WELCOME to Hurstmere School Hurstmere School is a well established and respected school for boys. Our academic achievements in the last few years have earned the school numerous accolades. We are proud of our status as a Sports College, which is bringing enhanced sporting and educational opportunities to our boys and members of the wider Bexley Community. The school was granted High Performing Specialist Status in May 2009 following a very successful Ofsted inspection and now has Science as a Second Specialism. Ofsted judged the achievement of the students at 16 as ‘outstanding’ and the ‘care and guidance’ offered to students as ‘outstanding’. The school was also praised for the positive relationships between staff, pupils and parents. These form the foundation for the good teaching and learning highlighted in the report. Our committed and well qualified teachers offer challenge, encouragement and support, promoting an ethos and culture for success. Hurstmere School strongly believes that every child can make a positive contribution to the school, enhancing their learning experience.
Aims & Values • • • • •
To provide a safe secure environment in which students can achieve. To prepare students for the opportunity and responsibilities of adult life and citizenship. To develop in our students an understanding of the importance of learning for its own sake. To foster the moral, spiritual, cultural and social development of every pupil. To promote tolerance, trust and mutual respect.
To Achieve Our Aims,We Will ... •
Offer students a wide range of personalised educational experiences both within and beyond the curriculum
• • • •
Engage students and parents in regularly reviewing academic progress Provide a high level of pastoral care Celebrate success Work with parents, staff and students to produce happy, confident young people who enjoy school and leave with qualifications and independent learning skills
We Strive to Succeed ...
Our Curriculum Our curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, enabling each student to become a successful learner, confident individual and responsible citizen. A wide range of teaching methods is used to enhance the learning experience of all students, offering challenge, support and encouraging a spirit of enquiry to develop the skills which will enable them to meet the challenges of the future with confidence. The progress of each student is monitored and information is shared with parents regularly through our tracking system.
“the curriculum is good, is broad and balanced” “monitoring of boys’ progress and achievement is outstanding” Ofsted
Gifted and Talented Our Gifted and Talented pupils are given the opportunity to participate in public speaking events, language conferences and themed days such as Crime Scene Investigation as well as participating in the British Schools Karting Championship. These events provide inspiration, challenge, fun and an experience of working with others from a variety of different backgrounds. Our involvement in the Aspire Aim Higher initiative has enabled our students to attend a variety of University ‘taster’ events to raise their aspirations and encourage them to consider their future opportunities.
1
Hurstmere as a Sports College Hurstmere has Specialist Status as a Sports College and this has a huge effect on the curricular and extra curricular provision of high quality Physical Education and Sport at the school. A large number of our students follow specialist Sport qualifications and leadership courses, particularly at KS4, and there is a culture of sport being used across the curriculum as a stimulus for lessons.
2
Our students participate in a wide variety of sports, with teams competing at local, county and national level in football, rugby and cricket. At an individual level, students have competed in national competitions in football, boxing, badminton and swimming.
Specialising in Excellence...
Hurstmere enjoys the privilege of supporting the local community and our facilities are used by a variety of outside bodies and agencies for a variety of purposes. We are also privileged to be able to support local schools in their delivery of Sport and PE, and with the Hurstmere School Sports Partnership on site we are able to do this very effectively.
“the impact of the school’s sports specialism on the curriculum is substantial” Ofsted
Hurstmere as a Science College As a High Performing Specialist School, in May 2009 we were granted Science as our second specialism. This will enable us to develop opportunities for students to study Science beyond the school curriculum and encourage them to consider higher education and Science-related careers. Innovative and inspiring education in Science can lead to a better knowledge of how Science works and help build the responsible citizens our society requires. We seek to further utilise the impact of our Sports Specialism to improve learning across the curriculum and to build upon the cross curricular links between Sports and Science. By encouraging a broader understanding of Science through extended and enhanced enrichment opportunities, we hope to raise achievement. Links with partnership schools, local industry and parents are part of our strategy to extend the impact of the Science Specialism beyond the classroom.
3
“the boys make a good contribution to the local and wider community� Ofsted
Motivating and Inspiring ...
Rewards and Achievements Hurstmere’s high standards of achievement are based on good working relationships between staff and students, supported by a structured system of rewards and sanctions. Positive reinforcement is a key element in enhancing teaching and learning and at Hurstmere; we believe rewards motivate and inspire achievement.
4
Our annual Prize Giving evening and newly initiated ‘Colours’ evening offer opportunities to share the academic, sporting and social achievement of our students with parents.
Student Voice At the core of our school ethos is a desire to create a cohesive community and a positive learning environment for all students. At the heart of the Student Voice is a drive to ensure a sense of belonging within the school, a sense of place in the local community and a culture whereby the progress of our school can be fuelled by the talents and insights of our students. The Student Voice offers students exciting opportunities to enhance the life of the school through becoming a member of the School Council, the Student Research Team or as a Form Representative. All of these roles are designed to give students an active role in the development of school life and to strengthen their voice as members of our community.
“there are outstanding opportunities for boys to take responsibility” Ofsted
Activities Week Enrichment is an integral part of life at Hurstmere and various opportunities are given for students to participate in residential visits outside the traditional curriculum. To facilitate this, during the summer term involved in enrichment. Many of our abroad, to Mersea Island, Windmill Hill
the curriculum is suspended with all students actively students have benefitted from visits, both at home and and the Ardeche.
For those remaining in school, activities Hip Hop and Street Dance workshops.
are arranged, including Go-Karting, Technology challenges, and
Extra Curricular Our extensive sporting facilities provide a wide breadth of early morning, lunch and after school activities for students to engage, developing their confidence and skills both individually and as part of a team. Our library and ICT resources offer an environment to extend their studies both individually and with support, as well as opportunities provided with the Drama department to participate in school productions. Whether their interest is in History or Art, on the playing field or in Music, there are plenty of activities to extend students’ knowledge and develop their skills as part of our Extra Curricular programme.
Produced by FM Litho Design and Print. Tel: 01787 479479
`The Hurstmere Foundation School cares for its boys well and is a good school that has outstanding features. The boys have good attitudes to learning and behave well both in lessons and around the school. The school has an inclusive ethos and all boys are encouraged to do their best whatever their background or ability. Boys feel safe and well cared for and the friendly nature of the school is evident from the good relationships that the boys enjoy with their teachers.’
Ofsted
Hurst Road, Sidcup, Kent DA15 9AW T: 020 8300 5665 F: 020 8300 2039 E: info@hurstmere.org.uk W: www.hurstmere.org.uk