London Academy of Excellence Prospectus

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Contents Welcome 01 Our work ethic

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Your support team

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The partnership

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We work hard but play hard too

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Enrichment through OutReach

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Facilities 13

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What LAE expects from you

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How do I apply?

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Welcome I am struck, every time I walk through the corridors at LAE, by the high level of academic buzz and intellectual curiosity. These characteristics are palpable. Sixth formers and staff alike come in each day with a desire and intent to stretch themselves and share their fascination for their subjects. A love of learning for its own sake is at the heart of every lesson and, indeed, conversation.

This ethos is key to preparing our sixth formers for life at university, where they will follow their academic passions to an even higher level. Three years ago there were few opportunities for children in this area to take facilitating A levels and access top universities. LAE has quickly established itself as the place to do this; we have now consistently secured the best results in the borough and have sent nearly 200 of our sixth formers to Russell Group universities.

If you want to secure a place on the most competitive university courses, then come to LAE. Lots of others are; we are growing in popularity and are heavily oversubscribed; we receive in excess of 2000 applications each year for 240 places.

We have strong links with a number of independent schools, Eton, Caterham, Brighton, Highgate, Forest, UCS and City to name a few. Traditionally these schools have been the most successful at securing places for their sixth formers at Oxford, Cambridge and other Russell group universities. You won’t find these invaluable links at any other school. Coupled with our strong links with the universities themselves our provision is truly unique and second to none.

This academic success is built around a foundation of core values; humility, respect, kindness, resilience, excellence and independence. Preparation for life beyond school permeates a sixth formers’ time at LAE well beyond the classroom, whether that be in extolling these core values, or involvement in our vibrant extra-curricular programme.

I would urge you to read on to find out more about this ground breaking school. Do also join us at one of our open events. We are located in the heart of Stratford, close to the Olympic Park. We are housed in a recently and attractively converted building 2 minutes’ walk from Stratford station and with excellent links to all parts of London.

John Weeks Head Master

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I chose to apply to Oxford because having been taught by teachers who went to Oxbridge, I felt inspired to acquire the same level of passion and understanding they show in every lesson.

Alima

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Our work ethic You know that you get out of a school what you put in and there’s no space for timewasters at LAE. Our sixth formers appreciate working alongside others who also want to achieve and appreciate the productive and purposeful nature of every minute of every lesson. Our focus is your focus – to secure the exam results you need to move on to a top university or entry to the profession of your choice. To do that, sixth formers and teachers make full use of every working day.

Breakfast is served from 7.50 and lessons begin sharply at 8.30. Lessons are 50 mins and subjects are delivered in double lessons wherever possible. There is a 20 minutes morning break and a 50 minute lunch break.

Every week you have 20 hours of academic learning time, which is 5 hours per subject per week. You also have Independent Study time to work by yourself: we help you learn to manage your own personal learning time, in preparation for later life.

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LAE provides such an extensive range of opportunities, ones I know I would not get elsewhere. LAE is not just a team, but a family.

Rabia

I really like the House system. Very few schools can boast such a close sense of community between their sixth formers.

It makes it easier to feel supported.

Alam

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Your support team LAE has a team of inspirational teachers who come from top universities and excellent schools. They have fresh ideas and a close understanding of your needs. This team is mentored by senior teaching staff at the partner independent schools who also teach classes at the academy.

You can also always talk to your Head of House, who is the main point of contact with your parents or carers. We want your parents/carers to be fully involved in your education, and to be supportive of your passion for learning. This is set out in our Home-School Agreement.

Sometimes everyone needs a little extra support and LAE has adopted the House system that has proved so successful at the partner schools.

Each sixth former becomes a member of a house and in each house there are 4 tutor groups. This means that each tutor is responsible for around 9 sixth formers in each year group.

Your tutor is the main person to support you academically and pastorally and you will see your tutor on a daily basis.

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Visiting our partner school buddies gave us a real insight into different ways of learning. It really helped the sixth formers in my House to bond and was a great opportunity to spend time with new friends.

George

I joined LAE because I knew the teaching and facilities were excellent. The environment is very supportive, particularly the House system LAE has adopted.

Luca

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The Partnership Education is more than passing exams and the close relationship with the independent schools enables LAE pupils to benefit from experiences they would never have expected.

Each LAE house is linked to one of the partner schools. These houses visit their associated schools to get to know their sixth form ‘buddies’ there.

LAE sixth formers then host their buddies when they come to Stratford. This has proved to be a great learning experience with pupils at both establishments discovering what they have in common and how they can learn from each other. This also introduces LAE pupils to a group of new contacts outside their immediate environment, which can be useful in their future careers.

We also have a strong relationship with the Sutton Trust, the Fulbright Commission and a number of universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Kings College London.

These relationships enable our sixth formers to take part in summer schools, including opportunities abroad such as at Harvard University, Massachusetts . We are also able to provide sixth formers many prestigious work experience opportunities through our governors and partner schools.

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Clubs and societies are really exciting because of the wide range of opportunities available, such as Cryptography. This has helped my problem solving skills which I know will be crucial for studying Psychology at university.

Zainab

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We work hard but play hard too At LAE we believe in the development of the whole individual and offer pupils as many different life experiences as possible to find out what is right for them. We believe this is so important that it is built into the schedule. Every sixth formers participates in our weekly games programme. Sixth formers are also part of an academic club or society.

The experience of being part of a team, whether it is a sports team, drama group, debating union or school choir, will give you the experience of co-operating with your fellow sixth formers and you will develop valuable skills such as public speaking. This is invaluable preparation for later life, and can provide important evidence of your wider experience when you apply to university.

Currently we have team sports including football, netball, rowing and handball, and individual sports such as running, badminton, boxercise and swimming. LAE also participates in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and the Combined Cadet Force. The games programmes takes full advantage of the Olympic Park, as well as facilities at UEL and other local venues.

London is one of the best cities in the world in which to experience the arts, culture and science. During your time with LAE we will expand your awareness by making regular trips to central London venues, such as theatres, art galleries, libraries and museums to further your knowledge and understanding of the world around you.

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LAE has a plethora of charity events and each House is given the chance to select their own charity. As leader of the Eton House Charity Committee, I can safely say LAE offers a wealth of opportunities to give back.

Reiss

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Enrichment through OutReach At the London Academy of Excellence we expect every sixth former to strive for academic excellence but we also want to team that with the experience of a range of enriching opportunities such as in our OutReach programme. We are confident that by building positive relationships with the local community, our sixth formers will be well prepared to become dynamic, responsible and successful adults, capable of making beneficial decisions for themselves and their futures.

We believe it is important to develop the role of school in the wider community and sixth formers are given the opportunity to work with specific groups such as the disabled or asylum seekers.

Several local charities benefit from the input made by our sixth formers, either in the time given in practical help or collections made to support fundraising.

Sixth formers at LAE benefit greatly from the input by our partner schools and we want to pass these benefits on to other establishments in East London. As part of our OutReach programme, all sixth formers offer support to the local community; this may be mentoring students at local schools, voluntary work for charities in the area, or belonging to a House Charity Committee and organising fundraising events at LAE.

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Facilities LAE has twenty brand new light and spacious classrooms. The dĂŠcor is fresh and modern, with the sort of furniture you would expect to see in a stylish office not a school. We also have very well equipped science labs, as well as a lecture theatre for conference style support sessions.

The Library is well stocked with textbooks and recommended associated reading, as well as popular fiction. The Library is a place to read, research and study, and also to complete prep work, especially before and after school. There are ICT facilities.

Our dining space has its own kitchen, so that all of our food is freshly prepared onsite by our caterers. This space is also a social space for relaxing and talking with friends and drinks and snacks are available throughout the day.

LAE has a large hall for meetings, presentations and talks. Sixth formers will meet here in year groups or Houses for weekly assemblies, as well as to hear lectures from many esteemed guests as part of our LAEcture series.

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What LAE expects from you Strong GCSE foundations are essential for AS and A level success. Therefore, if you want to join LAE you are expected to achieve the following grades: • at least an A grade in the GCSE subjects you want to continue to study in Year 12, and • at least five A or A* GCSE grades overall, and • at least a B grade in GCSEs in Mathematics and English Language.

You will be expected to choose four AS subjects.

We offer subjects which are those required by the best universities: Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, English, French, Spanish, Economics, History, Geography, Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (PRE) and the Extended Project Qualification (a project of your choice). We are also able to offer Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Bengali and Urdu as additional languages outside of the school

timetable. Other subjects, such as Business Studies or Sociology, are not offered because the best universities much prefer the subjects we have listed. For further information on this see www.russellgroup.ac.uk/informed-choices/ It is possible to study Economics, History, Geography, PRE, Psychology or the Extended Project in Year 12 if you haven’t studied the subject at GCSE. However, it is very unlikely that you will be able to study Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French or Spanish if you haven’t studied it at GCSE. We expect all our sixth formers to gain three or four high grade A levels to go on to a good university or embark on a prestigious career. We are able to draw on the expertise of our partner independent schools in order to ensure that our sixth formers get the best possible advice and help to achieve this, including visits to several universities.

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How do I apply?

Attending one of our Open Events is a great place to start. Here, you will be able to look around the school and see our brand-new facilities, and talk to our specialist teachers about the subjects and why they love teaching at LAE. You can meet current sixth formers who will be there to answer your questions about what it’s like being part of our unique community, and how LAE is supporting them to fulfil their aspirations.

To be kept updated with LAE events and to find out more about LAE’s admissions process, visit our website: www.excellencelondon.ac.uk

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What sets LAE apart from other sixth forms is the phenomenal university guidance. I have been greatly supported with my applications to medical schools and have had a thorough preparation for the UKCAT and BMAT, my personal statement and interview technique. I don’t know of another sixth form that arranges mock interviews with actual doctors.

Charlie

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