Stratton Upper School:
a brief history
Stratton School opened in 1950 as Bedfordshire’s showpiece Grammar School, drawing students from all over the County and also from parts of Cambridgeshire. In their design, the architects recognised that the physical environment could promote achievement and aspiration; and to this day few can fail to be inspired by the entrance and exhibition halls, which in turn lead to light and airy classrooms. As a result of the national reorganisation in 1974, Stratton became a 13-19 Upper School, providing comprehensive education for Biggleswade and the surrounding villages. Since 2012 Stratton Upper has been an Academy and, along with Gamlingay Village College, a part of the Stratton Education Trust. The educational values of the school are drawn from its history, but the theme of constant improvement ensures each generation of students are fully prepared for their future.
“Education is not the filling
Welcome to Stratton Upper School Stratton Upper School is proud to be at the heart of its community. We have a long history of supporting students in achieving their goals through education. The world of education changes rapidly yet some core themes remain:
• where students are happy, they will thrive • where students are challenged with high expectations and high aspirations, they will succeed • where they are supported, they will achieve This prospectus provides an insight as to how these themes become reality at Stratton Upper. We look forward to meeting you.
Rob Watson Headteacher
of a pail, but the lighting of a fire”
(WB Yeats) Stratton Upper School / 1
We believe that every member of the
Stratton community wants to do well
and has the potential to do so. We create a vibrant environment for learning centred on student achievement. High expectations and high aspirations are key. Our staff lead by example. They demonstrate how the pursuit of excellence and continuous learning can lead to fulfilment and achievement of personal goals. Hard work and success thrive in a confident community. We achieve this by ensuring our actions and words help raise the self-esteem of everyone who works and learns here. Our favourite quote about how schools operate is a perfect illustration of our approach:
“There is no contradiction between order and discipline and a belief that a school should be filled with laughter and joy�
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“Where students are challenged with high expectations and high aspirations they will succeed�
(RH Watson)
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“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand�
(Confucius)
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Our vision
is to create a coherent and outstanding education pathway from pre-school to university, college or work-based training. We work in close collaboration with colleagues who provide education for children aged 0 -13. Together we ensure a cohesive and coherent approach to learning that allows for seamless transition between each new schooling phase. The transition is further supported by a carefully planned induction programme in the summer term before transfer. This is aimed at both students and their parents/carers. Our year 9 curriculum dovetails with students’ middle school experience, but is also preparation for rigorous study at GCSE. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum to ensure students are as informed as possible about subjects before choosing those they will study in years 10 & 11.
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Working with families Our partnership with parents and carers is key. We will keep you informed about your child’s work through our regular progress checks and Parents’ Evenings. We will contact you to let you know when things go well and when we have concerns. Naturally, we ask that you do the same. The monitoring of homework is an example of how school and family work together to ensure the best outcome for students. We use homework to deepen understanding and promote independent learning. The work is challenging, but advice is available to ensure completion. We ask that parents/carers help us to monitor the impact of our homework strategy for quality, quantity, relevance and completion rate.
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“Creativity is as important in education as literacy, we should treat it with the same status� (Ken Robinson)
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“I’ve always believed if you put the work in the results will come out”
(Michael Jordan)
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Stratton offers a wide range of enrichment activities
beyond the classroom. Students who commit themselves to participating fully in our community enjoy the greatest academic success. Stratton provides a vast range of extra-curricular activities including sports, performing and visual arts, computer programming, debating, book clubs and many more. Stratton is one of only a handful of schools nationally with a fully operational farm. Although all students receive lessons based on the farm, the opportunities to combine study with extra-curricular involvement are endless. Students have an essential role in the day to day operation of the school through election to Year Group and School Council. Students also contribute to the development of teaching through the “Students as Learning Partners� programme. This initiative allows students to provide feedback, highlighting those classroom activities that have enabled them to make the best progress.
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Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB Tel: 01767 220000 Fax: 01767 220002 Email: office@stratton.beds.sch.uk www.stratton.beds.sch.uk
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