The Ferrers School Prospectus 2023

Aspire, achieve, acclaim

THE FERRERS SCHOOL

WELCOME TO THE FERRERS SCHOOL

The Ferrers School is a school in which excellence and success are both desirable and achievable.

It is a school in which diversity is celebrated through an inclusive culture in which students thrive from feeling respected and valued for the positive contributions they make. It is a school that shares a common and unshakeable purpose to achieve excellence in all that we do.

Our mission is very simple and very important – to help all of our students to be the very best they can be. We express this through our motto “Aspire, Achieve, Acclaim”.

Aspire – we have the highest aspirations for our students and we expect them to have high expectations in all that they do.

Achieve – we want all our students to achieve their best in all that they do. We set challenging targets and constantly seek ways to raise levels of achievement for all.

Acclaim – we celebrate and reward the achievement of our students. We foster a climate in which success is recognised and celebrated to support students’ aspirations and achievements.

The school is underpinned and supported by the ethos and values of the Meridian Trust. The core of this philosophy is:

• Achievement for all

• Valuing people

• A high-quality learning environment

• The pursuit of excellence

• Extending the boundaries of learning

I feel both proud and privileged to be leading the school and very much look forward to welcoming you to The Ferrers School.

Angela Smith, Principal

MERIDIAN TRUST

The Ferrers School are proud to be part of Meridian Trust; a successful multi-academy trust founded on its commitment to people and communities.

Across Meridian Trust, our staff benefit from strong networks, excellent career opportunities and a human approach where they are equally valued and supported. Every child is known, equally valued and supported to achieve their potential in all our academies and every community we serve benefits from the facilities and services we provide. To find out more about Meridian Trust, visit the Trust’s website www.meridiantrust.co.uk

OUR VALUES

Valuing People

• Appreciating the incredible trust placed with us in educating young people and serving our community.

• Valuing the diversity and qualities of our staff and students.

• Ensuring that all students and staff feel known, appreciated and supported.

• Committing whole-heartedly to collaboration within, between and beyond our academies.

A high quality learning environment

• Providing high quality buildings, engaging classrooms and excellent sporting facilities.

• Delivering innovative learning resources and materials.

• Ensuring a well-disciplined and caring environment.

• Exploring cutting edge technologies to expand the opportunities for students, staff and our community to benefit from learning in a digital age.

Achievement for all

• Ensuring that every student achieves their maximum potential.

• Maintaining a relentless sense of optimism.

• Removing barriers to learning.

• Providing a whole eduction: academic excellence co-existing with an exceptional commitment to activity beyond.

The pursuit of excellence

• By expecting this of every person, every day.

• Continually striving for the creation of a true meritocracy.

• Promoting and celebrating elite performance inside school and in the wider world.

• Rejecting outright and sense of complacency.

Extending the boundaries of learning

• Providing positive memorable experiences inside and outside of the classroom.

• Providing a diversity of experience to all.

• Opening up the world to all students.

• Securing the very best future educational and vocational experiences for our students.

A HIGH-QUALITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

We provide our children with the technological, social and academic skills to be successful as they progress beyond school.

We have a wide range of specialist facilities to support learning across all subjects including:

• A Learning Resource Centre

• Technology Workshops

• ICT Suites

• Specialist Art Facilities

• Drama and Dance Studios

• A Recording Studio and Film Editing Suite

• Specialist Science Laboratories

• A fully equipped Sports Hall

• An All Weather Sports Pitch

• Sixth Form Centre

• Fitness Suite

SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE LEARNERS

We aim to support students in becoming confident, motivated, aspirational and high achieving young people who will make a positive contribution to the local and wider community as responsible and ambitious citizens. Throughout the school we aim to:

• Ensure equal opportunities

• Educate the whole person

• Develop independence

• Value personal achievement

• Encourage positive values

Our role is to equip students with the skills and knowledge that they need to make informed decisions at key points in their school lives, and ultimately to prepare them for the world of work.

We want to encourage all students to set their sights high and broaden their ambitions through Learning Outside the Classroom. We recognise the value of Learning Outside the Classroom in broadening the horizons of young people, raising self-esteem and making learning more memorable. We want to inspire students to have the highest of aspirations from the moment they come to The Ferrers School.

INSPIRING AMBITION RAISING ASPIRATIONS

ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL

Creativity and challenge are key elements in our teaching, providing students with opportunities to develop skills, knowledge, talents and, most importantly, to enjoy their schooling whilst being proud to be an integral part of The Ferrers School.

The students are at the heart of the educational process and must be encouraged to participate fully in the life of the school.

Students follow a broad and balanced curriculum with substantial time allocated to core academic subjects and to provide the opportunity to study creative and practical subjects.

The Curriculum is enhanced through our Core Studies programme which encompasses all aspects of a students’ social and emotional development ensuring they become well-rounded young people. As part of Core Studies, students will be prepared for the wider world of work through our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance programme (CEIAG).

EXTENDING THE BOUNDARIES OF LEARNING

Our curriculum has been carefully designed to secure the best possible outcomes for our students. We also have systems in place for students that need extra support and guidance to achieve. To support our challenging curriculum, we have also developed and invested in a simple but broad set of PLEDGES.

PLEDGES are an awards system which offer students a range of character-building opportunities that enhance their learning and development. It is an expectation of every student to complete their PLEDGES during their time at the school. The PLEDGES system aims to encourage and reward the development of many important qualities in students, such as responsibility, expectation, intuition and citizenship, all of which are crucial for giving students skills and brighter futures.

We have an uncompromising commitment to ensure that every child achieves their academic potential at The Ferrers School.

ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES

We believe in an all-inclusive education where every student not only develops academic skills, but self-confidence, life-skills, and leadership experiences.

In addition to the PLEDGE programme, there are a wide-range of other activities available through, Inter-House competitions, extended curriculum days, charity events, educational visits and experiences, working with local businesses and the community. We have a thriving Duke of Edinburgh programme running in which students can secure Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. We also have an

established Combined Cadet Force (CCF) where students learn skills such as leadership, discipline and confidence within a military environment.

Sport – Our child loves sport. What’s on offer?

All students study and participate in Physical Education through their curriculum time. In addition there is a wide programme of extracurricular sport on offer for fun or recreation. We have a very good record in competitions at district, county and national level. Sport at The Ferrers School is supported by the excellent facilities which include a Gymnasium, Sports Hall, 3G pitch and a Fitness Suite. Students can choose to study PE at both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5.

The Arts – Art, Dance, Drama and Music

The Arts play an important role in the school. All students follow a wide range of Arts based courses

through the curriculum with specialist teachers in Key Stage 3 and a wide range of optional subjects are available in Key Stage 4 and 5. We have a flourishing and a wide ranging selection of extracurricular clubs, bands, ensembles, choirs, dance and drama groups which students of any age can get involved in. Additionally, students have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument with our dedicated peripatetic teachers.

Other Opportunities

There are student leadership opportunities to be found throughout all aspects of school life – from the informal leadership that is inherent in the mixed age tutor groups, through to the House Captains, and local and national representative groups.

VALUING PEOPLE

Providing an inclusive and tolerant community in which differences and similarities are celebrated and shared.

House System

The Ferrers School has four main Houses, Brunel, Franklin, Turing and Woolf.

The Houses provide crucial support and guidance, and the needs of every student are acknowledged and understood by their tutor and senior tutor. The system enables individual progress to be monitored much more closely and the House is the key focus of the relationship between the school and families, with siblings joining the same House. The House offices are a great base for students and parents to find the support and assistance they may need. Each House has a dedicated member of the leadership team, a senior tutor and a student support assistant.

Vertical Tutoring

The mixed aged tutor group system is known as Vertical Tutoring. Each tutor group will have a mixture of students from Years 7-11. Post 16 students are part of The Ferrers School Sixth Form which has a specialised team of tutors. The Vertical Tutoring system has many benefits, fostering a family spirit where older students offer guidance and provide support to younger students. It also ensures students have a sense of the whole school picture as the younger students see the older ones preparing for work experience, subject choices and important examinations.

We want all students at The Ferrers School to be ambitious, to work hard, and behave well. We expect parents to support us in upholding these standards. The result of which will be very good academic success, very good behaviour and outstanding attendance.

THE FERRERS SCHOOL

Queensway, Higham Ferrers

Northamptonshire, NN10 8LF

T: 01933 313411

E: mail@theferrers.org www.theferrers.org

Meridian Trust

Registered Office: Sawtry Village Academy, Fen Lane, Sawtry, Huntingdon, PE28 5TQ

T: 01223 491600

E: enquiries@meridiantrust.co.uk