A LEARNING JOURNEY ACADEMY INFORMATION
CHARACTER CONFIDENCE CREATIVITY
ADMISSIONS Adapted from the Admissions Criteria for Students Aged 11+ (further details can be found on our website) The planned admission number for September 2016 is 240 students. Our local Partner-Primary schools are Two Mile Ash, Christ the Sower, Oxley Park Academy and Priory Rise School. As required by law children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs/EHC Plans that name The Hazeley Academy will be admitted. The following criteria will be used in the order set out below to allocate places. 1. C hildren in Care: (Looked After Children) Including Children that were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order. 2. S ibling & Defined Area: Children who live in the defined area and have a sibling attending the Academy at the time of application. Proof of residence required. 3. P artner Primary Schools: Children attending one of our Partner-Primary schools (Two Mile Ash, Christ the Sower, Oxley Park, Priory Rise). 4. N o Sibling but defined Area: Children who live in the defined area served by the academy. Proof of residence will be required. 5. S ibling & Out of Area: Children who live outside of the academy’s defined area and have a sibling attending the academy at the time of application. 6. Out of Area: Children living outside of the defined area. In the event of there being more applicants meeting one of the above criteria than remaining places available, proximity to the academy will be used as the tie breaker, with places being allocated according to distance from the academy as measured in a straight line from the academy’s main entrance to the student’s normal home address, using the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system.
For prospective students living in flats or multi occupancy dwellings, the distance will be measured from the academy’s main entrance to the front door of the prospective student’s residence. In the event of there being two or more applicants at a flat or multi occupancy dwelling vying for the last available place the tie breaker of a random lottery will be used which will be independently supervised as required by the admissions code. Any application for a place at the academy received after the published date for return will only be considered after all prior applications have been looked at in line with the above. The academy will maintain a waiting list which will be administered by the Board of Directors, in partnership with the local authority, for the duration of the local authority’s coordinated admission scheme. Once the coordinated scheme is closed, the waiting list will remain open but will be administered by the Board of Directors of The Hazeley Academy. If a place becomes available, a child’s position on this waiting list will be determined by the application of the academy’s published over subscription criteria, and length of time on the list will not be a factor in offering a place.
Procedures for Admission at 11+ Although the academy will decide admissions, the Local Authority (LA) as required by the Department for Education (DfE), coordinates the admissions arrangements for all schools/academies in Milton Keynes and will therefore communicate all admissions decisions to parents. Procedures for applying to The Hazeley Academy are explained in the “Admission to Secondary Schools in Milton Keynes Information for Parents” handbook. Parents should make sure they are familiar with this information and take particular note of the definitions provided, dates and deadlines.
The Common Application Form is the only form that will be accepted. The timeline for admissions will be in line with that of the “Co-ordinated Secondary School Admissions Milton Keynes LA Scheme” as published in the parents’ handbook. Any application for a place at the Academy received after the published date for return will only be considered after all prior applications have been looked at in line with the above. Applications • No application forms will be accepted at the Academy. • It is essential that application forms are completed and returned by the deadline date. • Parents should note that for Milton Keynes Secondary Schools/Academies there is no automatic right to a place at the local school/academy. • If you make an application for a school/academy which is not your local school/academy and subsequently are not allocated a place, there is no guarantee that secondary education will be available for your child at the local school. • Prospective applicants should also note it is not the academy’s policy to allocate a place for a child to a year above or below that of a child’s chronological age, subject to consideration of the facts of each case.
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CHARACTER CONFIDENCE CREATIVITY
UNIFORM
The Uniform
Taking Pride
• P lain white formal shirt (or open-neck blouse without tie for Year 10 and 11 girls if they wish)
The Hazeley Academy enjoys an outstanding and well-earned reputation in the community. This extends to both the attitudes and presentation of our students in the building and in the neighbourhood. As part of this, we expect our students to take pride in their appearance and to wear full uniform at all times. Most items of our academy uniform is sourced by an agent who offers both a web and academy-based service although for some items, equivalent alternatives will be acceptable. Jeans, cords, skin-tight or other fashion trousers, trainers, polo shirts, hoodies and caps are expressly not part of the uniform. Shirts should be tucked in and ties knotted and worn in a traditional manner. Skirts should be black and of a suitable length. Plain black shoes adhering to the academy shoe guide. Rings, large earrings, necklaces and nose studs or other forms of visible piercing are not appropriate in the academy. Students are encouraged not to bring valuables of any type into the academy. This includes items of jewellery, and mobile phones. If such items are brought to school they are brought in at the family’s own risk. They must also be turned off and kept out of sight and not used on the corridors or, without permission, during lessons.
• Dark green blazer with the Academy badge
• P lain Black V-Neck Jumper with long sleeves (no logos on jumper and no cardigans) • Academy tie • F ormal black trousers (straight legged and not ‘skinny’ style) or formal black skirt (skirts should be at the knee or just above, no gold zip detail permitted) • Plain dark or tan tights or plain black or white socks • P lain black shoes (Please see the academy shoe guide for clarity on permitted styles) • A watch and one pair of stud earrings are allowed if a student wishes A more detailed uniform dress code will be provided to all students successfully offered a place.
Extremes of hairstyle including bright colours, tramlines and shaved heads are not permitted. Mobile Phones The Academy recognises that the majority of students own a mobile phone but will not accept responsibility for replacing lost, stolen or damaged phones, except where negligence can be proven.
THE LEARNING DAY The formal academy day begins promptly at 8:40am and ends at 3:15pm. Enrichment sessions are held most evenings until 4.15pm. Students sign up for activities via the Enrichment booklet published termly. Those who would like to arrive earlier can go to the ‘Breakfast Club’ with cereal and hot food available in the restaurant from 8am every morning. Gates open to students from 8:20am. At 8:40am, the day begins formally with a 25 minute Personal Tutor Group session (or a Lead Lesson assembly - once a week).
Year 7 eat during the middle sitting. They attend the first half of Period 4 from 12:40 13:10, they then attend lunch for half an hour and return for the second half of Period 4 from 13:40 - 14:10. The Cucina™ Restaurant is open most of the day. Cucina™ caterers provide an exceptional, high-quality healthy menu which includes at least one vegetarian (often vegan) option each day.
08:40
09:05
Tutor/Lead Lesson
09:05
10:10
Period 1
10:10
11:15
Period 2
11:15
11:35
Break
11:35
12:40
Period
12:40
14:10
Period 4
14:15
15:15
Period 5
15:15
16:15
Enrichment (Optional)
The first of the five lessons begin at 9:05am. Break: There is a 20 minute break for all at 11:15am, with hot and cold food available at this time. There can be some changes to the sittings for certain year groups due to exam requirements, etc. The one-hour and a half hour lunch session is actually a full one hour lesson with three lunch sittings.
Lunch Years 8 and 10
Lunch 12.40-13.10
Period 4 13.10-14.10
Year 7
Period 4a 12:40 - 13:10
Lunch 13:10 - 13:40
Years 9 and 11
Period 4 12:40 - 13:40
Period 4b 13:40 - 14:10 Lunch 13:40 - 14:10
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CHARACTER CONFIDENCE CREATIVITY
KS4 CURRICULUM EXPLAINED The GCSE curriculum and exam grading are undergoing a number of changes at the moment. By the time your child takes their exams, all GCSE grades will be reported on the 9-1 scale, with 9 being the best possible grade that can be achieved. As an Academy we monitor student progress against their targets at regular points and offer support and challenge where required. Below is a table showing the general equivalence between the old letter grades and the new number ones.
Old Letter Grade
A*
New Number Grade
9 8
A
7
B
6 5
C
4
D
3
E
2
F 1 G U
U
ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES The Hazeley learning experience stretches far beyond the confines of the classroom and is taken to another level through the vast array of enrichment opportunities. School days, weekends and holidays are filled with Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, Bushcraft adventures, sports fixtures, university visits, work experience events, author visits, field trips, outings to theatres, museums, castles, theme parks and wild life reserves not to mention the all-important end of year proms. The experience in school is equally rich; students enjoy music, dance and drama events and a range of drop down days (off timetable days) and guest speakers. Inter-house competitions are a central part of a student’s journey as they build character, confidence and creativity by seizing the opportunity to represent their house in one of the twenty plus events. There is no such thing as an “average day” at Hazeley.
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CHARACTER CONFIDENCE CREATIVITY
PRINCIPLES OF OUR DISABILITY AND ACCESS POLICY Statement of Principle
Accessibility and the Curriculum
Our academy strives to ensure that our culture and ethos are such that, whatever the abilities and needs of members of our academy, everyone is equally valued and treats one another with respect. Students are provided with the opportunity to experience, understand and value diversity.
The academy is responsible for providing a broad and balanced curriculum for all students and this includes access to the curriculum for students with disabilities and special educational needs. The academy will provide additional provision to enable students with a range of disabilities and learning difficulties to access the curriculum through Special Educational Needs (SEND) provision.
We are committed to reducing barriers to learning and to improving access to an inclusive education for all learners with special needs or disabilities. The academy has a duty in law not to discriminate against children and young people with disabilities. The Hazeley Academy is committed to avoiding discrimination against current and prospective students. The Hazeley Academy’s duties include: • not treating disabled students less favourably than other students. • taking reasonable steps to avoid putting disabled students at a substantial disadvantage. The Hazeley Academy supports the provision of a mainstream school place for a child with Special Educational Needs so long as it is appropriate for the child and is compatible with the education of other children and the efficient use of resources. Accessibility and the Physical Environment All teaching areas have been built for ease of access by students and staff with disabilities. When necessary and as appropriate, the Directors’ Standards and Personalisation committee considers what the academy can do to improve the physical environment within the resources available.
Although, as an academy we are not bound to most of it, we nevertheless use the National Curriculum Guidelines as a tool for making the curriculum accessible to all students and these can be used to audit patterns of achievement and participation by students with disabilities in different areas of the curriculum e.g. the inclusion of children with a physical disability in PE. The Hazeley Academy uses a variety of approaches when planning and delivering the curriculum in order to draw on the different strengths and aptitudes of students, including using flexible grouping arrangements, where students with disabilities can work with their peers and encouraging peer support by, for example, setting up “buddying” or mentoring arrangements. The Disability and Access Policy will, over time, show how further adaptations can be made to improve access. This policy should be read in conjunction with all other academy policies, in particular, Equal Opportunities, Teaching, Learning, Admissions and Assessment.
Principles of our Special Educational Needs Policy
Parent Partnership
This policy is in keeping with the academy’s aims, its teaching and learning policies, and its policy on equality of opportunity.
As earlier discussed, the aim is to develop a partnership in which professionals and parent/carers work together in the best interests of the student. The Hazeley Academy recognises that positive attitudes, sharing of information, procedures and awareness of needs are all important.
The Academy is committed to a policy of inclusion: one in which the teaching, learning, achievements, attitudes and wellbeing of all students matter - including those identified as having special educational needs. The culture, practice, management and deployment of resources are designed to ensure all students’ needs are met. The Board of Directors believes that all students, regardless of ability and behaviour, are valued equally at The Hazeley Academy. SEND children are not viewed as a separate entity but are part of the whole academy approach, and different student’s needs are recognised and met through the provision of a varied and flexible curriculum. Objectives & Guiding Principles of the SEN Policy • To ensure that all students, including those with SEND, have access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum that is differentiated to meet their individual needs. • To ensure early identification, assessment and provision for any student who may have special educational needs. • To help every student realise his or her full potential and optimise their self-esteem. • To enable all staff to play a part in identifying SEND students and to take responsibility for recognising and addressing their individual needs. • To encourage the whole academy community to demonstrate a positive attitude towards SEND.
The views and wishes of the student are also sought and taken into consideration. Parents are fully involved in the academy-based response for their child, and The Hazeley Academy will ensure that they understand the purpose of any intervention and any subsequent programme of action. Parents are informed when a teacher considers that a student’s needs are significant enough for the student to be placed on the SEND register. Regular meetings are held with parents, teachers, SENCO and the student, as appropriate, to review the student’s progress and the programme of learning. During the procedure of applying for a statutory assessment (which may lead to an education, health and care plan), parents will be given as much help, advice and support as possible. The Hazeley Academy formally reports all students’ progress in detail to parents a minimum of 3 times a year through an electronic report and also through frequent reports on academic monitoring. In addition parents are welcome, at a mutually convenient time, to talk to the SENCO whenever they have a concern about their child. Whenever a specific concern is mentioned by a parent, it will always be investigated and the results reported back/discussed with parents.
• To encourage an effective parent partnership in developing and implementing a joint learning approach at home and at the academy. • To encourage and support children to participate in all decision making processes that occur in their education i.e. their views are sought and taken into account. • To follow guidance in Special Education Needs (SEND) Code of Practice for 0-25 years (2014).
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CHARACTER CONFIDENCE CREATIVITY
2016 PERFORMANCE RESULTS Key Performance Indicators Measure
2016
2015
2014
UK National Average
5A*-C including an English and mathematics qualification
68%
66%
68%
56% (2015)
English A*-C
86%
82%
77%
67% (2015) 60.2% all entries (2016) 71.3% 16 year olds (2016)
Mathematics A*-C
82%
73%
80%
67% (2015) 61% all entries (2016) 70.5% 16 year olds (2016)
The Basics*
78%
71%
70%
58% (2015)
*A
student is classified as achieving this measure when they achieve an A*-C in both an English and mathematics qualification. The best of English Literature and Language have been used to calculate the 2016 figures.
Breadth and Depth At Hazeley Academy we are proud of how we use the 3Cs to inspire and motivate our students to achieve their very best by developing a love for the subjects they study and understanding the content that they taught rather than seeing it simply as a qualification to gain. As a result we can boast to be one of the highest achieving academies in the area. We have included a taste of this in the table below from 2016 figures. Subject
A*-A
National
A*-C
National
Performing Arts
50
21
100
68
Catering
19
14
92
58
English Literature
23
21
82
75
Psychology
36
17
81
61
Biology
56
41
98
91
Chemistry
52
42
92
90
Physics
58
42
100
91
Textiles
43
18
100
61
English Baccalaureate (EBacc) - the core academic curriculum To be awarded the EBacc, a student must achieve a grade A*-C in each of the following GCSEs: English, mathematics, science, geography or history and a modern foreign language. Hazeley students continue to perform better than their peers with the proportion achieving this challenging measure being consistently above the national rate of success for the last three years. Key Stage 5 (Sixth Form) Highlights - see website for details • A rapidly increasing sixth form, from 50 students in the first cohort to over 240 in six years • The percentage of students who applied to University being accepted has continued to increase year on year • 2016 was another record breaking year for our 6th Form, with students on many courses making better progress than 75% of other sixth forms.
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Emperor Drive, Hazeley, Milton Keynes, MK8 0PT Tel: 01908 555620 Fax: 01908 508357 Email: enquiries@thehazeleyacademy.com Web: www.thehazeleyacademy.com