Inspired to learn - Hardenhuish School

...supported to succeed’ 

Hardenhuish School 

A High Performing Specialist Academy 

www.hardenhuish.wilts.sch.uk 

‘inspired to learn...

Hardenhuish School - A High Performing Specialist Academy 

Parent 

01 

Year 7 pupil


Welcome to 


I am delighted to introduce our school 

to you and explain our vision for the 

education of our pupils. It should start a 

dialogue and a process which will see your 

child well supported in transferring to 

Hardenhuish School. I know how important 

secondary school is in shaping the future 

for young people. 

As the Headteacher, I am committed to 

maintaining the ethos of Hardenhuish, whilst 

ensuring the school continues to deliver 

quality all round experiences which reflect 

the best in 21st century education. 

Our aim, that all pupils are ‘inspired to learn, 

supported to succeed’ underpins our work 

and values for the young people in our care. 

I want all our children to fulfill their potential 

and I pledge that I, and my colleagues, will 

work hard to achieve this. 

I certainly expect pupils to achieve the 

qualifications they need for further and 

higher education and for adult working life, 

but I also want them to experience a richness 

and diversity of personal, social and 

recreational opportunities. 

I believe education is a three-way 

partnership between school, parents and the 

child. Their success needs your support and 

our school is committed to working with you, 

listening to you and supporting your family 

throughout your child’s learning and 

personal development. 

And beyond school? We will nurture 

independence. Indeed, we want all our pupils 

to be lifelong learners committed to widening 

their horizons and bringing rigour and 

enthusiasm to everything they do. Above all 

I want our pupils to enjoy their learning and 

their time at Hardenhuish. 

I look forward to meeting you. 

Mrs J Hatherell B.Sc., M.Ed. 

Headteacher 

02 

‘inspired 

to learn...


Pupil 

Pupil 

03 

Visiting Primary School Head


Navigating the future 

Our vision for the 

education of our pupils 

To thrive in the 21st century, we understand 

that pupils need to graduate from their 

secondary education not only with 

impressive exam certification but also with a 

repertoire of personal qualities which will 

help them to succeed. 

The truth is that no-one can predict what 

the future holds for our young people… 

destinations are unknown and our pupils will 

not arrive at them until much later in life. 

That is why the next stage in their learning 

journey is so exciting and so important. 

We work hard to instill the habits and 

attitudes that enable our pupils to face this 

future, calmly, confidently and creatively. 

We put our pupils at the centre of all that 

we do, shaping a curriculum to suit their 

aspirations and preparing them to compete 

in the most demanding walks of life. 

We encourage our pupils to: 

> > > > > > > 

Develop an inquiring mind and a love 

of learning 

Use their imagination and be creative 

in solving problems 

Show respect, self-discipline and 

self-awareness 

Work effectively on their own and 

with others 

Develop a portfolio of skills 

Have high expectations of themselves 

Show courage and perseverance when 

facing challenge 

04 

...supported to 

succeed’


Pupil 

05 

Parent


Route to success 

Inspired to learn 

As an outstanding school, Hardenhuish enjoys an 

excellent reputation for academic achievement. 

One of our top priorities is a smooth transfer from 

primary school to enable seamless learning. 

Our Year 7 Learning Manager and support team 

visit primary schools regularly and identify 

where each pupil is on their learning journey. 

Our induction evenings and days help pupils 

adapt to Hardenhuish and quickly settle to 

their personalised programme for learning. 

The curriculum paths we offer are broad, balanced 

and designed to deliver success for all pupils. 

A unique feature of our Year 9 curriculum is that 

pupils enjoy some say in what they wish to study 

and start GCSEs at the optimum time. Our popular 

cross-curricular days enrich our curriculum and 

enable our gifted and talented pupils to play a 

lead role in the resolving of local, national and 

global issues. 

Learning changes direction at the end of the 

school day. Homework is an integral part of 

the learning experience. We are at the forefront 

of technological learning; our pupils can 

access Hardenhuish learning in the evenings 

or at weekends. 

06 

‘inspired 



Parent 

Parent 

07 

Parent


No limits 

A richness and diversity 

of personal, social and 

recreational opportunities 

At Hardenhuish, pupils are encouraged to grasp 

every available opportunity to add to their portfolio 

of achievements. By providing pupils with relevant 

skills and confidence, we foster the idea that there 

is no such thing as an “off limit” learning experience. 

Whatever their chosen route, we attempt to prepare 

them for what might be around the corner. 

There is an extensive list of Hardenhuish-based 

clubs for pupils to try at lunchtime or after school 

... Animation, Bookheads, Choir, Duke of 

Edinburgh… and a selection of alternative activities 

such as Art Attack, Extreme Fishing, Scrapheap 

Challenge on offer in July, through our 

well-established Activities programme. 

Further afield, we provide rich and varied 

opportunities nationally. Our pupils can: 

Enjoy a night’s sleep on a battleship in London 

Perform at the Edinburgh Fringe 

Cycle around a velodrome in Wales... 

to name just a few. 

> > > > > > > > > 

Beyond our shores we offer further curricular 

enrichment through: 

Regular European language exchanges 

Alpine ski and snowboarding 

Field trips to Iceland 

and leadership opportunities such as: 

The Model United Nations conference 

in California 

International sports tours 

Long haul global experiences to countries 

such as Kenya or Borneo 

08 


succeed’


Parent of Year 7 returning 

from residential! 

09 

Ofsted Report 

Parent


Safe journey 

Supported to succeed 

Our belief in a shared value system ensures an 

orderly, supportive and safe school environment 

which allows learners to thrive. 

Pupils are carefully organised into Year 7 tutor 

groups and a residential experience reinforces 

these new groupings. It kick-starts new 

relationships, fosters friendships and a sense of 

shared responsibility which is developed further 

as the tutor group, with their Tutor and Pastoral 

Manager, move through years 7-11 together. 

These key adults oversee personal and academic 

development during daily tutor time and termly 

tutor periods. Pupils are regularly rewarded for 

their achievements through our merit system and 

their success is celebrated in assemblies and at 

graduation events. Our Pastoral Managers are 

on-call throughout the day and have an excellent 

reputation for resolving any anxieties, pupil or 

parental, communicating effectively and efficiently. 

We use many vehicles for parental engagement 

and to give parents a voice – evening events to 

share information at key moments on the learning 

journey, the website ‘feedback’, the Learning 

Gateway, student diaries, graduation ceremonies, 

Friends of Hardenhuish parents’ association, 

parent and pupil consultations. 

We encourage pupils to set aspirational targets 

and we support them through regular dialogue 

with our parents so that we can match, or 

exceed, expectations. 

10 

‘inspired 



Visitor 

Pupil 

11 

Pupil member of School Parliament


Sustainability 

We will nurture 

independence 

Set in the magnificent parkland of the former 

Hardenhuish Manor and Chippenham Grammar 

School, our site is spacious and wonderfully 

contrasting; our classrooms, creative and 

purposeful. 

We take our environmental responsibility very 

seriously and have a culture where pupils feel that 

they can influence the direction not just of their 

school but of wider society; our wind turbine and 

solar panels are a testament to this. 

We nurture our citizens of the future and provide 

opportunities for pupils to help us to identify our 

own strengths and limitations. Pupils are our 

greatest ambassadors and we are always happy 

for them to guide visitors around our site, support 

local schools and play a part in the appointment 

of staff. 

Our pupils are interested in the world beyond the 

School’s gates; demonstrated by our achievement 

of the full International School Award. Our pupils 

are active and proud to serve their community. 

Our innovative School Parliament encourages 

pupils to: 

> > > > 

Witness democracy in action 

Grapple with the complexities of decision making 

Choose the annual school charity 

Create and implement action plans 

12 


succeed’


Pole position 

Quality all round 

experiences which 

reflect the best in 

21st century education 

The vast majority of our pupils choose to continue 

their learning journey in the Hardenhuish Sixth 

Form, which has been consistently judged one of 

the most successful in Wiltshire. 

The Sixth Form team includes the Learning 

Manager and a dedicated specialist who offers 

quality information, advice and guidance on 

course choices and future directions. The Pastoral 

Manager is committed to the full time care and 

support of our sixth formers. It is the student 

who is at the centre. 

Hardenhuish is outstanding at post 16 level. 

Academically, our students flourish and achieve 

or exceed their targets across a wide range 

of subjects. We have an impressive record of 

students progressing to top universities including 

Oxford and Cambridge. 

Year 12 and 13 students are fully integrated in the 

wider school (they lead the School’s Parliament) 

yet the Sixth Form still retains its own identity, 

housed in a purpose-built, modern, exclusive 

Sixth Form Centre. 

Hugely successful, the Hardenhuish Sixth Form 

puts students in pole position as they 

contemplate their futures. 

> > > > 

13 

‘inspired to learn...


Ofsted Report 

Parent 

14 

Year 13 student

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A High Performing Specialist Academy 

Hardenhuish School Ltd 

Registered: England & Wales No. 7344277 

Reg. Office: 

Hardenhuish Lane 

Chippenham 

Wiltshire 

SN14 6RJ 

@ 

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Computing 

A C C E S S T O F U R T H E R 

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Tel: 01249 650 693 

Fax: 01249 767 388 

Email: admin@hardenhuish.wilts.sch.uk 

Web: www.hardenhuish.wilts.sch.uk 

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Inspired to learn - Hardenhuish School

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