artwork is taken from a piece of year 11 gcse coursework...
TRANSCRIPT
Artwork is taken from a piece of
Year 11 GCSE coursework - 2016
Page
Introduction __________________________________________ 4
GCSE Examination Analysis ______________________________ 6
Destinations _________________________________________ 10
Reintegration ________________________________________ 12
Attendance Analysis ___________________________________ 13
English ______________________________________________ 14
Maths ______________________________________________ 18
Science _____________________________________________ 22
Art and Design _______________________________________ 24
Expressive Arts _______________________________________ 28
Design Technology ____________________________________ 32
Child Development____________________________________ 34
PACC Key Stage 4 _____________________________________ 36
PACC Key Stage 3 _____________________________________ 38
History _____________________________________________ 40
Geography __________________________________________ 42
Literacy _____________________________________________ 43
Vocational Provision __________________________________ 45
Cross Curricular ______________________________________ 48
Looked After Children _________________________________ 50
Moving On 2016 ______________________________________ 52
Page 3 List of contents
Introduction
A nother good year for examination results and destinations! CE Academy has again
surpassed the national results for alternative provision. The commitment of staff
and the excellent working relationship with Prospects, has resulted in few NEET. This year
saw an increased number of young people moving on to study A levels.
The balance of Vocational to GCSE examinations allowed some young people to achieve eight
GCSE equivalence.
An additional subject, Photography, was introduced this year with excellent results. We hope
to build on this success and timetable more young people in the coming year.
Young people joining us late in the year are either entered through their schools in which
case we supported as necessary; others took at least one GCSE or vocational qualification as
appropriate.
An increased number of young people left with a ‘Food Hygiene Certificate’: an essential
requirement for the retail food and restaurant industry.
The CE Academy has continued to expand its Vocational Provision with the setting up of
‘The Kitchen at Spring Gardens’. Currently this operates as a commercial kitchen with staff
and young people as customers for the restaurant. The long term aim is to open the
restaurant to be accessible to people from the community. A number of young people
achieved Level 1 City and Guilds qualifications and some units toward Level 2. At least two
young people immediately gained apprenticeships and others are on catering courses at
college.
A launch night on November 17th was supported by a number of chefs. All of whom were
impressed by the skills and commitment of the young people. Excellent food was produced
and appreciated by the large number of guests who attended.
The CE Academy was approached by people intent on opening an Alternative Provision Free
School in Warwickshire. Their original application was refused as it was felt they needed
experienced support. Warwickshire recommended they contact CE Academy. Unfortunately,
the application was again refused but this time because Warwickshire were unable to
guarantee funding for placements. This, due to a total delegation policy by the LA. The
feedback from DfE did however say that involving CE Academy in the bid was a positive
move.
The CE Academy has formally submitted an application to be accepted by DfE as a sponsor.
Professional Development for staff has included Safeguarding Training, Prevent, E Safety,
Early Help and Literacy. Zoe Lodrick presented an excellent half day of training on
Attachment Theory in relation to CSE and the push, pull factors involved. A number of young
people were given the opportunity to see ‘Chelsea’s Choice’.
Page 4
The majority of staff visited Seeds of Change for a tour and explanation of exactly what is on
offer. This has increased staff understanding of the provision and made discussions with young
people more accurate.
There have been a number of trips and residentials. Govilon continues to be popular with
young people. There have been theatre trips to the Pantomime and more serious shows.
Staff have also given up their time to take the young people to sports events. We are very
grateful to all staff willing to give up their time to give the young people such important
enrichment experiences.
Visitors to the Campuses also provide a wider view of the world and increased skills. Young
people studying for GCSE Expressive Arts were able gain skills in animation and produced some
outstanding work.
A Peer Mentoring project has been very successful with young people from Fairlawn mentoring
Key Stage 3 pupils from Spring Gardens. Staff are now able to provide in-house training for the
young people to be mentors.
Fermyn Woods has again provided the young people with excellent opportunities to develop
their skills. A number gained a range of Arts Awards and work exhibited at the Alfred East Art
Gallery resulted in some young people winning awards and selling their work to members of the
public.
In June CE Academy held its first Prom: this as a result of a group of young people from
Fairlawn who joined with staff to create a Prom Committee. Two of the young women worked
particularly hard together with staff, decorating the rooms in a Hollywood theme. Food was
supplied by the restaurant staff and young people.
The event was held in ‘The Kitchen at Spring Gardens’. Young people were tasked with making
their own way to the Prom and did so from all ends of the County. It was wonderful to see the
young people from all Campuses across the County communicating well, talking and dancing
together.
A photo booth proved to be very popular with one of the staff being tasked to take a photos
(400 at the event)!
It was an absolute pleasure to see our young people dressed in suits and evening dresses,
behaving appropriately. The CE Team of young people and staff was evident with no discernible
divide, in fact quite the opposite. Needless to say the year 10s were already discussing their
Prom before September!
The CE Academy continues to have a very good team of staff willing to go the extra mile. It is
not an easy job but many show a phenomenal commitment to the young people and their
colleagues. A big thank you is due to all.
Page 5 Introduction
Page 6 2016 GCSE Exam Analysis
IntroductionIntroduction
In 2016 a total of 100 Year 11 pupils, the largest ever cohort, sat their GCSE
examinations with The CE Academy. As ever we work with an ever changing cohort of
pupils who vary significantly in their attitude to work, prior learning (many have missed
large areas of the curriculum) and ability to complete academic work. Due to our recent
expansion we are in the second year of offering an increasing variety of vocational
subjects and this is reflected within our results analysis.
Comparison with National ResultsComparison with National Results
This year results have again been pleasing for the majority of young people who attend
The CE Academy. This is reflected with headline results data showing that their
achievements are far in excess to pupils who attend similar schools (Alternative
Provision) throughout the UK.
This data is taken from DfE data (21/1/16) collected from a total of 421 similar provisions who serve a total of 8998 young people.
Once again we are pleased to report that young people at The CE Academy are more
likely to achieve GCSE qualifications or equivalents than young people at similar schools.
Only two pupils failed to pass any qualifications. One of these was a young man who
spent a large proportion of Year 11 in a Young Offenders Institution and the other a non
-attender who arrived late to his examinations.
Very pleasing once again was the high percentage of young people (38%) who achieved
at least one pass at grade C and above. This has given them confidence that they can
achieve in line with their peers of a similar age.
Page 7 2016 GCSE Exam Analysis
Another measure to indicate performance considers the average GCSE points obtained
per pupil. Using this data we are pleased to report that our young people have achieved
almost exactly twice the National average for pupils attending Alternative Provision.
Furthermore we can show that young people in receipt of Pupil Premium funding
performed better than those who were not in receipt of this funding, with both groups
at approximately twice the national average for Alternative Provision.
Pupil Premium AnalysisPupil Premium Analysis
We have also drawn comparisons between our Pupil Premium and Non Pupil Premium
cohort using a wider variety of performance measures.
This shows that young people who attend The CE Academy outperform other pupils in
similar schools nationally. This is the case for all of the nationally recognised perfor-
mance indicators. Even more pleasing is the performance of our Pupil Premium young
people with four times the National average of young people in receipt of Pupil Premi-
um achieving five or more examination passes than pupils attending Alternative Provi-
sion nationally.
Average
GCSE
Point
Score
1+
A*-G A*-G
(E&M) 5+
A*-G
5+
A*-G
(E&M)
1+
A*-C
National Results Alternative Provision (2014/15)
52 58% 19% 13% 10% 20%
CE Academy (2016) 103 98% 48% 48% 38% 38%
CE Academy Pupil Premium (2016) 105 98% 48% 52% 40% 42%
CE Academy Non Pupil Premium (2016) 100 98% 48% 43% 36% 33%
Page 8 2016 GCSE Exam Analysis
Comparison with previous yearsComparison with previous years
With the fluid nature of our roll at The CE Academy, each year we always analyse our
young peoples’ achievements in their own right. However as with any school we have a
constant drive to improve so always ensure that we also review our results drawing
comparisons with previous years.
A recent area of focus has been the development of our work related learning
curriculum. This has seen the development of a new vocational campus which includes
a hair salon, beauty salon, DT workshop, catering kitchen and music room. Additionally
we have set up a photography studio with dark room and embedded our already
established links with partner providers.
This focus was initiated with the dual purpose of preparing our young people for the
world of college and work and increasing the potential number of qualifications on offer
to them.
Both aims have been achieved with numbers of young people achieving vocational
qualifications the highest on record (with many young people going on to study
subjects at college or gain apprenticeships in their chosen field).
Page 9 2016 GCSE Exam Analysis
Secondly we have seen a significant increase in the percentage and number of young
people achieving five or more GCSE qualifications or equivalent. One pupil finished
year 11 with a total of ten qualifications achieved and two pupils with a total of nine
qualifications.
Even more pleasing is that this improvement has been achieved over a period of time
when GCSE examinations have become more rigorous and vocational qualifications
been scrutinised to ensure that their content and assessment requirements meet the
highest standards.
Gender and ethnicityGender and ethnicity
This cohort included 63 boys and 37 girls with girls outperforming boys in all
performance indicators. This was illustrated by 54% of girls gaining a GCSE in English
and Maths compared to 44% of boys and 46 % of girls achieving 5+ A*-G grade at GCSE
compared to 33% of boys. Considering ethnicity; 80% of this cohort was White British.
The other 20% was made up of a variety of different of other backgrounds (none
statistically significant to draw conclusions) One pattern that we can identify was that
EAL young perform did not perform as well in GCSE English as those who have English as
their first language.
Future developments and challengesFuture developments and challenges
One continued focus will be to fully embed vocational qualifications into our curriculum
offer, focusing primarily on Hair and Beauty and Catering and Hospitality. In 2016 we
have become an accredited to deliver qualifications at Level 1 and plan to investigate
the option of delivering qualifications in these fields at Level 2 in the near future.
Our progress tracker has enabled teaching staff and SLT to identify both specific young
people and subjects for interventions. This will be further developed and linked to
specific interventions with the aim to further improve examinations entries and results.
Further developments are also being implemented for our young people to take a
greater role in the self-assessment of their work. This will link with our two stars and a
wish marking policy and seek to improve self-evaluation and self-awareness skills
amongst our young people.
In addition we are investing in GCSE Pod, an online homework and revision resource
designed to aid understanding and allow young people to take more responsibility for
their learning.
Page 10 Destinations: 2015-2016
DestinationsDestinations
When young people are referred to The CE Academy, a common question asked by fam-
ilies surround longer term prospects (ie will this impact upon future college and/or job
prospects). We have always held and continue to hold the notion that an exclusion from
school should not be seen as a barrier to future life chances. Therefore the primary fo-
cus is to ensure that all Year 11s have secured a destination when they reach their leav-
ing date. For Key Stage 3 young people the focus remains on attempting to support pu-
pils to return to mainstream education.
Government NEET statistics published in 2016 show that the most accurate estimate for
the National NEET rate for 16-18 year olds is 6.5% (1), reduced from 7.6% last year with
National NEET data for young people attending Alternative Provision (2014) being rec-
orded as 41%.
Once again The CE Academy continues to be very successful in ensuring pathways for
our Year 11 leavers with outcome measures not only in excess of other Alternative Pro-
vision but also on a par or better with National data for all schools.
(1) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/547721/
NEET_and_NET_tables_Q2-2016.xlsx
(2) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/destinations-of-ks4-and-ks5-pupils-2013-to-2014
Page 11 Destinations: 2015-2016
In 2016 our records show that 96.5% of young people were engaged with a destination
once they had left The CE Academy. This included sixth form (A-Level), college, youth
training, Princes Trust, Apprenticeships and employment. Our NEET rate was 3.5%
(including 1% at home with baby). This is an improvement on last academic year when
the NEET rate was 6% (Still better than the national average).
This year it was pleasing to see three young people return to mainstream sixth forms
to study A-levels, an increased percentage finding employment, several young people
gaining apprenticeships (in several different disciplines) and our NEET rate fall to 4%.
We are very proud that since we converted to be an AP Academy in 2012 we have had a
sustained NEET rate in line with or better than the National average and significantly
lower than other Alternative Provision institutions. We see this as a significant achieve-
ment for our young people and the partnership work we undertake with Prospects
Northamptonshire.
Page 12 Reintegrations: 2016-2017
The CE Academy is set up to cater for a wide range of pupil needs across both Key Stage
3 and Key Stage 4. However, where suitable we strive to aid reintegration to an
alternative school (mainstream or specialist provision) where they can better meet the
needs of a pupil. This is a considered decision that needs to acknowledge the wishes of
parents but also take into consideration the impact another change in school/failed
reintegration could have on the young person.
We continue to strengthen partnerships with local schools and continue to have a
significant proportion of young people dual registered with school, some on long term
agreements and others as shorter term interventions.
In 2016 we saw 40 pupils reintegrated into county schools with a further 10 moving out
of County. These fall into three categories. 30% are pupils returning to an alternative
mainstream school, 15% returning to a specialist provision and 55% returning to their
original mainstream school.
We now have an established pattern of effective work in partnership with local
mainstream schools with a significant proportion being able to make a successful
transition back to their original mainstream school.
This shows the impact that The CE Academy has in impacting on the lives of young
people and illustrates the rapid progress that some pupils are able to make both socially
and academically. and academically.
Page 13 Attendance 2016
AttendanceAttendance
The CE Academy continues to have a significant challenge in improving school
attendance and focuses efforts on reducing the number of pupils who are designated
persistently absent from school.
In 2015-16 85% of pupils referred to The CE Academy are designated as persistently
absent from their mainstream schools. Therefore attendance is always discussed at the
initial meeting with parents, and monitored closely by both key tutors and campus
secretaries with The Deputy Headteacher remaining responsible for pupil attendance.
Attendance procedures are included in the induction training programme for all staff
and all CE policies and procedures are regularly reviewed. The CE Academy also
employs an Attendance Welfare Officer who conducts Parental Contract Meetings and
advises SLT on attendance related matters and queries.
Comparison with mainstream school attendance
We have analysed the attendance rates of all those pupils permanently excluded from
school both prior to joining The CE Academy and during their time with The CE
Academy.
Through both strong partnerships with parents and other agencies, and the robust
implementation of our attendance procedures we continue to see a significant fall in
persistent absence rates.
The focus of this analysis is on the percentage of pupils who improve their attendance
whilst at The CE Academy, using mainstream school attendance as a baseline with 88%
of pupils improving or maintaining there attendance whilst at The CE Academy.
Page 14 English
IntroductionIntroduction
English is taught across the Academy at all nine campuses by a group of dedicated staff that has
risen from seven up to eleven.
All young people in every campus study English. If circumstances preclude them from accessing
the subject through the timetable at the campus a further dedicated team of staff teach the
subject on a one to one basis.
English staff promote the subject as being one that is based on a love of the language and the
vehicle for a set of skills that have been genuinely proven to give people a greater chance of
future prosperity.
Key Stage 3Key Stage 3
Changes to the National Curriculum, the introduction of targets created through Progress 8 and
the pressure that all mainstream schools apply on students at secondary level are having an
increasingly negative impact on the young people that come through our doors. Often, they
have chosen to reject English, seeing it as a grammar/spelling based science that they have
failed in too often. Add to this the stigma of failing in what is essentially the young people’s
mother-tongue and there is a recipe with the potential to destroy future success in a core
curriculum subject and a high scoring subject in Attainment 8.
There is still a focus on grammar and spelling, as it would be unfair to send our young people
out into a world where a certain aptitude in these areas is expected. However, we firmly believe
that, just as someone who gains a love of cars is more likely to understand what happens
beneath the bonnet, students who develop a love of English and of the language are far more
likely to work to improve in the technical areas.
Beyond spelling and grammar, we focus on:
The importance of Standard English and knowing when it is required
Presentation and pride in work
Structuring work and paragraphing
Punctuation
Improving expression
Empathy and sympathy
Understanding tone and implication
Page 15 English
Theme, plot and foreshadowing
Creating and understanding atmosphere
Appreciating cultural, social and historical contexts
Respecting the points of view of others
Listening and conversational skills
We firmly believe that we have a responsibility to all our students to offer them an alternative
vision of their lives via the escapism of literature. We emphasise that the enjoyment and study
of books is a right open to all people, irrespective of background or circumstance.
All students that spend at least a year at The CE Academy will read a novel, sometimes to help
with GCSE exam preparation or sometimes at KS3 or even in Year 10, just for the experience.
This is something about which we remain staunchly proud.
Key Stage 4Key Stage 4
At KS4, students at the CE Academy will, from this September, have the opportunity to study for
two English GCSES. AQA GCSE Language and AQA GCSE English Literature.
The literature to be studied is wide-ranging:
Blood Brothers by Willy Russell
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Poetry from the last three centuries, including works by Blake, Shelley, Tennyson, Hughes,
Wordsworth, Owen and Browning
For the English language, the students will study non-fiction from both the Nineteenth and
Twentieth centuries.
There is no longer a written coursework element to either English GCSE. Both subjects are
tested through terminal examinations (two for literature and one for language) in June.
Although Speaking and Listening remains, the mark awarded by staff no longer counts towards
the final GCSE, which we feel is a great shame.
Page 16 English
Exam Entries and ResultsExam Entries and Results
We maintained the number of students who gained an A – C pass in English, which disappointed
us as we had hoped to improve this from last year. Although there is the factor that A –C
passes were lower nationally in English, we will not rest on our laurels.
As follows national trends, girls at The CE Academy out-performed boys, although the
percentage difference shrank this year.
The quality of coursework rose again. Following complimentary comments from both external
moderators, the marks went up of two percentage points in the literature and by just under two
in the imaginative writing. We are sad to be leaving coursework behind for good but can be
proud that we finished with our best ever average marks in both types.
Challenges Challenges
The challenges this year are the greatest that we have ever faced. A new GCSE, a new exam
board, new texts to study and an Ofsted year. This will not be a nine months for the faint
hearted but all the staff are totally committed to making it work. We fully understand that in
the new climate of Attainment 8 and the English Baccalaureate, the CE English department has
the opportunity to make a huge difference to our young people’s futures.
As teachers of English within CE we face many great challenges. Firstly, the old issue that
students bring to us: namely, that they have a dislike and even a mistrust of English from their
time in mainstream school. This could manifest itself as a fear of having their weaknesses
exposed, either through testing or reading aloud. It remains our policy never to ask students to
read aloud (they may ask us, of course!) and not to test in lessons. The changing face of Ofsted
and of mainstream education’s reaction to their inspection policies mean that as a service we
are to begin testing new referrals in reading. This is to be done away from the English lesson
and is designed to measure progress for staff, not pigeon-hole our young people.
Another fear of young people coming in to our lesson is that of the ‘blank page’. Independent
thought is not always a strength of our young people and we have invested in training,
literature and resources as a means of breaking this down.
CE
Page 17 English
Developments Within The CurriculumDevelopments Within The Curriculum
As coursework disappears, so does the manner in which students were able to chart their
progress through the school year. This is something that we have taken very seriously and have
created a tracker system that all students and staff can use to show what progress they have
made and where any gaps might lie.
We have invested significantly in novels, study guides, text notes and other forms of media to
assist our young people as they journey through their GCSE and we have implemented ways to
use the literature as a means to prepare for the demands of the English language exam in order
to counter the enormous time pressure that the new GCSEs bring in an environment like ours.
Future PlansFuture Plans
Future plans will no doubt develop themselves as the new curriculum’s pitfalls are revealed to
us throughout the coming year. Certainly a greater emphasis on performance and theatre visits
is required. We are experimenting with new “self-marking” systems as advocated by teaching
and learning practitioners such as Doug Lemov and David Didau, which give students the
opportunity to focus on areas of their own work that they wish to improve. I also believe that
we do not make good enough use of the intranet or desktop publishing, as – especially at KS3 –
some of the creative writing is stunning and deserves to be shared.
We will closely monitor progress of all students throughout the year and make sure that we
adjust future plans to keep the maximum number of young people engaging in and succeeding
at English at all levels and year groups.
Page 18 Mathematics
IntroductionIntroduction
The mathematics curriculum group is committed to improving all young people’s understanding
and participation in the subject. We promote the importance of the subject to society and the
economic benefits to their individual futures.
The curriculum was delivered by eight members of staff including two subject specialists, four
multi discipline teachers and two trainee teachers.
Key Stage 3Key Stage 3
We focus on teaching skills relevant to the age of the pupil whilst addressing the essential skills
that are missing from their education.
Key aims are:
To re-engage disaffected pupils.
Identify and address identified areas of need crucial to progress within the subject.
Maintain and extend existing knowledge to enable identified pupils to be re-integrated to
mainstream.
Promote a sense of value and enjoyment in the subject.
Identify pupils of higher attainment and encourage a desire to achieve at the highest level.
Prepare pupils for GCSE courses in year 10.
The scheme addresses the needs of pupils who may arrive in year 7 or later and stay with us for
a significant portion of their secondary education. It sets out clear objectives for each year
group and facilitates entry for the GCSE course in year 10 or early examination where deemed
appropriate on an individual basis. It also has the flexibility to include and engage pupils who
are dual registered for a fixed period of time.
Key Stage 4Key Stage 4
We follow the OCR J567 Syllabus B GCSE course. This is a terminal exam only course available at
foundation and higher tiers. All young people study the subject in years 10 and 11 with the
expectation of being entered for accreditation by the end of year 11.
Entry in year 10 is still appropriate for a very small number of students. Any entries at this stage
will be made on an individual basis, according to these considerations:
Page 19 Mathematics
The potential to achieve a minimum of a grade C that will provide the stimulus to study the
subject to a higher level.
Concerns that circumstances may place them in an increasingly vulnerable position outside of
education that will prevent engagement in year 11.
Pupils who need practical experience of the exam system to allow them to more effectively
assess their own ability and potential.
Exam EntriesExam Entries
In the academic year 2015–2016, 91% of all Year 11 students were entered, the highest of all
curriculum groups. Results showed a fall in quality of passes and performance measured
against English. There was an disappointing increase in the number of pupils not achieving a
pass.
10% of students entered achieved a grade A – C. A decrease of 2% on the previous year.
74% of pupils entered on the day of the exam passed (a decrease of 10%).
The distribution of pass marks for female pupils was better, however a higher percentage of
female pupils failed the exam.
Male pupils with FSM performed similarly to all males.
Female pupils with FSM had a better distribution of grades than all females and a higher level
of entry.
There was no significant difference in results between examination centres.
Fairlawn achieved a 21% pass rate at grade C.
The threshold for passing once again was raised from 41 marks to 44 marks, this contributed to
2 pupils failing that would have previously passed. This represents the fourth year in a row that
the pass mark has been raised for the weakest pupils.
ChallengesChallenges
Many pupils come from mainstream with significant issues in the subject that include:
Lack of confidence, self-esteem and resilience in the classroom.
Historically poor attendance or withdrawal from the subject in mainstream.
A deep dislike or mistrust of the subject engendered from mainstream experiences.
Page 20 Mathematics
Additionally, many of our young people are:
In vulnerable circumstances and may have to prioritise personal issues over their learning and
education.
Practical necessities dictate that the majority of lessons are of mixed age and ability and are
subject to constant change.
Reluctant to engage as a consequence of parental attitudes.
This year will see pupils sitting 3 terminal exams (instead of 2) with the terminal grading of 1 to
9. Uncertainty over the difficulty level of the new exams and grade boundaries still exist.
It is very probable the changes will disadvantage many of our students by removing some
examinable content taught across both key stages. The increased emphasis on algebra content,
much of it brought down from the higher tier will represent a barrier to many of our pupils,
both in terms of ability to learn the content and in their perception of its relevance to them.
Additionally some practical topics that our students found useful have also been dropped.
Developments within the CurriculumDevelopments within the Curriculum
During this year, the following have been introduced or pursued across all campuses:
Continued promotion of pupil’s self-awareness and assessment of their progress.
Continued promotion of the importance of achieving a grade C (we believe this will be
equivalent to a level 5).
Continued use of online resources to support pupils within the classroom and at home with
parents.
Written revision guidance for pupils and parents was sent out this year, prior to the terminal
exams.
A set of simplified revision notes was developed by the curriculum group and sent to all
parents and pupils via post to ensure delivery.
Parents were encouraged to support the pupils with revision and preparation for & during
the exams.
Page 21 Mathematics
Future PlansFuture Plans
Continue to promote participation in the terminal exams.
Increase the aspirations of students to achieve a minimum of a level 5.
Continue to promote the importance of the subject for 16–19 education and employment.
Integrate changes to the curriculum for the Key Stage 3 scheme of work by the end of 2017.
Effectively use online resources to support students across all key stages
Review the decision making process for entering pupils for the terminal and more effectively
identify pupils who are not ready.
Improve the effectiveness of interventions for pupils not making sufficient progress with
particular focus on LAC, EAL and KS3 transfers.
Identify pupils not making progress earlier and develop systems for evidencing this.
Review the use of a dedicated numeracy assessment to improve baseline information upon
admission.
Investigate alternative qualifications for pupils not achieving at GCSE level.
Complete the revision resources for the new syllabus.
Develop a bank of resources and guidance for non-specialist staff in the subject.
Support the development of non-specialist staff, trainees and NQT in the department.
Page 22 Science
Introduction Introduction
The science curriculum group is committed to improving students’ understanding and
enjoyment of science. All young people study science at Key Stages 3 and 4 unless attendance
at college or other curriculum arrangements preclude them from doing so.
Science is taught only by specialist staff, who firmly believe in the importance of science within
the curriculum but also as an opportunity to improve pupils scientific literacy; develop enquiring
minds; and improve life skill through a topical and relevant themes.
Key Stage 3 Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3 work is based on the Smart Science scheme from Smart Learning Ltd, together
with the Boardworks KS3 Science resource. The scheme follows the National Curriculum
programme of study and encouraged students to develop an understanding of the following
areas:
Scientific thinking
Applications and implications of science
The cultural context of science
Collaboration
Practical enquiry
The Scheme of Work allows for a variety of learning styles: experimentation; discussion and
research. We hope that our curriculum will encourage young people to question the world
around them and look for explanations of how thing work in real life settings. This is done by
providing opportunities to develop experimentation, discussion and personal research.
Key Stage 4 Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 young people follow the OCR Gateway Science B Specification. This is available
at both Foundation and Higher levels. Should students sit the examination in Year 10 they may
be offered the opportunity to take a second GCSE qualification (usually Additional Science) in
Year 11. The curriculum is broad and balanced and, at the same time, enables us to structure
its delivery to accommodate individuals’ interests and needs.
The controlled assessment comprises 25% of the final GCSE grade. The remaining 75% is derived
from two written exam papers.
This course will have its final exam in the Summer of 2017 and the following year there will be
significant changes to the course and to the exam with the introduction of the new GCSE 9-1
specification.
Exam Entries and Results Exam Entries and Results
2016 saw a rise in entries with 56 pupils entered for the exam. This was a higher percentage
than for the 2015 cohort.
In general there was a downward shift of pass grades, in line with this year’s GCSE results
across the country. The percentage of passes at grade C and D decreased in 2016 to 21.4%
compared with 33.9% of all entries in 2015.
Page 23 Science
100% of all students entered obtained a C to G pass grade.
Boys gained 3 C grades whilst no girl achieved a grade C. However, when looking at the
numbers for grades C to D, boys and girls achieved 6 each.
Challenges Challenges
Many young people who join us have negative feelings about science as a subject. This can
often be because of the general belief that science is hard and the frequent exclusion from
science lessons due to their poor behaviour. In addition our young people have often
experienced long periods of interrupted education and join us at unpredictable times during
the school year. This means our teaching groups, whilst small, consist of pupils across years 10
and 11 at Key Stage 4, and years 7, 8 and 9 at Key Stage 3. Groups can also be subject to
frequent changes.
Developments within the Curriculum Developments within the Curriculum
The curriculum group continues to explore the use of online resources and developing practical
activities. We have purchased and adopted the Smart Science Scheme of Work for Key Stage 3
and are also using Key Stage 3 Boardworks as an interactive discussion tool. Both increase our
ability to differentiate and bring our lessons more alive.
The Key Stage 4 curriculum has major changes which commenced in September 2016 where
science will no longer be able to be examined as a single science from 2017. Only a double
qualification will be available. This will make teaching science at GCSE in an already tight
timetable difficult. The curriculum group continues to investigate alternative qualifications. We
are looking towards adopting a single GCSE in Biology but with some Chemistry and Physics
taught alongside in order to ensure a more broad coverage.
Future Plans Future Plans
The science curriculum group will be teaching themed weeks in order to give students a broad
and balanced curriculum throughout the year. This will happen in both key stages.
It is hoped in Key Stage 4 by mixing up the contents required for both exam papers throughout
the year and focusing on key concepts exam performance will improve.
RAG (“Red Amber Green”) sheets will continue to be developed to track pupil progress and
promote self-assessment.
We are also looking at ways that other curriculum areas can support science. For example, how
cooking, maths or design technology can be used to cover parts of the science curriculum.
2017 will be the final year of OCR GCSE Core Science B and we are in the process of making
changes to support the new 9-1 GCSE qualification. With the staffing levels available and time
that is available on the timetable a combined GCSE may not be practicable so we are looking at
possible GCSE 9-1 Biology syllabus to adopt and also how to ensure broad coverage of
Chemistry and Physics.
Page 24 Art and Design
IntroductionIntroduction
The art and design and textiles curriculum group is committed to improving young peoples’
understanding, knowledge and skills. The group consists of 10 dedicated and hardworking staff
who have a diverse range of specialisms including Photography, jewellery making, textiles, print
making, 3D design, painting and drawing and ceramics. All young people have the opportunity
to study art and design at Key Stage 3 and 4 across all campuses unless attending college or
other curriculum opportunities. We see art as an important means to helping young people gain
confidence, self–esteem and understanding that the process of creating art can be beneficial in
improving their attitude towards learning. We are committed to improving students’
enjoyment of art as well as encouraging student centred independent learning. We encourage
our young people to explore and develop their own ideas, in turn, building their self confidence
and enabling them to pursue their own interests.
Key Stage 3 Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3 young people follow schemes of work linked to the national curriculum for art
and design. A two year programme enables young people to develop skills and understanding.
The programme allows them to develop vocabulary and techniques and to be able to give a
considered evaluation of their own and others work.
Each year there are six project titles which are linked to artists, craftspeople or designers that
young people are encouraged to investigate. The schemes of work allows for a variety of
learning styles and includes opportunities for verbal discussion, written evaluation as well as the
development of hands on practical skills.
Key Stage 4Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 young people follow a programme of study following OCR specifications. The
theme ‘Environment’ offers all the young people an extremely broad range of subject matter to
investigate, research and record. This contributes to them producing coursework which is
engaging, vibrant and refined. The course consists of a coursework portfolio with a final
outcome and an externally set exam which is currently 10 hours in duration. Most young
people at Key Stage 4 work towards taking Art and Design GCSE. The Fairlawn campus offered
Textiles as an additional GCSE subject and Photography GCSE was offered to a limited number
of students at Cromwell Campus.
Page 25 Art and Design
Fermyn Woods Contemporary Arts WorkshopFermyn Woods Contemporary Arts Workshop
Key Stage 3 young people have had the opportunity to attend the arts workshop again this year.
Fermyn Woods’ continue to provide us with a diverse group of artists. The young people have
worked to improve their skills in drawing, modelling and carving and several have obtained Arts
Awards at a variety of levels. Work produced by CE Academy pupils at Fermyn Woods was
exhibited at the Alfred East Gallery in Kettering during the summer term. Pupils achieved
awards and even sold their work. Art staff attended two successful skills sharing workshops at
Fermyn Woods in June.
Exam Entries and ResultsExam Entries and Results
This year 61 young people were entered for OCR GCSE Art and Design and this has increased
from last year where 47 young people were entered Three young people were entered for OCR
GCSE Textiles. Five young people were entered for GCSE Photography.
Achievements:Achievements:
Art and Design
98% pass rate
18% achieved A* - C. An increase from last year
36% achieved A* - D
One young person achieved an A grade
Textiles
100% pass rate
Photography
100% pass rate
80% achieved A*- C, one young person achieved a B grade
The achievement of boy and girls was more evenly matched this year in the A* - C band.
Page 26 Art and Design
ChallengesChallenges
Many young people attend art lessons feeling negative and lacking in confidence generally
because of previous experience in their former school. Often they would be excluded from art
lessons because of behaviour issues and a feeling that they don’t have the necessary skills to do
art. In Key Stage 4 young people joining at different stages in the academic year makes it
difficult to encourage interest and enthusiasm for art. Teachers work hard to find a level that
young people feel comfortable and confident with. Young people have achieved lower grades
on their exam in comparison with their coursework portfolio.
Developments within the curriculumDevelopments within the curriculum
It has been identified that our young people lack enthusiasm for observational work. The art
team have explored ways to address this which should reflect positively in next years results.
Staff are now using a progress tracker to identify any concerns with pupil progress. These will be
discussed at every campus and art curriculum meeting.
More time will be given for exam preparation to address the shortfall in exam attainment with
all staff starting the exam preparation directly after Christmas.
A booklet containing annotation guides and student help sheets has been produced and
distributed for use in all campuses.
Key Stage 3 will continue to work to improve young people’s skills, ideas and confidence. The
Fermyn Woods Arts Workshop will continue to support the young people’s learning in an
exciting and positive way. Staff have been sharing their skills , running workshops and this will
continue throughout the next year. Some members of staff attended workshops at Fermyn
Woods and the skills they have already been trialled with young people.
Future plansFuture plans
The new specification is now in place and will be taught to Year 10 students. Staff will receive
training to ensure marking is in line with the new specification and an internal moderation will
take place to ensure marking is consistent.
We intend to explore the possibility of changing course to Fine Art as it requires only one
discipline rather than two which we feel will enable us to enter even more students, as many
arrive at our school with little time to complete the requirements of the course.
Page 27
As a curriculum group we intend to develop our own practice by sharing skills and running
workshops for the group in our curriculum meetings. We also wish to continue the staff
workshops at Fermyn Wood.
After the success of the photography course at Cromwell Campus it has been expanded to give
more young people the opportunity to gain a GCSE and this is to be supported by Art staff.
It is hoped this year that all young people will have the opportunity to visit museums and
galleries. After the successful visit to Northampton University it is intended that this will be
expanded to allow more students to benefit in the future.
Art staff will focus on displays to ensure they are relevant and contain examples of student
work which corresponds to the assessment objectives. Displays should be used as a tool to
enhance learning and provide an inspiring environment for young people.
Page 28 Expressive Arts
IntroductionIntroduction
GCSE Expressive Arts is now firmly embedded in The CE Academy curriculum at Key Stage 4 and
is successfully delivered by a variety of staff with different subject specialisms.
The beauty of this subject is that it extends pupils’ understanding of different art forms and
encourages them to explore relationships between each of them, whilst allowing pupils to
develop their creative and imaginative skills.
It encourages independent learning and decision making and introduces pupils to a wide range
of media. A variety of programs, software and techniques allow students of all abilities to access
this GCSE at appropriate levels whilst providing suitable challenge. At CE it is particularly
successful as it enables pupils to work to their strengths and allows opportunities for them to
develop their own skills and interests. It is also a great subject to introduce different cultures
and arts practitioners perhaps unfamiliar to pupils.
Key Stage 4Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 pupils follow the OCR GCSE Expressive Arts specification. This is made up of three
mandatory units:
working in response to the study of artworks by practitioners;
working in response to a stimulus;
working in response to a commission in a community context.
The first two units are controlled assessments and comprise 60% of the final grade. The final
unit is a practical exam. Throughout the specification pupils must explore and apply the work of
practitioners and develop final realisations for each unit in at least three art forms. They can
choose from the following:
Art and Design
Music
Drama
Dance
Music
Exam Entries and ResultsExam Entries and Results
It has been another good year for expressive arts at CE. The status for expressive arts at CE
remains high with 49 entries for the subject.
We had a 100% pass rate with all 49 pupils entered achieving a GCSE Expressive Arts with 33%
gaining A-C grades. Again this is a huge achievement; slightly down from last year but still a
marked improvement from previous years.
Page 29
Other specific achievements included:
two pupils achieved a grade A and 3 pupils achieved a grade B;
a year 10 pupil entered this year achieved a grade B;
expressive arts out performed art and design with a 15% higher A-C achievement.
We achieved our objective to improve boys’ outcomes. This year an equal amount of boys and
girls (5 of each) achieved an A-C grade.
ChallengesChallenges
Many young people join us without having any experience of expressive arts and what it means
so it is essential that the subject is introduced to them in an exciting and imaginative way. Many
pupils wrongly assume if they do not like art as a subject that this will also apply to expressive
arts. We feel it is important that we make a clear distinction. Where possible we endeavour to
teach expressive arts in a classroom other than the art room.
GCSE candidates at mainstream school often perform their exam pieces for the external
moderator when demonstrating drama as an art form. At the Academy we have used both film
and still image successfully as a way of representing drama, as many of our young people do not
have the confidence to perform to an audience. The spread of sites would also cause logistical
difficulties.
Developments within the curriculumDevelopments within the curriculum
The use of stop-motion animation in pupils’ work was again strengthened by workshops held in
campuses by Barry Skillen from the Manchester based company ‘Animation Nation’.
The CE Academy now has its very own YouTube channel, enabling a wider audience to access
films made by CE pupils, following the success of the film produced by pupils at the Fairlawn
Campus, “A Sparkle Waiting to Itch”. We continue to receive positive feedback for the film
which played an integral part in achieving the gold Artsmark.
“Thank you for forwarding this link…….powerful stuff….and very beautiful too!”
Artsmark Team, The Mighty Creatives Jan 2016
We have been asked by the Artsmark team to share good practise and they are keen to
highlight the work at The CE Academy and use the Academy as a case study.
The CE Academy has a history of collaborating with a variety of different art practitioners;
theatre groups, visual artists and dancers. Again pupils experienced live theatre by going to see
‘A Perfect Murder’ at the Derngate in Northampton and had the opportunity to see a Christmas
pantomime.
Expressive Arts
Page 30 Expressive Arts
This year we have focused on increasing opportunities for pupils at CE to experience music as an
art form and have collaborated with Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust. Two
pupils at the Fairlawn Campus have been participating in weekly vocal coaching sessions and
another two pupils have been learning how to play the guitar. One girl wrote, performed and
recorded her own song as part of her expressive arts coursework and another has developed
her skills enough to teach her father how to play the guitar. Pupils in several campuses had the
opportunity to experience a live rock/pop band, New Beats and then participate in a music
workshop delivered by the musicians. Different genres of music were explored; pupils were
encouraged to try the different instruments and experiment with song writing. Each group
produced and took part in recording a song track which contributed to their expressive arts
course.
Another positive collaboration between Key Stage 3 pupils visiting Fermyn Woods and DJ and
music producer Daniel ‘Hussla D’ Johnson, resulted in music being produced and included on an
album showcasing young talent.
The expressive arts team have worked hard to produce user guides for the use of different
software packages: I Can Animate, Crazy Talk, Serif, Audacity and Photoshop. This has been a
great help for both staff and young people in developing their work further and improving their
skills.
The theme of India was the focus of Key Stage 4 cross curricular 2016 with the return of
expressive arts being the driving force. Pupils experienced a range of workshops looking at
different Indian art forms over the two days.
Future PlansFuture Plans
Unfortunately the future of the arts is bleak; 2016/17 is the last year GCSE Expressive Arts will
be available. Due to new GCSE qualification requirements a combined Expressive Arts GCSE will
be discontinued and will not be redeveloped as Ofqual believe it to be too similar to reformed
qualifications in other arts subjects.
This is not only sad for CE but potentially damaging for the creative industry and for society as a
whole. A narrow focus on science, technology and maths will not deliver the innovation and
creative thinking society needs. The creative industries contribute over £77 billion a year to the
UK’s economy and £15.5 billion of exports. The creative economy accounts for over 2.5 million
jobs. The exclusion of art, music, drama and other expressive subjects is limiting and short
sighted and will discourage young peoples’ ambitions and undermine the UK’s creative
industries. Although the arts are not the only vehicle for ‘creativity’, they offer particular ways
of encouraging creative thinking in children and young people which are relevant to every
profession, in particular those in STEM industries and the creative industries.
Page 31
In the UK the Cultural Learning Alliance has used large scale cohort studies to demonstrate that:
learning through arts and culture improves attainment in all subjects;
participation in structured arts activities increases cognitive abilities;
students from low income families who take part in arts activities at school are three
times more likely to get a degree;
employability of students who study arts subjects is higher and they are more likely to
stay in employment;
students who engage in the arts at school are twice as likely to volunteer and 20% more
likely to vote as adults.
As this is the last year GCSE Expressive Arts will be available at The CE Academy, we are aiming
for a record number of entries. We intend to enter all year 10 pupils who are currently studying
the subject as well as current year 11s.
We are currently exploring alternatives to expressive arts and do not wish to limit the creative
opportunities for the young people at CE. We feel confident that we can replicate the success of
expressive arts with hard work, enthusiasm and passion.
Expressive Arts
Page 32 Design Technology
IntroductionIntroduction
The Design and Technology (DT) curriculum group is committed to improving our students’
understanding of good quality design and of the role that technology plays in everyday life. DT
is timetabled at both Key Stage 4 (Cromwell, Fairlawn and London Road Campus sites) and
Key Stage 3 (Chiltern, Spring Gardens and William Knibb Campus sites). DT is taught by four
members of staff. We see the study of DT as not just the nurturing of practical ability, but as a
subject which equips students with skills that employers value. Of equal importance is the way
in which the subject promotes independent research, evaluation and risk taking, all of which will
be useful throughout the young peoples’ lives.
Key Stage 3Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3, the curriculum allows young people to design and construct a range of products
that incorporate processes and materials to equip students with the knowledge and skills they
will need for their transition to the GCSE syllabus in Key Stage 4.
The scheme of work provides an opportunity for individual enquiry and scope for students to
communicate their design ideas using traditional graphical media and also through the
utilisation of CAD and CAM technologies. Modern materials are explored and the concept of
quality is investigated through the honing of existing skills and the development of fresh ideas
and competencies.
The scheme of work allows for a variety of learning styles: experimentation, discussion and
research.
Key Stage 4Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 young people follow the WJEC Design and Technology Resistant Materials full
course specification. If students sit the examination in year 10 they may be offered the
opportunity to re-take the qualification the following year, depending on the previous GCSE
grade attained. The curriculum is broad and balanced and, at the same time, it enables us to
structure its delivery to accommodate individual interests and needs.
The WJEC Design and Technology, full- course qualification is comprised of one 30 hour
controlled assessment module that carries 60% of the final marks. The remaining 40% of the
marks for the final grade are contained in a 2 hour final written examination paper.
Students learn about sustainable design, research methods, work of designers selected by the
WJEC for study, manufacturing processes, tools and their uses, construction methods and
methods of fixing.
Page 33
Exam Entries and ResultsExam Entries and Results
This is the second year that our students have been entered for this WJEC qualification. There
has been a considerable increase in the number of students that have taken the DT exam.
The quality of student entries has continued to improve due to measures implemented in the
DT curriculum development plan; staff have introduced writing frames into the Controlled
Assessment workbook, which have led to higher attainment.
ChallengesChallenges
Many young people who join us have negative feelings about DT as a subject. This can be the
result of the increased opportunity for off task behaviour that the subject provided when they
were in mainstream education. Many of our young people report that they were excluded from
DT lessons in their mainstream school. In addition, our young people have often experienced
long periods of interrupted education and join us at unpredictable times during the school year.
Teaching groups, whilst small, consist of pupils across years 10 and 11 at Key Stage 4 and years
7, 8 and 9 at Key Stage 3 and can be subject to frequent changes.
Developments within the curriculumDevelopments within the curriculum
The curriculum group continues to strive to improve the quality of practical projects by the
introduction of project workbooks, which feature opportunities for students to develop their
creativity, subject knowledge and knowledge of making processes. Student technical
vocabularies and exam subject knowledge have been a concern and work has been actioned to
incorporate key words into lessons and to improve workshop displays, by tailoring content to
student need. Student self and peer evaluation of work and ideas has been built into all project
workbooks, with regular marking providing direct tutor feedback through following CE Academy
policy. Additional training has taken place to enable staff to effectively integrate CAD CAM and
3D modelling into lessons and to improve the quality of student products.
Future PlansFuture Plans
Changes made to the National Curriculum Design and Technology programme of study have
prompted the curriculum group to revise the Key Stage 3 scheme of work to incorporate
programmable digital electronics and opportunities for student led design and making activities.
This year’s student cohort will continue to access this revised Key Stage 3 curriculum.
The curriculum group believes that planned changes to the 2018 WJEC GCSE examination may
disadvantage our student cohort; the group are currently looking at alternative courses to
ensure that improvements in student engagement and attainment can be sustained.
Design Technology
Page 34 Child Development
IntroductionIntroduction
Child Development is taught at both of the school age mother campus sites, as well as our
mixed Key Stage 4 campus in Corby. Where possible students from other campus sites who
express a keen interest in Child Development have also been offered the opportunity to study
and work towards a GCSE in this subject.
Child Development is a fundamental subject for our students in preparing them for the
expectations and changes that occur during pregnancy and parenthood.
Students follow the OCR GCSE Home Economics: Child Development. The subject focuses on the
growth and development of children from conception to the age of five. Areas covered include:
Family and parenting
Preparation for pregnancy and birth
Physical development
Nutrition and health
Intellectual, social and emotional development
Community support
The OCR child development course for GCSE consists of 4 controlled assessments and a final
written exam.
The present scheme of work allows for students to learn using a variety of learning styles. They
are also required to complete some of the work outside of school in the form of a child study
where 6 child observations are required.
Due to smaller group number it is possible for individuals to choose their own short task titles
from a list provided by OCR. This enables students to choose topics and learning styles that they
have an interest in and is most suited to their style of learning offering diversity of learning
methods to our learners in order for them to best achieve.
Unit BO11: Three short tasks Unit BO11: Three short tasks
Candidates are required to submit 2 practical and 1 investigative short tasks chosen from a list
of tasks provided by OCR. Each of the 3 tasks should focus on different practical skills and
knowledge. 60 marks (20 marks per task)/30 % of the total GCSE marks. This unit is internally
assessed and externally moderated. These tasks will assess the following skills: planning,
practical work, evaluation, investigation.
Page 35
Unit BO12: Child study task Unit BO12: Child study task
Candidates submit one individual task chosen from a list of themes provided by OCR. 60 marks/
30% of the total GCSE marks. This unit is internally assessed and externally moderated. This task
will assess the following skills: research, selecting and justifying choices, planning, practical
work, evaluation.
Exam entries and resultsExam entries and results
All pupils who were entered for the examination achieved a pass grade, with two pupils
achieving ‘B’ grades.
ChallengesChallenges
Due to the substantial nature of the controlled assessments, young people who are referred to
The CE Academy in year 11 have a significant amount of work to complete in a short period of
time.
Developments within the curriculumDevelopments within the curriculum
Opportunities for pupils to engage in self-assessment have improved pupils’ self-evaluation
skills.
Flexibility in timetabling those from other campuses has widened opportunities for some
pupils.
Future plansFuture plans
Focus on differentiating teaching methods/tasks and controlled assessment tasks with the aim
to further increase GCSE entries.
Page 36 PACC - Key Stage 4
IntroductionIntroduction
PACC is an acronym, standing for PSHE, Activities and Careers and Citizenship. We consider it a
vital opportunity to engage pupils in these aspects of their education. To this end an entire
Wednesday morning is dedicated to its delivery across all centres. All staff have a role in its
delivery, preparation and planning in order to promote its importance and effective delivery.
This enables a wide range of personal experiences to be incorporated into lessons.
Key Stage 4Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4, we seek to incorporate topics designed to meet the specific needs of our pupils.
Within the time allocated, staff try to balance a range of topics that we feel all students should
be made aware of with current affairs and issues that are dominating our campuses or young
people’s lives. The stated aim of these sessions is to prepare our young people for life beyond
school in a manner that cannot be achieved in a lesson that has coursework/GCSE objectives.
However the delivery of many of these topics is supported and reinforced on an informal basis
throughout the school day. Many opportunities arise within lessons and unstructured times to
continue discussions generated earlier and incorporate them into a wider appreciation of their
education.
We have identified a number of topics that are considered to be of paramount importance to
the well-being and development of the young people. A record of participation in these topics is
maintained to enable staff to ensure that they are addressed at another time if the young
person has missed them within the PACC timetable.
ChallengesChallenges
Many pupils find the subject content challenging for a variety of reasons. These can include a
reluctance to engage in topics that are outside of their personal experience and a reluctance to
admit the relevance of topics to their personal lives and aspirations. A personal background that
is already in conflict with societies accepted conventions and responsibilities. For all these
reasons, it is vital to develop their sense of membership of a wider community, not just on a
local level, but also on a national and global level. Our pupils need the opportunity to develop
their awareness of such issues to enable them to make the most of the opportunities and
challenges facing them in a rapidly changing world.
Developments within the curriculumDevelopments within the curriculum
We will continue to develop an electronic databank of resources that is shared between
campuses. This is intended to be a comprehensive library of resources that will enable staff to
effectively deliver topics, confident that many multimedia resources will be available. Alongside
this development will be a review of existing topics and lesson plans with consideration to their
current relevance.
Page 37
Last year the Cromwell PACC group gave the students time to participate in the planning of the
PACC curriculum and we were very pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Areas that the
students requested included topics such using a bank; filling in forms; applying for passports
and licences as well as nutrition. This policy is now being used at Fairlawn, amongst other
campuses.
We have developed sessions to address the Government’s strategy of ‘British Values’ and
staying safe on-line.
The Science curriculum group is also developing resources focussed on the use of drugs and
alcohol on the human body that support both our aims in PACC and the Science GCSE.
A review and evaluation of resources gathered for KS3 will also be carried out with the intention
of continued development by all staff involved its delivery.
Future PlansFuture Plans
PACC remains an essential component of the pupil’s wider education. Attendance and pupils
oral feedback suggests that they benefit from the more informal and wide ranging approach to
the topics.
The hard-drive will continue to evolve with the involvement of all staff. It will need to meet ever
more specific and demanding needs, reflecting the rapidly changing society in which we live.
A dedicated member of staff has been appointed to oversee the delivery of Sex Education. They
will train staff as well as support in its delivery. This will enable a more in-depth and consistent
approach to such an important area of education.
There have been huge changes in society and education in recent years. With the cutting away
of the arts in schools and other areas that teach students to express themselves appropriately,
such as Speaking and Listening in English, being marginalised in favour of the relentless march
of literacy and numeracy, in combination with Brexit, radicalisation and the digitalisation of
society in an uncertain future, we believe that PACC has never been more important to the
young people at The CE Academy.
PACC - Key Stage 4
Page 38 PACC - Key Stage 3
IntroductionIntroduction
PACC is a valued and important component of The CE Academy curriculum designed to reflect
and enhance the Academy’s ethos which includes: equal rights for all, encouraging self respect,
everybody has the right to fail and that all pupils have the right to be involved in decisions that
affect them.
PACC at Key Stage 3 is split into smaller, targeted sessions, focusing on working together as a
group or in a community. At its heart is a long process of socialisation which we feel strongly is
the basis of the education we are providing for our young people.
A whole morning is dedicated to PACC and all staff are involved in delivering the subject using a
variety of different activities and teaching styles.
The scheme of work accommodates for a variety of learning styles and the different attitudes
and values that are held by the young people. The curriculum enables and encourages the
development of practical and personal skills and provides opportunities for communication
through a variety of different medium including written work, pictures, drama and discussion.
AimsAims
PACC as a subject incorporates PHSE, Careers and Citizenship.
PHSE:
enables young people to develop confidence, responsibility and
make the most of their abilities and opportunities;
helps young people to develop a healthy safer lifestyle and promote positive
relationships, respecting the differences between people.
Careers:
promotes self development - understanding themselves including influences;
encourages career exploration both in learning and work and career
management;
assists in making and adjusting plans and managing change and transition.
Citizenship:
provides knowledge and understanding about becoming informed citizens;
develops skills of enquiry, communication and participation;
encourages responsible action towards others in the community.
Page 39
Some of the key topics covered include:
Exam Entries and ResultsExam Entries and Results
There are no formal exams or qualifications gained in PACC. However, progress is monitored by
feedback and the improved skills and attitudes displayed by the young people.
ChallengesChallenges
Many young people who join us have had negative experiences and may come from
backgrounds where there are antisocial values and where positive attitudes towards others are
not necessarily reinforced. Some of the topics can be of a sensitive nature and young people
are given the option to discreetly remove themselves if they feel uncomfortable in the sessions.
Developments within the curriculumDevelopments within the curriculum
The curriculum group continues to develop its use of resources and build relationships with
external agencies to support students and provide talks in house and visits off site. Each centre
has a nominated local charity and young people are given the opportunity to raise money and
awareness for both these and the nominated CE Academy Charity each year.
Future PlansFuture Plans
The Key Stage PACC scheme of work is constantly under review to reflect changes in society and
trends of the young people.
PACC - Key Stage 3
Human rights
Crime and the law
Challenging racism and
discrimination
Legal rights and the law
Economy
Business and enterprise
Rights and responsibilities
Media and the news
Europe
Global issues
Charity
Animal welfare
Personal Hygiene
First Aid
Disabilities
Smoking and drugs
Sex and relationships
Diversity and migration
Bullying
Peer pressure
Recycling and the environment
Page 40 History
IntroductionIntroduction
The history curriculum group is committed to improving students’ understanding and
enjoyment of history. Many young people study history at Key Stages 3 and 4 across The CE
Academy unless attendance at college or other curriculum arrangements preclude them from
doing so. It is taught by three members of staff. We see the study of history as essential for our
students’ development in terms of study skills and awareness of the wider world. In addition we
feel it is a gateway to many career opportunities.
Key Stage 3Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3 young people follow the SHP Development of Britain course which allows
students to develop an understanding of the following key areas:
Skills in historical enquiry
Applications and implications of history
Cultural understanding
Evaluative skills
The curriculum enables the development of practical enquiry skills, an understanding of
evidence and opportunities for communication through both written work, ICT based work and
discussion. The study of history in real life settings (locally, nationally and globally) is also
catered for. We hope the study of history will encourage young people to question their world
and find explanations.
The scheme of work allows for a variety of learning styles; visual, intrapersonal, social, aural,
verbal, kinaesthetic and logical.
Key Stage 4Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 young people follow the AQA History B Short course specification. The
curriculum is broad and balanced and, at the same time, it enables us to structure its delivery
to accommodate individual interests and needs.
The controlled assessment comprises 50% of the final grade. In addition there is an exam paper
which makes up the other marks.
Exam entries and resultsExam entries and results
For many years our entries for History GCSE have compared favourably with other
humanities subjects. 2016 was our second year delivering the AQA specification. Although the
number of entries did not increase on the previous year 100% of the students entered were
successful in getting the GCSE. We plan to build on this moving forward and raise the grades
achieved.
Of the 17 students entered 10 sat their exam at the Forest Gate campus and 7 sat their exam at
the Cromwell Campus.
Page 41
ChallengesChallenges
Many young people who join us have negative feelings about history as a subject. It is often one
of, if not the first subject, to be removed from their timetables during the build-up to their
being permanently excluded. This can often be because of the challenging nature of the subject
and the literacy content involved. This is something that is being addressed directly in the
department’s lesson planning and differentiation and indirectly by The CE Academy’s literacy
strategy and work with Ruth Miskin and Reading Wise programmes at Key Stage 3.
In addition our young people have often experienced long periods of interrupted education and
join us at unpredictable times during the school year. This means our teaching groups, whilst
small, consist of pupils across years 10 and 11 at Key Stage 4 and years 7, 8 and 9 at Key Stage 3
and can be subject to frequent changes.
Developments in the curriculum Developments in the curriculum
To aid KS3 to KS4 progression students will be introduced to the themes of Cold War within the
KS3 curriculum. This will allow for a greater understanding of Capitalism and Communism when
they begin to study the Cold War period at Key Stage 4. Students at Key Stage 3 will also be
given a background to WW1 and 2 along with skills required to evaluate sources.
Having taught the KS4 specification for one year and assessed it accessibility to our students the
decision has been made to teach Topic 3: Hitler’s Foreign Policy and the Origins of the Second
World War in place of Topic 5: Crises of the Cold War and Détente 1960–1980. As a curriculum
group we feel that this will build on any prior knowledge and understanding the students may
have and consequently will aid their ability to access the new information we will be providing
them with.
The curriculum group continues to access and develop its use of online resources, media and
ICT based resources. The BBC History Timeline as an ICT tool is a central theme to our
programme of study at Key Stage 3. The roles of software packages such as Crazy Talk, Serif
Movie, Photoshop and the MS Office suite are as consistent as they are essential.
Future plansFuture plans
As we have changed specification the history curriculum group has identified the tasks needed
to be undertaken to fully prepare students for this and working groups are looking at different
aspects of this.
Tasks for these groups include:
Continuing to adapt our delivery of the new controlled assessment aspect of the course to ensure we meet the needs of our young people.
Adapting our Cold War programme of study to allow for the absence of source evaluation in favour of content driven materials.
There is also a Key Stage3 working group to review the curriculum for years 7 to 9.
History
Page 42 Geography
IntroductionIntroduction
Geography is delivered within The CE Academy at Key Stage 3 and 4. Last year it was delivered
in two of the Key Stage 4 campuses and at William Knibb at Key Stage 3.
Geography at both Key Stage 3 and 4 is linked to other curriculum areas such as English and
science.
Key Stage 3Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3, geography was taught at William Knibb. The subject aims to develop the
students’ understanding of their local area and how this interlinks nationally, with the rest of
the European Union and the rest of the world. The programme of study includes physical and
human aspects which takes account of current issues such as flooding, migration, employment,
industry and sustainability. They study indicators of development.
Key Stage 4Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4, geography was delivered in Fairlawn and Oaklands. The students followed the
OCR short course. The course is assessed by a final examination which makes up 50% of the
final grade. The remaining 50% is teacher assessed through one enquiry which is fieldwork
based.
Exam entries and resultsExam entries and results
In 2016 eleven students were entered for the GCSE at Foundation Level. Students performed
significantly better in the coursework component than in the written exam. All students
entered achieved a grade at GCSE.
ChallengesChallenges
Many of the young people who sat the GCSE had no previous experience of geography so were
studying the subject for the first time. Geographical knowledge and understanding of subject
specific vocabulary are consequently limited. The level of knowledge required for the final
exam was a clear challenge to the students; this was reflected in the difference between their
performance in the controlled assessment compared to the exam.
Future PlansFuture Plans
This is the final year of examination for the current syllabus; from September 2017 only a full
course GCSE will be available.
Page 43
IntroductionIntroduction
At The CE Academy we aim to improve the literacy skills of young people . All young people
attending our Key Stage 3 campuses have 30 minutes targeted literacy support every day.
All Key Stage 3 staff teach literacy and have received training in delivering the literacy
curriculum both in-house and by external providers. Some of the Key Stage 4 staff have also
been trained and are able to offer targeted support to those whose poor literacy skills are
having a detrimental affect on their learning in other lessons. We hope that by improving
literacy skills we will remove a barrier to learning in all subjects and develop or rekindle the
desire for young people to read for pleasure.
Key stage 3Key stage 3
The daily 30 minute literacy lessons are very much embedded into the ethos of the Key Stage 3
campus sites. We are currently using three different programmes (Fresh start, Reading Wise
and First News) and each young person is timetabled into groups to suit both their literacy level
and preferred learning styles.
Ruth Miskin Fresh Start:Ruth Miskin Fresh Start:
Is a highly structured scheme where students work through up to 35 modules with each one
providing a variety of different activities including:
Understanding and identifying the different phonemes (sounds) in words and the Graphemes(letters) used to represent them.
Reading and spelling words using a given sound.
Sentence creation and improving sentence structure.
Finding errors and editing the work of themselves and others.
Answering questions about text both verbally and in writing
Guided writing tasks.
The highly structured approach gives opportunity for success at all levels.
We have seen significant improvements in the reading ages of most young people following this
programme. However, due to the highly structured and prescriptive nature, we have found that
not all young people are actively engaging.
Reading Wise:Reading Wise:
In October 2015 we subscribed to the ‘reading wise’ online resource. This is a programme that
is designed for young people to work through independently using a computer and headphones
with staff supervision and support. This is a phonic based programme that uses a variety of
tasks that suit different learning styles to support reading and identifying the sounds in words.
This is a progressive programme that enables the students to learn at a pace that suits them.
Literacy
Page 44 Literacy
When competent enough with the phonics of reading the young people then move on to the
comprehension exercises which also become progressively harder at the student’s own pace.
All Key Stage 3 staff and English teachers have received training in this programme and can
track the student’s engagement and progress whilst they are working using the teacher login.
First News:First News:
For those who no longer require or struggle to engage with the highly structured schemes of
Ruth Miskin or Reading wise we have also invested in the use of ‘First News’ resources. These
provide a variety of comprehension activities based on the articles in the weekly newspaper
that aim to improve literacy skills and link to current news.
Exam entries and resultsExam entries and results
There are no formal examinations in Literacy, however we have seen significant improvement in
the reading ages of the Key Stage 3 pupils and hope that by focusing on literacy skills we will see
a significant improvement in exam results across the board.
ChallengesChallenges
Many of the young people who attend The CE Academy have experienced periods of
interrupted education and may have not developed basic literacy skills or have an underlying
reading difficulty, which has not been detected, as hidden by poor behaviour in school. In
addition most of our young people have limited access to books and other written materials
out of school and place little value on reading for pleasure.
Developments within the curriculum and future plansDevelopments within the curriculum and future plans
The CE Academy continues to develop its use of different resources and staff training to
improve Literacy across the Key Stage 3 Campuses and this is merging into Key Stage 4 with
identified pupils receiving support.
We are continually reviewing the materials used in the literacy lessons and all staff expected to
teach Literacy receive regular training and support to deliver the programmes offered.
Page 45
IntroductionIntroduction
At CE Academy we strive to continue to offer a range of external and internal vocational
provisions that we hope will inspire our students to gain the confidence to work towards
setting and achieving their own personal goals. The purpose is to present our students with
the opportunity to experience new or challenging activities with the goal of increasing their
confidence and belief in myself and their capabilities. It also provides some of our students
the opportunity to gain a qualification in a practical area, for example motor vehicle.
One of our objectives is to offer a wide range of provisions that will engage our students and
diminish the negative attitudes and perceptions that some students hold of education. This
may then be taken forward into other subject areas with their individual learning.
Between September 2015 and July 2016, in addition to GCSE’s, The CE Academy continued to
offer vocational courses to our Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 young people using the following
external provisions within Northamptonshire as listed below:
Vocational Provision
Northampton College
Motor vehicle—repair and re-finishing
Centurion Training
Motor Vehicle
Future Starts
Fishing
Personal Development
Employability skills
Photography
Youth Works
Bike Maintenance
Music Technology
Groundwork – The Green Patch
Gardening and Horticulture
Personal Development
Adventureways
Personal Development – Outdoor Activities
Fermyn Woods
Art Workshops
Seeds of Change
Equine
Land Based Studies
Personal Development
Employability skills
Page 46 Vocational Provision
The provisions that we offer vary from main stream colleges to organisations that are run
privately. The courses offer a range of levels of qualifications including personal development
qualifications and Entry Level starting at Entry Level 3 ( this is available for Key Stage 3 students)
to Entry Level 2 (Key Stage 4 students). Some of the courses do not offer the opportunity to
achieve a qualification but provide the opportunity to deliver valuable life skill experiences to
our students.
At The CE Academy we also offered a variety of courses that are delivered in-house at our
Cromwell Campus in Northampton and Spring Gardens Campus in Wellingborough. These
include Hair and Beauty, Catering, Music Technology, Design Technology and Photography.
The opportunity to work towards a qualification in these subjects is available at either Entry
Level 3 or Level 1.
Key Stage 3Key Stage 3
All Key Stage 3 timetables include academic study in one of our campus buildings and
enrichment activities at either external provisions or in house workshops. These include:
The Key Stage 3 courses were felt to be ideal for this age group and resulted in good attainment
and achievement. The young people who were capable and willing were given the opportunity
to gain Entry Level 3/Level 1 units of qualifications. This year 1 year 8 and 2 year 9s have
achieved vocational certificates.
Key Stage 4Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 we offer Level 1 led qualifications which enable our young people to achieve
greater success. We are exploring the possibility of offering Level 2 courses on appropriate
courses where pupils are capable of working at a higher level.
In 2016 a large proportion of our young people achieved at least one vocational qualification.
In year 10, 23 young people completed one or more courses and in Year 11, 52 young people
completed one or more courses. The majority of year 10 will continue with their courses into
year 11 and work towards achieving their qualification.
Exam entries and resultsExam entries and results
Achievement for Key Stage 4 has continued to improve this year with the majority of our young
people who attend for a full year achieving Level 1 Awards and Certificates in Equine and/or
Land Based Studies, Fishing, Motor Vehicle, Construction, Hairdressing , catering. For those
Design Technology
Hairdressing
Music Technology
Motor Vehicle
Photography
Personal Development – Outdoor Activities
Personal Development – Equine/Land Based
Gardening and Horticulture
Bike Maintenance and Bikeability Training
Fermyn Woods arts Project
Page 47
Vocational Provision Page 47 Vocational Provision
who did not manage to achieve a full Award or Certificate, units at Level 1 could be achieved.
Key Stage 3 achievement also improved with the majority achieving some units at Entry Level 3
or Level 1 and also AQA units.
ChallengesChallenges
This year transport has continued, to some extent, to be a challenge. However, we have found
that the majority of students are prepared to undertake the journey, often catching one or two
buses in order to attend the vocational provisions. Where it is felt appropriate taxis have been
put in pace to over come this barrier.
One of the most significant barriers to our young peoples’ learning whilst working towards a
Level 1 and/or Level 2 qualification can be low levels of literacy. Due to this the majority of
courses we offered were unit led which allowed our young people to achieve part of a
qualification where the full award was not achievable. Additionally, most of our young people
join us throughout the school year - this too can be a barrier to them achieving a full
Level 1 or 2 Award or Certificate.
Developments within the curriculumDevelopments within the curriculum
We continue to keep up to date with the changes in the vocational areas and offer qualifications
that have a natural progression in a given subject area and are relevant to employers. We have
also increased our in-house workshops throughout the county and now offer workshops in
Northampton and Wellingborough. We work on the premise that any qualifications gained
should be useful to our young people in the real world. For this reason we continue to work
with our partners to ensure that qualifications on offer to our young people are recognised by
both employers and further education providers.
Future plansFuture plans
Our partnership with Seeds of Change Equine Learning continues to evolve and this enables us
to continue to provide the opportunity for our Key Stage 3 to experience a full day at The Acorn
Centre where the curriculum includes literacy and numeracy tasks, land based studies and
equine learning at Level 2 which has proved to be successful. Key stage 4 students work towards
achieving a City & Guilds Land Based qualification and City & Guilds Employability Level 1.
Our Hair and Beauty workshops at both Wellingborough and Northampton campuses continue
to develop and 14 students achieved a City & Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Hair and Beauty this
year.
Our Catering provision at Spring Gardens, Wellingborough had a successful first year with 4
students achieving a Level 1 Certificate in Food Preparation and Cooking. This has been a
positive first year and the course is already proving popular again this year.
We plan to continue to build our partnership with City & Guilds and to offer Level 1 and
possibly Level 2 qualifications in the future in both Hair and Beauty and Catering and
Hospitality.
Page 48 Cross Curricular
IntroductionIntroduction
Britain is a multicultural society and has a rich heritage of cultural and ethnic diversity. In order
to promote and celebrate this and to increase pupil awareness, The CE Academy run a two day
cross curricular event at the end of the summer term each year. At Key Stage 4 this is an arts
based programme with a different cultural theme each year, which enables the young people to
learn about cultural diversity. This can help them to live and work together in diverse
communities, both in this country and the wider world. Arts activities are important vehicles in
promoting community cohesion and ‘one off’ programmes are an effective way to motivate and
energise young people to interact in new ways.
The timetables are collapsed in all campuses and a programme of activities is delivered both by
CE staff and visiting practitioners. We invite many practitioners both local and from further
afield into the campuses to work with the young people teaching them new skills and allowing
them to experience a vast and varied array of activities. All work produced during the two days
is displayed to provide pupils with a positive and happy memory of school for their return after
the long summer holiday.
Key Stage 4Key Stage 4
This year our theme at Key Stage 4 was India. Staff dressed up in traditional outfits celebrating
the beautiful fabrics and colours used in Indian attire. Staff in each campus worked hard to
decorate classrooms and social areas using saris, flags and a variety of artefacts, including a
large statue of Shiva. There was a large variety of displays informing pupils about Indian art,
food, monuments and geographical information. When pupils arrived on the first day of cross
curricular they were surprised to see the campuses transformed. It definitely gave them the
wow factor!
Pupils had the opportunity to participate and experience a range of activities including silk
painting, making tea light holders inspired by Diwali and a Photoshop workshop where pupils
were able to transform themselves into Bollywood actors on film posters! Pupils enjoyed
cooking a range of Indian dishes which was a great opportunity to try new food and flavours.
We invited a range of practitioners to CE to deliver workshops in their chosen field. Pupils were
taught how to play the dohl drums, dance in the Bollywood style and learnt the Indian art forms
of rangoli and mehndi. Some beautiful pieces of art were produced and put on display and a lot
of fun was had.
Page 49
Key Stage 3Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3 pupils explored the topic of ‘flight’ during their two day cross curricular
programme which covered many areas of the curriculum. Pupils had the opportunity to make
and launch a range of model rockets using air, water and baking powder, which enabled them
to work together in groups. Pupils developed their literacy skills when researching different
aspects of the topic, such as air pressure and numeracy skills were challenged when measuring
the distance travelled and interpreting data onto graphs. Some lovely ‘bird’ mobiles were made
in art.
ChallengesChallenges
Cross curricular at The CE Academy is organised and refined by a team of four members of staff
from different areas of the curriculum. This year, information about the programme was filtered
back to staff through emails and at campus meetings. As a way to encourage pupils to use their
work as part of their expressive arts coursework, it was decided to focus on one finished task
that could be completed in the two days.
Future plansFuture plans
We will be developing a 2017 cross curricular programme and will continue to offer a menu of
exciting activities and will be inviting practitioners in to share their expertise and knowledge
with our young people.
Our aims for the coming year are:
to provide existing young people, who will be returning to The CE Academy the following
academic year, with a positive and happy lasting memory of school for their return in the
autumn;
to enable KS4 pupils to produce coursework for GCSE;
to promote community cohesion;
to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of local and national communities;
to promote good relationships and mutual understanding within different communities;
to promote an understanding of cultural diversity and to widen pupil
understanding of different cultures, lifestyles and beliefs;
to allow young people the opportunity to meet and work with visitors from a diverse range
of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds;
to promote common values and help pupils to value differences and challenge prejudice
and stereotyping.
Cross Curricular
Page 50 Looked After Children
Analysis of the LAC cohortAnalysis of the LAC cohort
For the academic year 2015-2016 a total of 21 students were classed as Looked After by a
Local Authority through the year, this was a slight increase on last year’s figure.
Breakdown by year group:
Breakdown by other factors:
Of the 21 students - 15 were males and 6 females (which is an increase in the proportion of
female LAC students)
10 students were exclusions, 8 were dual registered, 3 were single registered
17 were on roll at a campus, 3 were registered with ILP and 1 remained on our roll but was
tutored in his residential home out of county
16 students were under NCC’s care, the remaining five were from other counties
As usual there was some fluidity through the year with students coming into/out of care. There
was an increase in students being moved out of county – a total of six were found placements in
other counties as their specific needs could not be met within the existing provisions in
Northamptonshire. One student was moved to a different educational provision within county,
one dual registered student returned to their mainstream school and one who went out of
county was kept on our roll and the work was provided for them to be tutored at the home as it
was too late into Year 11 for a suitable local educational provision to be found.
Changes to the LAC educational systemChanges to the LAC educational system
In November of this year Northamptonshire County Council went over to an electronic PEP
system. Two members of staff from CE went on the training provided by Virtual School prior to
the system going live. There were some initial problems with the system which the Virtual
School were quick to respond to, however, overall the electronic system has not proved popular
with Designated Teachers across the county as it is more time consuming and less efficient than
the paper system.
Year Group Number
7 0
8 4
9 2
10 8
11 7
Page 51
One of the major changes that the ePEP system has brought is that the Pupil Premium Plus
money is no longer paid directly to the school, each intervention now has to be costed and the
money required applied for via ePEP targets, this is then subject to approval by the Virtual
School before money can be allocated. The amount allocated for schools is now £1500, the
remaining £400 goes into a fund that schools can apply to where they have extra costs for
certain high needs students.
The role of the Designated Teacher is currently being reviewed by the DfE and the proposed
changes will increase the responsibility and accountability of the Designated Teacher/school for
showing progression of Looked After students within their educational setting to external
agencies. This is particularly pertinent within Northamptonshire as that is an area of children’s
services that Ofsted are monitoring. The Designated Teacher did attend Virtual School’s
training around the changes and will be attending the Virtual School Attachment Disorder
Training in the Autumn Term in line with the new requirements.
Examinations and destinationsExaminations and destinations
One student who maintained his care placement and attendance at The CE Academy gained six
GCSEs and two vocational qualifications. He is now attending Northampton College.
Despite other Year 11 pupils having their care placements disrupted during the exam period,
all have secured a destination, either at college or in employment.
Page 52 Moving On 2015
IntroductionIntroduction
During the Summer Term Year 11 students and their parents/carers were questioned about
their experience of The CE Academy.
The student questionnaire indicated that our students preferred the smaller classes and felt
that staff were understanding and that they were supported by them. They also felt that they
had the opportunity to learn more at CE Academy, were respected by staff and were taught
how to learn. Students commented on the less formal atmosphere at CE Academy whilst
acknowledging boundaries were in place. Vocational opportunities were also highlighted as
another positive aspect of their time at the academy.
At least 90% of students believe their attendance, behaviour and work rate was satisfactory or
better.
There was an increase in the proportion of students who were aware of their behaviour targets.
A large proportion of students felt that reviews gave them the opportunity to have their say
with students commenting on how they felt listened to.
The vast majority of students stated that they had received enough information on drugs,
alcohol and sexual matters. There has been an increase in students stating that they had been
given enough information on Citizenship and healthy eating.
Pupils said The CE Academy had:Pupils said The CE Academy had:
given them confidence;
given them the opportunity to sit their GCSEs;
helped them to express themselves appropriately;
helped them to improve their attitude and behaviour;
helped them to prepare for their future;
given them another chance.
Activities that students enjoyed most at The CE Academy included: Activities that students enjoyed most at The CE Academy included:
Seeds of Change (equine learning);
Govilon (residential trip to Wales);
off site visits to numerous places including London, the theatre, ice skating and
Salcey Forest ;
workshops including animation, music and singing;
hair and beauty courses;
a range of lessons including Expressive Arts, PE, photography and sex education;
Adventure Ways (outdoor activities)
work experience.
Page 53
Students’ suggestions for improving The CE Academy include: Students’ suggestions for improving The CE Academy include:
shorter lessons;
bigger campuses;
more subjects;
support in every lesson;
a wider range of courses.
Again the parent/carer questionnaire illustrates the good relationships that we strive to make
between staff and parents and carers. Themes from the parent questionnaire showed that
The CE Academy encourages good behaviour and their child is expected to work hard.
There were fewer pupils expressing concern about relationships with their peers with 93%
stating that they had no concerns about bullying.
The final question asked for additional comments. Many students responded favourably about
their enjoyment of their time at The CE Academy, the progress they had made and the support
they had received. They stated that staff cared about them and their future and made them feel
welcome when they moved to the Academy. Staff were thanked for their patience, for listening
and for the respect that was shown towards them. Students felt that moving to CE Academy
gave them the chance to make a fresh start and escape the labels which had followed them
around in mainstream school. The importance of the key tutor role was clear with students
commenting on the support and guidance they had received. Parent questionnaires backed up
many of these points and also thanked staff for their support.
Moving On 2015
The CE Academy Annual Report 2015-16