Churchill Academy Prospectus

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www.churchill-academy.org

Welcome from the Headteacher May I extend a warm welcome to you from the Churchill Academy community – students, staff and governors.

One of the most important decisions you will have to make is choosing the right VHFRQGDU\ VFKRRO IRU \RXU FKLOG DQG DW &KXUFKLOO ZH EHOLHYH ZH RIIHU \RX D ¿UVW class option.

As parents, we all wish to see our children thrive and succeed. Churchill has a dedicated team of teaching and support staff who work hard to secure the best from every student, offering varied opportunities for them to grow in skill, NQRZOHGJH DQG FRQ¿GHQFH :H ZLOO DFKLHYH WKLV ZLWK D PXWXDOO\ VXSSRUWLYH partnership between school and home.

These are the Academy’s values – but it is also our promise to parents. We will care for your children, inspire and challenge them and help them to achieve the very best they can.

If your son or daughter joins us here, I look forward to working with you to ensure their secondary school life is full, challenged, happy and successful.

Dr Barry Wratten, Headteacher

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The Aims of Churchill Academy Our primary aim at Churchill is to educate all our students to the highest VWDQGDUGV WKH\ FDQ DFKLHYH DQG WR VXSSRUW WKHP LQ EHFRPLQJ FRQ多GHQW individuals, successful learners and responsible citizens.

We will: Provide our students with a range of knowledge and skills Provide a broad range of subjects and ways of study Meet the individual interests, abilities, aptitudes and needs of all students Encourage our students to aim high, to appreciate ambition and enterprise and to recognise the value of all their achievements.

We also believe it is important for us to support our students as young people and we will help to prepare them for life beyond school by encouraging them to:

([SUHVV WKHPVHOYHV FRQ多GHQWO\ Respect and tolerate the views of others Give of their best in all activities Be tolerant, self-disciplined and sensitive and caring towards others Accept responsibility for the consequences of their actions

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“It was a really lovely Celebration of Success Assembly. We were so delighted that our daughter was awarded a Head of House Prize”

Parent

³, KDYH KDG D EULOOLDQW ¿UVW \HDU DW Churchill Academy. I have made lots of new friends.”

Year 7 Student

“All three of my children have had a happy and productive time at school, keep up the good work!”

Parent

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Care Working together - Students, Parents & School Transfer to ‘the big school’ ,W LV LPSRUWDQW IRU RXU \RXQJHVW VWXGHQWV WR WUDQVIHU FRQ¿GHQWO\ WR &KXUFKLOO :H have excellent links with all the primary schools in the Churchill catchment area and our senior staff work closely with these and our other ‘feeder’ schools to support the children as they prepare for that important next step. The Year 6 pupils attend a ‘taster day’ with us in the summer term and parents and children are invited to a ‘New Year 7’ parents’ evening as we begin to work together for a successful transfer. Tutors and older students help the new students to be RUJDQLVHG DQG WR ¿QG WKHLU ZD\ DURXQG

A highly supportive pastoral system Our Pastoral System allows students to make a successful move to their new school. Each student is placed in a Vertical Tutor Group with students from RWKHU \HDU JURXSV 7KH 7XWRU LV WKH FHQWUDO ¿JXUH DQG LV WKH ¿UVW SRLQW RI FRQWDFW Tutors are supported by their Head of House and these are led by our Director of Student Welfare, Mrs L McKay. Each House has a House Mentor to help those students who may require extra support.

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Guidance and progress Churchill is a friendly Academy that has a real sense of purpose. We foster in all our students a sense of belonging – to the Academy community, to House, to Tutor Group, to Sixth Form. Our Pastoral structure develops a shared set of values, values we as adults admire:

Respect and Honesty Tolerance of each other and of those who may be perceived as different Skills to help deal with tension and anxiety Caring attitudes to other members of the community and to the environment

Regular communication with home The Academy is well aware of parents’ wishes to be kept informed. Each year parents receive an annual Report and are invited to discuss progress with the teachers. Two further ‘snap-shots’ will be sent home; these also reveal the teachers’ views on any strengths or any barriers to learning (see our school Aims). All this is available to parents via our own portal on the school website: SMILE. We regularly monitor performance and we will contact home if there is any concern. Parents of new Year 7 students are invited to meet Tutors before Christmas to discuss their initial progress. Parents can also see their child’s behaviour record, again via the website through SMILE.

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Inspire Academic achievement One of our greatest strengths is the quality of our teachers and their passion for their subjects, who – along with the many support staff who work with them – provide challenge and variety, support and encouragement and that rarest of jewels – inspiration. We have created a positive atmosphere in which students and staff work together. Students are expected to do their work to the best of their ability, take pride in their work, to get involved in the life of the academy and to enjoy working with others. We encourage young people to express themselves and be creative. We treat them as individuals, show them respect and give them responsibility.

Personal development We see our students as much more than just scholars – they are the adults and citizens of tomorrow. Churchill provides many opportunities for personal development. There is a high emphasis on Personalised Learning and Thinking Skills. We emphasise the need for students to share, take-turns and co-operate and we encourage students to discuss issues relevant to their age and maturity.

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Celebrating success We believe students’ successes should be praised and celebrated and we recognise achievement, effort, progress and perseverance.

We know the importance of acknowledging children’s triumphs in developing selfesteem. Outstanding individual achievements feature in our weekly Newsletter.

Speech Day and our Celebration of Success Assemblies give further RSSRUWXQLWLHV WR UHÀHFW RQ WKH DFKLHYHPHQWV RI ERWK LQGLYLGXDOV DQG JURXSV

Support to succeed Our students are prepared well for choosing their next steps in life. We have excellent links with local employers and businesses to enable students to understand the workings of industry, business, commerce and voluntary services. These partners provide support for our Year 10 and Post-16 Careers Conventions, input to our School-to-Work Conference/Enterprise Day and offer valuable work experience opportunities. We are delighted so many of our students decide to stay with us for their Sixth Form studies, the vast majority of whom progress from Churchill onto degree courses at university.

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Challenge Tracking progress, setting targets Teachers and students track progress and record achievement – and this helps keep parents informed too. We use students’ prior and current attainment data to set appropriate but challenging targets. We compare Target Grades/Levels against Current Attainment Grades/Level and keep track of their progress. Staff can then highlight the practical steps students need to take to improve what they do. We have a ‘value added’ effect on student progress.

Homework At Churchill homework is an integral part of the learning experience. We set high standards and expect all homework to be completed to the best of a student’s ability and to be handed in on time. With the development of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), students can access the school systems from home in the evenings and at weekends so that learning can continue outside the classroom setting.

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Extra-curricular activities and other enrichment opportunities Churchill has an outstanding reputation for offering its students a wide choice of extra-curricular activities. Staff often spend their lunchtimes and time after school to help individuals with their work. Clubs give students further chance to participate in a range of activities – a list is sent home early in the academic year to encourage participation.

Sport At Churchill there is a rich tradition of extra-curricular sport and we have good relations with local clubs. Sports on offer include Rugby, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Rounders, Hockey, Netball, Athletics, Cricket, Basketball, Badminton, Golf, etc.

Trips, travel and adventure Travel is an important component of every child’s growing up, giving a chance to be away from home and to develop a greater sense of independence. )URP WKH UHVLGHQWLDO WULS LQ WKH ¿UVW WHUP RI <HDU WR PDMRU H[SHGLWLRQV IRU WKH older students there are a great many opportunities for students to enrich their learning.

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Sports Celebrity Visits to the Academy

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Trips

House Competitions

School Production

Duke of Edinburgh Award Expeditions

Churchill is a specialist centre for the performing arts The Performing Arts play a very important part in the lives of everyone at Churchill. In Music, our own talented staff work closely with North Somerset’s Music Service. Even with our very high standards, we do not lose sight of the joy of music making. We have choirs – including our internationally renowned senior Gospel Choir – orchestras and ensembles, jazz groups, covering a wide range of genres from the classics through to modern and rock and pop.

7KHUH LV D VWURQJ WUDGLWLRQ DW &KXUFKLOO IRU ¿UVW UDWH GUDPD ± HVSHFLDOO\ RXU PDMRU productions staged at The Playhouse in Weston. Students studying Drama or Theatre Studies perform their work in front of invited audiences and there are plenty of opportunities for students to be on stage, behind the scenes or working in the technical aspects of theatre.

One of the most exciting aspects of our Performing Arts status has been the development of dance. Each year there are shows involving students from Year 7 to the Sixth Form and in recent years Churchill has had great success in national competitions.

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Achieve $ ¿UVW UDWH HGXFDWLRQ IRU VW FHQWXU\ OHDUQHUV Churchill is a successful and high attaining academy – but we are always looking for ways to improve what we do and how best we can prepare young people for the 21st Century world. We have invested heavily in our Information and Communication Technology provision to bring both curriculum and administration ICT systems together. Our web-site and our portal (SMILE) have allowed us to develop our Virtual Learning Environment. This improves our interactivity with web-based learning, home-to-school communication and on-line education.

Students can submit work via E-Mail and parents can check on student progress, behaviour and work via our web-site.

The future potential of ICT in schools as a tool for learning is awesome. Through internet, intranet and video-conferencing – our children’s learning reaches well beyond the school site.

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The curriculum The curriculum on offer here at Churchill is broad, balanced and relevant, appropriate to the students’ needs and affords appropriate progression. The Schemes of Work are sensitive to prior attainment and current assessment and are differentiated by resources, tasks and styles of learning. Our Student Support team deploys Teaching Assistants/ Learning Support Assistants to support individuals/groups as required. There are elements of alternative curricula in years 9, 10 and 11 and we also offer some work related provision for students if this is more appropriate.

‘Appropriate’ means that students in Year 11 are ready to choose the next step LQ WKHLU \RXQJ OLYHV ZLWK FRQ¿GHQFH DQG LQ OLQH ZLWK WKHLU DELOLWLHV ± WR VWXG\ LQ RXU Sixth Form or to follow other courses, training or work.

One of our principles is that subjects will be taught by specialists in specialist accommodation. Groups are largely mixed ability, although some setting does occur. Work is set to challenge, support and extend learners. We have revamped our Key Stage 3 Curriculum – cutting it to two years – enabling students to maintain the momentum of their Primary years and spend more time on their GCSE courses.

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Churchill Academy & Sixth Form, Churchill Green, Churchill, North Somerset, BS25 5QN Telephone: 01934 852771 Fax: 01934 853202 E-Mail: churchill@churchill-academy.org A Centre for the Performing Arts/Arts Colleges