be the best you can be
School Prospectus
The Abbey School A Business and Enterprise Academy
a warm welcome from the headteacher of
The Abbey School
Y
our child is the most important person to you and our school. If your child feels safe and happy, they will achieve. My mission as Headteacher is to ensure that all students achieve their personal best. At The Abbey School, we offer a first class education which is tailored to your child’s individual strengths and needs. We expect our staff and our students to work together to be the best they can be. We continually strive for excellence and are ambitious in our plans to develop the school and its facilities within the Faversham community. Clearly, academic success is important. We are proud to say that we have been achieving our best results ever over the last few years with over 95% of students now obtaining at least five good GCSEs (grades A* - C), and more students deciding to pursue Sixth Form courses at the school and going on to obtain university places. But a child’s development is not only measured by examination results. We would also be doing our utmost to build your child’s confidence, nurture their self-belief and encourage self-esteem, so that they have
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The Abbey School Prospectus
all the tools they need to go out and build a happy and fulfilled life. We will have high expectations of your child and we will work closely with you, as parents and carers, to achieve our common aim. Excellent attitude, appearance, attendance and punctuality are paramount to achieving good discipline and therefore academic success. We believe this is a vibrant school offering exciting opportunities where your child, whatever their ability, will flourish. As you will see throughout our prospectus, the latest Ofsted report supports our view. I warmly invite you to come and visit us to judge for yourself. I look forward to meeting you. Mrs Catrin Woodend Headteacher
we believe in
respect At The Abbey School, respect is the cornerstone of everything we do and this is reflected in our aims.
Responsibility We expect everyone to take responsibility for their learning.
Equality We embrace the opportunities we are presented with and show respect to all.
Success We aspire to achieve our full potential in everything we do.
Partnerships We enrich the experiences of all through our community partnerships.
Enterprise We empower all to develop a ‘can do’ attitude.
Curriculum
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A persuasive and ambitious vision for the strategic development of the school is shared by governors, school leaders and staff. OFSTED
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We provide challenging lessons and wide-ranging learning.
Teamwork We work together to achieve excellence.
The Abbey School Prospectus
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learning
for life
E
verything we do at The Abbey School is designed to give your child selfconfidence, the belief in his or her own ability and the strength of character to succeed in further education, employment and life. Naturally, much of this confidence and selfbelief will come from learning skills and developing knowledge across a broad range of subjects. Our team of highly qualified staff will work extremely hard to ensure that your child gains this inner belief and a high level of self-esteem through their learning at our school.
Your child will experience the full range of subjects within the National Curriculum taught at Key Stage 3. But what makes all the difference is that, at The Abbey School, your child will be taught at a level that’s appropriate for their ability and at which they feel comfortable. We arrange the school timetable so that our most able students are taught in top sets and won’t be held back, while other students receive all the additional help they need to ensure that they flourish too. These arrangements are reviewed at regular intervals to make sure that students continue to be taught at the level that’s right for them. What’s more, students with learning difficulties are provided with additional support, such as teaching in small groups, help from Teaching Assistants or specific computer packages to improve their basic literacy and numeracy. The school has a first class special needs department and dedicated Autism Integration Unit, which has already achieved a great deal of recognition both nationally and internationally.
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The Abbey School Prospectus
At Key Stage 4, students continue to study the National Curriculum to GCSE level aiming for the English Baccalaureate. In addition there is a guided choice of option subjects including Art, Business, Catering, Construction, Design Technology, Geography, Hair and Beauty, History, Horticulture, Health and Social Care, ICT, Media Studies, Modern Languages, Motor Mechanics, Performing Arts and Sports Science. Our approach is successful. So much so, in recent years we have been achieving the best results in the history of the school.
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A notable strength of the school’s curriculum is that it is responsive to the needs and potential of pupils with differing abilities and aspirations across each key stage, including the sixth form. OFSTED
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taking
learning further
O
ur Sixth Form builds on the progress and achievements of students in the preceding years at The Abbey School. Our aim is to support and encourage your child to achieve the best academic and vocational qualifications. This will give them the confidence and breadth of education that will stand them in good stead for achieving success in later years. Commitment and hard work are the keys to this success and we ensure that the work carried out by students in our Sixth Form is challenging. But working hard in the Sixth Form has its own rewards, and we take great pride in seeing more and more of our students taking up places in higher education and forging successful careers.
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The Abbey School Prospectus
Naturally, academic achievement is our priority, but our Sixth Form has much to offer in terms of personal and social development. Your child will be positively encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities such as sport and performing arts. Students are expected to play a leadership role and take an active part in the life of the school by mentoring younger students. They can also get involved by organising fundraising activities, supporting the House System and leading the School Council. Our Sixth Form courses are all ‘A’ Levels. Many of them are unique to The Abbey School and are offered to meet the particular needs and interests of our students. Our courses are Accounting, Art, Art and Design, Business, Child Development, English Literature, Film, Health and Social Care, History, Horticulture, ICT, Law, Mathematics, Performing (Dance), Performing (Production Arts), Photography, Psychology, Public Services, Sociology and Sport.
off to
new horizons
T
hroughout their time at The Abbey School our students will have amazing opportunities to experience different cultures around the world. We have regular visits to France, Belgium and Spain, and students have recently travelled to Poland, Germany and the USA.
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Students are very mature, thoughtful and reflective, articulating their ideas and handling difficult issues in a highly sensitive way. OFSTED
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learning
through creativity
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t The Abbey School, we positively encourage and nurture creativity. In our experience we’ve found that young people excel across a broad range of subjects when they have an outlet for their creativity. Some students may be less academically focused, but will do incredibly well in creative subjects. Others find that being able to express their creativity helps boost their academic side too. This is why at The Abbey School your child will be given every opportunity to take part in creative activities. These will give them the chance to display integrity, hard work, self-discipline and teamwork, which in turn will help develop their intellectual, physical, creative and leadership potential.
As a measure of our commitment to the creative arts, we have plans in place for a brand new performing arts building incorporating a dance studio and theatre. This will provide plenty more opportunities for creative and musical expression among our students, and indeed many of our youngsters go on to further studies and careers in these artistic fields. We also have our stunning 14-19 Restaurant. Opened in 2007, this has been a real success story. Students studying catering can get real-life experience cooking and serving in the restaurant which is open to the public. In fact they’re so good, the restaurant is popular among the local community because of the friendly and professional attitude of the students. Finally, horticulture at The Abbey School has strong links with the local community and students grow plants and vegetables and sell them to the public though their very own ‘Buds Nursery’.
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The Abbey School Prospectus
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Relationships between teachers and students are trusting, positive and cooperative. Care, guidance and support for students are outstanding and contribute significantly to their achievement. OFSTED
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working together
as a community
W
hen first arriving at The Abbey School, your child will be allocated to a house to help them settle in. Our house system helps to support the welfare of students and aims to create a positive and inspiring ethos. Girls and boys can earn house points for excellence in the classroom, for having positive attitudes and displaying team spirit. They compete in house competitions that include sporting events, quizzes and enterprise activities, which help them prepare for the competitive world of work they’ll be joining in a few years. Students are encouraged to play a major part in school policy making. So if your child has political or social interests, he or she can become a representative of their year group or house and sit on House and School Councils. The school has been highly praised for its pastoral care and support of students at the different stages of their lives and Personal, Social and Health Education was recently graded as Outstanding by Ofsted.
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Pupils’ growing confidence and personal effectiveness are clearly linked to exceptionally strong pastoral and academic guidance. OFSTED
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healthy body,
healthy mind
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t The Abbey School we’re keen to encourage all of our students to adopt a healthy lifestyle. This includes keeping fit and staying safe, and eating healthily. The Abbey Sports Centre in the grounds of our school boasts some of the best facilities in the area. It can be used to stage a variety of sports including badminton, indoor football and basketball. The Fitness Suite has all-new, state-of-the-art cardiovascular and resistance equipment to help students get the most out of their training programmes. The Aerobics Studio is now an ideal setting for aerobics and martial arts. Outdoors, we have a new 3G all-weather football pitch as well as sports pitches for football, hockey, rugby, netball, rounders and cricket.
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For budding footballers we have a Football Academy in the Sixth Form that is in partnership with Dover Athletic Football Club. All students study a normal Sixth Form curriculum as well as training with our FA qualified ‘A’ Class coaches. Many Academy boys have gone on to achieve professional contracts with local clubs and two boys recently represented their country, playing for the England Schoolboys. We believe it is just as important to instil an awareness of healthy eating in all of our students. We have been awarded Healthy Schools Status for many years now. This is reflected in our canteen which serves a range of healthy options to suit all dietary requirements. Throughout the year, the canteen also runs World Cuisine Days where students try foods from around the world like French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Indian and Moroccan. The students also have healthy living days as part of a comprehensive Personal Social Health Education programme.
just see what
you can do
W
e firmly believe that you can always tell a good school by the number of pupils eagerly involved in extracurricular activities. The Abbey School is fortunate to be able to provide a range of activities beyond the school day and we encourage as many students as possible to make full use of these special opportunities. These are popular and well supported by teaching staff and parents alike. These include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Jogging Club Textiles, Graphics and Food Clubs Resistant Materials Club Art Club Business Studies VIP Club ICT Coursework Club Psychology Revision Lazerlight Dance Club Street Dance Club Gardening Club Sociology Revision Maths Homework Club Law Revision Handwriting Club Sports Fixtures The Two Thirty Club Sixth Form Enrichment Future Education Compact Community Sports Leadership Award
UCAS Workshop Fitness, Exercise and Games Club Primary School Reading Support Animation Workshop Key Skills Community Work Experience School-based Work Experience Volunteering Opportunities Duke of Edinburgh Scheme Music Lessons in a range of instruments and singing • Performing Arts - Dance Clubs all levels • Trips to the theatre, art galleries and museums • • • • • • • • • •
Students can also use the Learning Resource Centre where they will find a wide range of books, video and online information to help them with their studies.
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Students are confident and self-assured. Around the school they demonstrate independence and are able to undertake demanding responsibilities. OFSTED
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take the
first step
L
ike you, we want your child to be the best they can be. So why not take the first step to achieving this goal by coming to visit us here at The Abbey School. It’s always best during a typical school day, so you and your child can truly appreciate the unique environment with its vibrant ethos, excellent facilities and high quality teaching. You’ll see for yourself that there really is a friendly, family atmosphere at The Abbey School. To arrange your visit, please contact us today. We look forward to extending our warmest welcome to you and your child.
The Abbey School A Business and Enterprise Academy London Road Faversham Kent ME13 8RZ
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Pupils are emphatic that they enjoy school. They feel safe and take seriously the need to develop a healthy lifestyle. OFSTED
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t: 01795 532633 e: info@abbey.kent.sch.uk www.abbey.kent.sch.uk
The Abbey School (Faversham) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England. Company No. 07697086