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Education News

A fond farewell to Wroughton’s Ridgeway School head Steven Colledge

Ridgeway School in Wroughton will day so enjoyable.”
say goodbye to Steven Colledge – Ridgeway School has 1,250
who leaves on 24 March. students aged 11 to 18 from across
He has been the headteacher the Swindon area.
since 2006 but for the past two “It’s such a wonderful school,”
years, the day to day running of added Mr Colledge. “During my
the school has been in the hands time here I have seen so much
of principal James Povoas, who will happen. I like to think that children
take on the official headteacher leave Ridgeway well equipped for
role. life and that they are personable,
Since 2014 Mr Colledge had taken confident and articulate – the type Assistant principal Ron Piper, executive headteacher Steven Colledge and
on the role of an executive head of person you would like to sit next principal James Povoas
teacher overseeing three different to on a train.
secondary schools, including “I am so proud of all of the Dine With Me’ lunch for elderly moved on from teaching history to
Ridgeway, as part of the White achievements we’ve had here, from residents. I’m definitely going to teaching IT.
Horse Federation. His official title is academic and sporting successes miss it all.” “When I first started, teaching
secondary director. to simply helping a student who Mr Colledge, who will be working was made up of a blackboard and
He said: “I suppose I better stress wasn’t doing so well achieve their as an Ofsted inspector after he chalk and then it moved onto
that my decision to go has been full potential. leaves, came to Ridgeway after whiteboards and eventually BBC
led by the Government changes to “It’s hard to think of specific being head of the Grange School in computers,” he said. “Nowadays
teacher pensions which would have achievements as there’s been Gloucester. everything is computerised and
meant that it would have not been so many. One that immediately As part of his remit for the White it’s a bit of a financial strain on
in my interest to stay on. comes to mind was the Christmas Horse Federation he has also been any school. At Ridgeway we have
“It’s meant that I am leaving Showcase in December. It was not the executive head at Gloucester 650 computers. It has changed
about 18 months sooner than long after I had made my decision Academy helping it get out of everything as far as education is
I would have liked. This has to leave and I was watching this special measures. concerned and we’ve all had to
happened so quickly that I haven’t show with 150 students taking part He originally started out as a change with it.
really thought about how my life and just thinking to myself how history teacher and remembers “I have been very lucky at
will be different afterwards. It will amazing it all was. standing in a playground at the age Ridgeway to work with such great
definitely be a wrench not driving “As a school we also do so of 14, in the Midlands where he staff with such great children
to Ridgeway in the morning. It much out in the community in grew up and making the decision and it will be a sad day when I
will be sad not to the see all the Wroughton taking part in the that he wanted to be an educator. eventually go.”
children and staff who make every carnival and our regular ‘Come As time went on, Mr Colledge www.ridgewayschool.com

14 swindonlink.com n March 2016