Mander Portman Woodward
Mander Portman Woodward is a group of independent schools in England, with schools in London, Birmingham and Cambridge, offering GCSE and A-Level courses. The CEO is Nigel Stout. The school was formed in its current structure in 1973 by Robert Woodward,[1] Rodney Portman and Nicholas Mander. The major strength of MPW is the small group sizes (maximum of eight pupils per class), which means that students get a lot of individual attention. Mander Portman Woodward also offer Easter revision courses for GCSE, AS and A level students from other schools. The London and Birmingham colleges are part of the CIFE group. MPW produce a range of books including 'Getting into...' guides, 'How to complete UCAS' and 'A-Z of surviving exams'[2] In 2008, the schools were acquired by BPP Holdings, a division of the Apollo Group.[3]
London
The college is located in South Kensington on the historic road of Queen's Gate. The college is spread across three buildings all merged into one building. The Good Schools Guide said that the school is "Huge, efficient, well-run, [and] does exactly what it says it does.".[4] It is known more than others as a 'society' sixth form college, educating the children of European and London high society, and is always mentioned in society guides such as Tatler and the seminal Sloane Ranger's Handbook. Recent students have included Philippa Cadogan, Lily Allen, Ryan Benn, Nina de Roy and Alice Dellal. The college usually accepts about 500 students per year. The current Principal is Steven Boyes. The Vice Principals are Seán Buckley, Sarah Charters and Petroucka Stafford. Fees range from £5,926 to £7,362 per term.
Birmingham
The Birmingham college is located in Edgbaston and was opened in 1980 being the first of its kind in the West Midlands. The college is fully co-educational and accepts up to 160 students each year preparing for GCSE, A level and Oxbridge Entrance. There is a maximum of 8 students in a class. Fees are upward of £5000 per term. The current Principal is Mark Shingleton.
Exam results; GCSEs: 60% gained at least grade C in 8+ subjects, 20% in 7 subjects. A-levels: 59 in upper sixth; 89% passed in 3+ subjects, 11% in 2 (mainly retake students); average final points score was 252.
Pupils' destinations; 94% of sixth-form leavers went on to a degree course. 53% take courses in science and engineering degrees (including medicine), 47% in humanities and social science.[5]
Cambridge
The Mander Portman Woodward in Cambridge is situated on Brookside, just off Trumpington Road, a few minutes walk from the centre of Cambridge. Established in 1987, it is a co-educational GCSE and A-level college accepting up to 180 students per year. The schools teaching hours are between 0900 and 1800. On the BBC School Table Mander Portman Woodward Cambridge is ranked higher than both the London and Birmingham schools.
MPW Cambridge is not only known for its academic merits, but is also known for its high-society student body, often referred to by other schools in Cambridge as "MPWians". Most leaving students go on to read esteemed courses at university such as Medicine, Law, and Dentistry. The school is also known for its high oxbridge entry percentage, which is aided by the school's "mock oxbridge interviews" and "oxbridge entry guide" systems. The current Principal is Nick Marriott.
References
- ^ Robert Woodward: co-founded of the tutorial college MPW
- ^ MPW Books,
- ^ Robert Woodward: teacher and entrepreneur The Independent, 15 November 2008
- ^ Good Schools Guide
- ^ Guide to independent,
External links
- Mander Portman Woodward College official website
- Profile at the Good Schools Guide
- Robert Woodward Obituary in The Times
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