Prospectus 2013

Swavesey VILLAGE COLLEGE

High quality education at the heart of the community

WELCOME It is my privilege to introduce the College’s Prospectus. We hope that it gives you a flavour of College life and the opportunities and successes that our students can and do enjoy. Above all, I trust that it will give you a sense of the values, ethos and ambitions that guide and drive the College forward.

Our values are that: ‘Swavesey Village College is 1. committed to the pursuit of excellence; 2. values people; 3. encourages individual achievement; 4. provides a high quality learning environment; 5. extends the boundaries of learning.’

In 2011, our Ofsted Report concluded that Swavesey Village College is ‘Outstanding in every respect’.

Whilst we were delighted with this judgement, most importantly they recognised that there is ‘absolutely no complacency’; we are constantly seeking ways to improve further.

This commitment to the pursuit of excellence is unrelenting and is reflected in a dynamic culture of continuous improvement underpinned by: •

The school’s establishment of the Cambridge Meridian Academies’ Trust, a multi-academy Trust committed to ‘high quality education at the heart of the community’.

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The Trust’s sponsoring of the Nene Park Academy in Peterborough and North Cambridge Academy, creating an exciting partnership between our three schools.

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Being designated as a ‘Teaching School’ and working in partnership with other local schools to deliver the highest quality teacher education and training, sustaining and developing outstanding teaching at Swavesey now and into the future.

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Governors, staff and students benchmarking the school’s own practice against best educational practice nationally and internationally.

I am sure this prospectus will give you a sense of life at Swavesey. We would encourage you to look on our website and visit us at any time to get a much fuller picture of life at SVC.

Andrew Daly Principal

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‘There is absolutely no complacency, with even successful practices being invigorated through review and further innovation .’

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Values People The House System reflects our commitment that ‘Every child is known, valued and supported’. It has created a strong positive sense of community within the College and is the focal point for student and family support as well as events and competitions.

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Each House has just 240 students, with roughly 45 students from each year group;

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A tutor group has students from each year group – the tutor : student ratio is 1 : 4 in any year group;

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Students of all ages mix with each other, developing good relationships and providing strong peer support;

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Each House is supported through the House Office by a team of teaching and non-teaching staff.

The success of students reflects the effective mutual partnership between the College and parents.

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The House system provides enhanced support for parents significantly, both through the tutor and House Office;

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Regular communication takes place via email, the Student Planner, Parentmail and Website as appropriate;

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Calendared Information and Consultation Evenings provide formal opportunities for parents and staff to meet.

Underpinning this commitment to valuing people is the recognition that students, staff and parents need to contribute to change and progress within the school.We therefore regularly conduct generic or focused questionnaires to recognise strengths and identify areas for development.

Similarly we are constantly exploring new ways to engage students and parents in the life of the college.

The development of staff continues to be a priority for the school, to ensure that we recruit and retain excellent teachers and support staff. This involves: •

Providing career opportunities through ‘Teaching School’ status partnerships with other schools;

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Recognising and sharing excellent and innovative practice;

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Benchmarking visits to other excellent schools and leading training sessions;

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Reforming support roles to ‘free up teachers to teach’;

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Investing in a two hour development time each week

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‘Every member of staff shows wholehearted commitment to the school’s aim of meeting the needs of every student.’

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Encourages Individ Swavesey has an uncompromising commitment to ensure that ’Every Child achieves’ and maximises their academic potential at 16.

The College has established a national reputation for the quality and breadth of the curriculum, providing: •

High levels of achievement in the core subjects of English, Maths, Modern Languages, Humanities and Science;

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A mix of academic and vocational courses;

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Access to placements;

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Accelerated courses and curriculum enrichment for the most able students.

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We are proud of the high quality of teaching at Swavesey and continue to work hard to ensure that we share, develop and embed the very best practice.

Similarly students are increasingly developing their independence but this is never at the expense of their achievement.

Our philosophy of learning is simple, based on our ‘How can I improve?’ cycle. It is underpinned by the highest aspirations for every student’s achievement and by rigorous monitoring systems.

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The progress of students within individual subjects is reported termly;

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The tutor regularly reviews each child’s progress and liaises with parents at least once a term;

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The College has a robust intervention and study support programme that integrates external agency support;

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There is a coordinated Information, Guidance and Advice programme informed by strong links with local businesses.

This commitment to academic achievement at all levels is matched by the commitment to the wider development of students through a range of extracurricular activities, underpinned by our Pledges.

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‘Students reach high standards and make outstanding progress because of the excellent teaching, the exceptional curriculum and the very high standard of care , guidance and support.’

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Provides a High Quality

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At Swavesey Village College, we seek to provide the best possible environment within which to learn: ‘Every child has a rich educational experience’.

Whilst this includes the College’s physical environment, it is equally about the daily routines, standards and expectations that exist within the College.

The College makes no apology for high expectations set out in its Learning Policies for staff and students relating to: • Attendance and behaviour; •

Purposeful school routines and shape of the school day;

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Celebrating achievement.

The College’s commitment to uniform epitomises the links between expectations/standards and learning/achievement: ‘All students are expected to wear full school uniform. Arriving at school well-presented and in uniform is seen as an indication that students are ready to work hard and achieve the high standards that we expect of them.’

Over the past 5 years, there have been many improvements to the design and fabric of the school to meet the needs of 21st Century learners. Recent projects have included: •

New sports facilities (2007);

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Vocational Learning Centre (2009);

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New School Hall / specialist Dining Facilities (2010);

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New state of the art science facilities (2011/2).

Alongside this, the College has continued to invest in new technologies to enhance learning and efficiency.

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Designated ICT Suites for each curriculum team;

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A 21st Century learning platform that reflects the needs of staff, students and parents;

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Wireless coverage in school facilitating the use of mobile devices to support and enhance learning.

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Extends the Bound At Swavesey, we believe in an all-round education: ‘Every child develops self-confidence, life-skills and leadership experiences’.

The ‘Swavesey Experience’ consists of seven Pledges that students are expected to complete during the course of their time at the school, at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. These can then lead into the Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme which is open to all students from 14.

• Leadership Pledge; •

Environmental Pledge;

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Participation Pledge;

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Charities Pledge;

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Volunteering Pledge;

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International Pledge;

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Excellence Pledge.

The traditional school day extends to 4.30pm when there are late buses for those students staying for after-school activities or curriculum sessions.There are extensive sports and arts clubs promoting both participation and excellence, including a Saturday Music School. Every curriculum area offers extension clubs and we continue to develop other opportunities - for example, in 2010, we established our own Army Cadet unit.

In addition to the weekly enrichment programme, there are a wide range of other whole school community events: •

‘Swavesey Super League’ - inter house competitions;

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Extended curriculum days each half term;

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Annual sponsored walk;

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Charity events including the annual Charities Morning.

Student leadership opportunities permeate all aspects of school life, from the informal leadership that is inherent within the mixed aged tutor groups through to the School Ambassadors who lead whole school change and represent the SVC at a national level.

Similarly Internationalism is promoted through the House structure – with Houses linking to different continents on an annual rotation – as well as a wide range foreign trips and links to partner schools on other continents.

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‘Their experience at Swavesey makes an outstanding contribution to their employability and future well-being.’

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Swavesey VILLAGE COLLEGE

Swavesey Village College Gibraltar Lane Swavesey Cambridgeshire CB24 4RS Telephone: 01954 230366 Fax: 01954 230437 Email: enquiries@swaveseyvc.co.uk

www.swaveseyvc.co.uk