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Prospectus 2016/17
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“We truly believe the progress made by our son in English has been outstanding.� Parent 2015
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Welcome from the Principal I am delighted that you are considering Sawston Village College for the education of your child. At Sawston Village College we are committed to maximising the potential of every single child that is part of our community – whether that is through GCSE examinations, involvement with extra curricular activities or via the wealth of leadership and personal development opportunities that we have on offer. We recognise that not only are we building the foundations for study, employment and training beyond 16, but that we also have a duty to develop the whole child to enable them to take their place in our communities as positive, purposeful and fulfilled citizens.
We are also committed to providing an exciting range of opportunities for our young people – to open their minds to new challenges, new ideas and broaden their horizons in ways that make the teaching and learning come alive. This prospectus can only give a brief glimpse of all that we have on offer at Sawston Village College, in and out of the classroom. We are also driven by the need to achieve excellence in all aspects of our work – in high expectations for pupil achievement and behaviour, in our outstanding care and support for young people, in the quality of our staff and the partnerships they form with parents and others in our community. Our pupils deserve nothing less.
I hope this prospectus is able to convey something of that ambition for success in all its forms, and my staff and I would be delighted to welcome you and your child to our College Open Evening in October or to provide a personal tour of the College during the working day. We would be very proud to welcome you to Sawston Village College.
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“Students’ attitudes to learning are exemplary. Students of all ages are highly motivated and hungry to learn.” Ofsted
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Our Aims, Vision and Values Our mission at Sawston Village College is to: • unlock potential • create opportunity • achieve excellence in all aspects of our work, an ambition that applies equally to pupils and staff. As a result we expect all learners to leave school having • achieved to their highest academic potential; • embraced, and created, all opportunities to excel; • learned how to value, respect and care for each other;
• taken responsibility to support their school and the wider community, and • developed the essential skills, personal resilience and confidence to be successful in education, employment and life. This vision underpins all of our work, setting out as it does the purpose of education as we see it, if we are to create prosperous and successful people who will contribute to our society.
Alongside these core aims and vision, however, are the ASPIRE principles developed by pupils and staff and which set out the essential attributes and skills needed to be successful in school, work and life: Achieving Self-motivated Positive Independent Respectful Engaged These are the themes that provide the foundation for success – for now and in the future.
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“The arts provision at the College is inspirational.” Whole Education Report 2014
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Our unique place in history – the First Village College Sawston Village College opened in 1930, under the leadership of education pioneer Henry Morris. His vision was for a school which would support and nurture a lifelong love of learning for people of all ages, in an environment that offered inspiration. The original Grade II listed buildings reflect these ideals, based as they are on Cambridge University courtyards. These values are still at the heart of our work eighty-five years later. Today, the College’s campus encompasses some thirty acres of classrooms, laboratories, workshops and sports facilities. Our Science facilities are amongst the very best in Cambridgeshire, together with refurbished Maths and Food Technology classrooms, providing a state of the art environment for our pupils. We also maintain a vibrant adult learning programme and our own commercial Sports Centre, with over 1,500 members of the local community visiting the school every week, reinforcing our message that learning is for life, in keeping with Henry Morris’s original vision.
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“Behaviour around the College is impeccable. Students are mature, polite and courteous in their dealings with adults and other students.� Ofsted
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Unlocking Potential We are very proud of our high achievement in public examinations. Our English, Maths and Science results are among the very best in the country. The College is renowned for exceptional performance in Religious Studies, while History and Geography are acclaimed nationally for the quality of teaching, learning and opportunities available to pupils. Music and Drama are also very successful subjects and contributed, together with the rest of the curriculum, to the College being recognised as a Leading Edge School because of the outstanding levels of achievement at GCSE. This success is based on a firm belief that all pupils, whatever their starting point, have the right to an education that meets their needs and provides them the opportunity to realise their full potential. The curriculum offered at Sawston Village College reflects this ambition. For more able pupils we offer GCSEs in the three sciences, and extra-curricular courses such as Astronomy, Music Technology and Dance. We also provide breadth in the curriculum through more practical subjects such as Engineering, Construction and Catering to accommodate a wide range of interests. Where pupils may have had difficulties with literacy at primary school we will work hard to boost their reading and writing through additional support – our ambition is to ensure that no child falls behind in their learning.
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“I have been amazed, inspired and grateful for the dedication shown by all of the staff for our child.” Parent 2015
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“Pupils feel genuinely valued, nurtured and supported.” Whole Education Report 2014
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“The Principal, supported by the Governors and the Senior Leadership Team, has a clear ambition and vision for the College.” Ofsted
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Creating Opportunity One of the strengths of the College is the breadth and depth of opportunities on offer to our pupils. Our provision in the arts is truly outstanding. The College holds the prestigious Artsmark status awarded by the Arts Council in recognition of the incredibly rich opportunities in Music, Drama, Art, Dance and filmmaking, the latter achieving national and international success.
Pupils are encouraged wherever possible to develop their leadership skills, for example, by joining one of our pupil-led fora or through becoming Sports and Arts Leaders working with younger pupils and in our primary schools. Pupils also regularly take part in regional Science, Maths, Geography and Technology competitions, with a strong track record of success, while the range of lunchtime and afterschool opportunities is extensive, with something for everyone to take part in.
Add to this the residential trips to Germany, Spain, Iceland, Morocco and the legendary Ardèche trip; the fundraising events and environmental projects, Activities Week, Young Enterprise and much more, it is clear that the College offers wonderful and stimulating opportunities to support the personal development of our pupils.
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“I was completely bowled over by the dedication and professionalism of your students and the work they produced.� Learning Officer at the Imperial War Museum
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Achieving Excellence We aim to achieve excellence in all aspects of our work. Our teachers work hard to ensure their practice remains fresh and inspiring. Six of our team are also Specialist Leaders in Education, working to support other schools as well as developing our own high quality teaching. We are proud to be strategic members in the CASSA Teaching Alliance, a partnership of good and outstanding schools committed to ensuring excellence in local education.
Central to this is our House system of mentoring and support. All pupils are placed in one of four Houses, creating a family within which there are smaller mixed-age mentoring groups, each overseen by two mentors. Pupils quickly form positive relationships with others across the year groups, while the mentors and non-teaching Heads of House can review academic progress and respond quickly to any concerns, providing a much more personalised experience.
In addition to the quality of teaching, we also seek excellence in the quality of support we give to our pupils. We are a warm, friendly and welcoming community, with a team of staff who care deeply about the progress and wellbeing of all the children in the College.
We have high expectations for pupil achievement. We also have high expectations about behaviour, demanding of our pupils good manners and respect towards each other, staff and other adults in the College at all times.
Furthermore, we expect pupils to take care and pride in the quality and presentation of classwork and homework, to wear the uniform correctly and to support the school and local community, implementing the College’s aims and values at all times as active, positive citizens. The College is committed to achieving excellent outcomes for its pupils and creating an environment where they are safe and happy. This can only happen where there are high standards of behaviour, mutual respect and adherence to our code of conduct. In this we look for and expect parental support.
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“The quality of tuition and opportunities here are simply amazing.” Year 10 Pupil 2015
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Preparing for the Next Step Working in close partnership with our local primary schools is the key to ensuring a smooth transition to Sawston Village College. In addition to the taster days and joint projects between our core departments and Year 6 teachers, senior staff visit all prospective pupils to find out about their interests, skills, ambitions and concerns, to place them in the right mentor group, House and teaching group. Parents are also given a personal appointment with their child’s mentor before school begins in September, to ensure the best possible start and to form that all important relationship between home and school. For those pupils about to leave the College at the end of Year 11, we provide a very strong programme of Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) to enable pupils to progress successfully to post-16 education and training. All pupils receive careers guidance through dedicated PSHE Days and also have one hour a fortnight in Year 11 to support their application to post-16 providers. Alongside this, all pupils complete work experience, undertake the Young Enterprise business skills programme and have the opportunity to visit employers and undergo face-to-face mock interviews to prepare for the world of work. Whatever stage your child is at in their education, we aim to make sure that their progression is as smooth as possible, setting pupils up to succeed in the next step in their schooling.
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Admissions Policy Admissions Policy 2016 - 17 Sawston Village College is a mixed comprehensive academy providing secondary education for pupils in the 11-16 age range. Its published admissions number is 210. The College is not selective in its intake and all pupils who are able to access the National Curriculum are entitled to a place. Due regard will be paid to the Equality Act 2010. Most pupils are drawn from the seven local primary schools set out below, but each year a significant number of pupils apply to join the school from outside its defined catchment area. For more detailed information on the College’s catchment area, parents may contact the Local Authority’s Admissions Department. For admission into Year 7 in September 2016, the LA, on behalf of the Governing Body, will offer places to 210 children. Should there be applications above that limit, the following admissions criteria would be applied; it is important to note that all preferences will be treated equally.
4. Pupils who live within the College’s catchment area and have a sibling in the College at time of admission, but do not attend the above primary schools. 5. Pupils who live within the College’s catchment area but do not attend the above primary schools. 6. Pupils who live outside the catchment area, who attend primary schools within it and who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission. 7. Pupils who live outside the catchment area but attend primary schools within it. 8. Pupils who live outside the catchment area, do not attend primary schools within it, but have a sibling at the College at the time of admission.
Oversubscription Criteria
9. Children who live outside the catchment area, but nearest the school as measured by a straight line.
Children who have a statement of special educational needs that names the school will be admitted. Those children with a statement of special educational needs that does not name the school will be referred to Student Assessment to determine an appropriate place.
In cases of equal merit, priority will go first to children living nearest the school according to the straight line distance. The distance, for admissions purposes, is measured using the straight line distance from the centre point of the home to the main pupil entrance to the school.
1. Children in care, also known as Looked After Children (LAC), and children who were looked after but ceased to be so by reason of adoption, a residence order or special guardianship order.
These distances are produced by the LA Admissions team for the school. All measurements are calculated using a digital mapping system. For families who live outside the area covered by the system used in Cambridgeshire, both straight line distances and travel routes are determined using a combination of local maps and on-line resources.
2. Pupils who live within the College’s catchment area, have a sibling (i.e. a brother or sister who lives in the same family unit) in the College at the time of admission and attend the following primary schools, Babraham, The Bellbird (Sawston), Duxford Community, Great and Little Shelford, The Icknield (Sawston), Stapleford Community and William Westley, Whittlesford.
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3. Pupils who live within the College’s catchment area and attend the primary schools listed above.
Interviews for the purpose of admissions are not lawful and are therefore not included as part of the admissions procedures. For the purposes of this policy where a child lives at more than one address, the address that will be considered will be where the child spends the majority of their school nights, and to which the child benefit is paid. Only one address can be considered as
your child’s main residence. An address used for before and after-school childcare arrangements will not be considered. ‘Sibling’ refers usually to brothers or sisters, aged between 4 and 16 who live together in the same family unit. For further clarification, please contact the LA Admissions Team. The application process for admissions into Year 7 is co-ordinated by Cambridgeshire LA, who acts on behalf of the Governing Body to offer places at the College. Parents should submit an application either online via www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/admissions or on a paper application form, available from their child’s primary school or from the LA Admissions Team, no later than the national closing date of 31 October 2015. Offer letters will be issued by the LA on 1 March 2016. Late applications (those submitted after the national closing date) will be handled by the Admissions Team. For further information and full details on how to apply, please see the booklet ‘Next Steps: Admission to Secondary School; a guide for parents 2016-17. This is available from the College or online at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/admissions. To apply for a place after the start of the school year, or for any other year group, please contact the LA Admissions Team for an ‘In-Year School Application Form’ on 0345 045 1370 or by email to admissions@cambridgeshire.gov.uk. The application form must be returned to the LA Admissions Team who will contact your preferred schools to determine the availability of a school place. The LA Admissions Team will then write to you to confirm the details of the school at which a place is to be offered and, where appropriate, a suitable start date. Where the Admissions Team is unable to meet any preferences expressed a place will be offered at the next nearest alternative school with places available. Any child who is refused a place at the College may appeal using an appeal form available from the LA Admissions Team. Further information is available from their website at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/admissions or by calling 0345 045 1370. Any parent who requires further information regarding the College’s Admissions Policy should, in the first instance, contact Mrs Sandra Thornton at the College.
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“I chose to come to the College because it offered a wide variety of opportunities during the school day and also after school. It is great having a fresh start and making new friends.� Year 7 Pupil 2015
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