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A WARM WELCOME DEAR PARENTS, IT IS WITH GREAT PRIDE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO TUXFORD ACADEMY. OUR ACADEMY IS AMONGST THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE HELD A CONTINUOUS OUTSTANDING OFSTED STATUS SINCE 2009 AND THE COMBINATION OF HIGH QUALITY EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS, STRONG VALUES AND EXTRA CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES MAKE PLACES AT THE ACADEMY SOUGHT AFTER BY A WIDE AREA ACROSS BOTH NEWARK AND SHERWOOD, AND BASSETLAW. Everyone associated with the academy is justly proud of what we have achieved over the years. It is my intention that, through strong teamwork and in partnership with our students, parents and community that our students and school excel and that examination results continue to be excellent.
The superb facilities that our students benefit from at the academy are continuing to develop. This year, all students in the academy will benefit from our new Arts Centre which includes studios, classrooms, offices and technology that will really boost our Creative Arts Faculty.
Visitors to the academy often comment on the positive atmosphere and well rounded, happy students. Along with high quality teaching and learning, student welfare is paramount. We work hard to ensure that any student joining from Years 7 to 13 benefits from the full range of opportunities we can offer them, enabling students to reach their full potential.
If you have any questions about our academy, then please do get in contact or perhaps visit our website for further information. Yours sincerely, Finally, we enjoy and value contact with parents and visitors throughout the year. We look forward to meeting you.
Mr David Cotton Principal
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THE ACADEMY HAS AN IMPRESSIVE TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS OVER A SUSTAINED PERIOD OF TIME, BUT DOES NOT REST ON ITS LAURELS. LEADERS AND MANAGERS’ UNCOMPROMISING PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IS SECURELY FOUNDED ON RIGOROUS SELF REVIEW
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Ofsted inspection report
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STUDENTS ARE COURTEOUS AND CONSIDERATE. THEY CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH COMMENDABLE MATURITY IN LESSONS AND AROUND THE ACADEMY. THEIR POSITIVE ATTITUDES ARE A KEY FACTOR IN THEIR PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT Ofsted inspection report
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OUR ACADEMY OUR OFFER
OUR STUDENTS
High expectations around behaviour and achievement
Respond positively to the academy’s high expectations
Benefit from Gifted and Talented/personalised learning opportunities
Access an exciting range of extra-curricular activities and trips
Are part of an integrated community of students
Are rewarded for high standards of behaviour and respect for others
Benefit from a modern building with state of the art facilities
Have plenty of opportunities to develop friendship groups
Excellent academic results and vocational pathways
Rapid and sustained progress levels
High expectations for teaching and learning
Strong tradition of sporting achievements
Highly motivated staff
Good transport links to a wide area
High success of university entrance (including Russell Group)
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A PERSONALISED CURRICULUM MEETING THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS IS A CORE PRIORITY AT TUXFORD ACADEMY. ALL STUDENTS TAKE COGNITIVE ABILITY TESTS AND STANDARDISED ENGLISH AND MATHS TESTS. SUPPORT AND INTERVENTION ARE PROVIDED WHEN NEEDED, FROM LITERACY SUPPORT TO BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM. At key stage 3 students follow a broad range of National Curriculum subjects. In addition students will take modern foreign languages which include French, German or Spanish. The curriculum is kept as flexible as possible throughout each year to ensure a varied diet of approaches and ways of learning. As part of this, ‘Curriculum Days’, which is when the timetable is written in a creative and innovative way, are built into the last half term. This allows us to provide a wide range of educational trips and team-building activities.
The September timetable, for all students, begins after the May half term. This provides a head start in courses for examination success.
An example of the typical range of GCSE option choices
Full option choices are available in Years 10 and 11, when students can choose from GCSE courses or high value vocational courses.
Option 2 French German Health & Social Care ICT Leisure & Tourism Spanish Geography Engineering Computing Business Studies
Option 1 History Geography
Option 3 Art Business Studies French ICT Music Philosophy and Ethics PE Sport Studies Food Health & Social Care Product Design Dance Option 4 Engineering Food Art Business Studies ICT Technology Subject Psychology Drama BTEC ICT
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SYSTEMATIC USE OF ASSESSMENT UNDERPINS STUDENTS’ LEARNING AND PROGRESS. STUDENTS ARE AWARE OF THEIR TARGETS AND HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE, AND TEACHERS ARE QUICK TO IDENTIFY ANY WHO ARE FALLING BEHIND
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Ofsted inspection report
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THE ACADEMY PROMOTES EXCEPTIONALLY WELL THE STUDENTS’ SPIRITUAL, MORAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT BY ENCOURAGING THEM TO BE REFLECTIVE AND TO VALUE ONE ANOTHER’S QUALITIES AND DIFFERENCES
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Ofsted inspection report
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RELIABLE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE Tuxford Academy is a large school and many of our students are from small rural communities. We therefore place great emphasis on helping the individual feel at home and settled as quickly as possible. Everyone joins a small, vertical tutor group for the whole of his or her time at the academy. Approximately four students from each year group are placed in tutor groups – making about twenty students at any time in a unit that functions like a substitute family in many ways.
The tutor groups are often led by two or more staff, both teaching and support. Two or three Post 16 students are also attached to each group for part of the week. This means that there will be help, support and guidance available to your son or daughter during tutor time. All students have opportunities to act as leaders (of activities, meetings, teams, etc.) once they have gained the confidence.
Each tutor group is organised into four colleges, led by Heads of College and supported by College Progress Leaders. The colleges co-ordinate pastoral support, learning programmes, inter-college sporting events, quiz competitions and much more. The colleges also lead the academy’s Investors in Pupils Award (IiP), which aims to develop young people’s understanding of the function of schools, their leadership skills and awareness of community values.
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MOTIVATING FOR SUCCESS CLASSROOM INNOVATION AT TUXFORD ACADEMY HAS INCLUDED: THE USE OF DETAILED PERFORMANCE DATA TO SET LEARNING TARGETS FOR EVERY STUDENT, A FOCUS ON DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ THINKING SKILLS AS WELL AS SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE AND THE EXTENSIVE USE OF CHALLENGES AND REWARDS. The academy has a strong reputation for both the quality of its teaching and professional development. As a Teaching School and a National Support School, Tuxford is asked to help other schools to raise their standards. At the heart of the way in which the academy operates is the partnership with parents and students.
If school and home work closely together, with full co-operation on both sides, we believe that students can be most effectively supported in their learning and development. The academy has also been involved in two national research and development projects: ‘What makes great Pedagogy’ and ‘Closing the Gap: Test and Learn’. International research has shown that significant long term
learning gains are made through encouraging the development of a ‘Growth Mindset’ (a ‘can do’ way of thinking). At Tuxford Academy we are continually looking to develop and enhance the learning experience for all our students to increase and enhance motivation for success.
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STUDENTS KNOW WHAT THEY SHOULD ACHIEVE IN EACH LESSON BECAUSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES ARE ROUTINELY SHARED, AND WORK IS CAREFULLY STRUCTURED AND WELL PITCHED
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Ofsted inspection report
“THE SPORTING OPPORTUNITIES HAVE IMPRESSED US. SKY SPORTS ARE ALWAYS IN SCHOOL DOING EXTRA COACHING. OUR SON HAS GROWN IN CONFIDENCE THANKS TO THE TEACHING STAFF.” Parent
“WE THOUGHT WE WOULDN’T GET IN BECAUSE WE ARE OUT OF CATCHMENT, BUT OUR BOYS DID!” Parent
‘‘WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR SON; HE CONSTANTLY SURPRISES AND DELIGHTS US. HE HAS ALWAYS SEEN TUXFORD AS A LARGE FAMILY AND I KNOW HE WILL BE SAD TO LEAVE.” Parent
“WE VISITED A NUMBER OF OTHER SCHOOLS WITH ‘OUTSTANDING’ OFSTED REPORTS BUT TUXFORD ACADEMY STOOD OUT FOR US. IT THEN SURPASSED ALL OUR EXPECTATIONS.” Parent
“AS OUR SON ENTERS HIS FINAL WEEK AT TUXFORD ACADEMY WE JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS OUR ENORMOUS APPRECIATION AND THANKS TO YOUR STAFF’S CARE, EXPERTISE AND FRIENDSHIP TOWARDS OUR SON, ALL OF WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN HIM STARTING TUXFORD AS A BOY AND LEAVING AS A CONFIDENT YOUNG MAN.” Parent “OUR DAUGHTER HAS JUST ACCEPTED AN OFFER TO DO A MEDICINE DEGREE AT UNIVERSITY. WE CANT THANK TUXFORD ACADEMY ENOUGH. WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THE STAFF HAVE DONE ON HER BEHALF.” Parent
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THE ACADEMY’S VERY HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE ENSURE THAT STUDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE FACING BARRIERS TO ENGAGEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT, ARE GIVEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED
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Ofsted inspection report
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IDENTIFYING AND STIMULATING TALENT Whilst our academic record over a number of years is impressive, and widely recognised, we maintain a focus on recognising other skills and qualities in our students and staff. One of our strengths is our development and enterprise culture. Gaining Investors in People, and Investors in Pupils statuses are testament to our fundamental belief in growing our own talent and searching for excellence at all levels. Staff are encouraged and supported to pursue professional development opportunities both within and outside the curriculum, and this is why the academy is such a busy and exciting place to work.
The sustained flow of talent in the teaching force at Tuxford comes from committed individuals who want to contribute above and beyond their daily duties, with learning support staff retraining as teachers, and ex-students returning to us as employees. The Tuxford ethos continues to grow every year as a result. Students’ talents are noticed early, through our Gifted and Talented, Sports and Dance Leadership, Ambassadorial, and Creative Arts programmes. Our staff look for qualities outside the classroom, nurturing and celebrating these in their own right.
The academy is very proud of its reputation for quality communication, which is clearly written and readily available. The academy website is an important medium for publishing information swiftly and accurately. We encourage all parents to visit it frequently for updates and news, along with useful information on our policies and procedures. Please note that we recommend that this academy brochure should be read in conjunction with our website: www.tuxfordac.org.uk
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A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AT TUXFORD ACADEMY WE INSIST THAT: CLASSES ARE “ON TASK AND ON TARGET,” AND THAT LESSONS ARE EFFICIENTLY ORGANISED, HAVE A CLEAR PURPOSE AND ARE WELL STRUCTURED. WE PROMOTE POSITIVE ATTITUDES. The working environment at the academy is modern and attractive, reflecting not only the beautiful setting of the academy but also the high standards that we expect of our students. We also ensure that effort is put into displays, which are designed to be stimulating and informative for all, promoting achievements and rewarding excellent work. We are able to attract high quality teaching staff and we ensure that they too continue to learn and develop.
ACADEMY STATUS, DALP AND TEACHING SCHOOL STATUS Tuxford School gained academy status on 1st August 2011. The governing body took the decision to opt out of Local Authority (LA) control to give the academy greater freedom to manage its finances. The academy continues to work closely with the LA and chooses to buy services from county if they are good value for money.
Tuxford Academy is a founding member of the Diverse Academies Learning Partnership (DALP). Currently five secondary schools and one primary school are linked within DALP to raise standards, share expertise and reduce costs across the academies – for the benefit of all students. Tuxford Academy was designated Teaching School status in April 2012. As a teaching school we are responsible for developing six key areas in our local area including: Initial Teacher Training Research & Development CPD School to School Support Succession Planning/Talent management Leadership Development As the lead school of the Trent Valley Teaching School Alliance (TVTSA), Tuxford Academy continues to be at the forefront of new educational practice, developing staff within the alliance to offer the best educational experience for children within its schools and academies. The alliance consists of eight secondary schools, one special school and 27 primary schools. More information regarding the teaching school can be found on our website www.tuxford-ac.org.uk/teachingschool
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THE ACADEMY’S WELL-STRUCTURED AND FLEXIBLE CURRICULUM IS CENTRAL TO SECURING STUDENTS’ POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT
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Ofsted inspection report
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Ofsted inspection report
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THE QUALITY OF LEARNING IN THE SIXTH FORM LESSONS IS A NOTABLE STRENGTH. LESSONS ARE WELL-STRUCTURED AND CHALLENGING AND ENABLE MOST SIXTH FORM STUDENTS TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS AND MEET OR EXCEED THEIR INDIVIDUAL TARGETS
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SUCCESSFUL POST 16 CENTRE OVER RECENT YEARS, THE POST 16 CENTRE AT TUXFORD HAS GONE FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH. NEW SUBJECTS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE WIDE CHOICE ALREADY ON OFFER. NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO LEAD HAVE ALSO BEEN DEVELOPED AND THE MODERN BUILDING HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO IMPROVE AMENITIES STILL FURTHER. The Centre has a well-equipped fitness suite, a refectory serving refreshments throughout the day, video conferencing facilities, a car park and plenty of space for private study. In September each year several students join the academy for the first time at Post 16 level, but the academy also enjoys an impressive staying on rate. Every Post 16 students receives a personalised timetable to reflect an individual
pathway to impressive qualifications. Life as a Tuxford Academy Post 16 student is hard work but enjoyable! This is balanced with a greater responsibility for personal progress and is echoed in the business dress that they wear when joining in Year 12. Students enjoy greater freedom between lessons to organise their study time, as well as time to relax in their own social areas
and refectory. There are also lots of opportunities to take part in extra-curricular clubs and societies. Finally, as Post 16 are treated like adults by the academy, students are expected to act in an adult manner, setting a good example for younger students and becoming much more independent as students.
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SKILLS FOR LIFE ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF TUXFORD POST 16 CENTRE IS THAT IT GIVES STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD. TO PUT IT SIMPLY, WE OFFER CONTINUITY OF HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION. MOST OF OUR STUDENTS ALREADY KNOW THE STAFF WITH WHOM THEY WILL BE WORKING AND HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THEM; THERE IS NO NEED TO ADJUST TO NEW SURROUNDINGS AND DIFFERENT STAFF AT THE START OF POST 16 COURSES. A small number of students join us from other schools and these new arrivals soon discover why Tuxford is famous for being a successful, welcoming school at all levels. At Post 16, our innovative and personalised curriculum continues. All subjects studied during Year 11 have a pathway into Post 16 studies.
The range of courses is suited to preparing students for both the world of work or university life. At Tuxford, we recognise that leisure, relaxation and making new friends are important for success. At Post 16 level we encourage students to take full advantage of a wide variety of enrichment opportunities. We know that students will grow, both academically and socially, if they take advantage
of the many opportunities at the academy. Enrichment activities include sports leadership, Duke of Edinburgh, extended project, sporting programmes, mentoring opportunities, school based employment and wider global awareness projects.
TUXFORD STUDENTS ARE RENOWNED FOR ACHIEVING TOP LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND HAVE GONE ON TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SUBJECTS SUCH AS LOCAL POLITICS, MEDICINE, LAW AND ENGINEERING
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Mr Paul Simpson, Assistant Principal (Post 16)
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OUR MISSION STATEMENT HIGH ASPIRATIONS AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS LEADING TO HIGH ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL WITHIN A SAFE, SUPPORTIVE AND CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT
OUR MOTTO EXCELLENCE THROUGH TEAMWORK
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WE ARE HERE... Retford Worksop Gamston C of E Primary Dunham on Trent C of E Primary Elkesley Primary
Saxilby
North Clifton Primary East Markham Primary
TUXFORD
Walesby
Lincoln
Tuxford Primary Academy
Queen Eleanor Primary (Harby) St Matthew’s C of E Primary
Ollerton Edwinstowe
(Normanton on Trent) Kneesall C of E Primary
Sutton on Trent Primary
Norwell C of E Primary John Blow Primary (Collingham) Catchment area
Muskham Primary
Primary Feeder Schools Locations
Newark
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS
• Visit the website: www.tuxford-ac.org.uk
Nottinghamshire County Council continues to administer the admissions process for Tuxford Academy. Places are allocated by applying the admission criteria that can be found on our website.
• Book an Intake Tour of the Academy (Mrs R Watson Tel: 01777 870001 ext. 555) • Book an Intake Tour of the Post 16 Centre (Mrs G Cupit Tel: 01777 874207) • Lift access is available
Applications for Year 6 transition should be made in writing to: NCC North Base, Meadow House, Littleworth, Mansfield NG18 2TA
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Marnham Road, Tuxford, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG22 0JH Principal: Mr D R Cotton Tel: 01777 870001 Fax: 01777 872155 Email: office@tuxford-ac.org.uk Website: www.tuxford-ac.org.uk Constituent member of The Diverse Academies Trust and of The Diverse Academies Learning Partnership. Chief Executive Officer: Mr C B Pickering