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Prior Park College, Bath

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Prior Park College details

Address:: Prior Park College
Ralph Allen Drive, Bath, Banes BA2 5AH
Telephone:: 01225 831 000
Fax:: 01225 835 753
Email:: admissions@priorpark.co.uk
Website:: www.priorpark.co.uk
Authority:: Bath and North-east Somerset
Admissions:: Selective
Gender of entry:: Mixed
Age range:: 7-18
Number of students:: 537
Affiliation:: HMC
Gender of sixth form:: Mixed
Last inspection:: November 2001. Read the full inspection report.

General information

Headteacher: Giles Mercer, appointed in 1996.

Background: Housed in an 18th-century mansion complemented by up-to-date facilities, Britain's largest independent coeducational Catholic boarding and day school was founded in 1830. The magnificent chapel is central to the life of the school and the chaplain is closely associated with the pastoral care of students. Each pupil is assigned to one of eight houses, that are centres for daily registration, house assemblies and meetings with tutors. The college is large enough to support a diverse curriculum, while dedicated teachers and small class sizes ensure pupils have the opportunity to excel. Recent improvements include a new ICT suite with more than 40 computers and two new classrooms. A new sports hall is also planned as well as a dance studio and workshop area. More than half the pupils attend lessons for instrument or voice and about a quarter are members of the school's choral society. Instrumental success in the annual Mid-Somerset Festival and in national events has enhanced the school's musical reputation. One of the college's specialities is theatre studies and last year pupils took part in 22 music, dance and drama productions staged in the school's Julian Slade Theatre. The main school sports are rugby, hockey and cricket for boys and hockey, netball and tennis for girls. The school has an extracurricular programme of more than 60 weekly activities including scuba diving and sailing.

Alumni: Sir Cameron Mackintosh, theatre owner and impresario; Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster.

Higher education: 99%.

Special needs: Full-time special educational needs co-ordinator and part-time teacher, as well as two classrooms equipped with facilities for dyslexic pupils.

Inspection: November 2001: The teaching staff are well qualified and, together with their colleagues on the support staff, are proud of the school which they serve so hard. In almost half the lessons observed, the teaching was very good or excellent and the other half were good. Pupils are unaffectedly courteous, cheerful and helpful. Their co-operation, appreciation and sensitivity to the needs of others make a significant contribution to the happy, productive atmosphere within the school.

Feeder schools: Paragon School; Royal High School; King Edward's Junior School; Heywood Preparatory School; Prior Park Preparatory School.

Boys' age range: 11 to 18.

Girls' age range: 11 to 18.

Percentage admitted according to academic ability: 100.

Average class size (seniors; 11-16): 19.

Average class size (sixth form): 9.

Prior Park College Statistics

Year	GCSE	A-level
Year	A*-C	Points
1997	88%	18.5
1998	91%	19.3
1999	89%	20
2000	89%	18.3
2001	100%	18.9
2002	83%	283.1
2003	85%	309.5
2004	91%	318.7
2005	91%	317.5
2006	90%	823

*GCSE A-C (including English and mathematics)**
2004	-
2005	-
2006	-

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