Successes and Highlights
GCSE Results 2024
Students at Claydon High School are celebrating after receiving an excellent set of GCSE results today. All of our staff and Academy Committee members would like to congratulate all students on their dedication and tenacity to achieve.
I think it is fair to say that this cohort has had one of the toughest five years for many reasons. They have had to deal with the Covid years throughout Key Stage 3 along with the fall out from this, many have had their own personal challenges to overcome and then this year they have been highly impacted by RAAC. Studying for a Science GCSE when you are unable to undertake practicals is a challenge and I would like to thank the students for their patience, the Science team for how they have transformed their entire curriculum and our Trust, Penrose Learning Trust, for their support and swift response.
All of our students should feel immensely proud of the grades they have achieved across a range of subjects, which enables them to go onto their next steps in education, apprenticeships or employment with training. However, as we continually tell our students, the grades are a stepping stone into the wider world. What we are even more proud of is the incredible human being each and every one has become. The wider skills our students have developed, through their time at Claydon High School, will ensure they become active citizens within a diverse world.
We also need to recognise those that support each student when they are not in school, the constant reminders about revision or the reassuring word, all help develop our students to be the best they can be.
To the cohort of 2024 – thank you and we wish you all the best for the future. Stay in touch!
Mr M Ismay - Headteacher
GCSE Results 2023
Our staff and academy committee members congratulate the Class of 2023 for the excellent GCSE results they achieved this summer. It has been a challenging five years for many reasons, and some of our students encountered many additional personal challenges along the way, but they all made it through to celebrate a leavers’ assembly, prom and of course Results Day!
Results Day is about celebrating academic success and all of our students should feel very proud of the grades they have achieved, across a range of subjects, which will allow them to make their choices about next steps in education or employment with training. However, the grades in the envelopes also reflect the maturity, resilience and wider set of skills which each young person has developed through their time at school and those come through a mix of sport, music, drama, school council, student leadership roles, class work and friendship groups; each of our alumni has left their mark at Claydon High School and we thank them for their hard work, good humour and strong personalities and wish them well for the future.
We would also like to recognise the families who support each young person, some of whom we will also say farewell to this summer, and thank them for working with us over the time their child has been with us; we value this partnership with home to ensure each young person becomes the best version of themselves.
Ms M Taylor - Headteacher
CSE Results 2022
Claydon High School is delighted with the performance of students this year with the cohort
achieving very strongly across the board and impressive performances from many individuals.
As we all know, this cohort of students has experienced significant disruption over the past three
years and for them to sit exams was a great achievement but brought challenges too. We were
hugely proud of how every student approached the assessment and examination season and their hard work has really paid off. Our students have achieved success across a range of subjects and many have overcome individual challenges and should be immensely proud of their achievements.
Schools are not just about exam performance, but about developing a range of skills to take learners into the next stage of education or training; we can see that our young people have these skills and are well placed to achieve further success in the future.
We hope that all students will celebrate their successes with friends and family, who have been so crucial in creating the vital support network young people needed to get to this point in time. I am hugely grateful to all of our families for the strong working relationships we have enjoyed over the last five years and also want to thank all of the staff, both teaching and support staff, who have worked tirelessly to support each and every student.
We wish every student from the Class of 2022 every success for the future.
Ms M Taylor - Headteacher
Ofsted Inspection 2021
“Claydon High School continues to be a good school”
Following an inspection in September 2021, we’re proud to announce that we have once again been judged to be a good school.
The inspectors met staff, students, governors and trustees, observed lessons and checked policies, processes and paperwork.
The strengths of the school include a strong and effective safeguarding culture, high expectations for how students behave and a well-considered curriculum where teachers with strong subject knowledge teach content which allows students to develop a depth of knowledge and understanding. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about their children’s experience at the school. Parents typically comment that, “Every staff member proves again and again that they have the best interests of my child at heart.”
GCSE Results 2021
Year 11 Students at Claydon High School achieved excellent GCSE results
Headteacher, Maéve Taylor, said, “Congratulations to this year group who have worked hard to achieve excellent GCSE results. Despite the challenges the last two years have presented, these individuals have shown a mature and positive approach to their learning which has enabled them to achieve strongly across a range of subjects.
“We are incredibly proud of each student in this year group for their hard work, which has been supported by a wonderful group of parents and carers and wider family networks.
“Teachers and other staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that all students have been challenged and supported through this unprecedented period of education to achieve a set of grades which will allow them to progress and succeed in their future sixth form studies, college courses and apprenticeships. We wish them every success in the future.”
Ms M Taylor - Headteacher
August 2021
School Games Gold Mark Award
We are delighted to announce that we have achieved the School Games Gold Mark Award for the 2018/19 academic year. The School Games Mark is a Government led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust, to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.
Competing in a huge array of local inter-school competitions this year, we are extremely proud of our students for their dedication to all aspects of school sport, including those young volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible. As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year.
A special thanks to all the Claydon staff who have helped this year to set up and run a lunchtime or after-school extra-curricular club in order to provide our students with opportunities to improve their skills in many different activities. This last term has been extremely tough for all of the staff and students here at Claydon with the tragic loss of our inspirational PE teacher Matt Jack. He was truly an amazing teacher and colleague. He saw and wanted the best in all the students he taught in lessons and
in the countless number of extra-curricular clubs he ran. This School Games Gold Mark is dedicated to his hard work.
July 2019
Claydon High School receives Platinum Award from Suffolk Young Carers
In July 2018, Claydon High School was presented with the Platinum Award for supporting our young carers in school. We are very proud of this achievement, having already received the Bronze Silver and Gold Awards!
We work very closely with Suffolk Young Carers and our young carers in school. We have raised school awareness of young carers through assemblies and teacher training days and we regularly hold activities, events and fundraisers.
July 2018
Claydon High School nationally recognised as transforming educational practice
Claydon High School has recently achieved accreditation for transforming practice in ‘Leadership through moral purpose’ under SSAT's Framework for Exceptional Education. The Framework for Exceptional Education is a tool incorporating SSAT's 30 years of experience in school improvement. Co-developed with a group of high-performing schools and reviewed by leading academics, the framework supports schools in quality-assuring their work and sharing effective practice.
To achieve accreditation as transforming in practice, Claydon High School was reviewed by two other high-performing schools and an independent moderator from SSAT. SSAT's Chief Executive, Sue Williamson commented, "for a school to be accredited for transforming practice is a real credit to their team and the quality of the work that they are doing."
Maéve Taylor, Headteacher of Claydon High School, said, “We are delighted with this recognition of the fantastic work being undertaken at the school by leaders at all levels, including our student leadership team. Our vision is that we should all aim to “be the best we can be” and this award acknowledges how our students are supported in this goal by a team of committed teachers and other staff as well as the wider community. I am immensely proud of everyone who has contributed to this success for the school.”
May 2018
Silver School Games Mark Award
We have been successful in our application for a Silver School Games Award. The School Games Mark (which is recognised by Ofsted) rewards schools for their commitment to and development of competition, school sport and physical education.
In order to achieve any level of the School Games Mark, we must meet a set of prerequisites including: providing opportunities that attract less active young people to participate in physical activity; a calendar of competition that demonstrates opportunities for young people with SEND to take part in competitions; a notice board and/or in-house school digital system that promotes School Games activity and much more.
July 2017
Claydon High School nationally recognised as transforming educational practice
Claydon High School has recently achieved accreditation for transforming practice under SSAT's Framework for Exceptional Education. The Framework for Exceptional Education is a self-review and planning tool incorporating SSAT's 30 years of experience in school improvement. Co-developed with a group of high-performing schools and reviewed by leading academics, the framework supports schools in quality-assuring their work and sharing effective practice.
To achieve accreditation as transforming in practice, Claydon High School was reviewed by another high-performing school and an independent moderator from SSAT. SSAT's Chief Executive, Sue Williamson comments "for a school to be accredited for transforming practice is a real credit to their team and the quality of the work that they are doing."
Sarah Skinner, Headteacher of Claydon High School, said “We are delighted to have our hard work recognised by other high performing schools. My thanks goes to a dedicated team of staff.”
May 2017
Claydon High School shortlisted for a DfE Character Award 2016
Claydon High School was one of only four schools in the Eastern Region to be shortlisted for a DfE Character Award 2016. Our commitment to "providing an innovative approach to instilling positive character traits in students, ensuring that they are determined, confident and resilient; prepared for life in modern Britain" was judged to be 'highly commended'.
June 2016
Claydon High School is named in the top 100 schools in England
We are delighted to share the exciting news that Claydon High School has been named in the top 100 non-selective state-funded schools in England for sustained improvement.
MP Nick Gibb, Minister of State for Schools sent a letter to the school offering personal congratulations to the students and staff on this excellent achievement, which recognises sustained improvement in students achieving five or more A*-C GCSE grades, including English and Mathematics between 2013 and 2015.
We are also celebrating news that the school has been invited to become a Leading Edge school. Leading Edge is a programme which invites Claydon High School to join other high performing schools across the country to work locally, regionally and nationally to raise achievement through the sharing of proven ideas. There are currently over 300 Leading Edge schools within the programme, representing some of the most outstanding and innovative practice nationally.
I am very pleased that the hard work and dedication of staff alongside the commitment and fantastic achievements of our students over this three year period has been recognised. We will continue to strive for improvement and to deliver outstanding teaching and learning for our young people and these two accolades will support us in that aim.
I would like to thank my committed team of staff, supportive parents/carers and of course, the fantastic students, both past and present.
Mrs Skinner - Headteacher
March 2016
Pupil Premium Award
We have just heard from David Laws, Schools Minister, that Claydon High School has been awarded a £5,000 award for our progress and achievement of our Pupil Premium students.
We are delighted to have received this award. Our staff always work hard for all the students at Claydon High School but the focus on supporting those who sometimes experience more difficulties in their lives means that we achieved great results across the board but particularly for those in receipt of the pupil premium funding.
The additional resources this funding will provide allows for bespoke staff training, clearly timed and targeted intervention strategies and support for students which goes beyond the traditional academic sphere. We have a lovely school community who support one another and our shared philosophy of "Be the best you can be" means that high expectations and aspirations permeate all that staff and students strive to achieve.
We will now look to extend our work further in supporting achievement for all students at the school and this award will support us in that aim. I would like to thank my committed team of staff, supportive parent/carers and of course, the fantastic students, past and present.
Mrs Skinner - Headteacher
February 2015