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Latest News

Membership of AGBIS
Padworth College has become a member of the Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools which supports and advises governing bodies of schools in the independent sector on all aspects of governance, under the umbrella of the Independent Schools Council. The objects of the Association are the advancement of education in independent schools and the promotion of good governance in such schools.

Chair of Trustees, David Pullinger said, "Membership of AGBIS will enable Padworth to move forward with the development of Padworth through the expert guidance provided by them on matters relating to the governance of the College and I am delighted that they have accepted our membership application."

9th May 2008

Padworth gains membership of SHMIS and the ISC

Padworth College has become a member of the Society of Headmasters and Headmistresses in Independent Schools (SHMIS) joining over 100 other well-established independent schools in an association which promotes good practice and high standards within member schools.

Membership of SHMIS follows a successful inspection of the College by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) and accreditation by the Independent Schools Council (ISC).

Principal, Linde Melhuish said, “We are delighted that Padworth has been recognised and accredited by both the ISC and SHMIS - it is testimony to the hard work of all the staff and students and is a seal of approval which gives prospective parents the utmost confidence in the college’s leadership and management”

Padworth Celebrates their International Culture

Delicious food from over 12 countries was served up as part of the annual International Evening at Padworth College to celebrate the diversity of cultures around the world with entertainment and an international buffet prepared by the students.

Over 200 guests attended the event which began with a parade of students dressed in international costumes representing 13 different countries and the global theme continued with the entertainment which featured a variety of international acts with traditional dancing and singing from India, Thailand and Africa as well as piano recitals and the ever popular Padworth Staff and Student Choir who performed the traditional English madrigal “Now is the Month of Maying”.

The supper which followed the entertainment had been prepared by nine teams of students each of whom chose the cuisine of a different country. Their efforts were much appreciated by the guests who were able to sample such delicacies as Polish Bigos and Gulasz, Vietnamese Hanoi dumplings and Pearl cake, Moi-moi and Jollaf rice from Africa and a very tasty Chicken vindaloo and Paneer Mutter from India to name but a few. The meal came to a perfect conclusion with a delicious selection of British puddings!

Principal, Linde Melhuish said, “International Evening is always an incredibly colourful occasion in the Padworth calendar which is enjoyed by all who take part. We are delighted to see so many friends of Padworth here this evening and are very proud of our students who have worked very hard to produce such a wonderful supper”

Cambridge offer for Padworth student

Padworth student, Chioma Ifeobu was delighted to receive the offer of a place at Cambridge University to read Chemical Engineering at Kings College for entry in October 2008. The offer follows a stringent entry procedure which includes a series of written tests and a rigorous interview.

Padworth’s Higher Education Adviser, Dr Alex Mitlehner said, “Chioma is an outstanding student who performs exceptionally well in class and is a popular member of the college community. I am confident that she will be an immense asset to Cambridge University and am delighted that she has been successful in her application.”

The majority of the Year 13 students at Padworth have applied to a range of Universities through the UCAS system for entry later this year – most students have achieved good offers and are now working towards their targets in the run-up to the final A Level examinations in May/June.

Art students from Padworth visit Florence

A party of sixth form students from Padworth College have just returned from a trip to Florence organised by the Art Department. Whilst in Italy, they visited the Uffizi Gallery, one of the oldest and most famous museums in the world where they were able to see the works of Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael and the Galleria dell’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David.

The students also had the good fortune to tour the Perugina chocolate factory, home of Italy’s most famous sweet, the Perugina Baci. The students learned about the production stages involved from research and development through to packaging and design and particularly enjoyed the free samples of Baci on offer!

The students spent five fruitful days discovering the artistic, cultural and historical treasures of this beautiful city including the Ponte Vecchio, the Palazzo Pitti, residence of the Medici Grand Dukes until 1743 and the fabulous Duomo cathedral.

Art student, Arisa said, “It was a great opportunity for me to visit Florence. It was one of the places where I really wanted to go because I study both Fine Art and History of Art. I was amazed to see many of the masterpieces live and of course, the Dome. It gave me lots of ideas and I had such a brilliant time.”

Head of Art, Marianna Ziffo said, “Everyone really enjoyed this trip and it gave the students the experience of seeing well-known original artworks which supports the historical and contextual aspects of the project work undertaken as part of their A level course.”

Korean footballers from Reading Football Club learn English at Padworth College

Three young Korean footballers who have been signed up by the Reading FC Academy are studying English at Padworth College. The young footballers, Nam Taehee, Ji Dongwon and Kim Wonsik have moved to England as part of the Korean FA's Overseas Youth Development Programme and are training alongside the Reading Under 18's Squad. The rest of their week is then spent at Padworth following an intensive English Language course to improve their English.

Principal, Mrs Linde Melhuish said, "We are delighted to welcome Nam, Ji and Kim to Padworth and to play a part in helping them to get the most out of this wonderful opportunity. I think that our intensive English classes will enable them to integrate into their new life as quickly as possible - we will all be following their progress both on and off the pitch with the greatest interest."
3rd October 2007

Padworth student amongst Top Ten in country

Padworth College student, Louisa Nie, was amongst the top ten in the country in A Level Mathematics, according to Edexcel, the UK's largest awarding body. Out of 26,142 candidates, Louisa achieved one of the highest overall marks. Jerry Jarvis, Edexcel's Managing Director, said, "This is a tremendous achievement and testament to the hard work students put into preparing for their examinations. We send our congratulations to Louisa"

Louisa is about to go to Cambridge University to study Land Economy having won a scholarship place at Queens College, Cambridge. Principal, Linde Melhuish said, "Everyone is delighted for Louisa who worked very hard to achieve these outstanding results. We wish her continuing success at University"
24th September 2007

Open Day at Padworth

Padworth College will be holding its next Open Day on Thursday 28th February 2007 from 9.30am - 4.00pm and welcomes all prospective parents and students who wish to visit. This will be a normal working day for the College with all classes operating as usual so that visitors can see the school in action and take advantage of the opportunity to meet the Principal, staff and pupils. Tours of the school will run throughout the day. Visitors are welcome at any time - however if you would like to make an appointment or request a prospectus in advance of your visit, please contact us. If you are unable to attend on that date but would like to visit Padworth at another time, we are happy to arrange an appointment at a time convenient to you.

Cosyfeet study award for ex-Padworth student

Our congatulations go to Gwen Fernandes, ex-Padworth student, who has won the Cosyfeet Study Award 2007 which will help to fund her final year research project to explore foot health awareness discrepancies between diabetic populations in the UK and Ghana.  As part of her research, Gwen will spend time volunteering in a hospital in Ghana and visiting key diabetic clinics around the country.  Gwen is now a second year student at the University of Wales Centre for Podiatric Studies and aims to become a Podiatric Surgeon specialising in diabetic related lower limb pathologies.
12th July 2007

Local Magistrate speaks at Presentation Day

In her speech to students at Presentation Day , Mrs Mary Duckworth, JP, took the opportunity to speak about the importance of being a good citizen in today’s society.  Mrs Duckworth urged the students aged 13 to19 to consider how they could go about this in their daily life and suggested that there were many ways to be a good citizen from helping others within the school community to minimising their personal carbon footprint or participating in a charity fundraising event.

In her vote of thanks, student Louisa Nie said that on reflection, she felt she knew of many examples of “good citizens” amongst her fellow students at Padworth and thanked Mrs Duckworth for her inspirational words.

Prizes were then awarded to students who have made outstanding progress and the Principal’s Prizes for Academic Achievement and Contribution to the College were won by Louisa Nie and Sophia Ting respectively.

Principal, Linde Melhuish concluded, “Presentation Day is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of all the students over the past year but of course, there are certain students who have made outstanding contributions to the College and we are very proud of their success.”

Presentation Day Prizes

Art Show

The End of Year Art Show will take place on Thursday 14th June from 4pm - 6pm to which everyone is welcome.  The Show will present this year's AS and A Level examination pieces of artwork.
7th June 2007

John Redwood, MP, visits Padworth

 Local MP, John Redwood, visited Padworth College to meet staff and students as part of the English UK promotional campaign to raise awareness of the English Language education sector and the contribution it makes to both the local and national economy.   

As well as providing a wide range of GCSE and A Level programmes for academic study, Padworth College operates an International Study Centre which welcomes around 30 students a term to study English and experience life in a British boarding school.  In addition, Padworth Summer School welcomes over 100 students per week from all over the world to enjoy an actiive holiday whilst learning to speak English. 

During his visit, Mr Redwood met a group of Chinese students visiting Padworth from the Guang-Dong Country Garden School who are spending six weeks at Padworth on an English Language study programme.  He then took part in a Question and Answer session with the Student Council during which issues as diverse as fox hunting and selective education were discussed.     

Padworth College is one of hundreds of schools which have invited their local MP to visit as part of a campaign to highlight the importance of the English Language sector to British tourism.  Overall, some 500,000 students a year come to the UK to learn English, contributing at least £1.3 billion to the UK economy in foreign earnings and of course, contributing to their local economy.

Linde Melhuish, Principal said, “We are delighted to have welcomed John Redwood to Padworth and to raise awareness of the contribution we make to the local and national economy. It has also been an excellent opportunity for our students to debate current affairs issues with our parliamentary representative and I should like to thank him for taking the time to do this.”
Friday 1st June 2007

Praise for Padworth College from OFSTED

OFSTED has praised the quality of education provided at Padworth College in its report following the recent two day inspection.  The specialist knowledge of the teaching staff was commended in the Report as well as the very small classes which the Inspector said “result in focused teaching, often one to one and which has a positive impact on students’ learning through the good levels of challenge and guidance that teachers consistently provide in lessons.“

Overall achievement as shown by examination results and progress of students on their courses is good with particular tribute paid to the high levels of independence demonstrated by the students and the acquisition of the essential skills needed for their future lives.  The Inspector also commented favourably upon the wide range of extra-curricular activities offered and the numerous opportunities for good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Principal, Linde Melhuish, said, “We are delighted with the Inspector’s report which recognises the distinctive and thriving educational environment which Padworth offers.  We were particularly pleased to receive such positive comments on the excellent relationships between staff and students and the well-focused and effective teaching practices.  Having successfully become co-educational over the past two years, we are now embarking on the next stage of the development of Padworth College in which we will be addressing the recommendations of the Inspection Report which we found to be both useful and constructive.”

Read the full report of the OFSTED Inspectorate
23rd April 2007

For previous news items view our "News Archive" page here.