Westwood Girls’ College for Languages and Arts
Welcome Thank you for your interest in Westwood. We are a forward looking girls’ school undergoing exciting changes that will provide even greater opportunities for our students. Changes will include a 6th form from 2010 and valuable, beneficial partnerships with Universities, businesses and other outstanding schools. Our dedicated teaching and support staff aim to raise aspirations, to challenge and inspire students, and provide the care and support they need to achieve their goals. Modern purpose-built facilities and the highest standard of pastoral care combine to provide a complete and inclusive education. Our cultural and ethnic diversity is a great strength. Students and staff learn from each other in a spirit of friendship and mutual respect. We contribute to our local and national communities and engage positively with global issues. Students leave our school as confident, independent young women, fully equipped to meet the challenges of further education, training and the world of work. Life at Westwood is a joy. Every day brings new opportunities, challenges and successes. We look forward to welcoming you to our vibrant and dynamic community. Colette Singleton Executive Headteacher
A Specialist Language College “The school has established an ethos in which students from a wide variety of backgrounds learn to appreciate and value their own and each other’s cultures.” Ofsted
Language study is a major part of life at Westwood. In addition to French, German, Spanish and Japanese, students can opt to learn other languages such as Arabic, Greek and Urdu. Some students take language A-levels early with excellent results. Our outstanding facilities include two multimedia language centres. Westwood is a lead training school in the use of ICT for the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages. We provide exciting out-of-hours activities and work closely with partner schools throughout the world. We have a busy schedule of international projects, overseas cultural visits and exchanges. Westwood also plays an important role in language education in the community, running evening courses in European and other languages such as Urdu and Arabic for parents and local residents. Language study at Westwood does not end with grammar and vocabulary. Students apply their knowledge to other subjects and leave our school keen to discover more about other cultures and societies.
Florence trip 2008
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A Specialist Arts College “There are so many different opportunities for us here.� Year 11 Student
Performing and Creative Arts come alive at Westwood and provide wonderful opportunities for self-expression, applied study and confidence building. Our specialist teaching areas, practice rooms and studios are in constant use and we have a busy programme of performance and exhibitions in art, dance, drama and music.
A diverse extracurricular programme includes instrumental lessons, choirs, musical groups and frequent trips to galleries, shows and museums. GCSE Art and Applied Art results are consistently well above national averages and our new BTEC Fashion course is very popular, inspiring a number of student fashion shows. Westwood is a lead training school for Art and design.
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Learning to Achieve Students are happy and successful when they enjoy learning. We use innovative learning and teaching methods to keep our students focused and motivated. We take into account each student’s individual learning styles and encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning in our Skills for Learning programme.
Individual progress is closely monitored. Parents are kept well informed and are regularly involved in setting targets for their daughters. At every stage our curriculum is balanced and wide ranging. Senior students choose from a number of academic and vocational courses according to their abilities and interests. There is also a ‘Fast Track’ programme for more able students.
Learning is extended beyond the classroom with a full programme of enrichment opportunities and activities. These are designed to promote healthy lifestyles, creativity, teamwork and self-confidence. At Westwood, our citizenship programme has an international focus, encouraging students to become active citizens in and beyond their communities.
“The school offers an effective balance of academic, vocational and work-related options, which is well matched to the needs and aspirations of students.” Ofsted
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Building Confidence At Westwood each student is encouraged to discover an activity she enjoys and develop her skills in it further. “There are loads of sports clubs and teams to join.� Year 7 Student
Design & Technology Our superbly equipped D&T department offers a range of study options from Textiles and Food to Graphics and Resistant Materials. We provide every support for students who express an interest in related careers such as engineering, fashion and graphic design.
ICT
Sport
Students learn to use ICT proficiently in all subject areas. We also encourage them to make use of our facilities for independent research in and out of school hours.
We encourage all our students to adopt healthy lifestyles and pursue their sporting dreams. Our facilities are among the best in the area with playing fields, gymnasium, sports hall and courts that cater for most sports and games.
The school is fully networked and some departments have dedicated ICT facilities. Our commercial standard software allows students to gain extra confidence when moving on to further education and work
Our teams and individual athletes compete with considerable success in the borough and beyond.
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Care and Support We make sure that all our students are happy and confident by caring for them and supporting them individually.
There is full provision for students with special needs. Gifted and Talented students follow an extended programme of learning activities.
Our induction programme begins with active liaison with our feeder schools, where we assess and plan for our new Year 7s to ensure they will feel happy and settled in their new environment.
We provide individual support both in and out of the classroom. This includes a dynamic mentoring system for all students regardless of
Our Form Tutors and House system provide excellent continuity of care. Parents are encouraged to contact the school at any time if they have any concerns.
ability. Extra learning support and out of hours revision and study classes are also available. Our School Council and Student Leadership Teams give our students a voice across all subject areas and in opportunities to improve the school’s facilities and provision.
“There is a harmonious atmosphere in the school... students value the support they receive and the good relationships they have with their teachers.” Ofsted
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for Languages and Arts Spurgeon Road, Upper Norwood, London SE19 3UG Tel 020 8653 1661 Fax 020 8771 6573 pstannard@westwood.croydon.sch.uk www.westwood.croydon.sch.uk
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Westwood Girls’ College
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BUSES THAT STOP NEAR SPURGEON RD: 249 Streatham – Crystal Palace 468 Croydon – West Norwood 196 Brixton – Norwood Junction 450 West Croydon –Thornton Heath – Elmers End TRAIN: Norwood Junction then take the 196 bus along South Norwood Hill. Alight at Harvester Restaurant on the corner of Spa Hill.