t a y m e d a c a d e s o p The pro
y r u b s i l a S t s We
Foreword from the sponsors “We have started the consultation process for a new academy to replace Salisbury High School. If this consultation stage is successful, the new academy will open in September 2010 with brand new buildings ready by September 2013. The Diocese of Salisbury already supports 11 Church of England secondary schools with around 11,000 young people across Dorset, Wiltshire and Poole. Now, here in West Salisbury, the Diocese is delighted to be working alongside Bryanston School and Wiltshire Council to create an academy of which students, staff and parents will be proud.
We look forward to combining our strengths, experience and innovative ideas not only to transform secondary education across Salisbury, but to create a learning and social hub to be enjoyed by the whole community. We welcome your thoughts and feedback during this important consultation stage.” Chris Shepperd Diocesan Director of Education
Sarah Thomas Our mutual aims are to:
Head, Bryanston School
• drive up standards of achievement, offering personalised support and broader learning opportunities for every student
Martin Cooper
• build a strong, inclusive community which boosts confidence and resilience amongst individuals, families and society • raise the aspirations of our students and expand their scope for career progression.
Secondary Strategy Manager, Wiltshire
Introduction The proposal is to replace Salisbury High School with a new Church of England academy, in order to address underachievement and social disadvantage within our West Salisbury community. The new academy will serve a total of 1200 students aged 11-16, with an additional 250 in the sixth form. The academy’s values will be rooted in Christianity and its main objectives will be to: • raise the current attainment standards of Salisbury High School to match and then exceed national standards • offer an extended range of courses with an exciting, creative approach to teaching and learning • provide innovative, technologically advanced facilities which are suited to 21st-century learning • act as a hub for wider health and community services • contribute to the wider regeneration of Salisbury’s secondary schools • instil in students an enthusiasm for lifelong learning and encourage their progression to further and higher education.
What is an academy? Academies are a new form of inclusive secondary school designed to meet the needs of students in the 21st century. They are independent of their local authority but publicly funded and monitored by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and Ofsted. The academies programme is a major component of the government’s education reform agenda, which encourages sponsors from private, public and not-for-profit sectors to establish all-ability schools. Each academy has a board of governors with local stakeholder representation, including the local authority. As main sponsor to the proposed academy at West Salisbury, the Church of England will provide high-quality education for every child in the local community, welcoming students of all faiths and of none.
The partnership The Diocese of Salisbury already supports 11 Church of England secondary schools and is currently sponsoring two academy projects. Wiltshire Council has had recent experience of developing the Wellington Academy. This is the first academy project for the high-achieving Bryanston School, to which it brings innovative ideas in transforming education. Together we have a unique blend of experience and skills underpinned by shared values. High-quality learning and outstanding achievement will be the focus of everything we do.
The vision Close support Recent organisational changes at Salisbury High School allowed for smaller learning groups – which staff, parents and students said they liked. We will develop this further with the new academy, operating a house-based system to create a ‘small school’ feeling. Christian ethos While the academy’s ethos will be based on Christianity, we will support students of all faiths or of none with their spiritual explorations. Every group of new children will be welcomed and nurtured by staff who care about them and their individual hopes. Good communication Parents have an important role in the education of their children, so we will welcome a close relationship between school and home. A member of the senior leadership team will be responsible for family support – and the school will meet with every parent and carer at least three times a year.
“A high-achieving school at the heart of the community, with an ethos rooted in Christian values.”
Admissions: how it will work Twenty-first century systems No school can meet the needs of all its students by itself. The academy will draw on the strengths of our sponsors, other schools, colleges and agencies to offer a wider range of educational experiences, particularly for the new 14-19 Diplomas. Specialised learning spaces Student and community learning will take place in 21st-century learning spaces, offering modern technology and high-quality sporting, cultural and recreational facilities – all made available to the whole community. Visible improvements The new academy buildings, planned to open in 2013, will signpost a fresh start for the school and help us to inspire students and staff; deliver increasingly high standards; nurture successful learners and be at the heart of community regeneration. Nurturing confidence Students’ voices will be critical to the academy’s development. As students progress through the school, they will be encouraged to help shape school policy and take responsibility for their learning.
Students already attending Salisbury High School will automatically become students of the new academy. If demand for places cannot be met, the present oversubscription criteria of Salisbury High School will almost certainly be used, giving priority to children who: • have a special educational needs (SEN) statement which names the academy • are designated as ‘Looked After Children’ • have a brother or sister attending the school at the time of the proposed admission • live nearest the school, as measured in a straight line. Where applications to the sixth form exceed the number of places, priority will be given to students who: • currently attend courses for 11 to 16-year-olds at the school • have a brother or sister already attending the school • live in closest proximity to the school.
Ways of learning: a revolution The new academy will take advantage of innovative learning styles and deliver them: • in ‘stage not age’ grouping within a highly flexible timetable (to include creative arts and daily physical activity) • with a ‘small school’ feel, drawing together pastoral and teaching support for younger students • in specially built educational spaces which include ‘learning plazas’, enabling large groups of students to be team-taught • according to each student’s needs, including via one-to-one mentoring with a suitably matched adult
Raising levels of attainment Within five years of the academy opening, the sponsors expect:
• through a personalised curriculum pathway supported by teachers who possess outstanding knowledge and skills
• key performance measures to match and exceed national averages in attainment
• through residential experiences to foster teamwork and build confidence. • that the academy will exceed the national average of students remaining in education or training, or proceeding to employment • external and internal inspection ratings of at least ‘good’ • buildings which fulfil the sponsors’ design specifications (particularly for sustainability and community access) and support transformational learning • for the academy to be an example of best practice as a school which serves its nearby residential and rural communities.
The curriculum At Key Stage 3, the curriculum will link directly in from those of our partner primary schools. Salisbury High School currently has a single, dedicated ‘primary classroom’ for students who respond best to a gradual introduction to a multi-teacher programme. The new academy will build on this model, offering younger students a small team of staff who get to know them well. As students develop greater skills and confidence they will move onto a more personalised curriculum. At Key Stage 4, the curriculum will closely match each student’s interests, offering a diverse range of experiences. Students will study in groups allocated according to their needs – rather than their age – ensuring no one is held back or left behind. Before and during KS4 our mentors will ensure each student receives tailored advice and guidance, allowing them to understand their own preferred learning style and shape their choices and curriculum accordingly.
The new and expanded sixth form will encourage students to continue their studies, as well as allowing teachers to become fully engaged in delivering diploma, A Level, apprenticeship and foundation learning courses.
Literacy and numeracy drive The new academy will focus strongly on literacy and numeracy, ensuring that students are competent in mathematics and English, acquiring higher Level 2 qualifications and having the opportunity to advance to Level 3 accreditation. A supportive intervention team will tackle specific learning needs. For some students, we may offer accelerated learning programmes, as well as the extra support of teaching assistants.
Extracurricular activities Salisbury High School’s strong vocational team currently delivers 14-19 Curriculum courses that include Food Technology, BTEC Sport and BTEC Business – and we would like to build on this range. Vocational learning will be a high priority for the new academy and we may focus on employment-growth sectors, such as ICT, health, hospitality, media, sports, retail and construction. There is the possibility of setting up a commercial training kitchen, allowing students to enjoy real workplace experience within the academy.
Opportunities for learning will extend beyond the main curriculum, with a host of activities after the formal school day and at weekends and holidays. We will draw from Bryanston School’s great tradition of regular sports, music, drama and dance, promoting teamwork, performance skills, charitable fundraising and community service.
The academy specialisms Mathematics The new academy will build on Salisbury High School’s current good practice in mathematics, taking innovative, exciting and challenging approaches to teaching it. Mathematics will infuse the whole curriculum – for example, it may be used to develop presentation and discussion skills, using hypotheses and rival theories or it can help students to make sense of the world through patterns, numbers and statistics. The Arts By choosing Arts subjects as the academy’s second specialism, we hope to develop the talents of our students, individually and collectively – helping to fulfil their creative potential and express themselves. We believe that a creative curriculum will raise the self-esteem of our students and provide many opportunities for community engagement and teamwork.
The community The academy site will become a centre for the whole community, a place where local diversity is celebrated. It will also create and strengthen links between the local community and Salisbury city. It will allow parents and carers to access a range of services in one location – including training, health, voluntary organisations, community police, social care and housing. The academy will provide skills training sessions for parents and carers, and support the development of distance learning packages. Particular emphasis will be placed on working with parents and carers, through tailored outreach programmes. We are planning to create an all-welcoming academy which acts as a hub for learning, for access, for leisure, for healthy living and for spiritual growth.
Location of the new site When it first opens in September 2010, the new academy will start in the existing building. The academy building programme may include refurbishment of existing buildings as well as new build. This may be on the Westwood Road site or an extended site. Improvements will be completed in September 2013.
Consultation process We look forward to hearing your suggestions for the new curriculum, the styles of learning, the facilities, the academy ethos and anything else you wish to comment on. In the coming weeks there will be many opportunities for open discussion, questions and answers – and the sponsors will be readily available throughout the consultation process.
Get in touch Your comments will help to determine the way forward, so please do not hesitate to get in touch and offer feedback. Post: fill in the attached response form Email: comment@wsacademy.org Call: Cindy on 01722 428 429
Want to know more? More information about the new academy for West Salisbury is available on our dedicated consultation website at www.wsacademy.org
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