TOWERS school & 6th Form centre
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welcome from our Headteacher I hope this prospectus will give you a real insight into our school. Here at Towers, we place learning alongside your personal development at the heart of everything we do. I want you to feel a real sense of belonging to Towers community so that you can experience the commitment and pride I have every day coming to school. Our motto is ‘Dream, believe, Achieve’. Someone once said that everything we would like to do and become starts with a dream - the hard part is believing we can do it. So I encourage everyone in the Towers community to work to their best, be persistent, get help and support from those around them. Believe that you can achieve, and you will. This prospectus will give you a flavour of all the subjects you will study in the classroom. I want you to enjoy your lessons and to progress and do better each term you are here. The teachers want you to do well, and will do their very best to help you. You will also read about the many exciting opportunities we offer that will broaden both your learning and personal experiences. Starting with activity day at Swattenden, right through to the Sixth Form going to New York, there are many trips and visits available to you. Reading our Advisories and Learning Communities, you will see how we make it possible for you to settle in quickly. Knowing one member of staff and older students will ensure you get the support you need. Along with the Governors and staff, I make sure we keep improving our excellent facilities and resources. We had a new Performing Arts/Sports block in 2011, a new Art block in 2012 and in 2014 we open our new Learning Zone.
I can promise that choosing Towers School will give you the very best opportunity to be successful. You have your dreams, we will work with you to help you believe, then I am confident you will achieve. Our students are proud to be part of Towers community, and I hope you will be too. My staff and I look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to our happy, successful and vibrant school.
Towers community Your first experience of secondary school will be in your advisory, where a small group of 15 students from Years 7 - 11 meet each morning. These students will become your mentors and your companions ensuring you know friendly faces in every year group. Approachable advisors, who will spend time with you each morning and get to know you really well, will be the first person to ask for information, advice and guidance for you and your parents.
Each advisory belongs to one of the four Learning Communities, Barton, Furley, Harvey and Weil. As part of your Learning Community you will also benefit from support and leadership from your Head of Learning Community and Student Support Manager.
All of our staff work incredibly hard to create an exciting environment where you will feel safe and enjoy your learning. In return, we expect great things of you. We encourage all of our students to work to the absolute best of their
Feeling nervous? Don’t. Arriving as a Year 7, you are immediately welcomed into the vibrant Towers community who will guide and support you every step of the way. From the moment you set foot in Towers School, we want you to be happy.
ability. We want you to fulfil the potential we know that you have and we will make sure you are rewarded for your efforts.
learning is for life We will make sure that you can write beautifully, read accurately and express yourself eloquently. Most importantly, you will leave English lessons with a love of literature that will stay with you all your life.
Whatever you touch, whatever you see, science plays a role and we will lead you to discover and uncover the secrets of the world around you.
Increasingly, we live in a global community so learning French, German or Spanish from specialist teachers will open up a world of opportunity from ordering a baguette to brokering a multinational deal.
In order to understand the present you need to understand the past. Through the study of history you will be able to investigate, evaluate and reflect on the characters and events that have shaped humanity.
From buying your first house or car to solving the most complicated equations, whatever your future holds, the skills you learn in maths will prepare you.
The world in which we live is likely to change more in the next 50 years than it has ever done before. Geography explains why and will help to prepare you, tackling the big issues from environmental responsibility to the impact of commerce, trade and industry.
By giving you an understanding of the many different cultures that shape peoples’ viewpoints on life, RE will teach you to think deeply, to discuss respectfully and to be open-minded.
In DT you will learn how things we take for granted every day are thought of, designed and created, through learning the design process and applying it to different contexts from metal work to cooking.
In PE not only will you develop your knowledge, understanding and skills in specific sports but, more than this, you will enhance your teamwork, initiative and leadership skills.
Art, Dance, Drama and Music will give you every opportunity to unleash your imagination in creating and performing as well as appreciating the work of others.
Do you dream of … …seeing the world
?
Our students travel the world: You could go skiing in Europe; see the sights of LA; splash around on holidays to France; expand your horizons on cultural visits to the Battlefields of WW1 and Auschwitz.
…spending time in the great outdoors
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Why not try your hand at the Duke of Edinburgh award? Or head off for adventure in the Mountain Centre of Snowdonia or Skern Lodge in Devon. In fact, every Year 7 pupil will go to Swattenden for a day of fun and teambuilding in the Autumn term.
…keeping fit and having fun
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We offer something for everyone from swimming galas to netball, fitness club to badminton. Basketball, street and other types of dance, table tennis, rugby, hockey, gymnastics, athletics, trampolining, boxing… We could go on!
onally … playing spor t professi
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We support our sporting stars of the future through the Towers Talented Performer Programme. While our football academy competes in America, the Rugby Academy are off to tour South Africa. For 15 years in a row, our football team has qualified for the League finals and students have even gone on to play professionally. This year, Towers students represented Kent in the South East Regional indoor athletics competition.
… indulging your love of music
?
Musical opportunities abound here at Towers whether singing is your thing or playing an instrument. We have vocal groups and choirs; we stage amazing musicals and fantastic performances. With instrument lessons, a dedicated music technology suite and space to rehearse, from composing to playing, we believe your musical dreams can come true here.
… taking to the stage
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With a fantastic reputation for amazing shows and performances, you are sure to find the role for you. Bring Shakespeare to life, take a leading role in a musical or show off your moves in a dance extravaganza.
… being able to look at the world differently
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If you are artistically minded, we will help you to expand your horizons by taking you to visit world class galleries and sharing online art opportunities. You could explore ways to enhance the visual environment around you and take part in art competitions.
tion e Jobs of your genera ev St en ev or el un Br … being the
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Entering national competitions with our Young Engineers club might be a good place to start or Design and Technology based Techstars who explore and create innovative products. We also offer a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) club as well as a computer programming club. You could make it happen here.
… doing something unusu al
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What about taking up stargazing with our astronomy club and trips to Herstmonceux Observatory? Or joining the film club and heading for Los Angeles. Or amaze your friends and family by learning magic and circus skills?
…making a dif ference
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Our Interact club is the youth arm of Rotary International and raises money for amazing causes (all while having a fantastic time and making your future CV look good!) From care packages for serving soldiers to shelter boxes for refugees; from raising money for MS charities to sending uniform and resources to schools in developing countries… our students take responsibility for a range of causes.
…. cheering
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Here at Towers, our cheerleaders are doing great things. With bows in their hair and smiles on their faces, this talented group have taken the cheer scene by storm winning the BCA National Schools Cheerleading competition for the second year running! With cheer squads for all ages (you might even have been part of a Towers squad at Primary School), you could be part of it too!
Moving Forward‌The Future Year 7 is just the first of many steps on an amazing journey for you here at Towers School.
Supporting you through making important decisions such as which pathway to follow for examinations, we will track your progress and help you to reach your potential. If University is your chosen route we can ensure you will achieve it and guide you through the application process.
When you reach that stage, our large and vibrant Sixth Form Centre will help you to make choices for the future. Over 100 courses are on offer to you at the Towers Sixth Form. You could continue with A Level subjects such as History, Geography, Mathematics and English, or consider studying something new such as Psychology, Business Studies or Sociology. You could even take up one of our hands-on subjects preparing you to work in Construction or Hair and Beauty. The choices are endless.
As you progress we will do everything we can to help you dream the biggest dreams, believe in your unique and special talents, abilities and skills and to achieve the very best that you are capable of.