I am proud to be the Executive Head Teacher of Gildredge House and feel privileged and excited to lead the school forward alongside a dedicated team of staff. Gildredge House is a warm, welcoming comprehensive, all-through free school providing an excellent education for students from age 4 to 16.
Our mission is to aspire in all that we do, and it is this mission that underpins and drives our vision and values. Fundamentally, we aspire to provide our young people with the highest quality education, so they achieve their potential, and beyond. This is reinforced in the classroom by the Gildredge House Five; a set of teaching principles which ensure consistency in quality first teaching for all students in every phase of our school.
Our vision is clear and underpinned by a strong values-based curriculum. All members of our community are expected to model the Aspire values of Ambition, Support, Perseverance, Integrity, Reflection, and Empathy, which permeate our formal and informal curriculum.
Our school is founded upon high standards and high expectations of students’ attitude to learning. We expect a commitment from all students to the Gildredge House Way in being ready, respectful, and safe in every lesson. Exciting learning experiences, in and out of the classroom, are our priority and support students to flourish so we can celebrate individual and collective achievements. Our co-curricular offer, including extra-curricular activities, trips, and experiences, ensures that students develop a broad range of skills and instils within them a genuine love of lifelong learning so they can have the absolute best opportunities in the next stage of their education or career.
As an all-through school, we recognise the privilege and opportunity we have of supporting students’ learning and development for twelve years of their lives. We continue to develop our curriculum to ensure there is a ‘through-line’ of
knowledge and skills developed from Reception to Year 11, and that learning is continually assessed and challenged. Our shared facilities and resources create numerous unique opportunities for students to integrate with other phases of our school. These opportunities provide students with continuity and stability through the traditional transition points; therefore, our students develop self-confidence and positivity throughout their time with us. This sets Gildredge House apart from other schools.
As a Green Flag accredited school, we aspire to engage young people in environmental education and action. We have strong connections with local environmental charities, and our student-led Eco Committee are dedicated to making a difference in our school and the wider environment.
At Gildredge House, we understand that relationships are key. We have staff who work incredibly hard every day to develop strong relationships with students and parents to ensure they are supported, inspired, and motivated to aspire in all that they do. When you and your family join us at Gildredge House, you become part of our community. Through a shared set of values, together, we provide an environment for children to feel safe, learn and flourish, every day.
We would welcome the opportunity to show you around our fantastic school, so please get in touch.
Mr Craig Bull Executive Head Teacher
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OUR SCHOOL MISSION & VISION
OUR MISSION
At Gildredge House, our mission is clear; to aspire in all that we do.
Our mission and vision are underpinned by a strong values-based education where learning in and out of the classroom is prioritised, to support students to achieve their potential and beyond. We have the highest aspirations for our school and every member of our school community.
OUR VISION
Our vision is to be a school that aspires:
• for balanced students who flourish through opportunities and learning experiences in and outside the classroom.
• toward a culture of care and wellbeing, which results in optimal conditions for learning.
• to be proud of the Gildredge House Way, our uniform and attendance.
• for all students to achieve their potential and beyond.
• for an inclusive, all-through, values-based curriculum.
• for students to understand their responsibility to be global citizens, contributing to a better world.
• to celebrate students’ individual and collective achievements.
• to engage young people in environmental education and action.
• for a strong careers programme which supports students in further education, training, and employment.
• Aspires to work collaboratively within our local, national, and global communities.
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THE GILDREDGE HOUSE WAY
READY, RESPECTFUL, SAFE
Our school is founded upon high standards and high expectations of students’ attitude to learning. We expect a commitment from all students to the Gildredge House Way, in and out of every lesson. We also believe it is important to celebrate individual and collective achievements through a culture of ‘catching students in’.
OUR ASPIRE VALUES
At Gildredge House, the strategic plan and vision for our school is underpinned by a values-based education.
Our stakeholders have discussed, collaborated, and developed this thinking to create six core values that we believe ensure our students aspire and achieve success. We believe that this creates a strong learning environment that enhances personal and academic achievement whilst also developing students’ social and relationship skills that will last throughout their lives. A positive learning environment is achieved through the positive values modelled by all members of our community; from students in Reception to Year 11, to staff and parents. Our curriculum is developed with our Aspire values in mind and we recognise and reward students when they demonstrate them.
AMBITION
We relish new challenges or opportunities, always strive to do our best.
SUPPORT
We collaborate, encourage, and help others whilst accepting and responding to support ourselves.
PERSEVERANCE
We have self-belief in overcoming challenges to be successful.
INTEGRITY
We are honest and always do the right thing.
REFLECTION
We consider our strengths and areas for development whilst making connections in our learning.
EMPATHY
We understand the feelings and needs of others, supporting those who sometimes need our help.
HIGH-QUALITY TEACHING & LEARNING
At Gildredge House, excellent teaching and learning experiences are prioritised. We aspire to create a learning environment that supports risk-taking and innovation, stretching students’ understanding whilst ensuring that lessons are interesting and inspiring. This provides the foundation for our students to succeed and make progress.
Our staff engage in regular professional learning, keeping abreast of the latest research and evidence that supports effective practice and student learning. Our teachers regularly collaborate and engage in joint lesson and curriculum planning, across departments and phases of the school. We believe this supports engagement and the progression of knowledge and skills in our students.
Teachers set clear learning objectives for their students and monitor attainment and progress. Teachers assess how well they are learning in lessons and give appropriate feedback that supports students to understand their strengths and how to improve. At Gildredge House, we provide all students with the ability to succeed.
Our Gildredge House Five Teaching and Learning Essentials underpin a consistent approach to high-quality teaching and learning across all phases of our school. We expect teachers to plan and deliver each of the five Teaching and Learning Essentials every lesson.
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THE GILDREDGE HOUSE FIVE OUR TEACHING & LEARNING ESSENTIALS
1 2 3 4 5
Challenge - We challenge students with difficult work that makes them think deeply and engage in a healthy struggle. We plan lessons that allow all students to work just outside of their comfort zone because this is when they are likely to learn the most. We do this so students have high expectations of what they can achieve. Students are engaged and motivated to learn.
Explanation (Exposition) - We have strong subject knowledge and are equipped to give clear, understandable, and varied explanations. We plan for and spot misconceptions, providing analogies, and giving a variety of concrete examples to help get their explanations to stick. We do this so students acquire new knowledge and skills.
Modelling - We model in small step-by-step chunks then provide opportunities for focussed practice, followed by more modelling and practice. We do this so students know how to apply the knowledge and skills.
Questioning - We deepen and develop students’ understanding and academic rigour. We embed a culture where simple or incomplete answers are not accepted; we dig deep for more. At the same time, we want our students to think deeply and therefore we allow them time to think. We do this so students are made to think hard with breadth, depth, and accuracy.
Feedback - We provide our students with timely and precise feedback to keep them on track to achieve their learning goal and move onto the next one. We draw evidence from the performance of students and use this to inform future planning and teaching. We do this so students think about and further develop their knowledge and skills.
AMBITIOUS
CURRICULUM
“The school is a caring environment in which every pupil is valued. Staff have positive relationships with pupils and know them well. This means that staff are alert to any changes in pupils that may indicate a concern. Pupils feel safe in school. They are confident in knowing that there is always a trusted adult they can speak to if they are worried about something.”
OFSTED 2018
At Gildredge House, we aspire for all students to achieve their potential and beyond.
Being an all-through school enables staff to work across the different phases to create a truly progressive, ambitious and inclusive curriculum that is rich in language, for all students. From the youngest possible age, students have their nurturing Class Teacher alongside the experience of a broad range of subjects taught by subject specialist teachers. This enables the students to progress through the Primary phase while being given opportunities to use the facilities and subject expertise of Secondary phase teachers. The Primary phase students regularly utilise the Secondary phase Science labs, sports facilities, and computing and music spaces.
This breadth of the curriculum is maintained by our provision of a three-year Key Stage 3 programme
that offers the full range of Baccalaureate subjects and access to specialist subjects such as Engineering and Creative iMedia at Key Stage 4. During a student’s potentially 12-year journey at Gildredge House, our curriculum intent is to prepare them for future careers, with appropriate knowledge and skills to enable them to take their next steps into the wider world. We aspire for our students to be life-long learners, creating a love of learning through engaging and meaningful learning opportunities.
Our all-through school enables us to create a curriculum with a golden thread of knowledge, skills and understanding so our students are successful both in and out of the classroom. This makes us truly unique.
OUR INCLUSIVITY
The young people who attend Gildredge House reflect the community we serve. As such, students with a diverse range of needs come here to learn each day.
We strive to ensure that every individual’s needs are recognised, and we are proud of our cohesive, inclusive school community. During a student’s time at Gildredge House, we develop a comprehensive understanding of them and how they learn best. This is true for every student, not just those who join us in Reception and remain until the conclusion of Year 11. We use the knowledge we have of each student to ensure they receive the highest possible standard of support throughout their time at Gildredge House.
Our expectation is that students attend mainstream lessons regularly, benefiting from the advice and guidance of their expert teachers. High-quality classroom teaching is proven to have the greatest impact upon a student’s academic progress. We ensure that our teachers continuously reflect upon the effectiveness of their classroom practice and are implementing evidence-based inclusive teaching strategies resulting in all students’ needs being met.
For those students who require support in addition to that which can be delivered in the classroom, a wide range of interventions are available. Our intervention sessions focus upon specific areas of need and operate daily before, during, and after school. We ensure that interventions are regularly assessed for effectiveness, and adapt them to suit the needs of our student community.
Our objective is to ensure that, upon concluding their studies at Gildredge House, a clear pathway to future success is in place for every student. We instil in all of our students the values which will empower them to achieve in later life – ambition, supportiveness, perseverance, integrity, reflectiveness and empathy. We achieve this objective by working in partnership with our parents and carers. We are a team.
READY RESPECTFUL SAFE
EXCELLENT PASTORAL CARE
We truly believe that students’ time in school is about far more than academic grades. As a community, we aspire for balanced students who flourish through opportunities and learning experiences in and outside the classroom.
We aspire toward a culture of care and wellbeing; we believe that this results in optimal conditions for learning. We understand the importance of students feeling supported and receiving the guidance they need to truly thrive. Successful education is also based on relationships. We are proud to have a dedicated and caring team of staff who provide excellent pastoral care. Our staff really know the whole child, from the moment they join us in Reception, until they leave us in Year 11.
Our all-through school nature enables us to provide opportunities for our students to make positive contributions within the school community by working across the different phases. Our Student Leadership programme encourages students to develop as individuals, whilst taking collective responsibility, whether that be through peer mentoring, our Student Council, or the Gildredge Give Back programme.
Our support within the wider community encourages our students to appreciate the contribution they can make for others, whether that be our links with local care homes or our thriving Eco Committee’s input. As an all-through school, we take transition to our school or between Year Groups very seriously, aiming to make it as smooth as possible. The transition programme that we provide, from the moment our youngest students start, to our oldest in Year 11, encourages their sense of wellbeing and confidence. We also offer a thorough transition programme to our new Reception and Year 7 students, including home or school visits, transition days and a summer activity week to support their integration with our existing students.
WELCOME FROM THE HEAD OF PRIMARY
As Head of Primary, I am delighted to welcome you to the Primary phase of our all-through school community.
I am in the privileged position to see our Gildredge House students begin their exciting educational journey, which is filled with opportunities for growth, learning, and discovery.
We have a dedicated and highly-skilled team of teachers and support staff who ensure that every student is successful, confident and inspired to learn. The Primary phase vision is designed to ensure that our Aspire values, a sense of belonging into the Gildredge community, and confidence with engaging in their learning is embedded early on for our students. We work hard to enable all our students to achieve their potential academically, emotionally, physically and socially and foster a welcoming and inclusive environment, encouraging open communication between the school and you as parents and carers. Regular parent partnership opportunities ensure we are all working together to support and encourage your child’s learning journey.
Through our engaging, challenging and relevant curriculum offer, we aspire to ensure our students leave the Primary phase equipped with all the skills and ambition they need to continue on their future learning. Learning takes place in and out of the classroom, within the local community, and further afield, as students undertake a wide variety of curriculum enhancing experiences. These opportunities allow students to explore their interests and talents from a young age. The Primary phase curriculum intends to lay strong holistic foundations that supports future learning for each student.
As we embark on this educational journey, we look forward to witnessing the many achievements and milestones that lie ahead. Thank you for entrusting us with the privilege of guiding your child’s development and growth.
WELCOME FROM THE HEAD OF SECONDARY
As Head of Secondary, I am fortunate to be able to work each day with expectational students and staff, ensuring that students continue their exciting educational journey from our Primary phase, as well as welcoming Year 7 students from across the town.
We are proud of our diverse school and the role that we play in our local community, and this is demonstrated through our rich Personal Development programme. Our curriculum is broad and balanced and designed to ensure that all students are equipped to contribute to an ever-changing world. Students are challenged and supported to achieve their full potential throughout the five years of the Secondary phase and to leave Year 11 as respectful and empathetic individuals that have fully embraced their time at Gildredge House. Our aim is to help our students to foster a love of learning that they carry with them, always.
We have high expectations of each other and expect our students to work hard and behave well, both inside and outside the classroom. Our values of Ambition, Support, Perseverance, Integrity, Reflection, and Empathy are at the core of everything we do.
Please come and visit us and take the opportunity to talk to me, our staff and most importantly, our students.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
We aim to provide students with a myriad of opportunities and experiences across all phases of the school outside of the taught curriculum.
Personal Development is integral to the development of our student values, which will guide our school community into being open-minded global citizens in a forever-changing world.
We have designed a robust Personal Development programme at Gildredge House that is underpinned by our ethos and values. Our programme is implemented through the curriculum during Tutor periods, Personal Development lessons, Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics, and it offers an extensive extra-curricular offer. Beyond the classroom, our enrichment opportunities begin from an early age, with Sport, Music, Technology, and Science clubs on offer, as well as external speakers and countless trips. Activities and accredited schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award are a key feature of our extra-curricular programme. We have sought to build a strong community by providing cross-phase opportunities, including sports events, Performing Arts, choirs, concerts and shows.
Our extensive Careers programme is embedded in our through-line curriculum and is led by our Careers Advisor. The Careers programme includes drop-down days, Work Experience, careers-themed days, and a wealth of employment partners that support the school. These experiences encourage students to aspire to, and value, lifelong learning and develop key employability and enterprise skills following the recommended Gatsby Benchmarks.
We are proud to provide our students with opportunities to learn about Fundamental British Values and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. The Personal Development programme helps students understand many moral, social, and cultural issues that are part of growing up. Our students are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community through our Gildredge Give Back programme.
“As parents who have been with the school since it first opened, we are pleased to say that all three children have been proud to attend Gildredge House. We have always found staff to be caring and supportive and are quick to respond to any concerns. Our daughter enjoys the school and hence, is keen to get involved in all aspects of school life. Our daughter is encouraged to be the best that she can be, building self-esteem to take on leadership roles (Student Council) and new challenges. Gildredge House has helped our children reach a balance of confidence and kindness.”
“Gildredge House has been a wonderful place for our twins to begin their educational journey. The teachers were highly attentive, quickly identifying the areas where our children needed a bit of extra help, particularly in literacy and numeracy, and providing effective support that made a real difference. We’ve been so impressed with how their reading, writing, and number skills have developed over the year. The outings organised by the school were well-planned and engaging, offering our children hands-on learning experiences that they absolutely loved. We are delighted with how much they have grown academically and socially during their Reception year and are excited to see them continue their journey in Year 1.”
“All five of our children have attended and continue to attend Gildredge House, from Reception through to Year 11, and we have been incredibly grateful for the tremendous academic and pastoral support we have received through those years, which has been excellent. Our children have flourished in an inclusive and progressive learning environment and the staff have always prioritised cultivating good relationships with students and parents alike. We would also like to commend the wonderful work the SEN team are doing to create a community for parents facing the challenges this brings, and advocating open communication pathways between all parties involved in supporting the children practically, emotionally, and academically. All in all, we are very happy here.”
