Trustees and Members
A Warm Welcome from the Trustees of Denefield
We are very proud of our school, which has been serving our local community for over 40 years. The academic results have been particularly pleasing, with pupils, carers and staff working hard for excellent results. Our strap line, ‘Success for Life', is at the heart of all the school's work.
We are committed to excellence and passionately believe in providing our young people with the best opportunities to develop and achieve both academically and personally within a calm, safe and well-ordered space.
Our curriculum provides students with a good academic grounding together with ample opportunities to become well-rounded individuals. Developing ‘CHARACTER’ values is a key focus of our work, and we encourage our students to embrace these values to become Confident, Happy, Articulate, Resilient, Ambitious, Courageous, Tolerant, Empathetic and Respectful individuals. Students are given opportunities to thrive and grow, through an array of extracurricular activities (i.e., sports clubs, expressive arts clubs, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Combined Cadet Force in partnership with Pangbourne College and ‘Greenpower’ motor racing.)
We have excellent links with a number of local businesses which provide superb opportunities for young people to develop a passion and understanding of the core subjects in line with work reality. The school has a strong sporting tradition and plays an active part in a number of county fixtures; opportunities to play sport overseas have been introduced in recent years. Our art, music and drama departments make valuable contributions to school life, including annual productions, including, this year: ‘We will rock you’’.
Our young people develop powers of leadership via in-school leadership positions, allowing them to promote the qualities of responsibility, resilience, resourcefulness, endurance, and perseverance.
Our Languages, Business and Travel Faculty offers a wide range of languages: French, Spanish and German and opportunities for visits to help children practice language skills and to experience the culture of the countries they are studying.
As a school, we celebrate diversity and inclusion, whereby, students look at, for instance, Black History Month and LGBTQ+ History Month. We have a strong and committed EDI (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) team of students.
Since January 2012, the school has operated as a stand-alone Academy Trust School. Academy schools are free from Local Authority control but directly accountable to the Secretary of State for Education. Academy status has benefited the school considerably and has enabled us to bid for a number of capital grants to improve the buildings and learning environment. To date, we have received well over £3 million of funding which has been used to extensively improve our estate. Projects have included refurbishing the reception area, enhancing classroom areas, upgrading security and IT infrastructure and, of course, we have seen the arrival of the much-anticipated 3G pitch.
We are now upgrading our facilities with extensive work to improve teaching and learning conditions. For instance, by adding air conditioning and solar panels, with a positive emphasis on improving sustainability, refurbishing toilets and extending the sixth form areas, in consultation with the sixth form students, to improve study and to progress the needs of the increased student intake.
Please do not hesitate to contact myself, or any other trustees, if you so wish.
Take Care of you and yours -
Trev Keable
Chair of Trustees, September 2024
If you would like to contact the Trust Board, please email the Governance Professional - GovPro@Denefield.org.uk