We strive for everyone to achieve their very best by doing their very best all of the time.
Welcome from the Headteacher It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to, what might be, your first insight into St Andrew’s CE School. I thank you in advance for your interest and really hope that what you read will encourage you to come and visit us, if not join us, for the secondary stage of your education. As the Headteacher of St Andrew’s I am so proud of all the staff and students that make up our school community. We are all driven individuals, passionate about education with high expectations of ourselves and our students. As a school we are about ensuring every student achieves their dreams and aspirations. We know this doesn’t always come easy and are passionate about
building strength, trust and resilience to enable every stakeholder greater chances of success and fulfilment. As new students join the school we ensure that we take time to build up genuine partnerships between us, which are built on mutual respect and open communication. St Andrew’s really is a very special place to be right now as we are creating exciting learning spaces, a new curriculum and enrichment opportunities to bring an enjoyable secondary experience to every student that joins us. Kerry Targett
Our Mission “In God, through Grace and Guidance to Grow and Give” In God, we aim to reflect the image of ‘God’ in everyone of us, spiritually or as a Christian / other faith. Through Grace we want to develop spiritual, moral and social awareness within our students, which supports behaviour for learning and our respect for each other. In Guidance we aim to develop the skills of the St Andrew’s community and student leaders so that they may be better equipped to guide and support others. Whilst in Growing we recognise the need of all members of the school community to be well balanced, resourceful, and resilient life-long learners who can achieve their dreams and
aspirations through opportunities and experiences provided within our school. Finally in Giving we aim to serve others by making positive contributions to the school, wider community and society. Our vision is to provide an education that supports academic excellence and the development of a good citizen. We ensure that every student is equipped to leave school, knowing how to work hard, able to learn new skills, to work as a team and be emotionally intelligent to the needs of others around them.
Our Values S trive for success T ry my very best A chieve all that I can N ever give up D evelop my learning H ave respect for myself and others I nspire those around me G row as an individual H onour our Christian ethos We endeavour to support all of our students’ aspirations and expect that all members of our community are committed to helping each other achieve their full potential. The school supports and celebrates our students’ successes through the school’s reward system which is based around our Ethos and the key principle that we reward students who make progress and contribute positively to the school community.
“Our transition programme is extremely successful, with students settling very quickly and adapting to the new challenges of secondary school. They build friendships and engage with the learning within the first couple of weeks of starting and by half term it’s as if they have always been part of the school community.”
Transition Moving from Year 6 into Year 7 can be both an exciting yet daunting experience. We have our own designated member of staff, Director of Year 7 Transition, who is tasked with the job of building links with key schools early in September so we can begin to understand the potential abilities and skills that students will arrive with as they start with us. We recognise how important it is to work in partnership with our local primary schools to ensure that students and their families feel supported in the process of transition. We deliver work-shops and activities in our local primary schools and host various learning experiences, some of which will be led by our own student leaders. We aim to give all primary students an insight into St Andrew’s
School and the high expectations we place on our students. Early in July we have a Parental Information Evening and Student Induction Day. This offers an opportunity for students to experience learning at St Andrew’s, to meet other students and to meet the Learning and Welfare Team. This is a crucial team responsible for the monitoring of student progress, behaviour and attendance. We also offer familiarisation afternoons towards the end of the summer term and a summer school for those students who want some extra time in school or who just cannot wait to get started.
The House System Whilst students are grouped within their year groups and looked after by their Tutor and Director of Year 7 they will also be placed into one of five houses. Named after famous cathedrals; Durham, Lincoln, Salisbury, York and Wells the house system is an integral part of the school community and students refer to their house as a ‘family’ in which to support and build strong friendships, making students feel at home from day one. Regular house competitions keep spirits high, with a fierce competitive edge for some as well as a sense of pride, helping to develop students’ social, personal and inter-personal skills.
A considerable emphasis is placed on community links and charity work. Each house sponsors a child and collects money weekly for ‘Compassion’. There is a strong mentoring programme within each house and older students become buddies and reading partners, supporting their younger counterparts. These relationships are priceless in providing friendships and support in which every person can feel safe and cared for, whilst enabling greater success for all.
Curriculum We offer a broad range of subjects with the aim to produce well rounded, confident individuals who know how to learn and can do so independently and with great resilience. Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all students. At Key Stage 3 our core subjects include English, Mathematics, Religious Education and Science; beyond that we include Humanities, Modern Languages, PE, Drama, Music, Design Technology, Art and Computing. Some of this work may be delivered through a thematic cross curricular approach, other subjects will be taught discreetly.
At Key Stage 4 students experience a broad and balanced curriculum that offers all students the chance to develop according to their talents, interests and ambitions. All students continue with their core subjects and have the opportunity to develop their interests in current subjects taken at KS3 or take on new subjects such as Media, Business Studies, Health and Social Care or Sociology.
Learning and Teaching All teaching staff at St Andrew’s CE School are leaders of learning. High quality learning, from high quality planning and subsequent achievement is our aim for every student. Everyone at St Andrew’s School is a learner and encouraged to continually develop their knowledge to enable that strong ethos of learning to permeate through our classrooms. We aim to provide the inspiration, teaching, learning knowledge and support for every student in our school so they can flourish and aspire to achieve their ambitions. We are passionate about learning and so have high expectations of ourselves as teachers, and for each individual learner too. Classrooms are purposeful learning environments enabling students to explore, research and be creative. There are opportunities for students to question,
discuss, challenge and reflect, which will provide students with the skills to equip them with the means to be knowledgeable, to consolidate ideas and to build on their understanding so that they are equipped for the challenges our 21st century lifestyle brings. It is a widely accepted truism that good teaching is founded on good relationships. Good relationships come about by detailed knowledge and understanding of each student that we teach. All of our students are valued, regardless of their abilities. They will be informed of their progress and what they need to do to improve. They will be required to work independently at
home on a regular basis and their work will be marked regularly, with constructive and timely feedback, so they can up level their work and improve each piece. Reporting student progress to you as parents and carers is an integral part of the commitment we make in partnership with you. We report four times a year, highlighting student achievement, attitude to learning and attendance. We also provide two opportunities for face to face events to enable you to meet and discuss your child’s progress, with their subject teachers.
Learning and Welfare Team Pastoral care at St Andrew’s plays a vital role in helping our students achieve their full potential. We are proud to be part of a strong and diverse community at St Andrew’s. We recognise our own gifts and talents as well as those of others around us and spend time getting to know each individual that works or studies within the school. Our excellent systems enable students to have the all-round care and family unit to support them in their learning on a day to day basis. We pride ourselves on a strong group of staff who work relentlessly to provide support for the pastoral well-being of each young person. The tutor plays a key role in this work. They will see the students throughout the day, which enables them to offer guidance and coaching to their tutees. Working with the tutors at each Key Stage is an
Assistant Headteacher who is responsible for ensuring every student in their year group makes the appropriate levels of progress. Where a student may need extra support to enable them to overcome any ‘barriers to learning’ we hold ‘Panel Meetings’ to identify the resources required and make these available. We ensure the best support is put in place to help and guide your child. Intervention may be from the Learning Opportunities Faculty (LOFT) which includes Special Educational Needs (SENd). We also have the opportunity for students with English as an Additional Language (EAL) to receive some extra learning support.
We have a large range of professionals employed to provide support including: our in-School Counsellor; Pastoral Support Worker; Safeguarding Team; Attendance Team; School Chaplain or the School Community Police Officer. Alongside our own team we will as necessary involve external agencies including Speech and Language, Educational Psychologist, Mentors and Children’s Services. Our students are at the very heart of all that we do and we know how important their secondary education is; We will work tirelessly to ensure we meet the needs of each individual and their family so that they reach, and even exceed, their full potential.
Enrichment Whilst we understand the importance of examination results we believe in developing a young person who is well-rounded; who knows what their talents are and can strive to develop and master them. Enrichment opportunities are vital in creating a community that can build, grow, achieve and celebrate together. They also enhance life skills through problem solving, team work, independent thinking, leadership and public speaking. At St Andrew’s every member of staff is committed to offering an enrichment activity across the year. With a wide range of interests amongst our talented staff this means we can provide many new experiences as well as the more traditional clubs; these may include: netball, football, dancing, boxing, athletics, cross country, Gospel choir, funk bands, Japanese,
chess, art, drama, debating, Junior Sports Leaders, Christian Faith Leaders, and Team London. Alongside this we provide many opportunities to visit West End shows, Kidzania, and a Year 9 residential. We run a Homework Hub in the Library three days a week and build in opportunities for work experience from Year 9 upwards. Bringing the school together for a variety of performances and concerts is also a school priority and enables everyone to develop their talents, whatever they may be.
What is a Church of England School? The Church of England (‘Anglican Church’) has had a commitment to education since its development 500 years ago as a single ‘umbrella’ Church in which people of widely differing views and backgrounds throughout England could belong together in harmony. Living at this time of equal diversity and complexity, the Church of England offers a vision for education today in which children and young people may experience ‘life in all its fullness’ (Gospel of John, 10.10) through • acquiring wisdom, knowledge and skills with delight and passion, in order to participate fruitfully in the world; • receiving guidance to live in pursuit of their hopes and aspirations, recognising their God-given potential and preciousness; • learning to live well together in a flourishing community; • developing the habit of treating themselves and each other with the
dignity and respect that is central to all good education; this follows from the central Christian belief that all are made ‘in God’s image and likeness’ (Genesis 1.26). Through academic rigour and a regular experience of Religious Education and Christian worship, pupils in Anglican Schools develop a religious literacy that is crucial in a world in which religion plays such an important role. They learn to ask the big questions about their own identity and purpose, encouraged to explore the claims of faith, using the Bible, tradition and human reason which together form the ‘three-legged stool’ on which Anglicanism has always rested. This
insistence on using reason has made the Church of England a highly-valued partner in education and helps to explain why it is such an important player in the provision of education in schools and colleges throughout the nation. St Andrew’s School was founded in this tradition in 1862 as part of the work of St Andrew’s Parish. Now supported by the Local Authority and part of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark’s family of schools, St Andrew’s continues to offer this Anglican vision to those of all faiths and none, confident that all people can find within these values a firm foundation for a good education and a set of principles in which all can find common ground.
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St Andrew’s CE School Warrington Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 4BH T 020 8686 8306 F 020 8681 6320 E office@standhigh.net W www.standhigh.net
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