PROSPECTUS
Merriman’s Hill Road Worcester WR3 8LE Telephone: 01905 746 800 Facsimile: 01905 746 846 Email: info@bishop-perowne.worcs.sch.uk Web: www.bishopperowne.com
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Welcome ‘Growing together to be the best we can be’ At Bishop Perowne we seek to develop a caring Christian Community in which we nurture individuals and encourage all to excel. By building strong, positive, supportive relationships, we aim to create a genuine balance between high academic standards and personal growth, providing everyone with opportunities to ‘be the best they can be’. Bishop Perowne enjoys an enviable reputation as a successful Church of England Performing Arts College and creative learning environment in which study, enquiry, innovation and aspiration are highly valued. We have the resources to ensure that all students receive excellent learning experiences supported by first class opportunities to participate in performances and celebrations throughout the year. We are a safe and healthy College offering a broad and balanced curriculum, tailoring students learning to their talents, aspirations and potential. Every day students have access to enrichment through a co-ordinated programme of extended day activities - many of which will lead to further qualifications and awards. Our qualified, experienced staff have placed our College at the cutting edge of developments in teaching and learning. We constantly scan the horizon for initiatives and opportunities that will benefit our students and place our College in the vanguard of all that is best in education. Our pastoral system is based around students’ relationships with their form tutor who provides support, guidance and care on a daily basis through a student’s career. I hope that you will visit us, not just to see our facilities and meet our staff, but to sample a little of what makes Bishop Perowne such a special place to learn. A Prospectus can only give a glimpse of life here, so if you would like to visit the College at any time please contact us.
Foundations Bishop Perowne was founded as a Church of England Aided Secondary School in 1963 in the Barbourne area. Its name comes from two former Bishops of Worcester- John James Stuart Perowne (Bishop from 1891-1901) and his son Arthur William Thompson Perowne (from 1931-1941). In the mid 1980s the school moved to it’s present site after significant refurbishment and extension. As a Church school we have close links with the Diocese of Worcester. The Governors nominated by the Church must always be in the majority on the Governing Body, to ensure that the Church has a controlling interest. The College is Voluntary Aided, which means that the Governors have a responsibility to decide which students will be admitted. Our annual intake is 210 and we are regularly oversubscribed. The Governors welcome applications from families from other faiths who feel that a Church of England environment would benefit their children. We value the contribution which students from other backgrounds can bring. The procedures for application and the criteria are listed in the supplement to this prospectus.
We seek to develop a caring Christian community in which we nurture individuals; encouraging learning, creativity and endeavour; inspire all to excel and reach their potential and to help all young learners grow into active and responsible citizens who are able to make a difference in the World.
We look forward to welcoming you to Bishop Perowne.
Ms J Farr Headteacher
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Developing Spirituality We regard the spiritual development of our students, staff and community as both a foundation for success and as a valuable skill for a lifetime. Delivering a ‘spiritual curriculum’ means we seek to create a learning environment where everyone has space and time to reflect upon complex life themes such as, hope, love, faith, joy, loss, passion and imagination. Whilst no one can ever, strictly speaking, be taught spirituality, we can plan activities, time and space where personal spirituality can grow.
Eucharist
Whole College Eucharist
Each week a voluntary Eucharist is led by our local clergy in the College theatre. Everyone is welcome to a time of quiet contemplation, to share bread and wine or receive a blessing.
At the end of each term we celebrate the life of the school at a whole College Eucharist. Christmas Eucharist is often held at Worcester Cathedral. At Easter year groups meet in the theatre and in the summer we meet as a whole College in our Sports Hall. Whole College Eucharist is a time for reflection and celebration as we end the term together through prayer and performance in music, dance and drama.
Theme days At regular times throughout the year regular lessons are suspended and special activities are planned for the day. Theme days enable students to spend longer periods of time looking at important issues such as personal safety, health education or world poverty.
Discovery Towards the end of the Summer Term all students follow a special timetable to take part in a huge range of activities. Discovery is time where everyone is encouraged to challenge themselves: to seek out new experiences, to spend time with new people, make new friends and contacts and bring something new back to the life of our College.
A caring Christian community All subject teachers give time during lessons to consider spiritual development. Spiritual growth can be found in the magic of a scientific experiment, the discussion on themes in a novel, in the creation of art work or in a music lesson, in the learning of a new language or the discovery of x in algebra. Our Daily Acts of Collective Worship are important spaces in each working day where students and staff gather to consider our weekly theme. Weekly themes are taken from the Sunday Gospel readings in the Church Lectionary. Acts of worship explore each theme along with reflections upon festivals and celebrations from world religions, health promotion days and the remembrance of important historical events. Acts of Collective Worship are varied and should challenge, celebrate, stimulate and educate. They should give time for reflection, reminding our busy College community what is really important.
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At the end of Key Stage 3 (year 9) students are assessed for National Curriculum Levels. These assessments are made by both teacher grading of work (TAs) and by National Tests (SATs) in the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science. The results of these tests are reported to parents.
The Foundation Day All students at Bishop Perowne follow a broad and balanced Foundation Day curriculum designed to develop both a love of learning and the skills required to take them on to the next stage of their lives. Our curriculum is continuously evolving in response to individual needs and innovative best practice, yet retains the best qualities of a traditional education. We are committed to ensuring that all students reach challenging academic targets whilst empowering them with skills that enable them to enjoy learning throughout their lives. Our students leave Bishop Perowne with real academic success alongside essential skills such as adaptability, flexibility and respect.
Teaching Groups We recognise that each student should have access to the curriculum at their most appropriate level in every subject. In some subjects this is best achieved by setting students according to their ability, in others differentiation is better achieved through mixed ability teaching. We monitor the groupings of students continuously, ensuring students are placed in the most appropriate teaching groups.
During Year 9 all students receive detailed information explaining the option system and the choices they need to make before Key Stage 4. Guidance, support and information are offered by tutors, subject leaders and specialist staff during this process.
Support for learning The Learning Support department provides expert assistance to students of all abilities. Working together, we strive to meet the learning, language, physical and social needs of students who need a little extra support to reach their potential. Staff include qualified Special Needs teachers and a team of trained Teaching Assistants who have the flexibility to teach, support and monitor small groups or individual students in a variety of ways. This team works closely with teaching staff to plan, monitor and develop resources to ensure all students can access the curriculum and continue to achieve well.
Key Stage 4 Choice and flexibility figure greatly in the provision offered at Key Stage 4. Alongside a core curriculum (English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education, Information Communications Technology and Physical Education) students have the opportunity to choose courses representing 40% of their time. This allows for vocational, academic and skills based programmes to be available to suit the needs of the learner. We currently offer a wide range of Arts, Languages, Design Technology and Humanities subjects as option subjects which are available in many combinations and at varied levels so that students with particular abilities and preferences can be accommodated. Each year the subjects are grouped differently to allow the greatest flexibility and choice.
The Extended Day This provision beyond the Foundation Day provides all students with access to expertise, facilities and opportunities that will take their learning even further. With an ever-increasing programme of activities leading to accredited qualifications, many students thrive in the informality and flexibility of the Extended Day.
Encouraging learning, creativity and endeavour Key Stage 3 All students follow the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum with lessons in English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, History, Geography, Information Communications Technology, Design Technology, Art, Physical Education and Performing Arts. Citizenship and Personal Health and Social Education are studied both as taught sessions and during dedicated days which see the timetable stood down for guest speakers and workshops.
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The creative and performing arts are essential elements of every student’s life at Bishop Perowne. We provide a balanced curriculum enabling them to develop skills and opportunities in a rich variety of art forms. Through such experiences all students gain a better understanding of themselves, their capabilities and potential, they become more sensitive to developing positive relationships and generate practical and inter-personal skills which are very marketable in adult life.
The Arts Curriculum
Performing Arts
Dance
Drama
Central to our work is the entitlement of all students to the arts during the Foundation Day.
At Key Stage 3 all students receive a wide-ranging course which develops skills in both dance and drama strands often through integrated projects and thematic explorations.
Dance is a very popular subject in which all students develop choreographic as well as performance skills. Taught in our theatre, with excellent resources, our dance enjoys a very high level of performance which has been recognised at a regional level with regular invitations to perform coming from Festivals and special community events. There is a busy programme of extended day opportunities from which our popular dance company Hoppers has emerged. Students have frequently participated in workshops with professional dancers and choreographers, and the College regularly hosts training for dance teachers across the county. It is no surprise that many pupils have left Bishop Perowne to study dance at AS/A2 and beyond, with some having gone on to become successful professional dancers.
Drama is largely taught in it’s specialist drama studio which provides an excellent facility for all students to develop their techniques and capacities for developing high quality drama. At Key Stage 3 we provide an exciting introduction to drama developing improvisation, characterisation and devising skills. This builds a student’s self-confidence, which has a real impact in the rest of their College life. Drama enjoys a very popular Extended Day programme led by Theatre Workshop (a whole - school performance group split into senior and junior sections) and a modern languages group (Théatelier).
Key Stage 3 (Y7-9) All students study Art, Music and Performing Arts (Dance and Drama) throughout Key Stage 3. Each student receives two hours a fortnight of each subject during which basic skills are established.
Key Stage 4 (Y10-11) We provide a full range of option choices for students in the Arts: Art, Dance, Drama, Expressive Arts, Media Studies, and Music can all be studied to GCSE. Additionally students wishing to follow a vocational route in the arts are well supported. This phase develops the skills already established at Key Stage 3, and prepares students for further study.
Specialists in the Performing Arts The Arts reveal and express our spiritual, moral, cultural and social lives and consequently form an essential entitlement to every member of the College. As a Specialist Performing Arts College it is important to stress we are not a ‘fame’ school. The additional resources ensure we have the means to support the arts and creativity throughout the curriculum and beyond. Bishop Perowne enjoys first-class facilities for the arts: theatre and dance spaces, professional quality equipment and technical expertise, and a truly collaborative relationship with partner schools, professional artists and members of the community. Some of the additional funding goes towards supporting a wide range of adult and community projects which ensures many more people benefit.
Art The Art department is based in its own specialist building with excellent light, high ceilings and a stimulating gallery area where some of the excellent work produced by students is displayed. A rich diversity of media, styles and techniques are employed and students are encouraged to respond creatively and experimentally from direct experience and imagination. The resulting work is exciting and vibrant reflecting rigorous application of taught skills and disciplines.
Music
Media Studies
Music thrives at Bishop Perowne and students have many opportunities to appreciate, compose and perform music in diverse styles and with high quality technical support. At Key Stage 3 our programmes of study provide real range of opportunities: from the study of important historical composers to developing modern music technology skills using computers, sampled instruments and MIDI keyboards. Our choirs enjoy considerable reputation performing regularly in regional festivals and events. Our orchestras and bands can be heard either performing in one of the many concerts given throughout the year or recorded in our state-of-the-art recording studio or music technology rooms. Consequently we provide a genuine mix of opportunities for all musical tastes and complement this provision by bringing in culturally diverse musicians to lead workshops and master classes.
Media Studies is a popular aspect of College life. Students have access to industrial standard digital video editing software enabling them to film, edit and produce work of a very high standard.
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Recent productions and events have included:
Richard III, Jesus Christ Superstar, Guys and Dolls, Hamlet Regular dance performances every year Curriculum Arts performances to primary schools and community groups
Animateurs and Visiting Professionals
Our expert peripatetic staff are available to provide specialist tuition in many instruments in preparation for graded examinations. Each year we benefit greatly from the skills of the Worcester Cathedral organ scholar who teaches alongside staff in the department.
As an Arts College we are in an enviable position of being able to attract very high quality arts professionals to work alongside teaching staff and run workshops and master classes which enrich the curriculum and ensure creative careers are promoted in schools.
ThĂŠatelier performances in France
Productions and Events Each year we plan a busy schedule of informal and formal productions and arts events. Arts staff are joined by many others in the Extended Day to provide tremendous variety and quality. Students are involved in all aspects of production support including technical and stage management roles. With an enviable reputation we are frequently called upon to perform in regional and national events.
Residences from the National Theatre, Royal College of Music, Union Dance Company, Chitraleka Dance Company, Motionhouse and many more... Please contact the school for an up-to-date schedule of events and productions, or visit our website.
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Continuing Professional Development
Nurturing Individuals Monitoring Progress and Achievement A College at the cutting edge of learning and teaching also has to be at the forefront of technology to provide the infrastructure to support these developments. At the hub of our infrastructure is Facility, a computerised management information system. One of its many facets allows us to provide parents with frequent and up to date knowledge about how their child is performing. This, in turn, provides parents with the knowledge to work with the College to support their child’s education and it is this relationship that we encourage.
It also allows us to inform parents about other urgent matters such as school closure. This may be in the form of a text message or a telephone call. Longer communications such as newsletters, and invitations to school events are able to be sent directly to parents’ e-mail addresses.
Tutoring Children, parents and visitors often comment on the friendly and caring atmosphere at Bishop Perowne. We are not an imposingly large or impersonal College.
This wealth of information about every student allows Subject Leaders and Year Leaders to monitor them closely, to identify issues quickly and to act upon them promptly. During each academic year, parents also receive a more extended report covering a range of items. Communication with parents is crucial. We have recently introduced an automated electronic communication module that will enable us to inform parents promptly, for example, if their child has not arrived at school and no reason for absence has been notified.
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All staff are actively involved in Professional Learning sessions which are run every Wednesday at the end of the Foundation Day. They provide opportunities for staff to learn together about educational developments, but perhaps more significantly they reflect on their working practices, refine and develop new techniques, share approaches and help one another. It forms a crucial part of the supportive, emotionally intelligent culture that pervades all aspects of College life. Alongside our weekly sessions Teacher Education Days play an important part in launching new initiatives, and staff attend planning and strategy conferences at subject, middle leader and year group levels. All new staff receive a full induction programme and in-house training in Leadership and Management. We welcome the influence of other professionals on our work we have strong links with teacher training providers and regularly participate in LEA led projects. Staff have travelled internationally to learn more about teaching and learning in other settings. Each year many of our staff achieve nationally recognised professional qualifications through organisations such as the National College for School Leadership, with staff gaining accreditation through ‘Leading from the Middle’ and NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship).
The process begins with information derived from Key Stage 2 and 3 SATs and CATs (cognitive ability tests) that enables us to set aspirational targets for each student in every subject for the end of Key Stages 3 and 4. Aspirational targets are just a little higher than what we might typically expect or predict, and so include an element of challenge. Towards the end of each term subject teachers record gradings electronically for every student whom they teach. This information is combined with data about current attendance, rewards given, and sanctions received. From this a printed report is produced. This is sent to parents prior to the consultation days, during which parents may discuss the report with tutors, and participate in setting short-term targets for the next term.
We are committed to bringing out the best in all our staff through a programme of Continuing Professional Development which is delivered through a broad and balanced series of internal and external training activities.
We have a system in which students normally stay with the same Group Leader (Tutor) throughout their time with us. Every student will see their tutor at least twice a day to monitor their progress and well-being. The tutor is ideally placed to gain knowledge of every student in their care, to be the person that knows the student best. Tutors monitor every event and action from attendance in lessons to merits, ensuring their work with students is well-informed and accurate at all times. The tutor is the first point of contact for all academic and pastoral matters liaising with both College staff and parents as needed. If matters require more support a swift internal procedure brings in Year Leaders and Senior staff.
Bishop Perowne will soon become a Learning Academy with all teaching staff gaining professional recognition for their training in College. The success of our professional development programmes is measured in the quality of learning which takes place in classrooms and the high standards and achievements gained by our students each year.
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We aim to offer a wide range of sporting opportunities to allow students to develop both their physical potential and interest which can continue beyond school-age into adult life. All students are encouraged to take part in individual and team as well as competitive and non-competitive activities.
Physical Education and Sport All students follow a core Physical Education provision at both Key Stage 3 and 4. They are introduced to a rich variety of sports and skills, (both indoor and outdoor) making use of our excellent facilities and playing fields. We are currently the only school or college in Worcester offering a regular Swimming lesson to all students in years 7 and 8. At Key Stage 4 this provision is supplemented through the use of local leisure centres and our popular GCSE option enables specialist students to further develop their skills. We are proud of our comprehensive range of clubs and teams running throughout the year in the Extended Day. The College competes on a friendly basis against other schools as well as taking part in the major competitions and tournaments. The list of outstanding performances at District, County and National level continues to grow and our teams enjoy an excellent reputation for sportsmanship and fair play.
A number of students each year work towards their Junior Sports Leader Award which provides them with a recognised qualification, transferable skills and the confidence and knowledge to run sporting activities with young people.
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Inspiring all to excel Enrichment through the Extended Day As a successful College we continually seek ways to enhance learning and teaching and to raise standards. We enjoy an innovative structure to the College day which enables the widest possible range of learning opportunities to be offered to students and members of the community. We believe this has many positive effects:
A more purposeful learning community
The Extended Day starts at 3pm (2.35 on Wednesdays) and ends at 5pm. This moves us away from seeing the school day purely in terms of the formal curriculum, but enables students and their families to plan for a wide range of other worthwhile activities, including those organised by other organisations. The activities are timetabled wherever possible to allow students of different year groups to attend without having to choose between activities they equally enjoy. Tutors advise and suggest ways in which every student can gain access to the Extended Day.
Citizenship and Work Related Learning Citizenship is a key aspect of the core curriculum for all students. It is delivered both as taught lessons and through dedicated days in which the school community takes part in professional visitor-led activities containing the very latest information, advice and experiences appropriate to each age-group. All students receive an annual report for Citizenship.
Enhanced relationships More educational pathways for students with links to other institutions Our students are provided with many more opportunities to learn and develop their skills Better opportunities for staff professional development
The shape of the College day All our students receive a first class curriculum fulfilling all statutory requirements in the Foundation Day. This part of the day contains 5 sessions of 1 hour over a 10 day cycle. We enhance the Foundation Day through a coordinated Extended Day provision, that all students can access throughout the week.
What sorts of activities are offered in the Extended Day? We provide a very wide range of activities led by teachers, trained and licensed adults, and youth leaders. The provision changes each year and depends largely on the interests and skills of the students but includes Clubs, ensembles, workshops, academic clinics and specialist learning support programmes. Many students can gain extra qualifications that enable them to gain access to further and higher education, training and employment.
The value of work-related learning is firmly established at Bishop Perowne. Students in year 10 participate in a one-week placement (work experience) during the Summer Term with local businesses and public sector organisations. Throughout a student’s time with us we seek opportunities to extend learning with relevant industrial and careers experiences. A number of students participate each year in a residential Army careers week and some recently participated in a Arts careers day at the Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham where students met and worked with animators, performers, television production teams and writers.
At Key Stage 4 we offer an increasingly broad curriculum which includes a number of Applied GCSE courses which are more work-related in form and content, and 35 students each year participate in the Vocational Inclusion Participation project (VIP). This Countywide initiative provides coordination for all students wishing to supplement their academic curriculum with practical skills in areas such as childcare, motor mechanics, animal care, catering and customer services.
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Active and responsible citizens Bishop Perowne in the Community We enjoy excellent links with partner primary, secondary and special schools, Universities, businesses, community and Church organisations. As a Specialist College we provide a number of arts programmes for partner schools, hosting festivals and performances in our theatre and enabling our staff and students to lead workshops in other schools and colleges. Bishop Perowne has always raised money in innovative ways for charities. Party on the Farm is a popular whole College event involving all members of our community raising money through sponsorship. It has now grown to a remarkable scale with real benefit to everyone at Bishop Perowne. We have an active parent/staff association, the Friends of Bishop Perowne. We are grateful to them for their unstinting work on behalf of the College, and for the valuable funds they raise for us. Over the years we have been able to buy valuable items that we would otherwise have been unable to afford - including minibuses, computers and video cameras. The Friends have funded coaches for sports fixtures and provided refreshments for the busy programme of performances throughout the year. They also arrange regular social events, talks, outings, dances and meetings. Their work is appreciated by the whole College community.
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today I did all I could to be all I could...