Jan 2010 - Headmaster attends Downing Street reception
The Royal Alexandra & Albert School, the state boarding school in Reigate, was recognised at a Reception in Number 10 Downing Street this week (11 Jan 2010) for its outstanding contribution to the lives and careers of students. Headmaster Paul Spencer Ellis; the driving force behind the school’s improvement joined the Prime Minister and Headteachers from the country’s most improved schools to talk about the school’s exemplary commitment to nurturing and investing time in all learners and the exceptional results this produces. The School, which is a Sports College and has recently taken on a second Specialism in Maths and ICT, has also been identified by the DCSF as the Lead School for Gifted & Talented in the area,Under Paul’s leadership, the school has seen enormous improvements in results including a staggering rise in the number of students achieving five or more GCSEs including Maths and English at A*-C from 34% in 2005, to 55% in 2008.
A Lead School for Gifted & Talented school for just 12-months, the school’s commitment to engendering a culture of achievement has seen the percentage of GCSEs at A/A* increase from 11% to 19% and the percentage of pupils achieving three A/A*s has risen from 19% to 29%. In light of such strong results, demand for places at the school has soared.
As a Lead School for Gifted and Talented the School has a designated teacher who works closely with other teachers to ensure work is sufficiently challenging to meet the needs of all gifted and talented pupils on a day-to-day basis. This teacher also coordinates the provision of Gifted and Talented activities for other schools in the area.
As one of only 35 state boarding schools in England and Wales, the Royal Alexandra & Albert school offers a wide range of co-curricular activities from sport to drama and music, supporting a well-rounded education and encouraging all pupils to shine in their own field.
Mr Spencer Ellis commented, “At the Royal Alexandra & Albert School we are not only committed to fostering a culture of achievement, but to supporting a well-rounded education through a wide range of co-curricular activities. We believe that children will thrive when they are successful and as such, we encourage all pupils to excel in their own field, whatever that may be”, he continued, “It is this holistic approach to education that allows our pupils to flourish and has enabled The Royal Alexandra and Albert to grow and improve at such pace.”
