John Masefield High School


John Masefield High School is a secondary school with an academy status, located in Ledbury, Herefordshire, England. It is named after the poet John Masefield.

Description

The school lies to the south of the small town of Ledbury adjacent to the A449, with a campus enclosed by housing. Crossing the A449 one enters Ledbury Park and the grounds of Eastnor Castle. It is an average-sized rural comprehensive school with sixth form that converted from local authority control to become a single school academy in 2011. At that time it was rated by Ofsted as a "good" school and it has remained so.
The main building is a collection of two storey blocks, to the ridge; facing-brick with concrete frames, glass and blue cladding and plain clay tiles to the vertical panels to the gables. The most recent addition was in 2018 when a two storey building was built to the north of this block in a style to match. This classroom block is, and to the ridge, with an eaves height of. These ten classrooms have replaced a range of nine mobile classrooms.

Academics

The curriculum at John Masefield High School is focused on enabling students to enjoy their studies and to maximise their achievement irrespective of their abilities. Students start by studying French in year 7, and can also start German in year 8. Either or both of these languages can be studied in Key Stage 4, and continued as A levels.
The programme of study ensures students follow a full National Curriculum programme at Key Stages 3 and 4, and are challenged, whether they have chosen an academic or more vocational pathway at Key Stages 4, and later in the sixth form. Students mainly follow GCSE courses, but certain BTEC programmes and other modes of certification are offered.
In response to the changing nature of GCSEs, the school operates a two year Key Stage 3, allowing three years for Key Stage 4.
In the sixth form students start by studying four A Level subjects or equivalent which they can reduce to three in the upper sixth.