ANYTOWN SECONDARY SCHOOL
An Introduction
The school is a lively mixed comprehensive, with over 1000 students aged 11-18 who come from Anytown and its surrounding villages. It has an excellent reputation, enjoying strong support from its parents and a good working relationship with the local community.
The school began in a small way in 1659 when a local benefactor gave £10 a year to employ a schoolmaster; two centuries later it was re-endowed as a large mixed Grammar School, housed in fine Victorian buildings. In 1958 it became a boy’s Grammar School and finally, in 1976, a mixed Comprehensive school linking the boy’s Grammar School.
Two years ago, a £7 million building and conversion programme by Oxfordshire County Council brought the school together on a single site. All school departments have benefited and each subject has its own area of the school with associated storage and administration rooms. The joint school/community sports hall was the final addition and opened in Easter 1999.
The completion of such major changes has made this a very busy and exciting time in the long history of the school. The present Head was appointed two years ago and has worked closely with the Governors to initiate a new organisational structure to develop the school’s full potential on the single site. He is now leaving to take up the unexpected opportunity of a promotion.
The new Headteacher of our school will have plenty of scope, building on these new foundations, to develop and bring to fruition his or her own vision for the future.
The Facilities
The new buildings include a large music performance room, a music composition room, a recording studio and practice rooms. There is also a new well-equipped drama studio and a two-storey classroom block with six classrooms each for Maths and Languages. Science now has a purpose-built suite of nine laboratories on two floors, with spacious preparation rooms. There is new accommodation for both staff and Sixth Form as well as an impressively large library with adjoining ICT provision. Refurbishment in the rest of the school has included extra administrative and reception areas as well as a remodelling of many other rooms to ensure that each department has benefited.
Buildings alone do not make a good school, but these new facilities significantly enhance the provision that can be made for students as well as improving working conditions for staff.
The Staff
There are 56 full-time and 7 part-time teachers. There are also 32 support staff, most of whom are part-time and term-time only. There is a healthy cross-section of ages. The school benefits from being a member of the Oxford University Internship scheme, which brings about eight post-graduate students of Education into the school each year. Several younger members of staff started here as Interns and there is a well-established induction scheme for probationary staff. Staff development is encouraged and the school has achieved Investors in People. There is a healthy record of staff achieving promotion, either within the school or by moving elsewhere.
The Organisation
Form groups are mixed ability. In Y7 some subjects are taught in form groups whilst the rest are organised in three ability bands. There is increased teaching in bands or sets as students move up the school, though in years 10 and 11 the options system necessitates more mixed ability groupings. Learning Support is provided in Y7 within a separate teaching group but in Y8 the students are assimilated into other groups and additional support is given by withdrawal and by in-class TA support. The school uses Success-Maker to help several students and the number of TAs has grown steadily over the years.
There are ten newly established curriculum teams, each led by a Team Leader. Management of each area is assisted by Curriculum Co-ordinators. The Curriculum Team is responsible not only for academic organisation and progress in its area, but also for the maintenance of good order and discipline.
In terms of student welfare, Heads of Year work closely with members of the Leadership Group, one of whom has oversight of each Key Stage. The office area for Heads of Year in the new Staff room enables them to be in close contact with each other, with Curriculum Team Leaders and with all other staff.
The responsibilities of the present Leadership Group is attached (Annexe 1). The Bursar is a member of the Leadership Group.
Curriculum and Timetable
A brief analysis of the curriculum is provided in the Prospectus. In September 1998 the school moved to the present 10 day timetable and an asymmetric day. Personal and social Education continues to be provided by Year Teams with all form tutors involved in its delivery during the first period on Fridays.
The Sixth Form
The school has a vibrant but relatively small Sixth Form (120 students) and provides GCE A level courses and Intermediate GNVQs in Business and Health & Social Care. The present Y11 is by some way the largest in a number of years and recruitment for the coming year looks particularly pleasing. A number of initiatives to encourage students to remain at school post-16 have been put in place and there have been over 100 applicants for places in Y12 in September. The courses offered vary from year to year, but recent additions have included GCE A levels in Physical Education, Psychology and Media Studies. It is hoped that Food and Music will run again next year, as well as AS Photography. The examination results are referred to below.
The Sixth Formers play a large part in many of the extra-curricular activities of the school. They participate, for example, in a highly successful Peer Led Sex Education Programme, which involves, after thorough training, the provision of sex education lessons to Y9 students. They also enjoy a wide variety of their own extra-curricular activities including a trip abroad and the production of their very popular Sixth Form Year Book.
Examination Results
A summary of some of the recent results is provided in the Prospectus. The school aims to be above the national average and value-added comparisons with the NFER Cognitive Ability Tests, which are administered in Y7, have been consistently impressive and show a steadily improving level of ability at intake. However, no school can afford to be complacent and the importance of continued reappraisal of methods of teaching and learning is recognised as our students face an increasingly competitive environment.
School Finances
The school finances have been very carefully managed. The school has a healthy financial position, and has the wherewithal to make significant progress in areas identified as priorities for the school. The overall budget summary is provided (Annexe 2).
Student numbers and recruitment
Recruitment is largely from the eight primary schools in the area which make up the Anytown Partnership. However, students also enter from other primary schools, as the school is a popular choice.
The school’s standard number for entry is 184 and as it is over-subscribed, there are appeals for entry each year. The present numbers are made up as follows:
Y7 / Y8 / Y9 / Y10 / Y11 / Y12 / Y13Boys
Girls / 95
88 / 104
77 / 104
81 / 96
83 / 111
70 / 38
30 / 25
23
Total / 183 / 181 / 185 / 179 / 181 / 68 / 48
Total / 1025
Safeguarding Children
At Anytown Secondary School, we take our responsibility for the promotion and safeguarding of pupils very seriously. This is expressed in the following ways:
· We ensure that full discussion of the school’s safeguarding policy is included in the induction of all new members of staff and volunteers;
· We have regular discussions with all staff about the practical implications of our school policy to ensure that there are common understandings and to maintain a safe culture at the forefront of staff consciousness;
· Our school policy encourages all staff to raise any concerns they may have about the actions of colleagues. The interests of the child are paramount and take priority over professional loyalties.
· Examining original certificates of professional qualifications and proof of identity.
Appendix C2