Venturers' Academy Prospectus

VENTURERS’ ACADEMY

WHERE EVERYTHING’S POSSIBLE

Welcome

to Venturers’ Academy part of the Merchants’ Academy Trust

We are proud of our positive, vibrant and purposeful all-age Academy where we are committed to ensuring that every student is successful, happy and prepared for their lives beyond school.

Venturers’ Academy is a stimulating, caring and orderly environment in which to learn and grow, where each individual has respect for themselves and for others. We expect the highest standards and we work closely with each student to recognise their individual potential, encouraging them to aim high within a nurturing environment where everything’s possible.

High Expectations We are dedicated to serving our young people and every student is important to us. We have the highest expectations and we are committed to developing the ambition, confidence and potential of each of our students, helping them to achieve their full potential, ready to take an active and responsible part in society.

Opportunities to develop and grow As the first state-funded school in Bristol for students on the autistic spectrum we are in a unique position to establish a centre of excellence which brings together exceptional teaching staff, a brand new state of the art building (due to be completed in September 2018) and the dedicated support and expertise of our sponsors, trustees and governors.

Co-sponsored by the Society of Merchant Venturers and the University of Bristol, the opportunities for our students to benefit from the expertise and input of academic and business mentors gives them a tangible advantage as they prepare and plan for the future.

Co-located on the same site as the all-age, mainstream Merchants’ Academy, our students are able to benefit from additional resources, wider opportunities and can integrate seamlessly with the mainstream school, where appropriate.

Support and Intervention We closely track the progress of each student and, where necessary, effective support and appropriate intervention will be provided in order to ensure that every child is able to flourish.

Our culture of innovation is school-based, classroomfocussed and child-centred. To help students become active, engaged participants in learning, Venturers’ Academy staff continually explore, investigate and discover which teaching methods, experiences and elements of the curriculum bring out the best in each student.

This is the mindset that drives outstanding schools, teachers and students.

The best staff, governors and learning environment We have fantastic staff and very high levels of resources.

Both staff and governors are highly qualified, experienced and committed to the development and progress of our students. Teaching and learning is of the highest standard and the buildings, facilities and resources are exceptional.

The new purpose-built school, co-located with the all-age Merchants’ Academy from September 2018, will be a state of the art provision, designed to meet the needs of the Academy’s most complex and vulnerable learners, as well as our more able students.

This prospectus can only give you a glimpse of what Venturers’ Academy has to offer. We welcome visitors and would be delighted to show you the Academy at work.

I look forward to meeting you.

Trystan Williams, Principal

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Values and Objectives At Venturers’ Academy our objectives are to provide: • Opportunities for each young person to learn, grow and make informed choices about their future

• An open and honest learning environment for all young people and staff

• Respect and dignity for each and every student regardless of their race, gender, cultural background or ability

• A framework that is attentive and responsive to the wishes, needs and interests of students, involving them in decisions made about them

• A physically and emotionally supportive environment with established, appropriate boundaries • A positive and nurturing environment in which young people can take time to repair and move forward from negative experiences in their life • An ethos and atmosphere that is conducive to personal growth • A caring, nurturing and stimulating environment that enables young people to reach their potential, building on strengths and celebrating individual achievements • A safe environment, free from ‘negative interactions’ in its many forms, including bullying and any behaviour that is disrespectful to the student or groups of students, or their family or community • A framework of support in which each young person can be encouraged to embrace the meaning and significance of their social and emotional challenges, thereby opening up the possibility of positive change • Preparation for young people so they can eventually reintegrate with confidence into the wider community • A working partnership with each young person, and in co-operation with other agencies, in order to provide continuity and consistency of care that will benefit the young person as a whole

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• Levels of care that safeguard and protect students, whilst taking all reasonable measures to minimise the risk of harm to self or others

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Aspire and Attain

We will raise aspirations and attainment for our students with ASC and their parents/carers so that they eventually leave us as: • Successful learners with strong qualifications, motivated to enhance their knowledge and skills to reach their full potential. We will provide the curriculum, resources, environment, strategies and expertise to accomplish this.

• Self-confident individuals who can make informed decisions and are able to communicate those decisions based on their values and beliefs. Students with ASC can manage their difficulties with support and will be able to develop their individual talents and abilities with confidence and enjoyment.

• Responsible citizens who respect others and can play a part in political, economic, social and cultural life.

Students with ASC can take an active role in society at all levels and we will offer them the work placement opportunities, career guidance and work skills to accomplish this.

• Effective contributors with a positive attitude who can lead or work in a team, meeting the challenges of the 21st century. Students with ASC can contribute to their community and we will provide them with the communication skills, social skills and career guidance to accomplish this.

Venturers’ Academy is wholly committed to ensuring that every student makes progress regardless of their context or starting point. This is best achieved through an effective and collaborative partnership between the Academy Leadership Team, staff, governors, and sponsors.

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Our

Curriculum At the heart of the curriculum is the belief that every child with ASC has the right and ability to develop into a confident adult capable of taking an integral part in wider society. The resulting ambitious curriculum ensures that Venturers’ Academy is a centre of excellence, always striving for outstanding student achievement, attainment and progress.

This shall be achieved across the whole age range of provision and is rooted in an on-going assessment process designed to effectively identify and support the ability and learning requirements of each child, allowing staff to establish appropriate goals that allow each young person to fulfil their social and educational potential.

Every student at primary and secondary has the option to access opportunities and learning provision in our partner mainstream Academy, Merchants’ Academy, if this is appropriate for their needs.

Based on an adapted National Curriculum, we are able to ensure that students have access to, and can attain, formal qualifications and career pathways in line with the majority

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of their peers. The National Curriculum is also followed at Merchants’ Academy and therefore, inclusion opportunities will be maximised, where appropriate.

For many students the curriculum will concentrate on communication, English, maths, science, computing and personal, social, health education and citizenship (PSHCE). All compulsory National Curriculum subjects will be taught, alongside Spanish as a foreign language or experience of the culture of another country.

The founding rationale for this curriculum is optimum attainment. In particular, we strive for our students to leave us with the appropriate skills and qualifications that will enable their successful transition to adulthood. We have therefore prioritised methodologies and a curriculum that provide a clear, flexible, developmental and linear pathway to confidence and success in adulthood. In practice this approach means that from Early Years to the end of Year 11 our core curriculum emphasises functional skills, social skills, and independence.

Educational

Vision Our educational vision and student intake make necessary a curriculum that is: • Personalised, with robust monitoring and assessment – individual levels, progress, and pathways will be assessed, established and reviewed to develop each student’s unique learning potential. On entering the Academy a robust multi-agency baseline assessment takes place. This informs the student-centred planning process and highlights strengths to nurture and difficulties to overcome. The Academy uses a wide range of assessment tools to monitor students’ emotional, social, and intellectual development. These assessment protocols track progress, identify emerging skills and inform specific curriculum requirements and are carried out across the whole age range and ability spectrum on an annual basis. Each student has a Personalised Learning Plan (PLP) that is led by the National Curriculum and a Functional Curriculum based on the student’s interests and skills. The PLP is subject to ongoing review and set in each term of the six terms.

• Focused on developing independence, personal care and life skills, communication, choice-making and social skills.

• Concentrated on building vocational skills and providing opportunities for work placements onsite and outside in the wider community.

• Therapeutic – each student will benefit from high level support and monitoring of their ASC, sensory, behaviour, and emotional difficulties via an on-site Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT).

• Co-curricular – an extended Academy day which offers a wide range of activities (such as sport, music and dance) that reflects our educational vision. Integrated within the core curriculum, this will ensure that each student develops a positive attitude to learning and an education they enjoy.

• Parentally inclusive – Venturers’ Academy recognises and values the view that successful education is attained when the Academy works in cooperation with parents/ carers. This is achieved through consultation, home visits and opportunities for parents/carers to be involved in their child’s learning.

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Academic Achievement and Student Progress

All students at Venturers’ Academy have a Personalised Learning Plan (PLP) that is regularly reviewed to maximise and accelerate social and academic progress. One of the factors affecting the educational development of students is their preferred style of learning. We each have preferences for particular ways of receiving information and ASC students are more likely to rely on only one style of learning. A process of observation is used to determine a student’s primary style of learning so that the methodologies used in teaching reflect this preference, whilst at the same time encouraging and enabling other ways of receiving information and learning.

To support and develop successful teaching and learning, Venturers’ Academy adopts a blended approach to key interventions in order to ensure that we meet the needs of each student and enable them to access their learning. This includes approaches such as: • TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped Children) • SCERTS (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support) • Engagement and mood management (Positive behaviour support) • Social stories • PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)

Independent

Learning Regular, personalised homework in the secondary years is vital in securing the very best results for our students.

It consolidates work done in lessons and encourages the development of self-discipline and independent study.

The amount of homework given increases based on the contents of the PLP and the academic pathway of individual students. All secondary students have a diary planner in which to record their homework. Should there be any concern about either the quality or quantity of

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homework set, parents/carers are encouraged to contact the tutor or subject teacher.

The nature of homework varies greatly and is dependent on the subject. Independent study requires self-discipline and organisation and this in turn develops independent learning and problem-solving skills that are invaluable attributes for further education and the workplace.

More Able Students

Venturers’ Academy is committed to providing a high quality, challenging and relevant education for each one of our students. This extends to our most able and talented students who are stretched and developed as part of our extensive More Able Students programme. Students are not only accelerated in the curriculum but are also presented with a range of exciting opportunities ranging from Enterprise events, debating competitions and an extensive variety of visits and trips, both regionally and internationally.

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Meeting Individual Needs:

Personalised Learning We recognise that every student is an individual and we aim to match the teaching that we provide to the learning needs of each young person. The provision of personalised learning is assisted by the latest technology.

Integrated Working Approach Venturers’ Academy uses a well-managed, differentiated (three levels of service), integrated working approach to therapy provision, directed at maximising preparation for learning and learning activity. This approach is referred to as a ‘wave’ or ‘blended’ approach.

The expected core provision within Venturers’ Academy includes the following:

To meet the differentiated provision objectives, therapy is organised to meet the following requirements:

• Medical cover via nursing provision

• General ‘whole school’ universal provision delivered in an integrated approach to learning

• Speech and language therapy • Occupational therapy

• An element of mental health provision such as on-site school-specific counselling/therapy and whole-school approaches such as ‘Mindfulness’ and ‘Sand Tray Therapy’

• Targeted and group therapy activities involving multidisciplinary events and activities on a scheduled, planned basis with programmed objectives • Specific specialist support delivery to individual students to meet the specific statutory requirements as stipulated in an Education Health & Care Plan

Co-curricular Every Wednesday afternoon students and staff take part in our Co-curricular programme, which involves a huge range of inspirational and exciting activities. We learn new skills, discover new talents, learn to work as team members and build confidence as individuals. The list of activities varies from term to term and year to year but always includes something for everyone.

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Life

At Venturers’ Academy Houses The Academy has a vibrant House system which enables students to work with others both in their year groups but also in other years from across the Academy in a range of activities including fundraising and competitions. The Houses: Castle, Lawfords, Frome and Temple are all named after the historic ‘Gates’ to the City of Bristol. In our secondary provision, students wear ties in the colour of their respective House. This approach is fully consistent with the mainstream allage Merchants’ Academy and further enables students at Venturers’ Academy to integrate across a number of platforms and contexts.

Recognising Achievement ‘Where Everything’s Possible’ is our motto. We believe that the achievements of every student should be recognised and that they should enjoy the feeling of

being proud of their achievements. Great emphasis is placed on celebrating achievement and promoting responsible behaviour.

Certificates are given in recognition of consistent effort and participation in the Academy community and reward outstanding academic work, effort and commitment, excellent attendance and punctuality and community service.

Celebrating Success The Annual Awards Evening and the Annual Sports Award Evening are just two of the formal events where success is celebrated. Year Group and House assemblies also include award sections. In addition, teachers recognise student work through postcards, badge awards and certificates which are presented during the year.

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Transition to Venturers’ Academy

We understand that choosing a school can be an anxious time for families, as well as exciting. Our Transition Team visits new students in their school setting to get to know them individually. Students are then invited to attend a personalised induction programme where they meet their tutors and may even take part in some taster lessons and co-curricular sessions. A home visit will also take place prior to admission. Importantly, as soon as your place at Venturers’ Academy is confirmed, we invite parents to visit the Academy to learn more about the setting so that they can work in partnership with us to make the transition as smooth as possible for their child.

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Settling in On arrival, students are allocated to a Class Group. They are looked after by their dedicated tutor and the member of the Academy Leadership Team responsible for Inclusion and Safeguarding. This team works together to support every child.

Our class sizes are among the smallest nationally and this enables our students to achieve their very best.

We guide all students through their learning journey, monitoring and tracking their progress so that they can successfully reach their goals.

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partnership with parents and carers

Our aim is to draw on the knowledge and experience of parents/carers as well as the wider community to help us move forward together for the benefit of our students.

The involvement of parents/carers is vital to the success of our young people and we value your feedback and comments. You will have regular opportunities to meet staff and discuss your child’s progress and six times a year you will receive a written report. The online Parent Portal allows you to access your child’s academic record at any time.

Personal

development Our PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship Education programme) helps our students to become confident and responsible citizens who live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives, making a positive contribution to society.

Students have the opportunity to work with outside agencies such as theatre companies, business representatives and others so that they can develop leadership, teamwork, enterprise and employability skills. Some aspects may be taught or revisited in other curriculum areas such as geography, RE, science, English or through weekly assemblies.

The Academy supports and delivers a firm commitment to developing and upholding British Values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

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Merchants’ Academy

Trust

Venturers’ Academy is part of the Merchants’ Academy Trust.

Executive Principal: Dr Hilary Macaulay

Our Sponsors The work of The Merchants’ Academy Trust is made possible through the outstanding support and expertise provided by our co-sponsors, the Society of Merchant Venturers and the University of Bristol who provide our students with exceptional experiences and opportunities designed to prioritise positive outcomes for young people.

The Society of Merchant Venturers (SMV) is a Bristol-based philanthropic organisation whose membership comprises prominent and successful men and women, prepared to give their time and skills to contribute to the prosperity and wellbeing of the greater Bristol area.

The University of Bristol ranks as one of the top 10 universities in the United Kingdom. It is actively involved in the development of the Academy curriculum.

As the founder and principal sponsor of Venturers’ Academy, SMV actively contributes to many of the Academy’s and the Trust’s activities and works closely with the Department for Education, Bristol City Council and the local community.

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VENTURERS’ ACADEMY Withywood Road, Withywood, Bristol, BS13 9AX Tel: 0117 301 0819 Email: contact@venturersacademy.org

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