages on one site helps to teach responsibility and an awareness beyond age boundaries, which forms a key part to the personal development of our pupils and provides opportunities unique to the setting. As a school, our ambition is to inspire and challenge and nurture lifelong learners, young people who will continue to grow, adapt and contribute within and towards society, so despite changes to the school, we remain focused in delivering the same high-quality education in line with the tradition of the school.” Major investment in school facilities has delivered a dining room extension, an updated ICT infrastructure and the implementation of touch screens in teaching rooms to help create diversity in learning delivery and access, and the further development of the Sixth Form area, as well as the introduction of two new libraries within Prep and Senior schools which has helped to promote literacy skills and a love of reading. The school enjoyed an outstanding set of GCSE and A level results this year with A Level students achieving a pass rate of 97% and above the national average, 27% of students gaining A / A* grades and 41% A*- B grades and over. 69% of GCSE students attained a grade 6 or above (B or above) and placed the school joint first in the county for 9-5 passes in English and maths combined with Physics and Maths being the best performing core subjects, and Art, History, PE and RE out performing as foundation subjects. The next phase of redevelopment will be to the school’s outdoor areas, which will include a new netball facility and football surface, and the installation of electronic gates and a painting programme throughout the school’s interior. Added Mrs Leek-Wright: “As a school, we feel that we the have excelled our free school goals which were to extend provision to the wider community, maintain a breadth and depth of curriculum and to provide an all-round education throughout the 14-year journey our pupils undertake at Holy Trinity. “In 2018 little has changed from our ethos of 2014 and we continue to be, not just a school, but a community where we all take a sense of pride from belonging, giving freely of our support in subscribing to a set of values that we all agree makes for the best education.”