Welcome from the Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Larkmead School where students achieve success through a carefully fostered community. We are proud of the well ordered nature of our community where students are encouraged to take advantage of an exceptional range of opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom, and to contribute, actively to the running and decision making of the school.

Our vision statement talks of students "exceeding their expectations". This refers to all aspects of their lives academically and beyond. The most meaningful measure of the quality of teaching and learning at a school is the amount of progress it allows and encourages students to make. Progress at Larkmead is exceptional. At Key Stage 3 and 4 the school is in the top three schools in Oxfordshire for allowing and encouraging progress. At Key Stage 3 nationally it is in the top 4%. At Key Stage 5 we are part of the Abingdon Partnership which provides an extensive range of subjects across the four institutions of Larkmead School, Fitzharrys School , John Mason School and Abingdon and Witney College of Further Education.

We are especially proud of our whole-school assemblies in which all 1,000 students and staff gather together eight times a year. It is here that we celebrate the achievements of our school community, sharing the messages, performances and successes that characterise the ethos at the heart of Larkmead.

I hope this web site will give you a flavour of the school but it is no substitute for a visit and we look forward to welcoming you.

Chris Harris

Welcome from the Chair of Governors

First of all, welcome to the Larkmead School web site. Please feel free to explore the site and to contact the school if you would like to visit or have specific questions.

Governors of a school are supposed to be a bit like good friends who ask tricky questions that make you think. We help to set directions and targets for the school and then check that these are being achieved.

Tell us about Larkmead

One of the things that is important about Larkmead is the partnership between students, staff and parents or carers. We are keen to encourage and strengthen this partnership. However, we are very conscious that governors have only a partial view of Larkmead. Everyone in the Larkmead community - students, parents, carers, staff and friends - also has a view of Larkmead and we would like to hear as many of these as possible through the 'Building Schools for the Future' consultation process.  Please tell us of your experience of Larkmead and your vision of how Larkmead should develop in the future.

In addition, we hope that the Chair or one of the other governors will be at some of the Year Group evenings and other events, so that may give an opportunity for you to talk to us. You can also contact us by email to the school office, using "For Governors" as the title. From time to time we will also seek views on specific topics, for instance through the parental questionnaire that we recently organised with Lark Rise.

Chair of Governors

The Chair of Governors, David Lever, like many of the other governors, is a parent or former parent at Larkmead. David is married to Ticia, and they have three children: Jonathan and James were students at the school, and are now at University; Katie is still a student at Larkmead.  Originally from Burnley in Lancashire, David is a scientist, a Christian and supports Burnley FC.  He enjoys walking, and has a bizarre interest in the paraphernalia left around by the Ordnance Survey, as part of their map making activities over the last hundred and fifty years or so.

For a full list of our Governors and Committees, click here.