COWLEY INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
Your future starts here COWLEY INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE PROSPECTUS 2015 - 2016
A C H I E V I N G
T H E
H I G H E S T
S TA N D A R D S
T O G E T H E R
Our Mission Our mission is to create independent, considerate, healthy and aspirational people who communicate well. Through teaching and providing an environment that is stimulating, safe and caring, we encourage all to develop themselves and to support each other to achieve their full potential.
Our mission statement is shaped by our vision for all Cowleians to achieve the highest standards together, articulated by our College motto: Non sibi seb omnibus
Which translates as “Not for oneself, but for all.�
In the last academic year alone, Cowley has seen ten of its pupils from years 9-13, pick-up national or international honours in sporting disciplines. Pictured are some of these athletes.
Mr Sheeran, Principal
A message from the Principal
Cowley International College has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere where the individual nature of every student is recognised and valued. Staff are committed to working with students, parents and Governors to ensure that every student realises their full potential.
We want students to be excited about coming to College and to embrace learning. Our aim is for students to be motivated and challenged, to know that success is in them and comes as a result of their own effort.
Most of all, we want all students to achieve the highest standards.
Students are encouraged to challenge themselves and they are given support to succeed.
Cowleian Values
“The Cowleian”. The characteristics of the Cowleian underpin everything the College stands for: Aspirational Having the ability to set targets, with the desire and ambition to achieve something with their lives, for themselves and for others. Professor John Fairclough: A leading British Surgeon. (Cowley 1964 - 1971)
Considerate Showing awareness of the fact that they are members of a community, both in College and in the wider world; being ready to take into account the beliefs, feelings and viewpoints of others at all times. Michelle Lewis: Raised £1m for charity. ‘Pride of Britain’ Award. (Cowley 1995 - 1999)
Good communicators Developing the ability to listen to other people and to appreciate the value of effective communication in their own and in other languages, amongst peers, in the workplace and all areas of their lives. Raymond French MBE: Head of English and BBC Commentator.
(Cowley 1950 - 1957)
Healthy Showing physical, social and mental well-being through a variety of activities and an awareness of the effects of their lifestyle choices. James Roby: Saints Rugby League Player, Super League Winner. (Cowley 1997 - 2004)
Independent Thinking and acting for themselves and by taking responsibility for their own learning and progress. Making an individual contribution to improve the world in which we live. Georgia O’Brien: Record marks for International Baccalaureate. (Cowley 2009 - 2011)
Cowley, proud to be an award winning College Cowley has achieved numerous awards and accreditations; we are also proud to be an International School.
International School Award The British Council’s prestigious International School Award was awarded in recognition of our commitment to bring awareness of the world through studies in the classroom and our active participation in international projects with partner schools overseas.
IB World School World School status was awarded by the world renowned International Baccalaureate Organisation.
The process of becoming an IB World School is an extremely rigorous one, involving detailed scrutiny of teaching standards, systems and ethos. Only institutions that meet the exceptionally high standards demanded by the study programme are authorised as IB World Schools.
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and accreditation
Recognition of Quality Award Cowley has been awarded the Recognition of Quality Award in recognition of the high standards we have achieved and our commitment to work related learning and work placements.
Every Child Matters Quality Mark The five Every Child Matters outcomes form part of Cowley’s ethos and are promoted as part of the normal college day. Our aim is to ensure we help our students to achieve all of these outcomes whilst they are with us: be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being.
St Helens RFC Official Club Partner Cowley International College and St Helens RLFC share the objectives of pursuing excellence, serving the community and offering the best facilities for sport, education and career development.
‘The school has formed strong partnerships with local schools, colleges and businesses, and with international agencies to ensure that students benefit from high quality opportunities to grow into skilled and confident future citizens.’ (Ofsted 2011).
The transition from primary to secondary school We take particular care to help new students settle quickly into the larger community of a secondary school and work closely with primary schools to ensure a smooth transition.
We understand that all good partnerships need to invest time to develop long-term relationships and we therefore invite all the parents/carers of our new Year 7 students to a special parents’ evening at the College during the Summer term as well as a Year 7 Forum that takes place shortly after students start college in September. To ensure that our new Year 7 students are given an opportunity to familiarise themselves and prepare for secondary school, they are invited to spend three full days at Cowley in the Summer term before they join in September.
In September, we offer an induction programme for our Year 7 students to help them to settle into their new College life and to get to know their peers through a variety of team building activities.
Guidance and Support Caring for our students. Building strong
education and the College believes it is
and long lasting relationships with
vital to provide a secure, stable, consistent
parents/carers is a major strength of the
and caring environment in which the needs
College and we attribute the quality of the
of each student can be met.
care we provide to taking the time to get to know each students’ family.
To ensure familiar support and guidance, from Year 7 through to Year 11, students
The welfare and social development of all
have the same Form Tutor and Head of
students is an important part of their whole
Achievement. Cowley also has a Head of
‘Pastoral support is excellent.’ (Ofsted 2011). ‘Care, guidance and support continue to be a significant strength of the College.’ (Ofsted 2011).
Care, guidance and support who is on hand
Safer Schools, operate a 24/7 confidential
to assist students and their parents/carers.
online reporting system (Sharp system) that can be used by students and the lo-
Our students’ well-being and happiness
cal community to communicate with key
is of paramount importance and all issues
members of staff within the College.
reported are dealt with promptly and appropriately to ensure a timely resolution. Cowley, in collaboration with Merseyside
Personalised learning
Gifted and Talented students ‘Gifted and Talented’ is the term applied to those who are achieving, or who have the potential to achieve, at a level significantly beyond the rest of their peer group. ‘Gifted and Talented’ students are identified early in Year 7 and from this point they are offered intellectual extra curricular and enrichment activities, alongside tailored and accelerated learning to ensure their education is suited to their needs and abilities, allowing them to fulfil their true potential.
Raising achievement Meeting the needs of our students is a top priority for the College and we have a dedicated Student Support team who work closely with Learning Support Assistants and Year Co-ordinators to provide support for students with physical, learning or behavioural needs.
Homework club A homework club is available to all students after College every day and transport is provided to take students home at 5 pm. The club provides a safe learning environment with staff on hand to assist.
Curriculum pathways In Key Stage 3, all students study English, Mathematics, Science, Design and technology, Computing, History, Geography, Religious Education, Modern Foreign Languages, Art and design, Music, Physical Education, Personal and Social Education and Citizenship. Students are organised in teaching groups based on their average results in English, Mathematics and CAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) at Key Stage 2. Students in Key Stage 4 study English, Mathematics, Science, Computing, Modern Foreign Languages, Physical Education, Religious Education, Personal and Social Education and Citizenship. The Key Stage 4 curriculum at Cowley offers flexible, personalised learning to suit the needs of all our students. The qualifications available include GCSE, BTEC Level 1 and 2, as well as other Vocational courses.
Year 11 Prefects, 2015
Sporting opportunities ‘As Cowleians, students lead healthy lifestyles, engaging in a wide range of physical activities and making responsible choices.’ (Ofsted 2011).
Giving our students the best sporting
Cowley regularly competes against other
opportunities. Cowley has a strong
schools in the following: Football,
reputation and tradition for international
Volleyball, Badminton, Hockey, Rugby
sporting tours including visits to Africa,
Union, Boccia, Rugby League, Girls’
America, Asia, Australasia and Europe.
Football, Table Tennis, Girls’ Rugby, Netball, Rowing, Athletics, Chess,
The inter-college sporting fixtures involve students from all year groups.
Rounders, Cricket and Baseball.
We also provide opportunities for students
opportunity for students to complete BTEC
to participate in noncompetitive activities
or A-Level studies and to work with
including Dance, Gymnastics, Aerobics,
St Helens RFC to achieve their ultimate
Trampolining, Hill Walking, Orienteer-
sporting goals. This sporting programme
ing, Circuit Training, Running, Kayaking,
includes diet and nutrition plans, access to
Weight Training, Wall Climbing and Golf.
professional physiotherapy and fitness training plans.
For those with a sporting talent who attend Cowley Sixth Form, we offer a unique
Providing a modern and resource rich environment The College is equipped with the latest technology that promote active engagement to encourage personalised teaching and learning.
Students have access to state-of-the art facilities, including well-resourced libraries, music studios and Apple Mac suites. In addition, students have access to mobile technologies such as iPads and tablets and these are used during lessons to help to stimulate and inspire our students.
The College also has a floodlit 3G pitch that ensures lessons and club matches can take place regardless of the weather conditions.
The last two Ofsted inspections rated Cowley’s curriculum as ‘outstanding’.
Sixth Form
Cowley Sixth Form offers courses to suit the needs and abilities of a whole range of students from traditional A-levels to vocational BTEC courses. In addition, we are the only College in St Helens offering the highly regarded International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.
Cowley Sixth Form offers a truly international experience. Many students have benefited from extensive links with colleges all over Europe, through work experience and cultural exchanges. The curriculum is continually developing to meet the needs of internationalism and the global market, an example of this is the introduction of Mandarin Chinese as part of the Cowley Honours Programme.
Examination results in the Sixth Form are excellent. This year we achieved a 100% pass rate in BTEC qualifications. The pass rate at A-level was an impressive 98%.
‘The teachers at Cowley Sixth Form have genuine belief in every student.’ (Sixth Form Student)
Saints first team player, Jon Wilkin, works alongside a student as part of the ‘Let’s get Cooking’ initiative
Our valued partnership with Saints RFC
Saints relocated their training ground to Cowley just over three years ago as part of a ground-breaking partnership between two widely recognised educational and sporting establishments.
The partnership allows Saints Academy players to fulfil their training needs whilst continuing their education at Cowley’s Sixth Form College. The partnership works in a reciprocal manner to support each other’s needs – educational initiatives and strategies involve Saints personnel who in turn help to increase the success and achievement of Cowley students.
Saints are also involved in College initiatives to encourage positive student behaviour and learning. Players have worked alongside teaching staff to create fun, educational projects that are designed to enhance learning.
Duke of Edinburgh 5-day kayaking expedition around the south coast of Menorca.
Extra curricular and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Cowley offers a tremendous range of outstanding cultural, sporting and other challenging extra curricular activities, which have earned the College an enviable reputation both locally and internationally. Whether sporting, amateur dramatics, adrenaline pumping or mind boggling, Cowley have something on offer for all interests and levels.
Cowley has taken part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme for more than 15 years. Recent groups have completed their expeditions on foot, by kayak, canoe and on bike as far a-field as Belgium, France, Holland, Sicily and the Balearic Islands.
Recently, four Cowley students obtained their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award - an amazing feat and one that we encourage and support all of our students to achieve.
Extra curricular and the arts
We are very proud of performing arts at Cowley and we strive to use drama, dance and music to develop confidence, communication and teamwork skills in all our students.
Every student has the opportunity to be involved in College productions, from acting, dancing, singing or as part of the orchestra or production team. Our productions create quite a stir both in the College and the local community with tickets to shows often being sold out within hours of becoming available. Some of our most recent productions include Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Joseph and Les Misérables.
Cowley has also produced two feature films: ‘Broken Spirits’ and ‘Roly’s List’, both of which premiered at Cineworld St Helens.
2015 production of Little Shop of Horrors
A C H I E V I N G T H E H I G H E S T S TA N D A R D S T O G E T H E R
Choosing the right secondary school is one of the most important decisions that you will make together with your daughter/son. We hope that Cowley International College will be your first choice.
We understand that a brochure cannot answer all the questions that you might have about the College and so we encourage you to visit the College on one of our Open Evenings, or get in touch via email or telephone if you require any further information.
MAIN OFFICE TELEPHONE: 01744 678 030 cowley@sthelens.org,uk
Cowley International College Principal: Mr C Sheeran Hard Lane, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 6PN Tel: 01744 678 030 Visit: cowleyinternationalcollege.com