www.whitleyacademy.com
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When staff, students and families walk through our gates and onto our school site they belong to the Whitley Academy inclusive community. In this community, we build meaningful relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Our classrooms and school environment are safe spaces where nobody is judged and everybody is valued. In our community, we are proud of our school and are committed to supporting all staff and students to be ‘the best you can be’.
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Message
Whitley Academy is an oversubscribed and expanding secondary 11-19 school with over 920 students on roll (including the Sixth Form). The Academy is a member of the RSA Family of Academies. Working with the RSA (Royal Society for the Arts Manufactures and Commerce), and the other exceptional RSA Academies allows us not only to achieve excellent outcomes for our young people, but also to provide opportunities for them to be creative, innovative and to enjoy their learning. Our students develop into responsible young adults with high self-esteem and the skills and competences to equip them for success in the future. Whitley Academy provides a safe and stimulating environment. We have a dedicated, highly skilled and committed team of staff upholding high expectations of, and aspirations for our students’ attendance, punctuality, behaviour, uniform and attitude to learning. “Teachers have high expectations of students and develop excellent working relationships in the classroom. Students have very positive attitudes towards their learning.” OFSTED 2013
We are extremely proud of our strong sense of community, which is carefully nurtured so that every individual can enjoy the rewards of making a positive contribution to our school.
We invite you to come and see for yourself, the fantastic opportunities that your child will have in this tight-knit but ambitious environment. When your child joins our school, they will be afforded every opportunity and support to enable them to reach both their academic and personal potential. We extend a warm welcome to you and look forward to you joining the Whitley Academy community.
The Learning
Environment
At Whitley Academy, we are proud of our excellent buildings and sports’ facilities. We invest carefully each year to ensure that we care for the site and provide the best possible learning environment for all our students. Our site boasts ICT suites, a Food Technology area, Science labs, Art and Performing Arts spaces as well as subject based classrooms. We have a large purpose-built sports’ hall, which is used during the day by students and is hired out in the evenings. There are facilities here for all sporting requirements including cricket nets, tennis courts, football and rugby pitches and we even have our own athletics track. The Learning Resource Centre has a computer suite of its own, alongside an extensive library where students are able to work and complete research before, during and after school time. The additional rooms at the BASE enable us to provide space for our Extended Learning Centre and additional 1:1 rooms for counselling or intervention. This area provides students with the privacy required to engage with learning in a small nurturing environment to enable them to be successful and reach their full potential. The BASE houses multiple family, counselling and mentoring rooms, a sensory room and ICT facilities, which support our renowned provision for students who have SEMH difficulties.
Opening Minds Curriculum in Year 7 Whitley Academy is proud to have led the way, developing and promoting the innovative Opening Minds Curriculum. Our curriculum supports transition from primary school to secondary school and provides a coherent learning experience for students, reducing some of the anxieties that can arise during transition. Opening Minds teachers plan learning experiences that develop skills and competences as well as understanding and a breadth of knowledge. Students need to be effective and confident communicators in a range of situations when they leave school and the aim of Opening Minds is to embed these skills. In English, for example; students will learn how to develop their skills in reading a wide range of texts, writing in different forms to suit task and context and take an active role in speaking activities. A firm emphasis on the technical skills of English ensures that attention is always paid to accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar. Pupils will be expected to read widely both for information and for pleasure. They will have a weekly lesson in the LRC during which they might read individually or in a small group as part of our Accelerated Reader scheme. Our most recent student voice survey is testament to the success of the Opening Minds curriculum. Of those students asked, 100% agreed that they learn well and make good progress in their Opening Minds lessons. They also agreed that their teachers help them if they have a problem. The feedback for enjoyment was overwhelmingly positive. Beyond the strong foundations of Opening Minds, the KS3 curriculum in Y8 and Y9 allows students to develop their skills and talents in a variety of subjects and disciplines preparing them well for the rigour of KS4 examination courses and further study at post 16.
Key Stage 4 & 5
Opportunities & Progression Choosing the most appropriate pathway through Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 is a challenging and important task. Making the decisions about which subjects are the most pertinent and appropriate is a process that involves students, their families and the school working together closely. At the end of Year 9, the students work with their tutor and those responsible for their year team, to identify learning choices, which meet their individual needs and aspirations. Students will be supported to choose a programme, which is relevant and challenging in order to enable them to achieve and ‘be the best you can be’. All students are expected to study English, Maths and Science alongside options from a choice of GCSE or vocational qualifications to enrich and extend learning. As students move into further study post 16, they can access a broad range of academic and vocational qualifications. Post 16 study at Whitley Academy is a popular choice at the end of Year 11. Students are supported to develop as independent learners and work effectively with one another. All students have a dedicated series of opportunities from Year 7 to Year 13 to expand their horizons and allow them to strive for excellence. At Whitley Academy, we expect our students to be focused and motivated. We foster their strengths, celebrate their achievements and recognise their hard work and efforts. We endeavour to ensure that all of our students are able to access nationally recognised learning and training opportunities to support them in their future working life beyond school.
Student Learning - Support and Guidance We expect all students to ‘be the best you can be’ and we work hard to remove any barriers to learning which might get in the way. Regardless of their starting point, every child in our care is given support to enable them to realise their full potential. For most students, this is part of ordinary day to day provision in lessons and classrooms around the school, as teachers plan for individual needs and differentiate work accordingly. Some students however, require additional support, as their needs require 1:1, small group or intensive work. Our dedicated student support centre at the BASE provides a hub where students are nurtured both emotionally and academically. This ensures that all students have the advice and guidance to
enable them to be ready for all challenges and possibilities. This additional support is co-ordinated by the Inclusion Manager, Senior Pastoral Progress Manager and the SENCO. Additionally, all students are allocated to a tutor group, which acts as a supportive network within which each member can flourish in terms of their academic, social, spiritual and moral development. The tutor will see their group once each day for a tutorial session. During this time a pastoral programme is followed and the tutor will encourage students to reflect on their daily experiences. Uniform, attendance and punctuality are closely monitored.
Enrichment At Whitley Academy, we invest in our students as people. The key to this is recognising the talents in all our students. We are confident that there are opportunities to get involved in an abundance of enrichment activities both inside and outside the classroom. Students are encouraged to take on positions of responsibility and can get involved in a whole range of different sports; arts, ICT, culture, and community based provision that enables them to develop their wider skills, particularly resilience, communication, collaboration and confidence in leadership as those
on our Sports’ Leader or Student Leader programmes will attest. There are opportunities for students to visit other countries and experience different cultures, including our link school Collège Jean Mermoz in France. The school also looks to engage with the local community and parents on a regular basis by organising a wide range of family events and learning opportunities. Parents are actively encouraged to be involved in their child’s learning through a variety of calendared activities on site.
Whitley Academy
Abbey Road, Coventry, CV3 4BD
T 02476 302580 F 02476 639352 E admin@whitleyacademy.com www.whitleyacademy.com Designed & Produced by FSE Design Tel: 01933 303520 www.fsedesign.co.uk