Secondary Prospectus
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Vision With our unique educational philosophy and state of the art learning environment, The Folkestone Academy places learning at the heart of our community. We are a comprehensive, All Age Academy maintained by state funding. Our exciting curriculum ensures the individual development of every student, from the Primary phase right through to our unique post 16 curriculum in the Academy Sixth Form.
“We demand the very highest expectations from our students - in attitude, in learning and in self belief� Principal
Belong As a community of over 1500 students we pride ourselves on our House structure, which ensures that every individual student is part of a small ‘House family’. Through this sense of belonging our students learn to appreciate difference and to understand the importance of tolerance and compassion. The Folkestone Academy respects individuals by: Understanding everyone’s needs Establishing clear expectations Appreciating diversity
“My confidence has grown during Year 7 as I have made many new friends” Year 7 Student
Develop The years that our young people spend with us on their secondary school journey will be the most influential as they change from being children to young adults. We aim to shape, nourish and develop them as learners, as citizens and key members in their own communities. The Folkestone Academy develops students by: Creating a love for learning Supporting each other’s learning Understanding that we are all learners “The Academy gives you many opportunities and a wide range of courses to achieve what you want in life” Year 11 Student
Succeed Quite simply we believe that everyone can succeed and it is our job to create the right opportunities for this to happen. We are particularly proud of how many times in a year a student is able to celebrate that success - from gaining a credit stamp in their student planner to attending our prestigious annual Academy Awards Evening. The Folkestone Academy believes in celebrating students’ successes by: Having a time and a place to celebrate success Being proud of what we have achieved Measuring success in different ways “I have had the help and support from my teachers to achieve higher targets than expected � Year 8 Student
Achieve We have the very highest expectations for all our students, believing that everyone can achieve their full potential. Our behaviour policy aims to develop students into responsible and caring young adults who think carefully about themselves and others. Each student has a Rewards Bank Account in which positive work and effort result in credits, while actions and attitudes that are deemed to warrant sanctions will result in debits. Students will see their account balance fluctuate as a result of their choices, so recognising the link between action and consequence. At regular intervals students are able to cash their credits in for actual rewards. “Good care, guidance and support have a positive impact on students’ learning� Ofsted, 2010
Identify The House system is the heartbeat of the Academy, with every student belonging to a House, where they are able to feel part of a smaller ‘family’ of care and guidance. Each House has two dedicated tutors, a Head of House and a Guidance Manager to look after its students, to track their academic progress and to intervene where necessary. Each House has its own room and offices where students are able to go during recreation time to eat their meals, relax and socialise. Tutor Groups are organised in year groups, so ensuring that discussion and communication about academic achievement are focused and timely. As well as having a key pastoral function, the House system also provides a huge range of competitions such as singing, sporting and debating.
“The House means we belong somewhere. They help us if we have a problem or have lost our planner” Year 10 Student
Nurture The safety, welfare and happiness of every student is paramount and we employ a wide range of adults in a variety of welfare roles at the Academy. Our Care and Guidance team supports every student, whatever their needs; from one to one help to arranging peer mentoring, each student’s needs are assessed and met on an individual basis. Student peer mentoring also provides invaluable support. Our Care and Guidance team supports every student at the Academy, whatever their needs. We also have a number of physical spaces “When my son throughout the Academy which can be used to joined the Academy, he support some of our more vulnerable students. was very nervous about These include a sensory room, a vulnerable so much change but his fears student support space, a bespoke ASD quickly disappeared with all the help and assurance he learning space, the Alternative Education received from all the staff and Centre to name but a few.
Guidance Managers. He is now a very confident and mature individual” Parent
Value The Folkestone Academy is strongly committed to an ethos which values and respects the individual regardless of race, religion, gender or ability. Students with Additional Educational Needs are identified early through rigorous assessment and appropriate provision and support are quickly established to meet their needs. We aim to prepare our students for a world which is diverse, challenging and unpredictable. We believe that our students need to develop the skills, compassion and thoughtfulness in order to deal with such a world. We are hugely proud of the values that we cherish and how we instil these in our young people. “The Academy’s outstanding care and guidance ensures that individual students feel both supported and challenged� Sixth Form Student
Learn We offer a curriculum that aims to stretch students of all abilities. Our innovative Year 7 curriculum is one of the hallmarks of the Academy. Built upon the Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills approach pioneered by Guy Claxton, two thirds of the students’ time is spent with the same member of staff, following a thematic approach to learning with an emphasis upon both content and skills. At the end of Year 8 students are well equipped to choose their GCSE and BTEC options, following this most choose to remain in our Sixth Form and study from the broad range of academic and vocational courses available. “Being here at The Academy has made life easier and fun. The Academy supports my dream of being a Poet and encourages me to do my best. Books are the stepping stones to imagination” Year 7 Student
E xperience The Folkestone Academy is at the heart of its local community. Building on Folkestone’s tradition of tourism and hospitality, we have a professional student run restaurant and hair and beauty salon - both of which are open to the public. Our facilities are the venue of choice for many local sports and community groups and, wherever possible, we look to involve our students in as many opportunities as possible. Through a range of partnerships we look to create exciting learning opportunities for our students. Ranging from Folkestone Rugby Academy managing a Primary School Tag Rugby competition to Sixth Form Textiles students designing and making “There are good costumes worn during the Olympic medal opportunities for ceremony.
students to contribute to the Academy and the local community� Ofsted, 2010
Gain The Academy offers a rich programme of Extension activities at the end of the Academy day for every student. As well as a diverse range of sporting activities, other options include, hair and beauty, film club, radio broadcasting, music groups, drama, chess and a variety of other leisure activities. This time will sometimes be used to offer intervention and support when additional help is required to ensure student’s progress in core subjects. When this does happen we will always ensure the student has a balanced range of activities so that academic work is complemented by the full range of other activities. “In the Extension time I did the production Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. I sung in front of the whole of Year 7” Year 7 Student
Progress As our students choose their Key Stage 4 options at the end of Year 8, they can aim to complete most of their courses by the end of Year 10 and so spend Year 11 ensuring they have the best grades in core subjects while developing their interest in the more specialised subjects that they may wish to follow in the Sixth Form at Key Stage 5. Our Sixth Form offers a wide range of vocational and academic courses. Our strong partnership with the University of Kent offers a number of scholarships to those students who wish to move to higher education. Some of our courses may also be provided as part of formal apprenticeships in partnership with national training providers and local employers. “I really enjoy being part of the Academy, teachers inspire us to do the best we can� Sixth Form Student
Trust The Board of Trustees and our team of staff share the same high aims for the Academy and our students. We are committed to broadening their horizons, inspiring a love of learning and enabling all our young people to achieve their full potential. We aim to motivate them to see the exciting possibilities ahead of them in the world of work and higher education as they develop into citizens of the future.
“I feel like part of a thriving team and a community belonging to the Academy, I relish coming to school every day� Head Boy
The Folkestone Academy Academy Lane Folkestone Kent CT19 5FP Tel: 01303 842400 Fax: 01303 842417 Email: admin@folkestoneacademy.com Web: www.folkestoneacademy.com
The Academy is included within the co-ordinated admissions arrangements operated by Kent County Council which manages the transfer of students from Primary schools into the Academy along with admissions into all other Secondary schools. Further details are to be found in the Secondary Admissions Booklet available from Kent County Council, Secondary Admissions, Room 224 Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ or online at www.kent.gov.uk
This Prospectus is for information purposes only. Further school information and full school policies can be found on our website at www.folkestoneacademy.com
FA Aug 2012