We are an all-ability, 11-18 school with 895 students on roll and we were granted Academy status with effect from 1 June 2011.  We take children from Ledbury Primary School and over twenty other local primary schools in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.

Headteacher’s Introduction

Please click on the link for an introduction from the Headteacher, Mr Andrew Evans.

Introduction from the Headteacher

Site and Facilities

The school is situated close to the edge of the town with views over the surrounding countryside. Subject departments have well-equipped suites of teaching rooms, all with interactive touch screens and we have seven ICT suites and over three hundred computers so that computer-based facilities are always available. Our sport and leisure complex provides excellent indoor facilities together with a large, floodlit Astroturf pitch.

In 2009 we opened our Student Services Centre, the first of its kind to be established in Herefordshire. The Centre sets a new standard for inclusive and supportive secondary education, bringing together all essential pastoral and academic support services under one roof.

Sixth Form

Our Sixth Form Centre is housed in a purpose-built, separate suite of teaching rooms, an ICT network, study room, common room and offices. We have an open entry policy with courses to suit students of all abilities and aptitudes. Numbers each year average around one hundred and twenty students and this means that class sizes can be kept relatively small.

Senior Leadership Team

Our Senior Leadership Team includes the Headteacher, the Deputy Headteacher, four Assistant Headteacher and the School Business Manager.  Successive OFSTED reports have praised the quality of leadership and management at JMHS.

The Staff

Staff work well as a team and are very supportive of each other.  New staff have an induction programme which is individual and matched to previous experience, skills and prior knowledge. Faculty leaders see their most important role as the support of colleagues and they are committed to helping members of their team to work as effectively as possible.

Pastoral Care

We have an excellent pastoral care system led by our Assistant Headteacher for Pastoral Care and expertly supported by Year Leaders and a team of form tutors.  We firmly believe that each student should have key adults whose support is continuous throughout their school careers. Student Support Assistants offer excellent support to Year Leaders as well as being a contact point for both parents and students alike.

All students are also allocated to a House.  At the end of each academic year Houses and Year groups compete for trophies awarded for positive behaviour, high attendance, sporting achievement and participation, the learning standards, charity work and House Points.  Each week students have assemblies and throughout the year take part in a series of fun and exciting challenges.  We find this gives students a strong sense of identity within our school community.

Special Needs Provision

We are a fully inclusive  comprehensive school who ensures that all students can achieve their potential academically, personally, socially and emotionally regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, sexual identity, physical ability or educational needs. At JMHS we aim to provide a personalised approach to learning with the relevant support and adjustments made to learning that will maximise your child’s progress both within and outside of the classroom.

Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator, Mrs K Barker, has responsibility for SEND, and is always willing to meet with parents to discuss a students’ specific needs.

Enrichment

Alongside every student’s full academic programme of lessons the school is committed to providing an enticing, challenging and broad range of experiences which support their holistic development.  The more involved students become in school life, the higher their achievement is overall.  They need to become resilient, independent, well-rounded individuals and our programme of events is designed to support this core belief.

We offer a wide range of enrichment activities covering every subject, while the strength of both curricular and extra curricular Sport and Performing Arts is indicated by the very large number of students awarded Sports or Arts Colours.

Our Challenge Days in the summer term, when the timetable is suspended, give further opportunity for a wide range of trips and workshops for all year groups.  As such, we have created a programme for your child which ensures that their curriculum knowledge and practical application is enhanced.  It is expected that all students in the year group will take a full part in all activities.

Alongside our programme of timetabled events, there will also be further opportunities for your child to opt into in subject specific areas.  These include trips to France and Spain, cultural trips and field trips.

The school day

The school day begins at 8:45am for Year 7 and 8:50am for all other year groups and we operate a staggered end to the school day with Year 7 and 8 departing at 3:10pm, Year 9 and 10 at 3:15pm and Year 11 at 3:20pm.  The length of the school week in 2021/22 for Year 7 is 32h 5mins, for Year 8 is 31h 40mins, for Year 9 and 10 is 32h 5 mins and for Year 11 is 32h 30mins.

A proposal for September 2023 will be put forward for consultation with a 8:45am start for all year groups and a staggered end to the school day with Year 7 and 8 departing at 3:15pm, Year 9 and 10 at 3:20pm and Year 11 at 3:25pm.  Based on this proposal, the length of the school week in 2022/23 for Year 7 and 8 would be 32h 30mins, for Year 9 and 10 would be 32h 55mins and Year 11 would be 33h 20 mins.

The wider community

Ledbury has a thriving reputation in the arts as the home of Ledbury Poetry Festival and many other cultural events in which our students play a full part.