Barton Court Grammar School

Barton Court Grammar SchoolAn Academy of Excellence

At Barton Court Grammar School students are supported, inspired and challenged to achieve their very best in all that they do in order to reach their full potential and academic excellence. Students develop into independent, confident, open-minded , life-long learners ready to take their place as leaders in the 21st Century. They will develop into well-balanced, articulate, principled and responsible global citizens, with cultural and international awareness, who positively contribute to our school and the wider community.

Statement Mission

“ BARTON COURT IS AN OUTSTANDING SCHOOL. THE HEADTEACHER HAS A CLEAR AND AMBITIOUS VISION FOR THE SCHOOL BASED UPON HIGH STANDARDS AND SECURED THROUGH A DRIVE FOR CONSISTENT AND HIGH-QUALITY TEACHING.” OFSTED 2014

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Dear Parentshoosing a school for your child is often a daunting decision to make. We hope that this prospectus will give you an introduction to the high quality of education your child will receive at Barton Court Grammar School.

We are very proud to be one of the few co-educational selective schools in the country delivering high academic standards within a very caring and supportive school community. Our focus is on excellence in all that we do and excellence for all our students. This is evident in the way our community of students, parents, staff and governors all work together to provide an engaging learning environment so that each student achieves their full potential.

We all learn best when we are happy and valued, supported, challenged and encouraged, so at Barton Court Grammar School we take care to ensure our students’ education is both enriching and enjoyable.

Academic excellence is at the heart of our school, but we nurture equally creativity, personal and physical development, independence and inquiring minds. All students are individuals, and there can be no single pathway that all must be compelled to tread.

Consequently, we endeavour to build a personal curriculum that will draw upon the raw talent and energy that your child brings with them to help them achieve personal success.

Our mission statement can be neatly summarised in three words: Support, Inspire, Achieve. Each student will have a sense of this mission throughout their time at Barton Court Grammar School. We will support students as they explore their learning with confidence and creativity, and encourage them in finding a positive sense of achievement and fulfilment. Indeed all our students experience a range of opportunities when they leave us, moving on to an impressive range of degree courses and careers.

When you visit us, I hope you will appreciate not only the courtesy and confidence of the students, but also their joy and enthusiasm. Should you decide that Barton Court Grammar School is the school in which your child will flourish then we look forward to meeting you and to the next few years of our partnership.

Ms K Cardus BSc, MA ED, NPQH – Headteacher

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AcademicCurriculum

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ur innovative and personalised curriculum is designed to meet the needs of every child offering a wide choice of high quality academic courses, including the International Baccalaureate Diploma,

demonstrating our ambition to be a truly world class school.

Our compressed Key Stage 3 curriculum offers a broad and balanced curriculum and is studied over two years. Students study the full range of national curriculum subjects, including Mathematics, English, Science, Languages, Humanities, PE, Technology, the Arts, Computing, PSHEE and careers education.

Our imaginative and dynamic Key Stage 4 curriculum is tailored to the individual needs of each student. Our curriculum allows students to follow a unique, individual learning programme in Years 9 – 11; offering students the opportunity to accelerate their learning in Mathematics, English and languages; students can choose not to be accelerated in subjects that they feel require more time for consolidation. In addition one year AS courses can be taken in Year 11.

At GCSE, all students will have the opportunity to study the English Baccalaureate qualification (EBACC). This qualification recognises students who are able to pursue a broad and rounded range of rigorous academic subjects at GCSE and this qualification is ideal preparation for post-16 study, in either the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or the AQA Baccalaureate (A Levels), and provides all students with a broad range of academic subjects upon which to build any future career.

“ STUDENTS MAKE EXCELLENT PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT IN ALL SUBJECTS IS EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH.” OFSTED 2014

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tudents, upon joining the School, are assigned a tutor group and will have most of their lessons within this group, make new friends and be supported by their personal Form Tutor. Within the school community each

student is a member of a House providing opportunities for students of all ages to work together and support each other. Daily contact with a personal tutor ensures that your child is well cared for on a daily basis and ensures ongoing consistent support for academic development and well-being.

A programme of PSHEE is delivered via Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (RPE), daily tutor periods and Enrichment Days. Older students mentor younger students to help with individual

subject study, organisational skills, homework and revision. Learning Mentors are also available to support students, if required, and specialist staff are available to provide careers advice, health advice and a counselling service.

The Form Tutor and Head of Year are responsible for the academic and personal progress of your child and our aim of supporting each student to develop academically and personally would not be possible without a partnership between school and home.

We value constructive communication between school and parents: our Home/School Learning Agreement sets out how we will work together for the well-being of your child.

We welcome contact from parents at any time.

Care, Support and Guidance

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“ THE EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS LIES AT THE HEART OF THE SCHOOL’S SUCCESS.” OFSTED 2014

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“ TEACHING IS OUTSTANDING.” OFSTED 2014

“TEACHERS TEACH THE WAY THAT WE LEARN, RATHER THAN US HAVING TO LEARN THE WAY THEY TEACH.” KS4 STUDENT

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Life-Long Learning

Students are encouraged to become resourceful and resilient learners who take responsibility for their own learning.

We have placed thinking at the heart of our learning and teaching. As a

“Thinking School” we are developing a common visual language of “Thinking Tools” to enable our students to become independent, confident, thoughtful life-long learners.

Students are encouraged to develop a passion for learning. They are provided with metacognitive skills (definition: an awareness or analysis of one’s own learning or thinking processes) and tools, such as “Thinking Maps”, “Thinking Hats”, “Attributes for Success” along with “Thunking”, “Thinkers Keys” and “Cort Tools” in order to develop higher order thinking skills and to be actively engaged and responsible for their own learning.

Students are supported in developing their learning and thinking skills in order to become an independent learner able to contribute to the life of the school and its wider community.

tudents’ physical health and well-being are important and a variety of sporting activities are available. We encourage all our students to participate in an activity they enjoy. Physical education is a popular choice for

both GCSE and AS/A2 level study and it is also possible to gain sports leadership awards.

We have an extensive range of sports clubs, activities and teams with students representing the School in local and county competitions. Clubs include football, rugby, hockey, tennis, cricket, netball, basketball, dance and athletics as well as new sports such as rock climbing and archery.

The state-of-the-art purpose built Sports Hall, in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University, is used by the School daily until 5:30pm. With the expansive playing fields, tennis courts, Performing Arts Studio, the use of Polo Farm Sports Club and the local swimming pool we are able to offer a wide range of sporting activities, at all levels, to meet the needs and interests of our students.

Sporting opportunities and outstanding facilities

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Sporting opportunities and outstanding facilities

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“ STUDENTS ARE PROUD OF THEIR SCHOOL AND BEHAVIOUR IS EXEMPLARY.”

OFSTED 2014

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tudents are encouraged to be creative in performing and visual arts subjects within the curriculum and through extra-curricular activities.

There are many opportunities to perform before audiences in school and in the community; whether students are on stage or responsible for tasks such as scenery, lighting, or costumes, everyone has a chance to take part and develop their individual talents. There is a busy programme of productions, performances, displays and outings throughout the year. The productions of “Oliver!”, “Bugsy Malone” and “We Will Rock You” have all been hugely successful.

Evidence of students’ creativity is seen in the vibrant displays of art work on the walls of corridors around the School.

Music has been a strength of the School for many years and there are many concerts and events for students to be involved with, whatever their level of musical ability or taste in music. Opportunities to play in classical concerts at the School, in Canterbury Cathedral in the School’s annual Christmas Carol Concert or popular events such as Battle of the Bands and Barton Courts’ Got Talent.

Opportunitiesfor Creativity

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EmergingTechnologies

Century technology allows students to explore learning in highly individual ways. Our online learning platform provides 24-7

learning, all year round support for learning tasks and individual exploration.

All students develop their own personalised online learning profile; this is used for exchanging views on various topics as well as submitting work for assessment.

Within lessons students are expected to be actively engaged using the advantages of the Interactive Whiteboards as tools for solving problems and creating ideas.

Barton Court has state-of-the-art ICT suites in the ICT block, Learning Resources Centre, Sixth Form Learning Resources Centre and in the “old House”.

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“ THE SCHOOL’S WORK TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE AND SECURE IS OUTSTANDING. STUDENTS FEEL VERY SAFE AND BULLYING IS EXTREMELY RARE.” OFSTED 2014

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“ STUDENTS ARE KEEN TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER’S LEARNING. SIXTH FORM TRAINED MENTORS PROVIDE HIGHLY VALUED SUPPORT FOR SOME OF THE YOUNGER STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL.” OFSTED 2014

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GlobalPerspectives

We are an IB World School and a Language Specialist Status School, and we expect all our students to recognise that they are global citizens. Students at Barton Court will feel part of their community of close friends and are

encouraged to feel part of both the School and wider local and international communities.

Charitable fundraising enables students to identify with others in need of support; cultural visits abroad include the annual trips to France, Germany, Italy and Spain. We also welcome many international students who join our School Sixth Form to study the IB Diploma.

The IB Learner profile is the IB mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st Century.

The IB Programme is more than just an academic qualification; it is designed to encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and life-long learners.

Through the addition of the IB Diploma programme, we demonstrate our commitment to nurturing global citizenship emphasising an “education without borders”.

The IB Learner profile:• inquirers• open-minded• knowledgeable• caring• thinker

• risk-takers• communicators• balanced• principled• reflective

“ THE SIXTH FORM IS OUTSTANDING. AS A RESULT OF EXCELLENT TEACHING AND EXEMPLARY ATTITUDES TO LEARNING, STUDENTS ACHIEVE HIGH LEVELS OF ATTAINMENT. THROUGH THEIR LEADERSHIP ROLES THEY MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE REST OF THE SCHOOL.” OFSTED 2014

Raising Aspirations,Delivering Excellence

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e have high expectations for all our students to enter our School Sixth Form, where they are joined by external students, many of whom are international students,

keen to benefit from our excellent reputation, academic standards and unique curriculum offer.

We are proud to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma in our Sixth Form. This is a prestigious, world class post-16 qualification; an alternative to A Levels. Its reputation is global and is seen as a benchmark in high quality education. The IB mission statement aims “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people”.

However, we also offer a wide range of Advanced Level courses and the AQA Baccalaureate to ensure maximum choice.

Students interested in applying for Oxbridge or Medical School have an individualised programme tailored to their needs to give them every chance of success in these competitive areas.

Often a quarter of the year groups stand for election for School Prefects, and all students participate in some way as leaders and role models, as Form Representatives or as organisers of school clubs and events.

Overall, our Sixth Form enables all students to become life-long learners and to be fully prepared for the demands of university and employment.

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Longport, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1PH

Tel: 01227 464600Fax: 01227 781399Email: office@bartoncourt.orgwww.bartoncourt.org

Barton Court Grammar SchoolAn Academy of Excellence