The Pursuit of Limitless Learning

THE PURSUIT OF LIMITLESS LEARNING

OUR MISSION AND AIMS

NURTURING A SPIRIT OF FUN, ADVENTURE AND CURIOSITY IN A SUPPORTIVE AND CARING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY.

PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

FOR EVERY CHILD THROUGH INNOVATIVE AND DYNAMIC TEACHING.

CHAMPIONING VERSATILE, CREATIVE RISK-TAKERS PREPARED FOR A CHANGING WORLD.

Dear Parents,

Following our tricentennial celebrations, it is an opportune time for me to share with you our ambitious and determined strategic framework for the upcoming five years. This document also shares with you the priorities for this upcoming year so you can follow the journey of each strategic area. Ambitious in scope, this plan will ensure that our children have the skills and strategies to cope with an ever-increasingly complex world, not just academically. These formative school years are so vital, therefore, I want our children to receive the very best pastoral support.

Working with the parent body, we intend to sharpen our focus on equality, diversity and inclusion: not through celebration days or weeks, but everyday. Jules and I are honoured to lead a school of such diversity. ‘Respect’ is preached as a key value at BCS; and we need parents to champion equality, diversity and inclusion too.

With sustainability being another of our new prime aims, we must simultaneously be educators and role models. A strategic audit will take place, whereupon we will work closely with the children and staff, maintaining a clear focus on targets that are SMART and achievable.

The range of our provision of co-curricular activity has expanded impressively over the past six years to become leaders in the sector. We will continue to develop these activities and opportunities for children, and keep our collective ear bent to the pupil voice to ensure the programme reflects their needs and interests.

Our social impact targets are firmly set to continue building on successes such as the Outreach Programme, which supports and elevates our position in the Birmingham area. It is an important aspect of life at BCS, giving our children a sense of pride as they work alongside other schools in the area.

Leadership and Governance is, of course, a key factor in any educational establishment. Striving to become stronger and more reflective, we will drive this five-year plan with vigour and determination. But to propagate and embed these aims throughout the School, we must be focused and determined as a collective community.

As a development of our vision of 21st century educationone that is firmly based on traditional values - I commend the following strategic framework to you.

Noel Neeson Headmaster

Dear Parents,

After the splendid celebrations for the School’s tercentenary anniversary in 2022, it is time to turn the page, and with 300-years of history and traditions behind us, see what the first five years of this new era will look like.

The Senior Leadership Team and the Governors have defined nine strategic priority areas in this document, covering all aspects of School life from wellbeing to communication with parents. I believe these aims give us direction, the intention to innovate and the confidence to achieve.

Underpinning these new aims, is the priority of keeping your child, and all our children, safe. This remains at the forefront of everything we do. In my role as Chair of Governors, I am invigorated by this new strategy and the whole governing body will be actively involved with its implementation. And as the Designated Governor for Safeguarding, I am delighted that pupil-safety is not only prioritised in the Spiritual and Wellbeing section, but throughout the whole framework, from Learning & Teaching to Estates.

It really will be a joint effort from Governors, staff, parents and pupils to achieve what we have set out here, and I have every faith that the School will prosper immensely over the next five years.

Karan Gilmore Chair of Governors

LEADERSHIP & GOVERNANCE

5 YEAR AIMS

• To maintain and build upon the strong traditions of the School.

• To maintain, at the core of governance, financial probity and integrity in decision making.

• To recruit and develop top quality governors, teaching and support staff to achieve the School’s aims.

• To maintain an optimum number of pupils whilst preserving the ‘family feel’ of the School and ensuring that individual needs are met.

• To continue to focus on ways of enhancing the regional and national reputation of the School.

• To continue to build an engaged and happy workplace where all staff can thrive.

2022-23 PRIORITIES

• To hold a BCS Educational Conference.

• To further enhance the staff and governor induction process to ensure that new colleagues make an immediate impact in their role.

• To apply for a national award to recognise the outstanding provision at BCS.

• Establish a BCS Staff Wellbeing Charter.

5 YEAR AIMS

SPIRITUAL & WELLBEING SPIRITUAL

• To provide clear spiritual guidance to the pupils, upholding our fundamental Christian principles whilst embracing and respecting all faiths.

• To ensure that the BCS Values remain at the heart of everything we do.

• To actively promote the safeguarding and wellbeing of all pupils.

2022-23 PRIORITIES

• To expand the provision of Chapel activities available to children.

• Establish a pupil wellbeing measurement tracker across Pre-Prep and Prep.

• To strengthen the ‘buddy programme’ across the School.

• To provide enhanced activities for the children at lunch and breaktime.

• To introduce and embed Child Protection Online Monitoring and Safeguarding software effectively at the School.

LEARNING & TEACHING

5 YEAR AIMS

• To empower BCS pupils to be respectful, curious and resilient lifelong learners.

• To provide first-class, high quality learning and teaching experiences to meet the needs of all pupils.

• To strengthen the pupil-parent-teacher relationship, celebrating the holistic achievements and next steps for each child.

• To cultivate The BCS Blue, ensuring it continues to reflect our expansive, progressive curriculum.

2022-23 PRIORITIES

• To enhance the Year 6 post exam curriculum programme.

• To develop staff links with other schools and professional associations.

• To audit and make recommendations on the use of technology across the curriculum.

• To broaden the performing arts curriculum.

• To integrate the BCS video series into homework.

ESTATES

5 YEAR AIMS

• To maintain our existing facilities to meet the evolving needs of the School community.

• Identify and prioritise additional multi-purpose, first class facilities which augment our current provision.

• Remain fully compliant with new and existing health and safety regulations across all aspects of the School.

2022-23 PRIORITIES

• To complete two state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for use in STEM and Science.

• To reconfigure the use of the Annexe to house two Nursery classrooms.

• To initiate plans for an Atrium facility in the Viney inner quad.

• To develop plans and assess the feasibility for an additional Astro facility.

• To undertake a full condition survey as a platform for all maintenance work in years 1-5 and develop an ongoing improvement plan.

CO-CURRICULAR

5 YEAR AIMS

• To further enhance our activity provision in School to maximise the development of the whole child.

• To remain ambitious in our delivery of trips and enrichment activities.

• To engage actively with parents to promote local clubs, organisations and activities that could support the development of the whole child.

2022-23 PRIORITIES

• To implement a ballet programme with Elmhurst Ballet School.

• To establish a cyclical programme of major trips for Prep children to include UK and international residentials with a variety of subject foci.

• To establish new activity centres for Year 4 and Year 5 summer residentials in 2023.

5 YEAR AIMS

• Pioneer a multi-dimensional bursary programme to optimise limitless learning opportunities for children in Birmingham.

• To develop a long-term partnership programme with the maintained sector to further support the local community.

• To ensure year groups in Pre-Prep and Houses in Prep engage with social impact initiatives.

2022-23 PRIORITIES

SOCIAL IMPACT SOCIALIMPACT

• To exchange best practice with schools in the maintained sector.

• To extend our ‘BCS Experience Days’ into Key Stage 1.

• Develop the use of Chapel for the benefit of the local community.

• To implement a ‘Stay and Play’ provision for preschool children.

• Develop a strategy which maximises the value children receive from the bursary funding, both directly and indirectly.

5 YEAR AIMS

• Demonstrable equality in experience for all pupils.

• Empower our school community to intervene effectively when inequality of any kind is apparent.

• To develop a generation of young people who have the comprehension and confidence to talk about race and are prepared to challenge systemic racism as they progress through their education and subsequent careers.

2022-23 PRIORITIES

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION EQUALITY,

• To appoint a governor with responsibility for EDI.

• Develop an EDI strategy based on findings from pupil, staff and parent questionnaires.

• To deliver equality, diversity and inclusion training for staff and governors which is accessible, practical and has a positive and measurable impact on the School.

SUSTAINABILITY

5 YEAR AIMS

• Reduce our carbon footprint and move towards lower overall emissions.

• Ensure all future estates projects adhere to our sustainability strategic aims.

• Educate and empower pupils to take positive action on sustainability initiatives.

• Instil a whole school approach to the core principles of sustainability: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle.

2022-23 PRIORITIES

• Consult and engage with an expert to complete a baseline carbon audit.

• Replace the final boiler and lighting across the School with more energy efficient equivalents.

• Obtain Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) for all buildings across the site.

• Engage all pupils with sustainability projects through a termly action plan.

SUSTAINABILITY

COMMUNICATIONS & STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

5 YEAR AIMS

• To cultivate an engaged alumni community to potentiate enrichment opportunities for current BCS pupils and fundraising for the School.

• To build and optimise engagement with a multi-channel communications strategy which engages the BCS family of parents, supporters and key strategic stakeholders.

• To develop an agile and buoyant marketing strategy to: maintain healthy admissions; fulfil the strategic ambitions of the School and enhance our influence and reputation in the independent schools sector.

2022-23 PRIORITIES

• To review the admissions procedures to ensure the School has a robust process for filling vacant spaces quickly thus ensuring maximum numbers.

• Develop and action an annual marketing plan which supports the strategic aims for admissions and bursaries.

• Develop a strategy for the Old Scholars network which facilitates productive relationships and interactions including events and communications.

• Implement a new social media strategy which captures the journey of limitless learning through quality content which purposefully engages the audience.

• Conduct a communications audit to ensure the efficacy of contact with parents across email, print and the BCS App.