Information

Maiden Erlegh has an enviable 50 year tradition of outstanding academic success and provides a high quality education for over 1800 students, 440 of whom are in our thriving sixth form.

Maiden Erlegh is very successful because it is ambitious and has a team of highly qualified and committed people who promote achievement. In recognition of the GCSE examination success enjoyed by our students over the past few years our teachers received a DfES Achievement Award. We were also awarded Specialist School Status for the Arts. The school was recognised by the DfES as a “high performing school” and was invited to apply for a second specialism. Our application was successful and Maiden Erlegh was awarded a second specialism in Business and Enterprise. In 2007 Ofsted judged Maiden Erlegh to be an “Outstanding” school with an “Outstanding” Sixth Form. In 2010 Ofsted confirmed that Maiden Erlegh was maintaining outstanding levels of performance and did not need to be inspected in 2010 or 2011.

Maiden Erlegh was designated a National Support School (NSS) by the Government and invited to contribute to the national school improvement agenda. Maiden Erlegh was the first school in Wokingham to achieve the prestigious NACE National Challenge Award for excellence in provision for able, gifted and talented students. In 2009 Maiden Erlegh received national recognition for its innovative work in the use of ICT and won the National University ICT Award. As a high performing school Maiden Erlegh was awarded 'Leading Edge' status.

In April 2011 Maiden Erlegh became the first new Government "Outstanding" academy in Wokingham Borough.

In April 2012 Maiden Erlegh became the first new Government National Teaching School in Berkshire and amongst the very first schools in the country to receive this designation.

Academic excellence, while central to the life of the school, is most certainly not the whole picture at Maiden Erlegh. Wider opportunities are provided for our students. For example, all students have the opportunity to visit Tirabad, the school’s jointly owned Outdoor Education Centre in Wales. This activity centre provides an ideal environment for students to develop the skills of leadership, problem-solving and working in teams – essential skills they will need to cope with the rapidly changing world they will face in adult life. Foreign language exchanges are also arranged with France and Germany, and cultural exchanges with Italy and America. Students have also participated in World Challenge expeditions to Peru, Java, Tanzania, Ecuador and Zambia. An increasing number of students take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Maiden Erlegh School prides itself on its excellent range of extra-curricular activities, which offer further opportunities for students to pursue their interests in Music, Drama, Art and Sport. Many of these interests grow naturally out of work in class.

The Arts play a significant part in the life of the school and the community. Maiden Erlegh has an excellent reputation for high achievements in Music, Drama, Dance and the Visual Arts. A full programme of public performance, community activities, workshops, exhibitions, dance and art festivals ensure that students have an outlet for their talents. A new Visual Arts Centre was opened by Lord Puttnam; a new digital media suite and new Music practice rooms were also opened recently. The school was awarded the Artsmark Gold Award from the Arts Council to acknowledge outstanding provision in the Arts.

Our facilities have improved significantly in the last few years with the additions of a new purpose-built Sixth Form Block with space for 450 students; a new 22 room teaching block; a new Mathematics and Science Block; a new All-Weather Pitch; the refurbishment and re-design of the Lower School; extended dining hall facilities; the re-modelling of the school hall; additional new teaching accommodation across the school and interactive whiteboards in all classrooms.

The school expanded to meet the growing number of applications for places at Maiden Erlegh under the Government's "Expanding Popular and Successful Schools" programme. This additional capital investment brought many benefits to the school and created a learning environment fit for the 21st Century.

The school is poised for a most exciting future.