History

Alameda is a large and oversubscribed Middle School Academy. Pupils are aged between 9 and 13 (years 5-8). The school is set relatively close to the center of Ampthill, a pleasant market town in Central Bedfordshire. Pupils who attend come from the immediate local area of Ampthill and Maulden, although some come from further away in Bedfordshire. We have three main feeder lower schools and most pupils go on to Redborne Upper School.

      Alameda is part of the Redborne Schools Partnership, with Redborne Upper, Woodland Middle, The Firs, Russell, Maulden, Flitwick, Kingsmoor and Templefield Lower Schools. We are lucky to have strong relationships with the schools in our area. We also have strong links with the Central Bedfordshire Teaching School.

Pupils and Admissions

At present, the school roll is 740. Admissions have increased over the past two years and we have reached over 180 pupils (6 form groups) in each year group.

The school has a much smaller than average proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals. Pupil attendance is good, above the national average.

Site

Alameda is set on a large site in picturesque surroundings. The site is bordered by a Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Alameda walkway. We are close to Ampthill park. Classrooms are spread around the main block, with a block of six classrooms. There is planning permission for a further four classrooms and a new hall.

There are two well equipped ICT rooms and all classrooms have internet access and interactive whiteboards linked to a PC. There is a well-stocked library, a sports hall and a large music suite.

Staffing

The school has a leadership team consisting of a Headteacher, two Deputy Heads, two Assistant Headteachers and a Business Manager.  As middle leaders we have Year Leaders and Subject Leaders. There are 45 teaching staff, 16 learning support assistants, 2 learning mentors, a Family Support Worker 2 cover supervisors, a librarian, an IT technician, 13 assistants in finance/admin/science/tech, a site agent and assistant site agent. We are firmly committed to developing the skills of all our staff. 

General

We are committed to the principle of restorative practice and this underpins our work in school, particularly with regard to behaviour and relationships. We regularly support the training of student teachers from University of Bedfordshire. We have been accredited as a 'Values Based Education'  school. We strive to reinforce the values of our school in all what we do.