The Cherwell School O p p o r t u n i t y, R e s p o n s i b i l i t y, E x c e l l e n c e
Headteacher: Mr Chris Price
Welcome A very warm welcome to The Cherwell School. We are delighted that you want to find out more about us. We have all the advantages of being a large school in that we offer a very wide range of curricular and extracurricular opportunities. However, our two sites enable us to create smaller and more personal learning environments within the whole school. This makes it easier to know, support and value each student; one of our key aims is to always make a big school feel small. We have high expectations of our students and we want them to achieve success in whatever they undertake, by making the most of the opportunities available to them. We want them to be happy, to aim high, to be lifelong learners and to be responsible citizens; the School Aims, which can be found in this prospectus, provide further detail on our vision for our school. Our aims are further supported by our status as a National Teaching School; we take a lead role in the professional development of teachers and support staff and work with other schools to contribute to the raising of standards. We also have a specialism in Science and Mathematics and hold Investors in People certification, the International School Award, and the Inclusion Quality Mark. These awards continue to help us to raise standards even further across the whole curriculum and to develop our facilities for the benefit of our school and of the local community. We hope you enjoy your visit to our school. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us. We want to help you to make the right choice of school for your son or daughter.
Chris Price Headteacher
guidance and support We work closely with our partner schools. This helps us to begin to get to know our potential students before they join us and to prepare well for their arrival. The Year 7 leader visits all our students in their primary schools and we organise a range of visits and joint activities in readiness for September. As soon as we know which students will be joining us, letters of welcome are sent out to them and to their parents. These letters will be followed by other key information and then by invitations to our Welcome Day for students and Welcome Evening for parents. As a member of the school, each student has the support and help of their Year Leader, Deputy Year Leader, and Form Tutor. They monitor progress, help to sort out any problems which arise and maintain
contact with parents. We believe very strongly in working closely with parents. Regular communication between home and school is vital and our Home/School Agreement sets out what we hope will be achieved through this partnership. We try to always keep things simple and focus on the things which matter. We concentrate on courtesy, on respect for each other and our environment, on working hard and enabling others to do the same, and on sensible and self-disciplined behaviour. We have chosen not to have a school uniform, except for PE, but our dress code sets standards of appropriateness for school.
each student’s progress and if we are concerned about an individual their parents are contacted so that we can work together to provide the necessary support. A regular electronic newsletter is distributed to parents and invitations to school events and emails or letters about particular issues are sent throughout the school year. They are also displayed on our website which is regularly updated. We are fortunate in having an active and supportive Parent Teacher Association and all new parents are encouraged to participate in the events and activities arranged.
Written reports and parents’ consultation evenings provide information about
We want our students:
our commitment The Cherwell School welcomes and values all members of the school community in an atmosphere of learning which is friendly, supportive, and challenging.
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to work hard and achieve their best
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to value learning as a lifetime activity
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to behave responsibly, courteously and with consideration for the needs and rights of others
- to be involved in the life of the school and of the wider community and by so doing to become responsible and successful citizens - to mature in self-confidence, self-discipline, and understanding of other people - to take pride in what they do and to gain satisfaction and enjoyment from their achievements
Effective & Successful Learning Our curriculum is broad and stimulating, serving individual needs as far as possible. There is extra support available for all who need it, including the very able, so that all students can progress and succeed. The size of the school allows us to offer a wide range of optional subjects to our Key Stage 4 students (Years 10 and 11) and to our sixth formers (Years 12 and 13). The curriculum is supported by high quality teaching which encourages an active interest in learning. Students are helped to become independent learners who take responsibility for their progress. Work in school is supported
by homework and students are assisted in learning the necessary planning and organisational skills. We are fortunate in having excellent specialist facilities on both sites and these will continue to be improved. Students have access to high quality Science, Art and Technology facilities, impressive Drama and Music suites and numerous well-equipped ICT network rooms. Both sites are attractively landscaped and have access to extensive playing fields and hard play areas.
Wider Opportunities Students are offered many opportunities to contribute to the life and development of the school, for example through the School Council, the Peer Support Scheme, and Active Citizenship Projects. We encourage students to participate in our wide range of extracurricular activities and there are also lots of school trips and visits. Sport, Music, and Drama are flourishing aspects of the school’s extracurricular life as well as successful curriculum areas, and both our indoor and outdoor facilities support the breadth of opportunity available.
Our three gyms and access to the sports facilities at the Ferry Centre provide scope for a wide range of team sports and leisure activities. Art, Drama, and Music are exhibited and performed to a very high standard with opportunities for students of all ages to participate. Many activities take place at lunchtime and, since the majority of our students cycle or walk to school, many also take place at the end of the school day.
The Cherwell School Aims Opportunity Individuals have the opportunity to develop their abilities and talents, and to be successful. We want everyone within our community to be nurtured, challenged and encouraged to make the most of opportunities.
Responsibility As a community of individuals we recognise that we have a range of responsibilities. Team work and collective responsibility support the success of individuals, the school and the wider community.
Excellence There is a commitment to excellence in all that we do. We have a culture of high expectations. We expect to do well both as individuals and collectively.
The Cherwell School If you would like to obtain further information, please telephone, write, or email. The Cherwell School, Marston Ferry Road, Oxford, OX2 7EE Tel 01865 558719 l Fax 01865 514517 office@cherwell.oxon.sch.uk www.cherwell.oxon.sch.uk The Cherwell School is an academy which is a part of the River Learning Trust which is an exempt charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with registered company number 7966500 and its registered office is The Cherwell School, Marston Ferry Road, Oxford OX2 7EE.